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Summer Reading Round-up for Kids
PICTURE BOOKS
Bad Bears Go Visiting
Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Houghton Mifflin, April 2007, $16
Polar bear Larry visits zoo buddies Irving and Muktuk for an impromptu session of cheating at cards, eating cake with fish, and volleyball. Deciding that “visits are nice,” Irving and Muktuk drop in on a suburban family for a fun-filled evening that ends with an utterly cheerful arrest. Jill Pinkwater is the Rembrandt of ursine expressiveness.
Camp Babymouse
Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Random House, May 2007, $5.99
Babymouse is thrilled about summer camp until she hits Susie Skunk with a roasted marshmallow, tips over the canoe, and accidentally sets the woods on fire. This is manga for the middle grades, the sixth book in a charming series by Hudson resident Matthew Holm and his Newbery Honor-winning sister, Jennifer.
Fabian Escapes
Written and illustrated by Peter McCarty
Hondo the dog likes to nap and let the baby dress him up, while Fabian the cat would rather sneak out for a walk on the wild side. This sequel to Caldecott Honor-winning Hondo and Fabian features fuzzily adorable illustrations and whimsical text. Perfect read-aloud fare from Rhinebeck author McCarty.
My Friend is Sad
Today I Will Fly!
Written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Hyperion Books for Children, April 2007, $8.99 each
When Piggie decides he’s going to fly, Gerald tries to talk him out of it. And when Gerald is sad, Piggie tries to cheer him up. Comforting tales with a comic twist, these books launch a new easy-reader series by the Caldecott Honor-winning writer/illustrator of Knuffle Bunny and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
Written and illustrated by Barbara Lehman
Houghton Mifflin, April 2007, $16
On a rainy day with nothing to do, a lonely boy finds a mysterious key. It unlocks a secret passageway to an island with a lighthouse, a sunny beach, and, best of all, kids to play with. Entirely wordless and graphically striking, a fitting successor to the Claverack artist’s award-winning The Red Book and Museum Trip.
The Top Job
Written by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by
Robert Neubecker
Dutton Children’s Books, July 2007, $16.99
Emma’s mother drives racecars, and Elizabeth’s father hunts UFOs. But another child’s father has the coolest job of all: He changes light bulbs—on the antenna of the Empire State Building. Step-by-step illustrations illuminate a very big adventure atop one of the world’s tallest buildings.