For those whose children “collect” words, aspire to be an author, or simply enjoy reading stories about the printed page, don’t miss:
A Boy Called Dickens
Author: Deborah Hopkins
Illustrator: John Hendrix
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 9
Website
A Child of Books
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator: Sam Winston
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 12
Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection; Bologna Ragazzi Award for Fiction 2017
Website
A Very Witchy Spelling Bee
Author: George Shannon
Illustrator: Mark Fearing
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books, an Imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co.
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
This is a terrific book that shows, by simply adding a letter, one word can become something totally different. Of course, when witches and spells are involved, words are taken to a whole new, and very silly, level. Don’t miss this “witchy spelling bee.” You’ll be glad you didn’t!
Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection
Any Questions?
Author: Marie-Louise Gay
Illustrator: Marie-Louise Gay
Publisher: Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 9
In many ways, this book is two stories in one. The first story is true and shows the writing process through wonderful drawings, questions, and ideas. The second story is made up and comes from all the questions (and hard work) in the first part of the book. Of course, your child is invited to participate and, together, your child and the author create a wonderfully silly story to enjoy again and again.
Awards: White Raven Recommendation, International Youth Library, 2015; NCTE Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts, 2015; Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator’s Award, 2015
Book
Author: David Miles
Illustrator: Natalie Hoopes
Publisher: Familius, LLC
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 5
BookSpeak! Poems About Books
Author: Laurie Purdie Salas
Illustrator: Josée Bisaillon
Publisher: Clarion Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Awards: Minnesota Book Award; NCTE Notables; Eureka! Gold Medal; Bank Street Best Books; Librarians’ Choice; Honor Book – Gelett Burgess Award; White Ravens; Nerdy Book Award; One of Book Riot’s 50 Must-Read Poetry Books for Kids
Website
Boris Ate A Thesaurus
Author: Neil Steven Klayman
Illustrator: Barry M. Chung
Publisher: Super Senses Productions, LLC
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 9
Website
When a lunchtime meal becomes an enormous thesaurus, Boris quickly contracts a bad case of “worditis.” Yet, when the President of the United States invites Boris to give a speech at the White House, you guessed it, Boris is speechless. Not to worry, the book has a happy “Conclusion, End, Finish” at the Library of Congress.
Awards: 2013 Goodreads Choice Awards for Picture Books
Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie
Author: Jennifer Berne
Illustrator: Keith Bendis
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
Calvin Can’t Fly is a wonderful tale about a starling that finds everything he could ever hope to learn in a book, except, of course, how to fly. Unfortunately, winter is coming and he and his family must fly south. With a bit of ingenuity – and a lot of string – Calvin “flies;” yet, when a dangerous storm blows in, only Calvin knows what to do. A terrific message that shows we can all “soar” when we read.
Castle of Books
Author: Bernard Clavel
Illustrator: Yan Nascimbene
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 11
This book is a terrific story about one little boy’s big dream – to build a castle with – of course – books. “Borrowing” from his poet father’s enormous collection, the author creates a work that combines a boy’s dream, a father’s poem, and just the right amount of words to make a beautiful and heartfelt story.
Charlie Cook’s Favorite Book
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
Publisher: Dial Books
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 5
Website
Everyone has a favorite book, and Charlie Cook is no exception, but in this wonderful rhyming story, characters shown in each of the books also have a favorite. Taking a funny, circuitous, and very clever route, you and your child will love reading these stories within a story.
Awards: Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and for the Scottish Royal Mail Book Awards
Frederick
Author: Leo Lionni
Illustrator: Leo Lionni
Publisher: Dragonfly Books (English Language Edition)
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 7
In this classic tale, Frederick is a mouse who, well, doesn’t really act like one. When his family gets ready for winter, Frederick doesn’t help gather food; rather, to his family’s chagrin, he sits in thought. Yet, when the food runs low, and Frederick begins to share the words that he has collected, the intangible beauty of verse begins to change the minds of the other mice, their mood, and their understanding of just what Frederick has to offer.
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, 1966; ALA Notable Children’s Book Winner, 1966; Library of Congress Children’s Books of the Year, Winner, 1966; New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year, Winner, 1967; School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, Winner, 1967
From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World
Author: James Rumford
Illustrator: James Rumford
Publisher: A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
How did books come to be? In this stunning work, readers travel to the fifteenth century to learn about the art of bookmaking, before Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type, and after. Inspired illustrations complement the text as readers explore what they hold in their hands.
Awards: Bulletin Blue Ribbon, 2012, Nonfiction; NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2013, Biography
Hello
Author: Fiona Woodcock
Illustrator: Fiona Woodcock
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (US Edition)
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Awards: Selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, New York, 2019
Help! We Need A Title!
