New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2011
Also, some great reviews of books that I am reading or about to read. Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck and The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy are discussed in an article titled Mice Twice. A book I've been hearing buzz about amongst bloggers, Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder. And (drumroll, please) children's book historian Leonard S Marcus (who also just annotated the 50th Anniversary Edition of Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer's masterpiece, The Phantom Tollbooth) reviews the very exciting, long awaited book that I am one story away from finishing, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, the all-star collection of authors adding their interpretations to my favorite Chris Van Allsburg book from 1984, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. If you have never heard of or seen this remarkable book, then I suggest you run out and buy it RIGHT NOW. Or, maybe you could just read Choose Your Own Adventure, Marcus's review of the book. Or, better yet, visit Who Is Harris Burdick, the website dedicated to the book and readers' stories to go with the pictures. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is beautifully unique and endlessly inspiring of creative thinking. Because of this, it has been a classroom staple for years. Apparently, however, this book isn't as widely known as I had assumed. Several my literate and occasionally literary co-workers had NEVER HEARD OF IT! And, while I did have a customer (a teacher) express excitement over The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, I'm not sure how well the book is selling in my store, despite the fact that it is (and will be through Christmas) on a 20% off sale table at Barnes & Noble....
The New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2011
Migrant by Maxine Trottier, pictures by Isabelle Arsenault
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
A New Year's Reunion by Yu Li Qiong and Zhu Cheng Liang
Along a Long Road by Frank Viva
I Want My Hat Back Jon Klassen
Brother Sun, Sister Moon:
Saint Francis of Assisis Canticle of Creatures,
reimagined by Katherin Paterson, illustrated by Pamela Dalton
A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
ICE by Arthur Geisert
A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis
by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell