CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 3, 2012
"This primer on friendship wrapped in hijinks is paced for maximum pleasure. (Picture book. 3-7)"
In this variant of "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse," two dragons learn to appreciate each other's talents and milieus.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
"Share with readers of all ages as a beautiful message about peaceful protest and purposeful action. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)"
An African-American family awakens before dawn to prepare for the historic March on Washington in August, 1963.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
"A quiet story of sharing with no strings attached. (Picture book. 4-7)"
A little girl in a town of white snow and soot-blackened chimneys opens a small box and discovers a never-ending gift of colorful yarn.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 1, 2012
"Sheer, fabulous power. (Board book. 1-3)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 7, 2012
"Grown-ups beware. Youngsters might have their own questions and answers after this romp. (Picture book. 4-8)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 14, 2012
"This sweet seedling will undoubtedly take root and thrive. (Picture book. 3-8)"
A boy plants seeds in late winter's brown, barren earth and vigilantly watches for green sprouts alongside his companions (a dog, turtle, rabbit and bird).
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 27, 2012
"Accessible, unfussy and visually charming. (author's and illustrator's notes; sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)"
An appealing and slightly humorous portrayal of O'Keeffe's artistic vision and determination, along with a peek at the Hawaii of over half a century ago.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Feb. 27, 2012
"A thrilling integration of verse and image, motivating all to serious fun. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)"
Turning the adage that sticks and stones may break one's bones on its ear, picture-book titans Singer and Pham team up to entice young readers to go where most Generation Xbox angels fear to tread: outside.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: March 1, 2012
"Just label it F for funny. (Picture book. 4-6)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 13, 2012
"A dazzlingly poetic photo album of the insect world for tots on up. (Picture book. 2 & up)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: March 27, 2012
"In all, lovely, inventive, engrossing and interactive. (Picture book. 2-6)"
In lush paintings outfitted with cleverly positioned die cuts, Seeger's latest explores the color green.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"Share this admirable appreciation with a wide audience. (Picture book/poetry. 4-10) "
Twenty-three poems and evocative watercolor paintings pay tribute to the wonders of the ocean world.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"From the beaver's coat to the tiger lily's petals to the snakeskin, this fish tale is a keeper. (Picture book/early reader. 4-8)"
Take a conventional story, add a new art technique--and voilà, a striking picture book is born.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"Riveting reading, well-timed for the centennial of the Titanic's sinking. (afterword) (Picture book. 4-8)"
Based on a true story of shipwreck and rescue, Carbone's tale is leavened with narration by Anthony, a venturesome lad whose penchant for playing pirates helps him through the harrowing event.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"One romping celebration of boyhood to read again and again. (Picture book. 3-8)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: April 1, 2012
"An important picture-book biography that lovingly introduces this "outsider" artist to a new generation. (source notes, afterword) (Picture book/biography. 6-11)"
Tate and Christie capture the spirit behind the work of Bill Traylor, "one of the most important self-taught American folk artists of the twentieth century."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: April 3, 2012
"Otherwise, distinguished both as natural history and work of art. (Nonfiction. 7-12) "
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012
"Readers will want to visit more than once to capture both the science and the abundant sense of celebration here. (Informational picture book. 5-11)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: May 1, 2012
"Beautifully benign illustrations conjure powerful familial feelings. (Picture book. 3-6)"
Who wouldn't want to put on a monster show in a big, cardboard box or pop bubble wrap at rapid-fire speed?
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 8, 2012
"Ready or not! Here comes a book worth finding. (Picture book. 2-5) "
Expert hide-and-seekers will hear the hushed scuttles and feel the quickened pulses as a group of animals plays a rain forest game of hide-and-seek.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"Indian folk art triumphantly meets 17th-century English trick verse in this sophisticated graphic venture fit for middle graders on up. (Picture book/poetry. 10 & up)"
Creative worlds collude and collide in this contemporary rendering of a well-known 17th-century English poem.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: May 15, 2012
"Eye-opening inspiration in this unassuming import from Colombia. (Picture book. 6-8)"
In a thought-provoking twist on the usual immigrant story, a village lad elects to stay put.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
"A quietly sublime depiction of a child at play by the sea. (Picture book. 2-6)"
In this newest installment in the Being in the World series, Japanese collaborators Konagaya and Saito offer a lovely account of a day in the life of a child at the beach.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 1, 2012
"Soothing and satisfying; perfect for reading on the porch on a summer evening, preferably next to a dog. (Picture book. 3-7)"
Stories of patiently waiting dogs have been around for just about forever, or at least since Homer wrote about faithful Argos recognizing Odysseus after a 20-year absence. In Cooper's touching story, the patient pup is an aging yellow Lab named Homer, whose love for his family is as deep and wide as the ocean outside their cottage.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: June 5, 2012
Vernon is both a toad and a forager for found objects. Ambling along with his latest haul, he chances upon a creature he seeks to know and then to help.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 3, 2012
"Yum has perfectly captured the emotional ups and downs of both parent and child in a visually expressive work that will shore up adults as they send their children off on that momentous day. (Picture book. 4-7, adult)"
Yum, known for using text and artwork to explore emotions (
There Are No Scary Wolves, 2010, etc.), looks at the first day of school from two points of view--that of a little boy who is more than ready and a nervous mother not quite prepared to let him go.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: July 10, 2012
"A luminous celebration of family, food and home. (Picture book. 4-9)"
Day by day, brick by brick, a community is built in this winning tribute to fellowship and family.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 1, 2012
"Reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are in its visual transformations and emotional intensity, but with a more present and openly loving parent. (Picture book. 4-6)"
"My daddy has warm hands. His fingers taste like applesauce. I wish he had a thousand hands."
