This Librarian's Quick Picks: Elementary Edition

The Loud Book

by Deborah Underwood
Houghton Mifflin, 2011

Summary:

From the blare of an alarm clock in the morning to snores and crickets in the evening, simple text explores the many loud noises one might hear during the course of a day.

Why You'll Love It:

• Deborah Underwood invites young readers to think about sound in intriguing ways. Her catalog of loud moments includes things that sound loud (alarm clocks, fire truck sirens), as well as things that feel loud (burps during quiet time, a mother’s disapproval).
• The book’s world feels cozy and lived-in, thanks to Renata Liwska’s adorable animals and soft color palette.
• Readers will have fun comparing The Loud Book to The Quiet Book, which shares the same playful sensibility and appealing cast of characters.
• Children may be inspired to think about the different kinds of moments that make up their days.

Owly and Wormy, Friends All Aflutter!

by Andy Runton
Athenum, 2011

Summary:

Good friends Owly and Wormy are disappointed when their new plant attracts fat, green, bug-like things, instead of butterflies, until a metamorphosis occurs.

Why You'll Love It:

• Andy Runton conveys his story entirely through illustrations; even the characters’ “speech” bubbles contain only images and easily recognizable symbols. This approachable format will attract pre-readers, beginning readers, and reluctant readers.
• The simple tale is full of heartwarming details and subtle humor, such as the nuanced expressions on Owly’s face and the appearance of a compact fluorescent lightbulb over his head when he has an idea.
• Cute characters and saturated backgrounds give the bold artwork wide appeal. The design will also draw in lovers of comic books and the existing Owly graphic novels.
• Attentive readers may notice cocoons gradually getting bigger on Owly’s plant. When Owly learns the relationship between caterpillars and butterflies, readers will, too. Or, if they already know the connection, they’ll have the joy of solving the mystery of the green bugs’ disappearance before Owly does. 

Queen of the Falls

by Chris Van Allsburg
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011
Genre: Biography

Summary:

Recounts the stunt performed by sixty-two-year-old retired charm school instructor Annie Edson Taylor, who went over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel in an effort to gain fame and fortune.

Why You'll Love It:

• It's Chris Van Allsburg! He's back! Do you really need any other reasons??? 

What's For Dinner? Quirky, Squirmy Poems from the Animal World

by Katherine B. Hauth
Charlesbridge, 2011
Genre: Poetry

Summary:

A collection of illustrated poems for children that explore the dietary preferences of animals, describing the menus of turkey vultures, archer fish, baby wasps, and more.

Why You'll Love It:

• Biology, verse, and colorful cartoons make a fun combination in this collection of 29 poems in which the wordplay is sometimes as gruesome as the science.
• Delectable poetic lessons on the food chain designed to help young readers rather literally digest the natural world. 
• Ink-and-watercolor images balance grotesque or absurd touches (think bulging eyes, sharp teeth, lolling tongues) with bright colors and attractive details.