Publications about books for children and young adults
We are down to the wire at the Horn Book Guide, madly trying to finish editing reviews for the fall 2012 issue (due out in October) for an early August deadline. In other words, we are punchy. When we noticed the name of the eleven-year-old main character of Cordially Uninvited, Jennifer Roy’s ripped-from-People-magazine-headlines novel about [...]
A Bus Called Heaven by Bob Graham; illus. by the author Preschool, Primary Candlewick 40 pp. 3/12 978-0-7636-5893-9 $16.99 “The bus brought change to Stella’s street…Stella changed, too.” It’s quiet, pale Stella who takes her thumb out of her mouth and steps onto the bus that has been abandoned outside her house, claiming it for [...]
It’s Byron Barton’s Planes (March) and Boats (April) in app format from Oceanhouse Media and HarperCollins. Matching the books’ engaging simplicity and directness, both apps enhance the print versions without distracting users with over-the-top interactive elements. The text is read by an enthusiastic narrator, whether the sound is on or off. If you choose to [...]
Two of these picture book “sequels” feature old friends, two introduce a new friend into a familiar setting, and one keeps on truckin’ with a popular subject. All five will be eagerly greeted by their preschool fans. Olivier Dunrea welcomes a new gosling to his series of books that began with Gossie and Gossie & [...]
Reviews of 2159 children’s hardcover titles published between July and December 2011, that’s what. The spring 2012 issue of The Horn Book Guide is out and ready for you. Subscribe online or email: hbmcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com call: 877 523 6072 (outside the U.S. 515-242-0297) fax: 712 733 1277 You can also find these reviews, plus over 85,000 more [...]
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems; illus. by the author Preschool Hyperion 40 pp. 4/12 978-1-4231-5128-9 $15.99 In this seventh Pigeon book—the first in four years (The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! rev. 7/08)—the Duckling asks politely for a cookie and gets one: “Thanks! That was very nice of you!” No fuss, no drama. [...]
“If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” The sky’s the limit in Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart’s You Choose (Kane Miller, March), an interactive book (originally published in the U.K. in 2003) where kids call the shots in their own narrative. Sharratt’s bright and friendly cartoon illustrations invite readers into pages filled with [...]
“Everyone else is dead.” May I proselytize for a moment? If you’re reading this post, you absolutely must listen to the audiobook version of Beauty Queens (Scholastic Audio, 2011) written and read brilliantly by Libba Bray. Believe me, it will make your life worth living, your hair luxurious, and your skin blemish-free. It will also [...]
Benji Davies’s illustrations for the Bizzy Bear board books (Nosy Crow) are like catnip for young children. I defy any toddler or preschooler worth her salt to walk by a Bizzy Bear book and not pick it up. The wide-eyed, cheerful animals on the construction site (Let’s Get to Work!) or traveling to the beach [...]
Congratulations to all the winners! Here’s some extra credit reading from our archives. Caldecott honor Five questions for Patrick McDonnell (from May 2011 Notes from the Horn Book) Me…Jane discussion on Calling Caldecott CSK Author Award winner and CSK Illustrator honor Roger Talks with Kadir Nelson (from a November 2011 interview) [...]
