Once again, while compiling these listings we were on the lookout for books that grabbed our attention for one reason or another—whether leaving us scratching our heads or chuckling. In a playful spirit, we herewith bestow the following awards:
Book Most Likely to Make Shakespeare Groan from the Grave:Romeow & Drooliet by Nina Laden, in which the star-crossed lovers—a feline hero and canine heroine—meet by chance, marry in secret and are kept apart by appalled owners, a snarling Rottweiler and the animal control warden. (Chronicle)
Picture Book Most Apt to Make Kids Think Twice Before Biting into Their Veggies:Coco the Carrot by Steven Salerno, the tale of a carrot who escapes from a cramped vegetable bin, fashions herself a green hat and hops a cruise ship to Paris, where she becomes an internationally famous chapeau designer. (Marshall Cavendish)
Book That Most Convincingly Suggests That Fairytale Spinoffs Should Come to a (Split) End:Cindy Big Hair: A Twisted (and Teased & Braided) Cinderella Story by Annie Auerbach, illus. by David Maxley, a "pop-up hairytale" in which Cindy's Hairy Godmother grants her wish to attend the Big Hair Ball. (Piggy Toes Press/Intervisual)
Title Most Apt to Encourage Less-Than-Silent Activity at the Dinner Table:Borya and the Burps: An Eastern European Adoption Story by Jane McNamara, illus. by Dawn Majewski, the story of baby boy with a talent for making magnificent burps. (Perspectives Press)
Book Whose Title Has the Most Ambiguous Connection to the Name of Its Series:Lenny Loses His Lunch by Dan Taylor and Damion Taylor, an addition to the God Can Use Me series. (Kregel/Kidzone)
Picture Book Plot with the Greatest Potentially Elephantine Humor:Looking After Little Ellie by Dosh and Mike Archer, which recounts the mayhem and mishaps that result when decidedly diminutive mice agree to baby sit for a largeyoung elephant. (Bloomsbury)
Series Most Likely to Make Kids Watch Their Step While Hiking:Who Pooped in the Park?, in which a family explores various National Parks and tries to determine which animal left which droppings and tracks. (Farcountry Press)
Books That Best Underscore the Pervasiveness of Fast Food in Kids' Lives:Klutz-to-Go: Books in a Cup, billed as "the best thing to happen to the back seat since super-sized sodas." These cups filled with activity books, pencil and stickers come in orange and lime flavors andfit in a car cup holder. (Klutz)
Book That Younger Sisters Who Live in Fear Will Most Want to Read:My Big Sister Is So Bossy She Says You Can't Read This Book by Mary Hershey (Random/Lamb)
