New picture books exquisite for kids
You can never have too many animal tales. It's a special treat when they're done well.
Four new exquisitely written and illustrated picture books showcase the very best. They are:
- "On the Farm" by David Elliott with illustrations by Holly Meade (Candlewick Press, $16.99).
- "Elephants Never Forget!" by Anushka Ravishankar and Christiane Pieper (Houghton Mifflin, $16).
- "Sisters & Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World" by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Houghton Mifflin, $16).
- "Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures" by Julie Larios with illustrations by Julie Paschkis (Harcourt, $16).
"On the Farm," a poetic ode to barnyard life, offers the best illustrations of the four, a feat considering the competition.
The woodblock prints and watercolors, done in natural hues that speak of springtime grass, sky and blooming flowers, are detailed and enchanting. The 16 animals, each featured individually, include everything from a grass snake to a barn cat to a bull "who knows what he likes -- cows and corn. Knows what he is -- muscle and horn."
Originally published in India, "Elephants Never Forget!" follows an orphaned elephant adopted by a clan of water buffalo. It is simply illustrated in purple, black and cream and offers lots of fun sounds, reminiscent of Dr. Seuss' classic "Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?"
There are cracks, booms and flashes during a thunderstorm, an elephant's trumpeted "toot-toot," the "splitter, splatter, chitter, chatter" of monkeys and lots of buffalo bellowing. And there's a wonderful story about acceptance and becoming part of a family.
Jenkins and Page, who have collaborated on a host of books, including "What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?" which won a 2004 Caldecott Honor, continue their success with "Sisters & Brothers."
They blend captivating picture book illustrations with lengthier paragraphs, suitable for middle-to-upper-elementary students. The book focuses on the family ties of a host of animals and insects, from bears to bats to giant anteaters.
It offers older children lots of information, presented in a fun way.
Tidbits include that female elephants help care for younger siblings, that black widow spiders eat their siblings and that newborn crocodiles huddle together for safety in their parent's mouth.
Finally, "Imaginary Menagerie" takes on the fantastic, with poems individually devoted to dragons, mermaids, centaurs and other mythical beings. The book blends lots of orange and green with other colors, resulting in marvelous individual illustrations that feel like insets from a larger Middle Ages mural.
The 14 featured creatures certainly have their roots in a bygone era.
The phoenix, which fans of Harry Potter might recall is reborn from its own ashes, is one potentially recognizable subject.
Readers might be less familiar with others, like the seven-headed Naga and the cockatrice, a snake-tailed rooster. The gargoyle, sphinx and hobgoblin also are mentioned.
"Imaginary Menagerie" is a great introduction to mythical lore, hopefully whetting the appetites of young readers to further investigate the origins of what's presented.
