Best Picture Books for Kids - 2004

It seemed fitting with this being the end of the year that I should make a list of my favorite books for kids from the past year. These are books that have stuck in my head since the first time that I read them, and that I have reread multiple times this year. These books weren't necessarily published in 2004, but I did first read and review them during 2004.

1. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

2. Sometimes I'm Bombaloo by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Yumi Heo

3. Guji Guji by Chih Yuan Chen

4. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

5. The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

6. My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza

7. How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

8. Parts by Tedd Arnold

9. Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin (also Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Duck for President)

10. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner

11. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley

12. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss

13. My Pig Amarillo by Satomi Ichikawa

14. Olivia by Ian Falconer

15. The Road to Mumbai by Ruth Jeyaveeran

16. Alice the Fairy by David Shannon

17 & 18. Home and Window by Jeannie Baker

19. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon

20. Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee

Best Chapter Books for Kids and Teens - 2004

These are some of my favorite chapter books from 2004, they are aimed at a wide age range of children, from 8 to 18. These books weren't necessarily published in 2004, but I did first read them in 2004. All books link back to my original reviews.

1. The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi

2. The Fall of Fergal: Or Not So Dingly in the Dell (Unlikely Exploits #01) by Philip Ardagh

3. The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian (TEEN BOOK)

4. Regarding the Fountain, by Kate Klise, illustrations by M. Sarah Klise

5. Shooter by Walter Dean Myers (TEEN BOOK)

6. Mermaid Mary Margaret by Lynn Hazen

7. The Legend of Spud Murphy by Eoin Colfer

8. Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson (TEEN BOOK)

Two books that I did not review, but that would definitely make my llist for this year (and probably be right near the top) would be:

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Tale of Despereaux (being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread) by Kate DiCamillo

Guji Guji by Chih Yuan Chen

I absolutely love Guji Guji, and every child that I have read the story to has loved it also. Guji Guji is the story of a crocodile who is raised as a duck. As Guji Guji grows older some other crocodiles make Guji Guji aware that he is not really a duck, and they try to convince them to trick the ducks into becoming dinner for the crocodiles. Guji Guji resists the crocodile's pressure and saves his duck family.

This is a simple (and very funny) story that is a great introduction to the dangers of peer pressure and doing what is right. The message is not at all heavy handed. Chen's drawings are a treat to look at.

Ages: 3 to 8
Keywords: Family, Ducks, Crocodiles, Peer Pressure, Humor

Lesson Plan Ideas: A good story to introduce either a health or social studies lesson on peer pressure.

Discussion Questions:
1. What else could Guji Guji have done to save the ducks?
2. What special talents do you think "crocoducks" have?
3. Why did Guji Guji feel closer to the other ducks than to the crocodiles?
4. What do you do when someone else asks you to do something that is wrong?

Meanwhile Adventures by Roddy Doyle, illustrated by Brian Ajhar (Chapter Book)

I am a big fan of Roddy Doyle's adult books (The Commitments, The Van, The Snapper, A Star Called Henry), but I am beginning to think that he is an even better children's writer. When I was reading The Meanwhile Adventures, I could picture the story was being read to me by a slightly strange and funny uncle. The sort of uncle who likes to share fart and poop jokes with his nieces and nephews, and is always going off on some silly tangent. And I mean that all in a very good way.

Trying to describe the plot of The Meanwhile Adventures is difficult because their are so many different things happening; hence the title, Meanwhile X is happening, Meanwhile Y is happening. There is a mother trying to break the record for running around the world without telling anyone. Meanwhile there is a father in jail for attempted bank robbery with a saw. Meanwhile there are children trying to get their father out of jail, avoid the orphan catcher, and save the world. Oh yeah, and there is a talking dog. Oh yeah, and there are the tangents about figrolls, Irish setters, Irish music, and much more. Basically, this book isn't so much about the plot, but about the telling of the story. And Doyle tells the story superbly.

Ages: 7 to 12
Keywords: Almost Anything and Everything, Talking Dogs, World Records, Adventures, Ireland, Family, Siblings

Lesson Plan Idea: Geography: Show Mrs. Billie Jean Fleetwood-Mac's journey around the world, according to the route taken in the book.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why did the author include a glossary with the story?
2. Why do you think Kayla only said, "Who are you?", and why do you think Victoria only said, "Batteries included"? How did Rover and their siblings understand them?
3. Who was your favorite character in the story? Why?

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (Picture Book)

Officer Buckle and Gloria was the 1996 Caldecott Medal winner for best illustrated children's book.

