Perfect Picture Book Friday
Bernice Gets Carried Away (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015) by Hannah E. Harrison is one of those fun picture books where the title has multiple meanings.
Bernice is not in a good mood. (Look at that face!) Everyone at the birthday party is getting good things, except Bernice. So when balloons were going to be handed out, “she didn’t take any chances.”
I love how perspective turns Bernice’s mood around, and that it can do the same for us.
This book is an Oklahoma Book Awards Finalist in both Illustration and Children/Young Adult categories.
Author/Illustrator Hannah E. Harrison has a number of books out that relate to friendship. Read more on her website.
Category: Read-aloud
What Goes Up – a picture book
Perfect Picture Book Friday
What Goes Up (Tiger Tales, 2013) by Paula Bowles is a darling story of persistence and hard work.
Martin is a sad dragon. His wings are too tiny to fly and he wants to fly. He tries various solutions, but “What goes up, must come down.” The village children who love him play a game of belief and imagination with him every day, and eventually . . . Well, you’ll have to read it to see what happens.
I love the humor in both text and illustrations. And isn’t Martin adorable?
Go here to see the other books Paula has illustrated or written and illustrated.
Bob and Joss Get Lost!
Perfect Picture Book Friday
Bob and Joss Get Lost! (HarperCollins, 2017) by Peter McCleery and illustrated by Vin Vogel is another hilarious book where the reader gets to be smarter than the book characters.
Here’s the opening:
“I’m bored,” Bob said, “Let’s do something.”
“Let’s take a boat trip,” said Joss.
“We will get lost,” said Bob.
We won’t get lost,” said Joss.
Famous last words! And fun twists as you go along on the journey with them.
This is Peter’s debut picture book–I hope we see many more. Read more about Peter on his website where you’ll get more tastes of his humor.
Vin Vogel is an author as well as an illustrator. His humor matches up with Peter’s. Read more about Vin and his work, especially the Yeti books, here.
Night Animals
Perfect Picture Book Friday
Night Animals (Viking, 2015) by Gianna Marino is a hilariously fun picture book.
Possum is scared because it is night and something is out there. Then shunk is scared, and wolf, and bear. What are they scared of? Night Animals! Which bat tells them they are. Duh.
This book is deceptively simple, but such a riot. And the ending has a nice surprise. I also love Gianna’s drawings.
Gianna has eight picture books out with more to come–see all of them here. I need to do some more reading! Check out her bio here.
Wolfie the Bunny
Perfect Picture Book Friday
Wolfie the Bunny (Little, Brown and Company, 2015) by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Zachariah OHora is a funny twist on the new baby book. It makes me smile whenever I think of it.
When Dot’s bunny family finds and abandoned wolf baby on the doorstep, young Dot warns, “HE’S GOING TO EAT US ALL UP!” But her parents don’t believe her. Wolfie eats carrots, he sleeps, he drools, until one day . . .
You’ll have to read the end of this New York Times bestselling book yourself. 🙂 Or you can listen to Ame read it here. (And see Zachariah as Wolfie!)
Read about Ame on her website where you can learn more about her and her other books.
Zachariah has 10 books out–two he illustrated by Ame, and four he wrote himself as well as illustrated–read about them here. On this page you can see lots of sample work in his portfolio.