http://www.hbook.com/2012/12/blogs/calling-caldecott/the-obstinate-pen/ Publications about books for children and young adults Tue, 14 May 2013 17:58:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.hbook.com/2012/12/blogs/calling-caldecott/the-obstinate-pen/#comment-28141 Karyn Silverman Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:47:39 +0000 http://www.hbook.com/?p=20638#comment-28141 I LOVE this book. My five year old never fails to laugh great big belly laughs when the pen writes "Kiss her, Bananahead!" That said, I feel every time we read it that there is a page (illustration or text) missing between the second and third pages (between Flood caressing the pen and kicking Horace out), and a few other places where the text is a bit uneven and the illustrations don't fully balance it. And while I mostly read picture books as a parent, and without the attention to art the Caldecott committee would give, I don't think this one stands out enough in terms of the illustration -- it's charming and quirky and delightful (and stands up surprisingly well to repeat readalouds), but not quite blow-me-away levels of distinguished. I LOVE this book. My five year old never fails to laugh great big belly laughs when the pen writes “Kiss her, Bananahead!” That said, I feel every time we read it that there is a page (illustration or text) missing between the second and third pages (between Flood caressing the pen and kicking Horace out), and a few other places where the text is a bit uneven and the illustrations don’t fully balance it. And while I mostly read picture books as a parent, and without the attention to art the Caldecott committee would give, I don’t think this one stands out enough in terms of the illustration — it’s charming and quirky and delightful (and stands up surprisingly well to repeat readalouds), but not quite blow-me-away levels of distinguished.

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