Susie Wilde on Children's Books - 2008 Wilde Awards - Picture Books

By Susie Wilde
Thousands of books are published for children each year. Some actually deserve to be read. A few are truly exceptional. Since 2002, the Wilde Awards have honored the year’s best. This week, we will salute those works whose strong images and poignant stories have earned them a Wilde Award for picture book excellence. Next week we will look at the best longer books.

Babies & Toddlers

"Button Nose" by Nina Laden (Chronicle). This cloth book will span the years. It’s soft, chewable and washable for babies. It has animals for toddlers to name. Its zippers, Velcro and more will help young children practice getting dressed.

"Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes" by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt Brace). Rhymes, illustrations and sweetness without saccharin make the perfect gift for a new baby.

"Flip-Up Shapes;
Flip-Up Counting" by Chuck Murphy (Random House). A first pop-up unites with early concepts in these two indestructible board books.

"Scoot!" by Cathryn Falwell (HarperCollins). Active language and vibrant collages bring a pond and its inhabitants alive in this captivating book to get you over 
life’s little bumps

"Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie" by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Scholastic, ages 3-6). The Caldecott-winning team is back to show the split personality of a fine but fitful granddaughter.

"Nobunny’s Perfect" by Anna Dewdney (Viking, ages 2-5). Bouncy rhymes and playful bunnies introduce models of behavior and misbehavior.

"Splat the Cat" by Rob Scotton (HarperCollins, ages 3-5). Splat takes his pet mouse to school and sees that he has as much to teach as to learn. The illustrations show Splat’s fur with such amazing texture, you would swear you could pet him.

Early Stories

"Stuck in the Mud" by Jane Clarke, illustrated by Garry Parsons (Walker, ages 2-5). A hen worries about her stuck chick and rallies farm animals to help in a rhyming tale with a surprise ending.

"Yoon and the Jade Bracelet" by Helen Recorvits, 
illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska (FSG, ages 4-8). In this third picture book about the sensitive young female Korean immigrant, we can see that Yoon is more acclimated to American culture. But the thick-painted illustrations show that Yoon has a thin skin when she is manipulated by an older female bully in her school.

"Anansi’s Party Time" by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens (Holiday House, ages 5-8). Trickster spider Anansi fakes out Turtle then faces payback. Parties and payback themes make rereading a certainty.

"Big Chickens Fly the Coop" by Leslie Helakoski, illustrated by Henry Cole (Dutton, ages 5-8). Observant young readers join in humor, refrains and wordplay as the silly chickens take a scary trek to find the farmhouse (which turns out to be next door to their coop).

"I’m Bad!" by Kate and Jim McMullan (HarperCollins, ages 4-8). Come all dinosaur-lovers and enjoy the ravenous reptile on the hunt
for dinner. Once again the authors show themselves to be masters of voice
for young children.

Early Nonfiction

"Close to You: How Animals Bond" by Kimiko Kajikawa (Holt, ages 3-6). Tender, intriguing and funny illustrations with simple one-liners show the sweet habits of animal babies and their parents.

"Bees, Snails & Peacock Tails" by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (McElderry, ages 4-6). Patterns of language are well-matched by illustrations to introduce patterns in nature.

"How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly?" by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Houghton Mifflin, ages 4-7). The authors combine clear writing and stunning collage for an intriguing look at how animals feed and flee.

"Frogs" by Nic Bishop (Scholastic, ages 4-8). Close-up photos and clear, simple writing engage readers as easily as Bishop captures a sticky-tongued frog jumping up to catch a caterpillar.

Picture Book Biographies

"Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau" by ennifer Berne, illustrated by Eric Puybaret (Chronicle, ages 6-9). Blues and greens dominate the biography of a man with curiosity, innovation and a love of water.

"A River of Words: 
The Story of William Carlos Williams" by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
(Eerdmans, ages 8-adult). Simple words describe the life of a young wanderer who became a doctor and famous poet. Mixed-media illustrations are perfect representations of Williams’ life.

"Lady Liberty: A Biography" by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick, ages 8-12). Lyrical first-person poems recount the conception, fabrication and eye-popping achievement that is the Statue of Liberty.

"We Are the Ship: The Story
of Negro League Baseball" by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion, ages 9-adult).
The first written work by an award-winning illustrator, this book uses an unnamed narrator — and rich, glowing paintings — to portray the people and places, the successes and agonies of the legendary league.

Older Picture Books

"Bird" by  Zetta Elliot, illustrated by Shadra Strickland (Lee and Low, ages 9-12). Bird can control images in his drawings, but can’t do a thing about his grandfather’s death or his older brother’s drug addiction. Childlike drawings and poignant watercolors accent a simple but lyrical text.

"Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears" by Emily Gravet (SSimon and Schuster, ages 8-adult). Take a tour of terrors through the eyes of a nervous mouse who introduces a series of fears with intriguing collages, double-entendres and humor.  

"Night Running: How James Escaped With the Help of His Faithful Dog" by Elisa Carbone, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Knopf, ages 7-10). James plans to escape from his 1838 Virginia plantation to find freedom across the Ohio River. He must go without his dog, who is nosy and always hungry. But faithful Zeus turns out to be more help than hindrance. Rich watercolors and story tension make an emotional impact.

"Twelve Terrible Things" by Marty Kelley (Tricycle, ages 9-up). Inside this book are the things nightmares are made of — or laughter, depending on your vantage point. The artist’s perspectives and distorted realism convey the truth of a dozen situations such as being asked to say “Ahh” as the dentist hovers.

Older Nonfiction

"Face to Face With Cheetahs" by Chris Johns with Elizabeth Carney (National Geographic, ages 6-10). Golden eyes stare from the cover, letting you see how a photographer came to care about cheetahs on a Botswana preserve.

"March On! The Day My Brother 
Martin Changed the World" by Christine King Farris, illustrated by London Ladd (Scholastic, ages 7-10). Farris offers unusual perspective and fabulous imagery to tell the dramatic story of the 1963 March on Washington.

"Swords: An Artist’s Devotion" by Ben Boos (Candlewick, ages 7-adult). Even if swords aren’t your thing, they’ll wow you in this book.

"One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference" by Katie Smith Milway (Kids Can Press, ages 9-12). A true story of how one boy from Ghana changed the lives of others. It’s an amazing study of economics, culture and perseverance.