Sheila Rae taunts Louise with her peppermint stick, not wanting to share it, and uses her experience to trick her sibling. Louise eventually gets some of the candy, and Sheila Rae gets her comeuppance in a very satisfying ending. Children of all ages will see themselves in these characters, first introduced in Sheila Rae, the Brave (Greenwillow, 1987).
Sheila Rae’s Peppermint Stick
Ugly ogre parents make an even uglier ogre son named Shrek. Of course Shrek seeks (on the back of a donkey) and finds a bride — an ogress even uglier than he! Enjoy the rich language used in the now 20-years-old and still-funny picture book that inspired a movie adaptation.
Shrek!
Under the spell of a vengeful fairy, Princess Aurora sleeps for a hundred years until she is awakened by the kiss of her true love. Lush illustrations place this retelling of the familiar story in a dramatic Baroque-like setting, rich in detail and suspense.
Sleeping Beauty
No one except a small boy thinks the few falling snowflakes will amount to much. As the snow continues to fall, however, the dull, gray town becomes transformed into a winter wonderland, and all of its residents come out to enjoy. The wonder of it all is captured through dynamic illustrations and understated text.
Snow
The whisper of snow and the jingle of dog tags set a wintery tone in this story of a boy and his friend in search of his lost dog on a snowy day. Music is everywhere in the rhythm of the language and patterns of the illustration in this unusual and memorable book.
Snow Music
The “chubby champion” of the title is brightly colored, larger than life and very heroic! In fact,“If Mount Fuji blows its stack, If a monster should attack, Don’t just hide inside your house! Give a call for Sumo Mouse!” Illustrations of cutout paper, placed in an almost comic book format, move this humorous parody along.
Sumo Mouse
Clara is born into slavery but learns an important skill when she becomes a seamstress. Her quilting ability allows Clara to put together directions to escape north to freedom when she overhears a conversation about a route to Canada.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
A hairless toddler at the beach is the star of this child-sized, sturdy book. One word accompanies each simple, colorful illustration to introduce words like swimsuit, sunscreen, and sleep as the sun goes down.
Swimsuit
Uriko is small but brave, determined, and smart. In fact, she saves the town’s children when they are kidnapped by hungry oni, the ogres of Japanese lore whose favorite food is baby belly buttons. This lively retelling of a traditional Japanese folktale reads aloud well and is complemented by the illustrations, which call to mind the tale’s Asian origin.
Tasty Baby Belly Buttons
This book beautifully tells the story of adoption with the message that you were chosen and special; you were a part of this family from the beginning; and your birth parents are wonderful people who loved you enough to allow you to become a part of our family.
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and a host of memorable characters set out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil. Drawing inspiration from the colorful tales of Welsh mythology, The Chronicles of Prydain continue in The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King.
The Book of Three
Bright, child-like illustrations and a straightforward text invite readers to take a look at what daddies do. They work, they teach their children different things, and they love to “hug and kiss you!” Its companion, The Mommy Book (opens in a new window), is equally appealing.
The Daddy Book
While on vacation in an English village by the sea, Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew, the protagonists of Over Sea, Under Stone, begin a quest to retrieve a relic from King Arthur’s time. Different characters join their quest through The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, and the Newbery Award winning The Grey King, until the Drew children, Will Stanton, and Bran Davies defeat the forces of the Dark in the exciting conclusion of the series, Silver on the Tree.
The Dark Is Rising Sequence
Seeing that man is sorry after arguing with his wife, Sun sends the first strawberries to the land. The sweet fruit slows the wife down, allowing her husband to catch up and apologize. To this day, strawberries remind people to be kind to each other. Rich illustrations add interesting details to this fluid telling of a traditional legend.
The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story
Recommended by Michelle – Not only was this one of my favorite children’s books, it was also a favorite of my former students. This story leaves you hanging to the edge of your seat because of the many surprises found throughout. I also enjoy the very clever characters. Even though they find themselves in many sticky situations, they always find ways to escape.
The Five Chinese Brothers
Miss Hester’s disagreeable dog, Fritz, escapes young Alan’s care and runs into the forbidden garden of Abdul Gasazi. When the boy unsuccessfully tries to find the dog in the mysterious garden, he meets the stern magician himself. Stunning black and white illustrations magnify the magic of Van Allsburg’s first book.
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
A small, ill-tempered insect will not say “Good morning” or “Thank you” to anyone. But, as the day progresses, she becomes a nicer, happier, better-behaved bug. The use of die-cut pages in this vividly illustrated book enhances the sense of movement in a memorable fashion.
The Grouchy Ladybug
Children will expand their vocabulary and play with hidden images in this unusual and elegantly illustrated alphabet book. A solid black frame with a one word descriptor focuses on an object. Lift the flap, and the image becomes the letter in full color, thus inviting readers to play with both words and images.
The Hidden Alphabet
Bilbo Baggins leaves his comfortable Hobbit-hole when selected by Gandalf the wizard to become part of a dangerous adventure in this prequel to Tolkien’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The Hobbit
Morris, Doris, Boris and Norris can’t get much right – including eating a banana – but they do know how tolaugh at themselves (and get readers chuckling!). Infour short chapters, perfect for newly independentreaders, the four friends enjoy simple things in theirown silly way.
The Know Nothings
When siblings, Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund are sent away from London air-raids during World War II, they are placed with an old man in the country. There, they enter another time and place through an old wardrobe found by Lucy. This is the first book in the Narnia Chronicles.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Now that Juan’s mother has left him with his grandmother, he shines shoes to earn a living. More than anything else, though, 7-year old Juan wants to learn to read and go to school. Guatemala comes alive through the daily lives of Juan and his grandmother and the detailed black/white illustrations.
The Most Beautiful Place in the World
Princess Elizabeth saves the kingdom (and the prince) from a fire-breathing dragon – and is told by the ungrateful Prince Roland that she looks a mess. The princess shows her stuff as she strikes out on her own, leaving the prince in the dust. A light touch and plenty of humor make this parody successful and its message clear.
The Paper Bag Princess
Often as children grow up, they “stop hearing their toys,” as did the girl who made the paper princess. So the wind whisks Princess off on a magical journey, ultimately carrying her to a new home where she can once again be loved by a little girl. Highly detailed illustrations are used in this sequel to The Paper Princess, though each book stands on its own.