In a year that saw more children's books published than ever, it seemed even more of a challenge to winnow the titles to the year's best. Harry Potter may have dominated the headlines, but strong fiction brimmed from Muggle bookshelves everywhere, and there were several notable debuts. New picture books from such childhood favorites as Maurice Sendak, Norton Juster and Don Freeman gave a nod to the past while demonstrating innovation. We also highlight our favorite nonfiction and poetry offerings of the year. See our complete list!
Picture Books | |
| Terrific Jon Agee (Hyperion/di Capua) Eugene Crumb, the paunchy protagonist of this desert-island send-up, views every lucky break with pessimism. That is, until a parrot who shares the island and masterminds their escape brings about the fellow's change of heart. A humorous testament to the transformative power of friendship. | |
| Reaching for the Moon Buzz Aldrin, illus. by Wendell Minor (HarperCollins) The astronaut puts his early life and commendable career into sharp focus, demonstrating how pivotal events led to his role in the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. Minor's light-infused art balances lifelike portraiture with vast images of the final frontier. | |
| Mr. Williams Karen Barbour (Holt) Barbour's picture-book biography records the reminiscences of Mr. Williams, born in 1929 on an African-American farmstead in Arcadia, La. From the unadorned language, peppered with particulars, a poetic simplicity emerges. Exquisite paintings combine dark outlines, thick brushstrokes and startling colors to vividly dramatize a distinct moment in American history. | |
| The Costume Party Victoria Chess (Kane/Miller) This droll story about Madame Coco and her five bull terriers will appeal to anyone who has wondered what to do on a rainy day. Chess's comical illustrations lend the book its wit: the terriers plan games, decorations and snacks with the fierce concentration and exuberance of bright toddlers. | |
Diary of a Spider Doreen Cronin, illus. by Harry Bliss (HarperCollins/Cotler) In this rib-tickling sequel, Cronin and Bliss repeat the comic ingredients that made Diary of a Worm so successful. This time, Worm's friend Spider keeps the diary, filled with similar deadpan humor and visual jokes, which offer readers a whimsical glimpse of the world from a small creature's point of view. | |
| Earl the Squirrel Don Freeman (Viking) Never before published, this breezy, droll tale from the creator of Corduroy focuses on a rite of passage for an ingenuous young squirrel. Freeman's signature scratchboard style, with fine tooling in black and white, plays up both the hero's red scarf (the only additional color) and the jet-black night into which Earl embarks on his journey. | |
| The Hello, Goodbye Window Norton Juster, illus. by Chris Raschka (Hyperion/di Capua) A curly haired girl—who dances with wiggly energy in summery paintings—describes playful visits to her grandparents, whose kitchen window provides the perfect venue to say hello and goodbye. A relaxed account of how a child's visit occasions everyday magic. | |
Bears Ruth Krauss, illus. by Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins/di Capua) Let the wild rumpus continue, Max (from Where the Wild Things Are) seems to say, in Sendak's illustrations of Krauss's 1948 text. And a joyful fete it is. Nothing in the text suggests the visual drama that unfolds, yet thanks to Sendak's canny mix of insight and playfulness, Max, his Teddy bear and the boy's jealous pooch (who purloins the toy) appear completely at home in a furry wonderland of giant bears' limbs. | |
Cinderella Barbara McClintock (Scholastic Press) This Cinderella, based on Perrault's version, takes place in a sumptuous, Versailles-inspired palace. McClintock's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations emulate old-fashioned wood engravings, and the traditional story seems suffused with magic. Yet she adds contemporary touches too, in her balance of fast-moving sequences and closely observed moments, and ends on a kind-spirited note. | |
The Problem with Chickens Bruce McMillan, illus. by Gunnella (Houghton/Lorraine) The juxtaposition of McMillan's minimal deadpan text and Gunnella's comically literal paintings makes for some unlikely hilarity, as a group of women try to secure a reliable supply of eggs. Gunnella portrays buxom, Botero-like women, shadowed by chickens who mimic them as they drink tea and try out dance steps. | |
The Little Engine That Could Watty Piper, illus. by Loren Long (Philomel) Long reimagines this classic tale of determination and perseverance, adding a lushness to the spreads and injecting even more personality into the characters. Both faithful fans and newcomers will enjoy this triumphant ride and eagerly climb aboard for repeat excursions. | |
KlondikeGold Alice Provensen (S&S) Provensen puts a human face on the 1897 stampede into Yukon Territory after gold is discovered on the banks of the Klondike River, and bases her narrator on an actual miner. In this rich historical nugget, art and text convincingly convey the danger, thrill, exhilaration and heartbreak experienced by these persevering prospectors. | |
Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Candlewick) Favorite prehistoric standbys leap from the pages of this playful and edifying pop-up. An iron-red Tyrannosaurus rex with yellow teeth reaches out to nip unsuspecting readers on the nose, and pachycepalosaurs lurk behind gatefolds. With so many layers and moving paper parts, readers may indeed feel like paleontologists unearthing fossils. | |
