Picture books for children

Picture Books Reviews

2008-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

For the lastest Picture Books Reviews by Publishers Weekly, go here here:

Fanny Holly Hobbie. Little, Brown, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-316-16687-1

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails: Patterns & Shapes… Naturally Betsy Franco, illus. by Steve Jenkins. S&S/McElderry, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4169-0386-4

Knitty Kitty David Elliott, illus. by Christopher Denise. Candlewick, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7636-3169-7

Chester's Back! Mélanie Watt. Kids Can, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55453-287-2

Daniel Boone's Great Escape Michael P. Spradlin, illus. by Ard Hoyt. Walker, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8027-9581-6

Princess Stories from Around the World. Kate Tym, illus. by Sophy Williams. Pavilion (Trafalgar Square, dist.), $13.95 paper (64p) ISBN 978-1-84365-100-0

Portraits of Jewish-American Heroes Malka Drucker, illus. by Elizabeth Rosen. Dutton, $21.99 (96p) ISBN 978-0-525-47771-6

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Writing picture books

2008-06-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Interview with Children's Book Author Jeff Clineff: in this interview, Clineff talks about his book, his cats, the difficulty of writing picture books, and he offers some good advice to aspiring authors. ...Read the full interview here.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Where's Waldo?

2008-06-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

Martin Handford's Where's Waldo? turns 21 this fall, and is celebrating with two new books, an online presence and merchandise for the 20-somethings who grew up with the character.

Amongst other surprises, fans can “friend” Waldo on Facebook, Bebo and MySpace; participate in a Great Online Photo Hunt at Flickr; and browse the official Web site, canyoufindwaldo.com.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Four new children's writers

2008-06-18T10:05:00.001-07:00

Four new children's writers make their spring debuts:

Sarah Prineas
Ingrid Law
S.A. Bodeen
Padma Venkatraman

(See full article here).

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Children's Writers & Illustrators website

2008-06-16T16:12:00.002-07:00

Verla Kay's website is where Children's Writers & Illustrators gather to share information, help each other, and have fun, while learning the business of writing and illustrating for children. Learn to write for children and illlustrate while interacting with other writers and artists on the message board pages.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

New Photo Book of Obama’s Campaign

2008-06-16T16:12:00.001-07:00

Amistad to Publish Photo Book of Obama’s Campaign.

HarperCollins’s Amistad imprint announced it will publish Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photos in October. The book will cover Barack Obama’s campaign from its beginning through June, and will include more than 150 full color and b&w photographs plus an introductory essay.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Boisterously wild and exciting picture books!

2008-04-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of excellent picture books for young readers: pirates, summer camp, and space travelling. Classic themes done so well they will keep your little ones reading for hours.
Read more here, in this article by Elizabeth Ward.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Children's Picture Book Day

2008-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Looking for ways to celebrate books for children?

March 28 — Children's Picture Book Day
April 2 — International Children's Book Day

More on dates to celebrate books here.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Children's Choice Book Awards

2008-03-31T03:52:00.000-07:00

The Children's Book Council just announced their Children's Choice Book Awards, an Internet election for "Favorite Books," "Favorite Author," and "Favorite Illustrator."

The five nominees were compiled from a review of bestseller lists.

Go here to see the nominees and vote!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

"The reviews are for grownups; the books are for kids"

2008-03-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

This quote from Roger Sutton was provoked by someone who wrote to complain that the Horn Book reviews gave away book endings. Roger’s response was, “The reviews are for grownups; the books are for kids. Sometimes the grownup wants to know if the dog dies.”

Are picture books aimed at kids, or at the parents, teachers, librarians who buy these books?
See the great discussion that ensued here.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Picture books website

2008-03-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

It's always nice to come across a great website of children picture books: Picture Window Books is one them.

Picture Window Books publishes informational picture books, easy readers and chapter books for the PreK-4 non-reader and reader. Their books are engaging and fun, and "open the world of learning to read and reading to learn!"

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

St Patrick's Day Picture books

2008-03-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

St Patrick's Day picture books - activity for teachers:

Get some St Patrick's Day picture books on tape or CD from your library for use during read-aloud time.

Make or ask your students to create several paper shamrocks.

Write a purpose on each one.

One might ask for the story beginning, middle and end. Another might ask for three characters, or three things learned about the setting, three different types of sounds heard, etc.

After listening to the story and filling out the shamrocks, go over the answers together. You'll be amazed on how much can be learned from one picture book!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Children's Picture Books for Spring

2008-02-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here are 5 children’s picture books about spring, that show the fun of planting a garden, and enjoying the flowers and vegetables that result.