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
"The joyful clarity of both vision and execution thrills. (notes on 22 artists referenced) (Picture book. 3-7)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
"An excellent addition to both the folk tale genre and the early-reader shelf. (Folk tale/early reader. 4-7)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
"Smart and accessible, charming and witty, this is one for educators and adventurers alike. (Picture book. 3-5)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
"A doll of a beginning reader. (Early reader. 5-7)"
Following
Penny and Her Song (2012), Henkes delivers an even stronger slice of anthropomorphic mouse life for beginning readers.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2012
"A joy to read. Play calypso music and celebrate! (author's note, glossary and pronunciation guide, author's sources) (Picture book/biography. 3-8)"
Winston, a boy in Trinidad, wishes that he could play in a band and win free rotis, the delicious island specialty prepared by the Roti King and presented to the best performers at Carnival.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 4, 2012
"The Steads' work adopts a folkloric approach to cooperative relationships; the affectionately rendered animals that stand in for humans convey a nurturing respect for child readers. (Picture book. 3-7)"
Within a gentle tale of hibernation and renewal, the Steads' second collaboration (after Caldecott-winning
A Sick Day for Amos McGee) explores a second, internal theme: the nature of the storytelling narrative itself.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 4, 2012
"An exceptional life; a stunning achievement. (afterword, source notes, further reading) (Picture book biography. 4-10) "
Audiences thrilled to his mesmerizing performances, in which he spoke through his expressive body without uttering a single word.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 6, 2012
"Just like Times Square itself, the pages are filled to the brim. (sources) (Nonfiction. 10-14)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 11, 2012
"A visual stunner. (Picture book. 4-7)"
In this splendid retelling of Aesop's familiar fable, a country mouse leaves his bucolic existence to sample the glitz and glam of the city, only to discover there's absolutely no place like home.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 11, 2012
"Oh, yes! This is a terrific new picture book. (Picture book. 2-6)"
With text that begs to be read aloud and sumptuous illustrations made by a master printmaker, this picture book reads like an instant classic.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 13, 2012
"A work of breadth and energy, just like its subject; engaging and brimming with appeal for a wide audience. (Biography. 8-14)"
A beautifully realized labor of love and affection brings to life one of our brightest founding fathers.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 15, 2012
"A remarkable achievement. (Picture book. 5-12)"
We are made of earth and water and air and stardust, and we are more related to animals and plants than we ever imagined.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 18, 2012
"Another superb contribution to scientific literature by Chin. (Informational picture book. 8-12) "
A beautifully made picture book presents the story of the Galápagos Islands for young readers.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 18, 2012
"A warm, gentle portrait of an immigrant's isolation and the ways that creativity and a loving family can offer both a safe haven and a bridge. (Picture book. 4-8)"
As in Stewart and Small's previous
The Gardener (1997) and
The Journey (2001), letters to a loved one become the vehicle for a girl to explore what she sees, feels and comes to understand upon leaving home for the first time.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 18, 2012
"And will a young scholar read it again and look for more? You bet--it's great fuel for the imagination. (Nonfiction early reader. 4-8)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2012
"This extraordinary new picture book masterfully tackles the complex task of contextualizing seemingly complex architectural concepts within a child's own world of play. (Informational picture book/poetry. 2-8)"
Hale turns her educated eye to modern and contemporary architecture and produces a book that is at once groundbreaking, child-friendly and marvelously inclusive.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2012
"Now, some will find these devilishly delinquent developments positively beyond the bounds of good taste. But many others will say, "Naughty. But nice." (Picture book. 5-9)"
A beady-eyed brat sits in a red, thronelike chair, glaring out of the cover in this hilarious, bizarre holiday story. What's that machinery behind him, and what is that kid up to?
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
"There is much to enjoy here, and the illustrations and allusions beg for repeat readings. (Picture book. 4-8)"
Readers check in on Mr. Wolf every hour of his birthday, but it seems like the poor guy just can't catch a break on his special day.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 2, 2012
"Brilliant. (Picture book. 4-8)"
Bryan's Christmas offering combines a poignant poem about a shepherd boy who builds his own stable with exuberant paintings in a masterful melding of rhythmic text and dazzling art.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
"Read unhurried, in a lap, again and again. (Picture book. 4-7) "
This gem about canine siblings goes from peaceful routine to funny mayhem to erroneous bereavement--and relief.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
"This may not be the most exciting or enthralling winter tale, but it is perfect for sharing during readers' own cold snaps--calming, reassuring, charming. (Picture book. 4-8)"
A community caught under the pall of a weeklong cold snap comes together in this cozy, old-fashioned story that is high on both charm and appeal.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
"A title for remembrance and for re-dedication to the dream, published in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. (Informational picture book. 5 & up)"
An award-winning artist captures the passion and purpose of this most notable 20th-century American speech in beautifully realized oil paintings.
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