Kamishibai Man Allen Say (Houghton/Lorraine) The kamishibai man of pre-war Japan brought to neighborhood children cliff-hanger tales, storyboard paintings and homemade sweets. One such man, the retired titular hero, decides to return to his old route to tell his own story. Say explores themes of aging, cultural change and the way humans seem to lose warmth with technological advances, all while keeping the lens tightly focused on the kamishibai man and his significance as a link to childhood dreams and desires. | |
| Show Way Jacqueline Woodson, illus. by Hudson Talbott (Putnam) Woodson's story, both historical and personal, begins when a seven-year-old girl is sold as a captive to a plantation, where she learns quilting. The quilt becomes a metaphor not only for physical freedom (as a "Show Way" for runaways) but also for freedom of expression, connecting generations of women. Talbott uses the motif in rousing ways as well as in soft patterns that tie together the love of a child. | |
| Beyond theGreatMountains: A Visual Poem AboutChinaEd Young (Chronicle) In this concise lyrical poem about Young's native country, words and pictures unfold simultaneously as if a primordial China were being formed before readers' eyes. The cut- and torn-paper collages literally grow with each turn of the page; Young includes ancient Chinese characters, showing how visual symbols sometimes combine to make a single word, and the shapes in the illustrations subtly imitate these figurative characters. | |
Fiction | |
| Whales on Stilts! M.T. Anderson, illus. by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt) An intrepid trio must defeat an insidious plan to use whales in a takeover of the state capital—and then the world!—in this highly wacky novel. Anderson sends up decades of children's book series, and creates a hysterical one of his own, while Cyrus's black-and-white illustrations riff on comic books and '50s-era advertisements, escalating the humor factor. | |
| Tiger, Tiger Lynne Reid Banks (Delacorte) In Banks's gripping, tantalizing examination of power, sacrifice and mercy, two brother tiger cubs are taken from their native land and brought to ancient Rome. One becomes a celebrated killer in the Colosseum, the other the pampered pet of Caesar's daughter, whose warm feelings soon extend to the cub's keeper as well. The novel's bittersweet conclusion leaves plenty of questions enticingly unanswered. | |
| The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy Jeanne Birdsall (Knopf) This timeless tale from a first-time author introduces the incomparable Penderwicks, on vacation in a rental cottage on a sprawling estate where lonely young Jeffrey lives. The sisters' delightfully diverse personalities propel the plot, as tension arises when Jeffrey's pretentious mother and her fiancé decide to send the boy to military school. | |
| I, Coriander Sally Gardner (Dial) A first-time British novelist coats England's turbulent Commonwealth era with a layer of magic, in this stunning story narrated by Coriander Hobie, whose recently deceased mother may have had more than just a talent for healing. Readers will recognize many elements of classic fairy tales juxtaposed with the stark backdrop of the beheading of King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell's rise to power. Seamlessly meshing fact and fantasy, the author composes a suspenseful masterpiece. | |
| Stained Jennifer Richard Jacobson (Atheneum/Jackson) This quietly powerful, expertly told tale set in 1975 stars 17-year-old Jocelyn McGuire, a lapsed Catholic in a community of believers. Her now-estranged childhood friend, Gabe, has gone missing, and her boyfriend, Benny, breaks up with her on the advice of the local priest, who holds a creepy sway over his male teenage parishioners. A triumphant ending puts this girl with the "stained soul" squarely on the side of the angels. | |
| Twilight Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown/Tingley) Isabella Swan, 17, narrates this riveting first novel, equal parts suspense and romance. From the first day at her new high school in Forks, Wash., she finds herself magnetically drawn to Edward Cullen, whose behavior towards her is erratic. Then she finds out why: he is a vampire. The sense of danger inherent in their love makes a perfect metaphor for the sexual tension that accompanies adolescence. | |
| The Scarecrow and His Servant Philip Pullman, illus. by Peter Bailey (Knopf) In this witty and moving fairy tale, a scarecrow comes miraculously to life in a war-torn England and takes on as his servant an orphaned boy. Picaresque adventures ensue as they best a band of brigands, make their stage debut and join an army regiment. Like the classic tales from which it draws inspiration, this story gives the sense of always having been there, just waiting to be told. | |
| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J.K. Rowling, illus. by Mary GrandPré (Scholastic/Levine) From the start of the series, the author has used the wizard world to offer insight into the goings-on in the real world, perhaps now more than ever. Harry and Dumbledore begin a book-long mission to get to the heart of the dark wizardry impacting both the Muggle and magical worlds. In this sixth book, Rowling pulls together threads from all the previous titles, expertly poising readers for the planned finale. | |
| A Thief in the House of Memory Tim Wynne-Jones (FSG) The author masterfully evokes the surreal quality of faded memories enhanced or distorted by the imagination as Dec, now 16, begins a search to uncover the circumstances of his mother's sudden departure six years before. His search takes him back to the mansion where they had lived and where he discovers a dead man—allegedly a thief—who he later learns dated Dec's mother in high school. | |
