A Trio of Timeless Picture Books

The goal for anyone producing text and/or illustrations for picture books is to create books that are "classic", timeless, lasting. In this post I'll first feature a book from 2003. (That's FIFTEEN YEARS AGO already! How did that happen?) Then I'll share a release that was first published in Japan in 2003, but released in the USA in 2017. I'll end with a retold story with origins from centuries ago but newly released in 2018. 
So let's get this time-travel started!

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2003

THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE,  written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, is a truly charming book. With crisp lines  and vibrant jewel-tone illustrations, it offers an unusual twist on unexpected friendships. The seemingly effortless rhyme and repetitive nested text moves the story in wavelike rhythm from its tropical opening through the Arctic and beyond. The little snail uses slime as cleverly as Charlotte used her web to send messages that invite adventures and then to save the life of the whale. It's an undeniably heartwarming tale, and well worth dwelling on the expansive spreads and the tiny details, especially the eyes of snail, whale, and their community of critters. It's a wonderful read-aloud and could serve as mentor text for writing.

Chronicle Books, 2017

This next book was released in Japan that same year. THE FOX WISH was written by Kumiko Aman and illustrated by Komako Sakai. Often non-English books make their way to release in America, but more typically they do so within a year or so of the original publication. In this case, Chronicle Books released this English version in 2017, and I'm so happy that they did. 

Unlike the oversized, landscape layout suited to a world-traveling whale adventure, this gentle but lively story is told with subtle, woodland colors and produced in a smaller, square trim size. The art itself is deftly blended with blurred edges and  the text is interspersed with cursive font. The overall book design is an ideal format for this young-girl narrator and her little brother Lukie to make a most astonishing discovering. When they return to the field to retrieve her jump rope, they discover a family of foxes jumping rope. These are absolutely delightful foxes, not the least bit anthropomorphized, in my opinion, despite adopting human actions, voice, and names. They truly display fox-like body movements, postures, and expressions, not to mention attitudes. 
You love it already, right? 
But just wait.
This much of the story is pretty evident from the cover alone, but within the pages you'll find it is loaded with surprises. The foxes aren't good at jumping and the girl quickly coaches them to hold their tails up straight. The kids and kits are soon jumping together, having a wonderful time. It's only when Roxie, the girl, takes the handle to turn that she realizes it is her missing rope. Of course she tries to claim it, but one llittle fox has a tale to tell that shines a whole new light on the day, and on the rope. Seriously, this book should be in every home, classroom and library. What a conversation starter it is, for every age, which every classic book should be. 

Holiday House 2018

Finally, take a look at the most recent book, whose title will be immediately recognizable, since the origins of the tale are often attributed to Aesop: WHO WILL BELL THE CAT? This recent version is retold by Patricia McKissack and illustrated by Christopher Cyr. There are plenty who say that retold tales are not needed or wanted in the current "market" for picture books. This book demonstrates well that a lively, well-constructed text and vibrant, expressive art can make even the oldest tales feel fresh and appealing. 
McKissack provides cleverly generic names for the wildly varied barn mice (Smart Mouse, Friend Mouse, Wise Mouse, Wee, Tiny, and Teeny Mice). Cyr offers characteristic and masterful use of light and dark tones in the illustration, framing and highlighting the eyes, personalities, setting, and tension of the dramatic events as they unfold. Rich with personality, the barn rats make a signifiant appearance, as does a carload of "giants" (humans). Not an art stroke or a character is without purpose and occurr naturally. That includes the carload of humans who happen to be people of color, a rare but happy appearance for traditional tales. 

I recommend each of these wholeheartedly, and hope you'll check them out sooner rather than later. Their stories are universal, their artwork is absorbing, and the creators are from around the world. If you know any of these books already, chime in with your own opinions, or come back and comment after you've taken a close look of your own. You won't be disappointed.

Finding "Just Right" Halloween Books

It's not hard to find picture books intended for use at Halloween. Period. Kids love them all year long, because kids love Halloween. Despite popularity, though, many are titles that strike a single note for the holiday; it's their only purpose. There's nothing wrong with that.

But I'm really a fan of books that can push our holiday buttons yet have more to offer all year round. The Mousekin books are excellent examples. Sadly, they are out of print and tricky to find. 

Simon & Schuster, 2012

I'm happy to share several recent releases that have this year-roubd quality, starting with CREEPY CARROTS, written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. I'm not alone in praising this 2013 Caldecott Honor Book. It's a New York Times Bestseller and a Notable Children’s Book. Some reviews:

“Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review. “A spot-on parody of a paranoid thriller …”—Publishers Weekly, starred review.The gray-scape spreads and brilliantly manic carrot-characters bring a Twilight Zone tone to this book that both entertains and presents an object lesson with humor and charm. 

Dial, 2013

CREEPY CARROTS is a winner with every age. On the other hand, TEN ORANGE PUMPKINS: A Counting Book, written and illustrated by Stephen Savage, works best with the youngest children. Comforting in spite of being loaded with iconic Halloween images, its year-round appeal offers repeated experiences with  counting, color, and rhymes. In fact, it's one of the few "countdown" texts that keeps kids coming back.

Henry Holt & Co. (BYR), 2013

Also a hit with the youngest, but nudging up in age with audiences, is SOME MONSTERS ARE DIFFERENT, written and illustrated by David Milgrim.  This approach to "it's okay to be different" is especially appealing for the creative visual images of monsters, and it's a message that never grows old. I can't help but picture some Halloween costume inspirations lurking within its pages.

Holiday House, 2013

And then along comes OL' CLIP-CLOP: A GHOST STORY, written by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Based on an old family story, this dark and intensely illustrated "scary" story is aimed at older readers. There is considerably more text than typical in younger books, images are seriously spooky, and the historic setting plays a significant role. Older readers are also likely to draw comparisons to the Headless Horseman. It will make a sensational read-aloud, especially if the tellers adopt McKissack's advice to accompany the clip-clops (and escalating clippety-cloppities) with slaps of their laps. This is a title treading a fine line between fun-scary and freaked-out-scary. The object lesson involved is clear, suggesting there are greater forces in the world that will extract justice in the end. 

Whoever the intended audience may be, consider keeping these out and accessible (on the shelves, in the storytime stack, or circulating among the group over time. Each offers rich illustrations that extend and intrigue, each benefits from repeated reading, including aloud, and each can serve as mentor text for story writing/telling.

Any favorites among your collections that are especially suited to Halloween?