Author: Herve Tullet
Illustrator: Herve Tullet
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
We all know authors write books, but are they ever actually in them? Well, in this case, yes and it works brilliantly. Herve Tullet, the extraordinarily talented author of Press Here and Mix It Up! has done it again, but this time you and your child are the audience. Full of surprises, including an unfinished story; a “not quite ready for prime time” cast of characters; and a very reluctant author’s “help,” you will love watching (and reading) Help! We Need a Title!
Awards: NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts
How to Bake-a-Book
Author: Ella Burfoot
Illustrator: Ella Burfoot
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 6
With a splash of this, and a dash of that, this is writing at its creative best! Using all the elements of a story – big words and small; creative characters (cookies, of course); action (in this case, “the filling”); some good and some bad; and, of course, punctuation (it holds it all together), this author delivers one delicious book!
Ike’s Incredible Ink
Author: Brianne Farley
Illustrator: Brianne Farley
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
Ike is determined to write a story – the only problem – what to write? Deciding that he needs to make the perfect ink first, his adventure begins and what an adventure it is. In fact, it is so amazing, that, at the end of the day, he just might have an idea for one “incredible” story. A great read!
Awards: A 2014 Ridgway Honor Award Winner
It’s a Book
Author: Lane Smith
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 10
There’s a computer…and then there’s a book. And while the differences are known, they have never been presented in quite this funny of a way. Through simple questions and answers, the author shows that technology, and all it can do, can simply not compare to the brilliant simplicity of the printed book.
Awards: Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books; CCBC Choice (University of WI); IRA-CBC Children’s Choices
Let’s Taco about How Great you are
Author: Bob Holt
Illustrator: Bob Holt
Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: All Ages
Little Red Writing
Author: Joan Holub
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Website
A brilliant book that takes the story of Little Red Riding Hood and turns it into an incredibly enjoyable language arts lesson. When the main character, a pencil – albeit in a red hood – begins to write a story, she has no idea what awaits her, including an overload of adjectives; a big, bad pencil sharpener; adverbs that save the day; and a very brave woodcutter, just to name a few. I hope this is the first in a series. It is terrific!
Awards: A Booklist Best Book of the Year; A Kirkus Best Book of the Year; School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Look!
Author: Jeff Mack
Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Publisher: Owlkids Books Inc. (U.S. Edition)
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 5
When a gorilla can’t get the attention of his TV-watching friend, he takes matters into his own hands. Using a book, and some crazy antics, the gorilla does almost anything to get the boy to play with him, that is, until…CRASH! But, not to worry, the book saves the day and the friendship; to see, you’ll just have to take a Look!
Awards: An Amazon Best Book of the Month
LOOK
Author: Fiona Woodcock
Illustrator: Fiona Woodcock
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
Awards: Selected for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, New York, 2018; on the Kirkus Best Books of 2018 List; Winner of AOI World Illustrators Awards 2019; Children’s Books/Professional
Marianthe’s Story: Painted Words/Spoken Memories
Author: Aliki
Illustrator: Aliki
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
This story – written from the perspective of a young girl who comes to America – shows what it’s like, through pictures and words, to enter a new school, in a new country, with a new language.
Awards: Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Reading List
Meanwhile…
Author: Jules Feiffer
Illustrator: Jules Feiffer
Publisher: Michael di Capua Books, HarperCollins Publishers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Part picture book, part comic book, this story is all about a boy who, when he wants to change what’s going on in his life, simply writes “meanwhile…” just like they do in comic books. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work the way he planned; especially when he doesn’t have something to write with. A very funny book that every child and parent can relate to.
Awards: Keystone to Reading Book Award (PA)
Mr. George Baker
Author: Amy Hest
Illustrator: Jon J. Muth
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Awards: A Reading Rainbow Book; IRA Teachers’ Choices
My Pet Book
Author: Bob Staake
Illustrator: Bob Staake
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 7
Website
If your child has recently asked for a pet, read this book! In brilliant rhyme, Bob Staake shows why a book truly is the perfect “pet;” well, that is, until…it’s gone! Is it lost? Sold? With ingenuity and humor, this book reminds us why we love “real” books, especially those with happy endings.
Noah Webster & His Words
Author: Jeri Chase Ferris
Illustrator: Vincent X. Kirsch
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
A terrific book that explores Webster’s life in a child-friendly way teaching children, and adults, the story behind the dictionary and the man who dreamed it into existence. Of course, as is true of so many historical picture books, between the interesting statistics, and the wonderful facts, lies the perfect lesson: When you really believe in something – no matter how long it takes – never give up!