| The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp Rick Yancey (Bloomsbury) The newly orphaned, underachieving, utterly endearing narrator of this topsy-turvy novel winds up in an unwitting Arthurian quest when his uncle (and now guardian), a night watchman, can't refuse a $1 million offer to retrieve a sword from the executive suite. Saber-wielding monks demand the sword, thugs on motorcycles fire shotguns at Alfred, and everyone and everything has a secret identity. Alfred's naiveté and basic good nature make this pageturner a standout. | |
| I Am the Messenger Markus Zusak (Knopf) Australian cabdriver Ed Kennedy is 19 when he thwarts a bank robbery in the hilarious opening scene of this gritty, gripping and ultimately romantic mystery. He begins receiving playing cards with cryptic clues, such as addresses or names unknown to him, which lead him to intervene in the lives of others. Compulsively readable. | |
Nonfiction | |
| Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Scholastic Nonfiction) Bartoletti offers a unique and fascinating perspective on WWII by focusing on the young people who followed Hitler from 1933—1945. Her portrait of individuals within the Hitler Youth who failed to realize that they served "a mass murderer" is convincing, and while it does not excuse the atrocities, it may well allow readers to comprehend the circumstances that led to the formation of Hitler's youngest zealots. | |
| 10,000 Days of Thunder: A History of the Vietnam War Philip Caputo (S&S/Atheneum) Journalist Caputo, a Vietnam veteran, crafts a hard-hitting portrait of the Vietnam War. The design packs a visual wallop: a strong full-page photographic or cartographic image appears opposite a clean and succinct discussion of each topic. The author's balanced approach offers evidence of atrocities and humanity on both sides of the conflict; he offers readers an intelligent, close-up view of a defining time in world history, with many pertinent insights and lessons for today. | |
| Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Remarkable Life Candace Fleming (Atheneum/Schwartz) Fleming arranges short chapters into a pastiche of narratives, deftly supported by photographs, newspaper articles, letters and cartoons. The author relies on the prolific words of Eleanor herself, family members, friends and observers to enhance this multi-faceted view of a figure both controversial and beloved, and allows readers to draw their own conclusions. | |
| Leonardo da Vinci Kathleen Krull, illus. by Boris Kulikov (Viking) With this illuminating biography, Krull kicks off her Giants of Science series. Noting the Renaissance man's remarkably far-reaching accomplishments, she also conveys his humanity and sense of humor, and places him in the context of his times. Kulikov's occasional atmospheric pen-and-inks complement the inviting, conversational narrative, which explores the vital link da Vinci made between science and art. | |
| John Lennon: All I Want Is the Truth Elizabeth Partridge (Viking) Partridge's well-researched photobiography of the legendary musician includes copious quotations from Lennon and his colleagues, which add to the book's overall sense of candor. The well-known milestones are documented in detail—his discovery of rock 'n' roll, the formation of The Beatles, his experimentation with drugs and his relationship with Yoko Ono. A captivating portrait. | |
Poetry | |
| A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms Selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illus. by Chris Raschka (Candlewick) Janeczko and Raschka explain and sometimes bend the rules of 29 poetic forms, proceeding from the compact couplet, tercet and quatrain, to the more complex roundel, villanelle and pantoum, emphasizing play. Raschka marks each form with a witty icon (a bouncing ball for a limerick, an urn for an ode). A joyful poetry lesson, sure to be welcomed by aspiring poets everywhere. | |
| A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children Caroline Kennedy, illus. by Jon J Muth (Hyperion) Kennedy gives this winsome collection of 106 poems a personal feel. In her introduction, she describes the pivotal role poetry has played in her life and begins each of the book's sections with relevant anecdotes from her childhood. Muth's textured watercolors capture with remarkable insight the spirit of each poem. | |
| A Wreath for Emmett Till Marilyn Nelson, illus. by Philippe Lardy (Houghton) Nelson's brilliant heroic crown of sonnets serves not only as an elegy for the African-American boy from Chicago brutally killed at age 14 while he was visiting Southern relatives in 1955, but also as a compelling invitation to bear witness. Lardy's remarkable paintings capture the rising emotion and denouement of the historical event, and both text and art weave together the repeated phrases and colors that create a powerful, graceful whole. | |
| Song of the Water Boatman: And Other Pond Poems Joyce Sidman, illus. by Beckie Prange (Houghton) This remarkable collection of poems about the flora and fauna found in wetland areas also occasions the book debut for naturalist and printmaker Prange, whose artwork unfolds with grace and narrative finesse. The poems and hand-colored woodcuts combine whimsy with naturalistic accuracy, and crystal-clear sidebars filled with enough factual oddities to intrigue youngsters provide ideal accompaniment. | |
