In the oral tradition take 2

THE WORST PRINCESS by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie. Random House, 2014.

No fancy clothes, no
Boring sessions at court, no
Need for Prince Charming.

In the oral tradition

THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jenny Broom with illustrations by Nahta Noj. Templar Books/Candlewick, 2014.

Peek through the windows
And guess what will happen next
In this old story.

Fables

AESOP'S FABLES retold by Ann McGovern. Scholastic, September 2013.

Aesop wrote fables
To instruct the young and old
Using animals.

Migrant Story

PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE: A MIGRANT'S TALE by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, 2013.

A rabbit family crosses the border in search for a better life. However, a drought drives Pap Rabbit to head off for greener pastures. When he does not arrive home when he is expected, his son, Pancho heads off in search of his father. Along the way, Pancho meets a coyote who promises his assistance. This modern day fable cum allegory is just one example of how picture books could be used with older readers. Young readers can experience the tale at one level; older readers with different background experiences will find more within the text and themselves as they read.

making the familiar strange

AMELIA BEDELIA'S FIRST VOTE by Herman Parish with illustrations by Lynne Avril (Greenwillow 2012) continues the grand tradition of the classic character but now takes readers to Amelia's childhood. Readers familiar with the character who takes things too literally will quickly see the same behavior in Amelia as a student at an elementary school. Here is a terrific book to introduce kids to the concept of voting and elections. Tie to BAD KITTY FOR PRESIDENT. <284>




Helen Ward's lush illustrations breathes new life into the story of THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE COUNTRY MOUSE (templar Books 2012). Trees fruit and foliage serve as an excellent counterpart to the cold concrete of the city. Add some other versions of Aesop fables such as Arnold Lobel's Caldecott winning FABLES. <285>




RED KNIT CAP GIRL by Naoko Stoop (Little Brown 2012) lives in an enchanted forest where animals are her friends. She decides one day that she wants to talk to the Moon. But how to reach that far? Tie this one to Kevin Henkes' THE KITTEN AND THE FULL MOON. <286>

Simple not simplistic

THE SHARK KING by R. Kikuo Johnson (Toon 2012) is a GN version of an Hawaiian fable. A young woman searching for food is suddenly swamped by a wave. She is rescued by a strange man who tells her of the Shark God. They fall in love and have a child who is the son of the Shark God. He must keep his identity hidden as mortals cannot comprehend how someone can be shark and man without being a danger. The tips for sharing comics at the end is something that should be shared with parents and teachers. <216>




MOO HOO by Candace Ryan with illustrations by Mike Lowery (Walker 2012) is a perfect book for beginning readers. Cow and Owl (Moo and Hoo) are friends. Along comes a kangaroo who tries to join the two. Howe3ver, Cow and Owl rebuff Roo at first. They regret their actions (boo hoo) and ask Roo to join them. <217>




THE DUNDERHEADS BEHIND BARS by Paul Flesichman with illustrations by David Roberts (Candlewick 2012) reunites the Dunderheads, this time to free Spider from jail where he is wrongfully imprisoned. A combination of Spanky and Our Gang, Hardy Boys, and more, the story is fast paced. From Miss Breakbone, the teacher to Ashley Throbb-Hart the movie star, there are absurdities galore for those who visit the Dunderheads. <218>