Awards: 2013 Golden Kite Award from The Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators for Best Nonfiction of 2012; 2013 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Children; 2013 Eureka! Award (silver honor book) from the California Reading Association for Excellence in Nonfiction; 2012 Distinguished Book Award from The Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California
Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Author: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Illustrator: Ryan O’Rourke
Publisher: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 9
Awards: 2018 NCTE Notable Poetry Book; 2017 Nerdy Book Club Choice; 2017 “Best of the Best” designation on the Kansas State Reading Circle Recommended Books List
Website
Rhymoceros
Author: Janik Coats
Illustrator: Janik Coats
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed, an Imprint of Abrams
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 4
Richard Wright and the Library Card
Author: William Miller
Illustrator: Gregory Christie
Publisher: Lee & Low Books (Pbk.)
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 9
Awards: Notable Books for Children, Smithsonian Magazine
The Book of Gold
Author: Bob Staake
Illustrator: Bob Staake
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random House
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
The Book With No Pictures
Author: B.J. Novak
Illustrator: B.J. Novak
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Website
A picture book with no pictures?! Really? Yes. Really! And it is hysterical. In fact, this may be one of the funniest books you’ll read all year. Written by actor and comedian B.J. Novak, The Book With No Pictures has created a whole new type of “pictureless” genre that will have children and adults not just utterly amused, but quite possibly falling into fits of uncontrolled laughter. Do not miss this book!
Awards: Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, Ages 6-8; BuzzFeed 2014 Best Books, Picture Book
The Boy & The Book (a wordless story)
Author: David Michael Slater
Illustrator: Bob Kolar
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 5
Website
Reminding kids to take care of books just got a whole lot funnier. In The Boy & the Book, a little blue book is a little too loved. Torn and thrown around the library, the book decides to hide; but, to no avail, he’s spotted and tossed again. Yet, when the boy discovers all there is to see within a book, he learns that taking care of it – inside and out – is the best way to treat a book.
Awards: Kirkus Reviews’ Best Children’s Books of the Year; Colorado Libraries: Shortlisted for 2016 CLEL Picture Book Award
The Boy on the Page
Author: Peter Carnavas
Illustrator: Peter Carnavas
Publisher: Kane Miller
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Awards: Finalist 2014 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award
Website
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Author: William Joyce
Illustrator: Joe Bluhm
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 9
A beautiful and heartfelt book about the wonder of stories and the power of words; a testament to the belief that all of us have a story to share.
Awards: Academy Award for Best Short Film (Animation), 2011
The Highest Mountain of Books in the World
Author: Rocio Bonilla
Illustrator: Rocio Bonilla
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press, Inc.
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
The Incredible Book Eating Boy
Author: Oliver Jeffers
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
Publisher: Philomel Books, Penguin Young Readers Group
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
This is a terrific story about a boy who discovers that the more books he eats the smarter he gets. A wonderful idea, until… As you can imagine, tummy aches ensue and, even worse, his information gets all mixed up. When, on a whim, he decides to try reading, instead of eating books, he discovers a whole new way to “digest” information. A great story!
Awards: Winner – Channel 4 Richard & Judy Award 2006; Irish Book Awards 2007; Merit – CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards 2007
The Jacket
Author: Kirsten Hall
Illustrator: Dasha Tolstikova
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Book is loved by a little girl, but she also loves her dog (book doesn’t like her dog). One day, her dog gets mud all over book; now book is sad, but not for long. When his friend makes him a jacket of his very own (the one on the cover), all is well. Not only that, but if your child is inspired to make his/her own, the directions are included at the back. Very clever!
Awards: A New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2014; a Huffington Post Honorable Mention for ‘Most Charming’ Picture Book of 2014; New York Times Editor’s Choice
The Lonely Book
Author: Kate Bernheimer
Illustrator: Chris Sheban
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, an Imprint of Random House Children’s Books
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
We’ve all seen the brand new books at the library displayed for all to see. Yet, over time, many of these become hidden in “yesterday’s” shelves. This is the premise behind Kate Bernheimer’s heartfelt story The Lonely Book. Long forgotten, a book is given a brand-new (shelf) life when it is discovered and brought home by a little girl. Yet, when it accidentally gets returned and lost, she refuses to give up hope and, with the help of a very patient and understanding librarian, makes sure that the book has a happy ending.☺
Awards: Missouri Show Me Reader Award 2015
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
Author: Jen Bryant;
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Recommended Age Range: 7 to 12
This is the story of Peter Roget – a man who loved words so much he made lists of them. And what did he discover? How much he loved finding “the right word.” Of course, the thought that there could be a book that allowed everyone to find the word they were looking for encouraged him to keep creating lists – even with a family and career as a doctor. With wonderful facts and child-like drawings, this is a wonderful introduction to an inspired individual and a living piece of history.
