friday's five

Time for our weekly round-up of picture books that have kept us entertained lately. What would we ever do without our public library?!

1. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld -- Guess who I thought of when I saw this book on the library shelf? Pudge has the stereotypical little boy love for construction vehicles, and this is a cute before-bedtime book that abandons the usual baby animals format in favor of tucking in some big old working trucks. And, the bonus is Lichtenheld's fabulous-as-always illustrations that continue to be adorable and funny.

2. Me and You by Anthony Browne -- The Goldilocks story with an graphic novel twist. On each two-page spread, one side looks and reads like a traditional telling of the bears' side of the classic story. The page that tells Goldilocks' experience, though, is done in a different illustrative style, in wordless panels that show just how the poor little girl found herself walking into an unknown house. With a modern day city setting, this book is a bit "grittier" than typical picture books, but certainly gives a new flavor to the well-known tale.

3. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic -- Parents with multiple children will most likely giggle in commiseration with Sheep in this story. Oh, trying to go to sleep when creature after creature keeps disturbing you? Yeah, that's familiar ground alright. Repetitive text that reads with rhythm will keep kids happily contributing during a read aloud, making this a great pick for reading to a big group.

4. The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner -- First off, just look at that cover- click it to go to its Amazon page where you can see it larger. It's simply delightful. These watercolor illustrations are so endearing, and the story is quiet and slow and lovely, perfect for snuggle time reading. We have this book from the library right now, but I'd really like to own this one. I'm thinking this is a sure Cybils nominee in the fall!

5. Stella, Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay -- How have I never heard of the Stella and Sam books before? A friend gave Red two of these books for her birthday, and they're wonderful! As my friend said, a character with shocking orange hair, with a little brother who asks a lot of questions-- could you get any more appropriate?! I love the brother and sister interactions that aren't sickeningly sweet, but not obnoxious either.


Keep on reading,