City libraries offer a picture-book paradise
In The Stacks
The Juneau Public Library has a host of picture books to check out. Here's a few school stories, some sibling stories and some I just couldn't resist touting:
"Once Upon a Time," written and illustrated by Niki Daly. Sarie is a little girl who has big problems - all the kids in class can read except her, and the harder she tries, the more tangled up she gets and the more the others laugh. Sundays are her favorite days, when she takes long imaginary car trips with her Auntie Anna, who gently encourages her to keep trying, until one day, Sarie can read!
"Souperchicken," by Mary Jane Auch, illustrated by Herm Auch. Reading isn't usually something chickens need to do, but it saves the life of Henrietta and her friends. Henrietta is so busy reading that she doesn't bother laying eggs, and doesn't get invited to go with her coop-mates on their special vacation. But as the truck pulls away, she reads "Souper Soup Company" on the back - can she save her friends in time?
"Elizabeti's School," by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Christy Hale. When Elizabeti goes to school for the first time, she feels shy and misses her little brother and sister who are still at home. But there are lots of fun new things to do and learn, and when she gets home from school, she gets to practice her new counting skills.
"Jack the Wolf," written and illustrated by Yvonne Jagtenberg. Jack's first day in a new school is scary - his new classroom has a big wolf's head on the windowsill. But when the class plays "Little Red Riding Hood" and Jack gets to be the wolf, he feels much better.
"The Raven's Gift," written and illustrated by Kelly Dupre. Dupre writes about her husband's multi-month trip by kayak and dogsled around Greenland, the world's largest island, and tells the story of his meeting with a raven in trouble. I particularly love her spare, colorful linoleum block-print illustrations, which seem to vibrate on the page.
"One-Dog Canoe," by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ard Hoyt. This lightly rhyming, delightfully illustrated cumulative story is about a girl who goes for a solo canoe trip with her dog. She ends up being accompanied by a beaver, a loon, a wolf, a bear, a moose and, finally, a frog before her canoe capsizes. With the help of her new friends, she bails out the boat and, with only her dog, heads home. Keep an eye on the picnic lunch.
"There's a House inside my Mommy," by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Vanessa Cabban. This cheerful book follows a little boy through his mother's pregnancy in terms a very young child can understand. Happy pictures, bouncy rhymes, and enough information to make the older sibling feel included but not overwhelmed make this a great choice for anticipating parents.
"Crispin and the 3 Little Piglets," written and illustrated by Ted Dewan Another. For the older sibling, this time, it's post-baby, or, in this case, babies. When Crispin, a delightful little pig, has not one, but three babies added to his family, he is quite surprised. It takes a while, but eventually his favorite game ("Big Bad Wolf") intersects with the triplets' favorite song ("Three Little Pigs") and they find a way to play happily (ever after?).
"Grandparents Song," written and illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka. Beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated, this is the kind of book that demands attention even though the little ones may not enjoy it as much as their adults. It tells the heritage of one little girl with green eyes and dark hair, whose grandparents were Irish, Native American, South American and African American. More a meditation on family than a story, its language and pictures will stay with readers for a long time.
Jeff Brown is coming downtown. Be at the library at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, to see him sign books (his new book is "On the Road to Tok"), demonstrate the process used to create the postcards in the book, and of course, delight everyone with magic and balloon animals.