Awards: ABC Best Books Catalog (American Booksellers Association); Booklist’s 2014 Lasting Connections; Booklist Editor’s Choice List – Books for Youth; Caldecott Honor Book; CLSC Young Readers selection for 2015; Elizabeth Kennedy’s “Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2014” (About.com); Eureka Honor Award, 2014; Horn Book Magazine’s Best Books of 2014; The Horn Book Fanfare 2014; Huffington Post Best Picture Books of 2014; IRA Reading Today Online Best Picture Books of 2014; Junior Library Guild Selection; Kirkus Prize Finalist, 2014; Kirkus Review Best of 2014 – Children’s Books; Maine Lupine Book Award; Nerdy Book Club’s 2014 Nerdy Awards for Nonfiction Picture Books; New York Times Notable Children’s Books; 2014 Orbis Pictus Honor Book 2015 (NCTE); Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal; Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2014; SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Illustration; School Library Journal Best Books 2014; Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit 2014 selection; Texas Bluebonnet Master List for 2015-16
The Snatchabook: Who’s stealing all the stories?
Author: Helen Docherty
Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, an Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc.
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 6
Website
The Snatchabook is a terrific little “who-dun-it” about a town that keeps losing its books. When a brave rabbit decides to catch the thief, surprises abound. A perfect read aloud.
Awards: Oldham Brilliant Books Award 2014; Voted Number One in the Kids’ Indie Next List Autumn ‘13; Shortlisted for the Oscar’s First Book Prize (U.K.) and the Booktrust Best Book Awards 2014 (U.K.)
The Spelling Bee Before Recess
Author: Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrator: Carey Armstrong-Ellis
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Abrams
Recommended Age Range: 6 to 9
Website
The Spelling Bee Before Recess is a charming story, told in rhyme, that shares some wonderful vocabulary, and the importance of reading, in a suspenseful, “first-time jitters in a spelling bee” kind of way. Fun, informative, and full of surprises – just like a real spelling bee.
The Treasure Box
Author: Margaret Wild
Illustrator: Freya Blackwood
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Awards: Shortlisted in 2013 Queensland Literary Awards (Children’s Book Award); Shortlisted in 2014 CBC Book of the Year (Picture Book)
The Very Inappropriate Word
Author: Jim Tobin
Illustrator: Dave Coverly
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company
Recommended Age Range: 5 to 8
Michael loves words; collects them whenever he can, but, one day, he hears a “very inappropriate” one…and uses it! A lot! When his teacher overhears, she decides to teach him the best kind of lesson – a trip to the library to “discover” some new ones and replace the “old.” A great story about sharing the good; NOT the bad; and knowing the difference!
Awards: Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year; An Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Reading List Selection
The Whisper
Author: Pamela Zagarenski
Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 7
This book just ate my dog!
Author: Richard Byrne
Illustrator: Richard Byrne
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Recommended Age Range: 3 to 6
Website
This book just can’t stop eating. And, while it starts with a dog just trying to cross the page, Watch Out! because “gulp” – this book has one voracious appetite! Don’t worry, with a little bit of shaking (and a lot of help from you, the reader), things work out in the end, well, except for the dog (read this story! You’ll see what I mean).
Awards: Oxfordshire Book Award Winner; Virginia Readers’ Choice; CCBC Choice (University of WI); Kentucky Blue Grass Award Master List
Warning: Do Not Open This Book!
Author: Adam Lehrhaupt
Illustrator: Matthew Forsythe
Publisher: A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Website
How many parents have used this reverse psychology? Tell your child not to, and voila! It happens! This, of course, is the premise behind this very funny and entertaining story. And I promise, for all the times I’ve read it, the second after I say the title this is what I hear: “OPEN IT!” With terrific illustrations, a clever use of monkeys, toucans, and one very hungry alligator, you will “…Open this Book,” then reopen it, again and again and again….
Awards: E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor Book; ALA Notable Children’s Book; Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year Selection Title; Huffington Post Best Picture Book Honorable Mention
What A Wonderful Word: A collection of untranslatable words from around the world
Author: Nicola Edwards
Illustrator: Nicola Edwards
Publisher: Kane Miller/EDC Publishing
Recommended Age Range: All Ages
Which Witch is Which?
Author: Judi Barrett
Illustrator: Sharleen Collicott
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Recommended Age Range: 4 to 8
Words and your Heart
Author: Kate Jane Neal
Illustrator: Kate Jane Neal
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Recommended Age Range: 2 to 6