Blue on Blue by Dianne White & illus by Beth Krommes

This book is just gorgeous. The illustrator, Beth Krommes, won the 2009 Caldecott for The House in the Night. Which I need to find. And in looking at her work, I found this book, which is coming out in October and looks A-mazing. 

This is Dianne White's first ever book. And it is well done. The words are lyrical and poetic.

(Isn't my hydrangea lovely?)

Cotton clouds. 

Morning light.

Sun shadows. 

I want to live in this house. With it's wee garden and water frontage. 

The words are rhythmic and rhyming, which is awesome for little kids. And makes it fun to read.

Clouds swell. 

Winds blow bolder.

Isn't that lovely writing? Sometimes the fewer words there are, the more you notice the ones that are there. It has to be a pretty great writer to tell a fabulous story in only a few lines per page.

Rain on rain on rain is pouring.

Dianne White is from Arizona, but Beth Krommes is from New Hampshire. Somehow, the illustrations and pictures go together perfectly. It is as if Dianne White wrote a story about a New England rain storm. 

Rain has been scarce this summer, so we have appreciated each and every rainy day. 

I love, love, love that they allow the story to be paced so perfectly. Giving a two page spread to one word, just to underline the words and the feeling of a storm slowly moving on, is genius.

Raindrops on flowers, puppies, and a fat frog. 

Aren't these pictures lovely?

Wallowing

Oh the joys of mud puddles!

Evening, heading back to the house.

This story would be so much weaker without the pictures. And vice versa. They are really well meshed. 

Glitter stars, twinkling light.

Oh my word I love this picture!!

Wouldn't you love to sleep only a few hundred yards from where a whale breaches?

Those waves...

Coziness.

Hooper Humperdink....? Not Him! by Theo LeSieg, illus by Charles E Martin

This Dr. Seuss book is an incredibly fun look at the friendships of little kids. Particularly the vindictiveness and capriciousness of those relationships. This isn't really a warm cozy book and some parents take exception to that. It is my personal belief that those parents aren't having a lot of fun in life. 

Shimmery Shiny party hats!

So the unnamed main character is having a party. But old Hooper Humperdink is out of favor at the moment. It is never explained why he is unpopular with the birthday boy, he just is. Which is somewhat true to life. Kids have complex reasonings about these things.

The birthday boy starts alphabetically listing all the people he will invite instead of Hooper Humperdink. 

His list is rhyme-y and rhythmic. AND SO FUN TO READ. 

As the list goes one, the party becomes more and more elaborate. And on each page, you can see Hooper Humperdink looking on in remorse and longing. 

I remember elaborate daydreams in which people would really-be-sorry-then! when I was a kid. 

I love that cake! And the snowman on top in the middle of summer.

Olivetta Oppenbeem! I picture Dr. Seuss hitting on the name Olivetta Oppenbeem and chortling in delight at the perfectness of it.

Ten tons of ice cream, complete with ice cream scoops. 

But none for Hooper Humperdink!

The flights of fancy get even more elaborate.

Old party pooper Hooper. Who really wishes he had been nicer to the birthday boy now! Ha! Birthday boy showed him!

A party big and good as this,

 is too good for anyone to miss.

And so you know I sort of think...

I WILL ask Hooper Humperdink!

And just like that, they are friends again. And all the imaginary friends will have to take their elaborate party elsewhere. 

Happy Thought by Robert Louis Stevenson & Brian Wildsmith

Happy Thought

The world is so full of a number of things,

I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

Have a happy weekend!

Herbert the Lion by Clare Turlay Newberry

This book first caught my eye because it is a little oversize. And then it held my eye with the cute two color illustrations. 

Supposedly, Clare Turlay Newberry longed for a lion as a child, so when she grew up, she made a little girl, Sally, who got her wish. It was marvelous having a lion, but then things got a little complicated. On first glance, it seemed like it might be a little stilted and too 1930's for kids today, but reading it through, it is a funny, silly book that kids will thoroughly enjoy.  

Life was lonesome for Sally. 

But then Herbert came into her life.

I love this cosmopolitan mother bringing home a baby lion.

Aren't these pictures sweet?  

Herbert grew into a healthy, big lion.

Very big. And friendly.

A little too friendly.

Finally, people stopped coming to see Sally. 

Her parents tried to substitute a little kitten for Herbert, but... it couldn't really compare. 

Herbert wasn't any more pleased about the separation than Sally. So he took matters into his own hands.  

Sally was overjoyed to be reunited with Herbert 

And finally, her parents figure out a way to let these two friends be together.

The Contests at Cowlick by Richard Kennedy & Illus by Marc Simont

This book is pretty awesome. Kids love it when a little kid shows up grown ups. And if those particular grown ups happen to be bad guys, all the better. 

And if the bad guys happen to be a gang of outlaws out west, all the better better.  

"If you need us" the sheriff said as they left, "we'll just be a holler up the creek."

When Hogbone and his gang showed up, the people of Cowlick hollered.

But no sheriff. 

So the town of Cowlick ran and hid.

But good ole Wally comes back out of hiding. 

"If  you want some trouble," said Wally, "I can give you some trouble."

Hogbone dropped a look on the boy and said, "Most trouble you'd give me is sticken' between my teeth when I chaw  you up."

Wally challenges some of the men to a footrace. The bad guys get a kick out of strutting their stuff in front of this kid before they rob the town. 

Sure enough, they show Wally that they can run faster than him. Since they were all neat and tidy in the livery stable, Wally just bolted them in there.

He told Hogbone they were resting on the grass. 

Next, he challenges some men to a climbing race. 

Shore nuff, those men could climb up the roof of the church faster than Wally. So Wally left them there.

Then he challenged the next five men to lifting up their horses. 

To do it proper, they had to be securely tied to the underbelly of their horses. Once the men were tied, Wally took away the ladders of the men on the church.  

Hogbone caught on. 

Wally challenges Hogbone to one more feat.

You can have your men back and all the money in the bank if  you can holler louder than me. 

"Okay," he said, "give me some air sucking room."

I love this picture! It makes me laugh every time.

And he hollers. Wally tells him he better try again because that wouldn't beat him. So he hollers some more. 

And finally the sheriff hears the holler. 

So Wally heads off for some fishing.