1. The Gardener
During the Depression, young Lydia is sent to the city to stay with her Uncle Jim, a reserved, somber man, “until things get better.” She brings her love of gardens with her. The text, in the form of Lydia’s letters home, and the double-page artwork by David Small joyously illustrate how Lydia creates gardens that transform both the neighborhood and her relationship with Uncle Jim. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1997. ISBN: 0374425183)

2. City Green
What happens when a diverse group of city neighbors works together to rid their street of a litter-filled vacant lot? How young Mary, Miss Rosa, and their neighbors transform the vacant lot into a community garden of flowers and vegetables makes an interesting and realistic story. Author and illustrator DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan’s artwork in watercolor, pencils, and crayons captures the transformation of the lot. (HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN: 068812786X)

3. The Garden of Happiness
Barbara Lambase’s oil paintings, alive with the rich color and movement of city life in a diverse neighborhood, add drama to Erika Tamar’s story of a little girl named Marisol and a new community garden. When Marisol plants a seed she’s found, it grows into a giant sunflower, to her neighbor’s delight. Her sadness when the sunflower dies in the fall is forgotten when Marisol sees the beautiful mural of sunflowers that teen artists have created. (Harcourt Brace, 1996. ISBN: 0152305823)

4. The Surprise Garden
Three young children plant a “surprise garden,” using seeds of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Since they don’t know what kinds of seeds they have planted, they have no idea what kinds of plants will grow in their garden. Carefully watering and weeding the seeds, they create a lush vegetable garden and enjoy a bountiful harvest. (Scholastic, 1999. ISBN: 0590100769)

5. Growing Vegetable Soup
Author and illustrator Lois Ehlert’s cut-paper collages are bold and colorful. The story of a father and child’s vegetable garden project is told in rhyme. While the text of the story is brief, each of the plants, seeds, and gardening tools illustrated is labeled, making this a book that’s fun to read aloud and then read through again identifying everything. The story begins with the planting of seeds and sprouts and ends with delicious vegetable soup. (Voyager Books, 1990. ISBN: 0152325808)

You can find any of these children's picture books and more in our online store.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Picture books for older readers?

2008-02-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

Carol Hurst's describes on her Children's Literature website how to deal with the increasing numbers of picture books aimed at older and more sophisticated readers. The challenge is for teachers and librarians to make those encounters more meaningful and enjoyable.

She offers several techniques, including storyboarding, and drawing pictures as a group.
Students are also encouraged to find the picture book they loved most or remember best from when they were little. Then each should find a picture book they've discovered more recently that they really like, and compare them with the picture book from their childhood.

Another activity has students scan the Internet to find websites of various authors and illustrators of children's picture books. Students choose an author or illustrator of picture books whose work they admire. They construct an exhibit of the artist and his or her work.

You can read more about Picture books for older readers here.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Picture books blog

2008-02-19T05:15:00.000-08:00

Check out Anastasia Suen’s Picture Book of the Day blog.
She says children’s books have always been part of her life. She is the author of over 100 books.
She started her blog after speaking at a teacher’s conference. She brought new picture books and talked about how to use them in the classroom. The teachers were so responsive that she decided to create a blog about picture books!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

"Where The Wild Things Are" picture book to movie?

2008-02-18T06:37:00.000-08:00

Dave Eggers' adaptation of the children's picture book Where The Wild Things Are is expected next year. There is a clip floating around the internet, some people say it's a fake. What do you think? See this clip here.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Women and Caldecott prize, not so much?

2008-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

Check out this great discussion here on women not winning the coveted Caldecott prize.
Roger Sutton, The Horn Book editor, couldn't help noticing that only five of the twenty-three artists included are women. He took a look at the past Caldecott winners, and saw that there were only four women in the last 23 years!
Let us know your thoughts!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

2008-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

Hugo is an orphan, clock keeper, and thief, who lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station. His survival depends on anonymity. But when he meets an eccentric girl and a bitter old man, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are in jeopardy.
A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret has more than 300 pages of original drawings. It combines elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, in a stunning, cinematic tour de force from a boldly innovative storyteller, artist, and bookmaker.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick has won the 2008 CALDECOTT MEDAL for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Writing a Picture Book

2008-02-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

While many people talk about writing a picture book, very few people actually ever do.
"What do I write about?" and "Where do I start?" are questions people commonly ask.

A great place to get some of these answers is the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. Their website is http://www.scbwi.org/

If you would love to write books for children, and share your knowledge and experience with them, give it a try. Maybe one day soon, we will feature your published picture book right here on our website picture-books.net

Share your beliefs, your passions, and your thoughts with a child. Write a picture book!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER / NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER

2008-01-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to let you know that the American Library Association has announced the winners of the 2008 Caldecott and Newbery Medals. These are among the most distinguished awards in children’s literature

CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER for the most distinguished American picture book for children

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

CALDECOTT HONOR BOOKS

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine

First the Egg
by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtin
by Peter Sís

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
by Mo Willems

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
by Laura Amy Schlitz

NEWBERY HONOR BOOKS

Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis

Feathers
by Jacqueline Woodson

The Wednesday Wars
by Gary D. Schmidt

All of these books truly deserve this supreme honor…

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Holiday Picture Books Picks are here!

2007-11-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

Check out our exciting holiday picture books picks!

We have picture books for everyone. For our feature book, we chose a favorite story "Bear Stays Up for Christmas", by Karma Wilson See the review here.

We at picture-books.net would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net

Picture Books Blog

2007-10-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We welcome you to our Picture Books Blog.

Here, you will be able to read about the best picture books for children.
We will add reviews, recommendations, and general information about the best picture books out there!
So come back often, and tell us about your best picture books for children!

The editorial staff at picture-books.net