1. Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
My college professor, the late novelist Frederick Busch, always talked about the importance of perspective in creative writing. Well, here's the definitive picture-book primer on perspective. Each illustration when viewed from left to right is a rabbit. "Those are ears, silly," says the rabbit supporter. But look at the illo from right to left — and behold the duck! "See, there's his bill," counters the duck advocate. The illustrations are clean, without a wasted brushstroke. And just when the unseen combatants come around to the other's point of view, another ambiguous animal arrives on the scene — (spoiler alert!) "Hey, look! An anteater!" "That's no anteater. That's a brachiosaurus."
2. Guess Again by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Adam Rex
This book is, in text-messaging terms, LOL. Each rhyme per page asks a question and there's a seemingly logical rhyming answer on the next page that any kid can figure out — not! For when you turn the page — behold, a nonsensical response accompanied by a hilarious illustration. To wit, "Who's got white teeth and fiery breath/ And scares Sir Frank the Brave to death?/ This frightened knight must stop his braggin'/ Who's spooked our knight? That's right! A [turn page] dentist, Dr. Larry Roberts." And there stands the doctor, holding a sword-size toothbrush and looking scarier to Sir Frank than any dragon. My only complaint: I wanted more of these seven delicious rhymes. They are simply AWSM, er, awesome.
3. Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth by Diane deGroat and Shelley Rotner
This book will appeal to dog-loving kids — in other words, all kids. Here's the format: under the caption Dogs Do is a photo of, say, a German wirehaired pointer named Lukas holding a newspaper (remember those?) in his mouth. Flip the page, and under the words Dogs Don't!, with some added cartoon magic, Lukas is sprawled on a couch reading the paper. And in what is sure to be the biggest kid pleaser, Millie, a Lakeland terrier, squats beside a sign that reads "Please Clean Up After Your Dog." Turn the page, and Millie is sitting on a — well, you get the picture.
4. Crow Call by Lois Lowry; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Two-time Newbery Medal winner Lowry tells a positively beautiful story of a young girl whose dad has just returned from war. The action takes place in one day, mostly in the woods, when the father gives his daughter a crow call. "Daddy, daddy," she whispers to herself. "Saying it feels new ... He has been gone so long." The lifelike illustrations ground the story in reality. In a postscript, Lowry writes, "The details of this story are true. They happened in 1945 to me and my father. But parents and children groping toward understanding each other — that happens to everyone."
10. The Snow Day by Komako Sakai
For kids who grew up in neighborhoods where palm trees didn't flourish, come January the sweetest words to hear in the morning from Mom or Dad were snow day. Kindergarten is closed, and a little bunny has been waiting endlessly for the snow to stop so he can embrace the white outdoors. And when he finally does, no words appear on the page to describe his glee, nor are they needed: just a dreamy illustration of him joyfully tromping, his boots making deep footprints in the newly fallen white snow. It's a sure bet a snow angel is just minutes away.
5. Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems
I love fun picture books, but I really love fun picture books with a message. In this delightful tale, Piggie wants to teach Gerald the elephant to dance. "Elephants cannot dance," says Gerald. "Look it up. Page 11." But Piggie deftly spots a loophole: "It does not say that you cannot try." Elephant takes a few steps, and, well, do you remember that Seinfeld episode in which Elaine dances at her office party? Just as Elephant has had enough, out pop some secret admirers who thought he cut a mean rug. Soon Elephant is teaching them his moves, encouraging them with those magic words, "Keep trying!"
9. The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket; illustrated by Carson Ellis; music (accompanying CD) by Nathaniel Stookey
Best-selling author Snicket takes a stab here at a hilarious murder mystery for older readers, in which a bumbling Clouseau-like inspector is called upon to solve an orchestral crime. The story centers on the "suspect" instruments as they present their uproarious alibis. The violins? "Violins are the stars of any orchestra. If we killed the Composer, we would have to find work at square dances or in romantic restaurants." The Tuba? "I'm a confirmed bachelor. I was home all night playing cards with my landlady, the Harp, taking sips of warm milk from a little blue cup." You'd be hard pressed to find a sym-phunnier crime story than this.
8. Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie! by Judy Cox, illustrated by Joe Mathieu
If you believe, as I do, that teachers have the noblest job on the planet, have I got a teacher for you! Meet Mrs. Millie, which not coincidentally rhymes with silly. Mrs. Millie is the master of the malapropism, to the delight of her students, who get to play teacher and correct her. "It's cold today," Mrs. Millie says. "Don't forget your jackals!" " 'Don't you mean our jackets?' we ask, giggling." I read the first book in this series, Don't Be Silly, Mrs. Millie, to a class of first graders four years ago. They simply doved this book!
6. Creature ABC by Andrew Zuckerman
Every picture-book roundup needs an alphabet book for the wee ones. What make this ABC book stand out are the photos: they're positively eye candy. Each letter is paired with a creature — some in unusual poses, like a giraffe arching his head all the way back. Some are represented by a striking part, like the alligator foot that adorns the A page. (Turn the page to see the whole critter.) The generous white space makes the animals practically leap off the page. Don't say I didn't warn you when you get to the letter L!