The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens / Illustrated by Stevens Crummel

This is a great picture book about a community of prairie dogs whose lives are changed when a dog drops a bright green tennis ball down into their town. One of them accidentally ends up with a fuzzy piece of the tennis ball on his head and this starts a new fad where to be "cool" you must have fuzz. Of course, the fuzz cannot last forever and once it's gone the frenzy starts. Everyone is trying to get everyone else's fuzz! A fun twist at the end leads the prairie dogs to try their paws at cooperation to end the frenzy once and for all. And it works. The book ends happily ever after...but on the end papers we see...

...the same dog, this time with a bright orange tennis ball! What will the prairie dogs do this time! You will have to imagine it out yourself.

Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes

I picked this book up off the floor of my library today when I was doing a walk-through and straightening up and I leafed quickly through it and then sat down right then and read it. Poetry for children is such an accessible way to start appreciating the genre and this book is a beautiful place to start. This picture book collection of loosely tied together "thank you" poems is by Coretta Scott King Award winner, Nikki Grimes. The poems and the illustrations work together with such harmony! I especially liked "Even the Trees..."


Trees, arms raised in praise,
demonstrate the attitude
of gratitude. Look!


The picture of the trees makes you feel like you are standing underneath big leafy forest trees and turning your face up to feel their shadows and clean breeziness play across your eyes and nose. The brushstrokes are also visible and the color palette of the entire book is a lovely balence of muted tones and rich splashes, like the vibrant flower on the cover. A lovely book that will be cherished.

Ape by Martin Jenkins illustrated by Vicky White

Are you familiar with picture nonfiction? This genre is expanding with such alacrity and speed that we have created a new section at my library to house all these simple books (and sometimes not so simple) designed to give young readers an introduction to every subject imaginable.

This particular gem of a book is divided into five sections and gently describes the following apes: Orangutan, Chimp, Bonobo, Gorilla, and Humans. The text is designed with large generous letters along side smaller handwritten facts on each kind of ape. The pages are large and greatly do justice to the gorgeous illustrations. Beautiful animals grace every white page in a juxtoposition of full colored "finished" animals and "unfinished" line drawings. The contrast is beautiful and leads your eye to the focol point in the pictures. With just enough information to qualify as quality non-fiction, this book also includes a map, index, and websites for further research. A beautiful well-designed book on some of the world's most fascinating creatures. Till next time! Suzanne