Officer Buckle likes to visit schools and share his collection of safety tips. The children don't pay much attention to Officer Buckle's speeches. One day Officer Buckle gets a canine partner, Gloria, and all of a sudden the kids are paying lots of attention during the Officer's speeches. Officer Buckle doesn't realize that the children are actually paying attention to Gloria's silly stage antics. Officer Buckle's feelings are hurt and he stops giving his talks, Gloria misses Officer Buckle and she refuses to perform for the children. A safety disaster strikes a school, and Officer Buckle and Gloria realize that they need each other.

This is a funny story about friendship. The illustrations are funny, but they need to be looked at closely to appreciate all of Gloria's silly tricks, so it is not the best book if you are doing a read-aloud for a large group.

Ages: 3-8
Keywords: Friendship, Police, Dogs, Safety

Lesson Plan Idea: Health Class-Make a poster of safety tips.

Discussion Questions:
1. Why did Officer Buckle stop giving his safety speeches?
2. Why did Gloria stop performing tricks for the children?
3. How do you think Gloria learned her tricks?
4. Why is it important to always stick with your buddy?

When the Pigs Took Over by Arthur Dorros, illustrated by Diane Greenseid

When the Pigs Took Over is a story of two brothers who operate a restaurant in a small Mexican village. The older brother, Don Carlos, always wants more (más) of everything. One day he decides to add snails to his restaurant menu. Of course he gets too many snails which causes more and more problems for the village. Eventually the younger brother, Alonzo, saves the day for the village.

This is a cute and funny story. It is also good introduction to the Spanish language (a glossary is included for the eight Spanish words and phrases that are introduced). The illustrations are quite comical as Greenseid attempts to fit more snails, pigs, and birds into each and every picture. Kids will enjoy studying the pictures to see some of the strange places where the animals find themselves.

Ages: 3-8
Keywords: Brothers, Animals, Mexico, Spanish language, Self-control
Lesson Plan Ideas: Math: For younger children have them count the number of snails, pigs, or birds on a single page. For older children have them create a pictograph of the number of snails, pigs, and birds in the book.

The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit by Christopher Wormell

The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit is a fantastically written and drawn book, but I'm not sure to whom I would ever give or read this book. That doesn't quite make sense does it. It is the story of an very ugly monster who doesn't have any friends because he is so ugly. The ugly monster ends up making himself a friend out of stone, a small rabbit. Then after many years the monster dies, and all that remains is the stone rabbit. I let my wife read this book, and she was so sad and depressed when she finished it that I had to find her a funny happy book to clear her mind.

So even though this is a well written, and interesting story, I'm not really sure it would be appropriate for any young child to hear, unless you are willing to deal with the consequences.

Ages: 4 to 8 (but read the book for yourself before reading it to a child)
Keywords: Companionship, Death, Loneliness, Sadness

Lesson Plans: None, because I wouldn't use this in a class setting.

So Say The Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan, illustrated by Yumi Heo

So Say the Little Monkeys is a retelling of a Brazilian folk tale that explains why "blackmouth" monkeys do not make homes, and instead live in thorny palm trees. This is a fun read aloud book, because of the use of lots of repetitious sounds such as "jibba, jibba, jabba". This is the story of a group of monkeys who would rather play all day than work. Yumi Heo's illustrations are simplistic, yet full of colorful detail at the same time. This is a great read for those who enjoy folk tales from around the world.

Ages: 3 to 7
Keywords: Folk Tales, Brazil, Monkeys, Work, Play

Lesson Plan Idea: Write your own folk tale that explains why your favorite animal lives where it does.

Note: I usually include a link to the books I review at Powell's Books, but they did not have this particular book in stock.

Goodnight Lulu by Paulette Bogan

Goodnight Lulu is the story of a Momma Chicken putting her daughter, Lulu to sleep. Lulu is very worried about all the other animals that could possibly bother her during the night. Each time Lulu asks about a different animal, Momma Chicken reassures Lulu what she will do to protect her daughter. The drawings are simple, yet vibrant. This is a great story for all those kids who find something to worry about as they try to fall asleep.

Ages: 3-7
Keywords: Nighttime, Sleeping, Worries, Fear, Farm Life, Family

Lesson Plan Ideas: Health---What are some ways that you can deal with your worries and fears. Create a poster -- half filled with things that make you afraid, and the other half filled with the people and things that protect you.

Don't Let the Peas Touch!: And Other Stories by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

Don't Let the Peas Touch! is a set of three stories about the relationship between two sisters. Like most siblings Sophie and Annie like to fight about almost anything, in this book they have disagreements about food, quiet, and pets. In the end they always work to solve their problems on their own with very satisfying results. This is a cute set of stories sure to be enjoyed by young sisters everywhere.

Ages: 4-8
Keywords: Sisters, Sibling Rivalry, Family, Girls, Cooperation, Compromise

Lesson Plan Ideas: Social Studies--What are some ways that your family works together when there is a problem? Talk about cooperation.