Grandfather's Journey
By: Allen Say
Medal Winner
NOT REVIEWED
Through compelling reminiscences of his grandfather's life in America and Japan, Allen Say delivers a poignant account of his family's unique cross-cultural experience. He warmly conveys his own love for his two countries and describes the strong and constant desire to be in both places at once: When in one country, he invariably misses the other. His grandfather, he tells us, would understand.
Illustrated with exquisite paintings, intimate and memorable, Grandfather's Journey is Allen Say's most personal and remarkable picture yet of the bridging of two cultures.
From the dust jacket
In the Small, Small Pond
By: Denise Fleming
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
It's springtime and a bright green frog leaps out of the tall, tall grass and lands in a small, small pond. Splash! Tadpoles and minnows scatter. Summer passes, turtles drowse in the sun and dragonflies hover in the air above. Fall arrives as ducks paddle by and the colors change. Finally, snow falls. The little frog burrows deep into the pond and waits for spring to come again.
This introduction to the seasons is one that even the youngest child will enjoy, as Denise Fleming takes a frog's-eye peek at life in a small, small pond.
From the dust jacket
Owen
By: Kevin Henkes
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket. "Fuzzy goes where I go," said Owen. But Mrs. Tweezers disagreed. She thought Owen was too old for a blanket. Owen disagreed. No matter what Mrs. Tweezers came up with Blanket Fairies or vinegar, Owen had the answer. But when school started, Owen's mother knew just what to do, and everyone—Owen, Fuzzy, and even Mrs. Tweezers—was happy.
From the dust jacket
Peppe the Lamplighter
By: Elisa Bartone
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
A long time ago when there was no electricity and the streetlamps in Little Italy had to be lit by hand, Peppe lived in a tenement on Mulberry Street. His family was poor, and so, though he was just a boy, he needed to find work. But a job as a lamplighter was not what his father had dreamed of for Peppe. "Did I come to America for my son to light the streetlamps?" he fumed—until, one night, lighting the streetlamps became "the best job in America."
Elisa Bartone's moving story and Ted Lewin's lamp-lit paintings combine to give modern-day children a very special look at America. From the bustle of turn-of-the-century sidewalks of New York, to the struggle of a brand-new American family, to the hopes that would build a country, they bring the American Dream to life.
From the dust jacket
Raven: A Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest
By: Gerald McDermott
Honor
NOT REVIEWED
Raven, the trickster, wants to give people the gift of light. But can he find out where Sky Chief keeps it? And if he does, will he be able to escape without being discovered?
His dream seems impossible, but if anyone can find a way to bring light to the world, wise and clever Raven can.
From the publisher
Yo! Yes?
By: Christopher Raschka
Honor
Reviewed by: Lara Lleverino
Recommended age: 4-6 years of age
Also read by: Lara Lleverino
Sometimes, friendship starts with a single word.
I’ll be honest—because I always am when it comes to book reviews—Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka was not a book I would have chosen on purpose. I didn’t pick it up because of witty dialogue (there isn’t any), captivating illustrations (they're… not), or unforgettable characters (they reminded me more of Pigpen from Peanuts than endearing little boys). I grabbed it during a bag sale at an estate sale—more of an impulse purchase than a treasure.
The book is short. Really short. Thirty-four words total, and many of them repeat. The illustrations are sketched in a way that initially made it hard for me to even realize that one character is Black and the other is White. At first glance, it left me puzzled. How did this odd book earn a Caldecott Honor?
So I read it again. And again. (With only thirty-four words, it's easy to revisit.)
And that’s when it clicked.
Yo! Yes? isn’t trying to wow you with prose or charm you with pretty pictures. Instead, it delivers a simple, but surprisingly powerful message: friendship is a choice.
It’s a decision we make; sometimes in spite of how different we may seem on the outside. It may not begin with eloquence or connection at first sight. Sometimes one of us is awkward, or unsure, or doesn’t say quite the right thing. But even then, something in us reaches out; because deep down, we don’t want to be alone.
Yo! Yes? captures that moment of reaching out. The awkwardness. The risk. And the magic that can happen when someone reaches back.
It may not be the book I’d have bought—but I’m glad it found its way into my hands.
