The Phantom Tollbooth

Author: Norton Jester
Illustrator: Jules Feiffer


Comments:
The Phantom Tollbooth is a like a book-length riddle. It's full of word play, puns, and brain teasers. At time, in "The Lands Beyond," things seem so logical that they become ridiculous. The Kings of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis have banished Rhyme and Reason and nothing seem to run smoothly any more. It's up to Milo, who has been mysterious transported to this world by "the phantom tollbooth," Tock the Watchdog and Humbug to rescue the two princesses from the Castle in the Air.

Copyright: Random House, 1961
Age level: 9-12
Format: Chapter book
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Multicultural/International: No
Award: WINNER 1963 - Kansas William White Master List
Location: Personal Collection
Rating: * * * *

The Tale of Despereaux

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Timothy Basil Ering


Comments:
DiCamillo weaves a contemporary fairy tale about Despereaux, a very atypical mouse who loves to read and can't learn to cower. Each section of the book is told from a different character's perspective. Despereaux seeks for true love and questions whether he will ever get his "happily ever after." This book is just as much about dark and evil as light and good; they intertwine to create a unique adventure.

Copyright: Candlewick, 2003
Age level: 9-12
Format: Chapterbook
Genre: Fantasy
Multicultural/International: French
Award: Newbery Medal
Location: Personal Collection
Rating: * * * * *

Crickwing

Author: Janell Cannon
Illustrator: Janell Cannon

Comments:
Janell Cannon has created another unforgetable character like Stellaluna and Verdi. A cockroach does not seem an initially appealing protagonist. In fact Cannon drew inspiration from David G. Gordon's The Compleat Cockroach: A Comprehensive Guide to the Most Despised (and Least Understood) Creature on Earth. After playing a heart-warming, supporting role in Disney's Wall-E, cockroaches are making a comeback.

In addition to being a cockroach living in the rainforest, he is injured by a hungry toad and nicknamed Crickwing, which he finds so painful that he withdraws from the other creatures. He enjoys making scultpures out of his food, but other preditors steal it away from him before he has a chance to enjoy it. After enduring this bullying, Crickwing finds some insects small enough for him to pick on, some leaf-cutter ants. Unfortunately, the whole colony teams up to defend themselves against Crickwing. Little did they know that he has a secret talent that could relieve the leaf-cutters from the tyranny of the army ants.

There is so much depth to Cannon's stories. Crickwing emphasizes the value and uniqueness of each live, even those that are deemed less valuable. It also portraying the dangerous cycle of bitterness and bullying halted only by mercy and forgiveness.

After the story, Cannon includes scientific notes about Cockroaches and Ants.

Copyright: Harcourt, 2000
Age level: 6-9
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fantasy
Multicultural/International: No
Award: Janell Cannon is the award-winning author of Stellaluna.
Location: Peabody Library
Rating: * * * * *

Guji Guji

Author: Chih-Yuan Chen
Illustrator: Chih-Yuan Chen

Comments:
Guji Guji is a crocodile who happened to be raised by a family of ducks. Each duck has its own unique quirk, so the mother easily accepts Guji Guji as one of her own. When Guji meet crocodiles of his own kind, he needs to choose between protecting his duck family or helping his new crocodile relatives. Themes of unexpected friendships, acceptance, adoption, and peer pressure run through this book.

Copyright: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (March 2007)
Age level: 4-8
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fantasy
Multicultural/International: No
Location: Peabody Library
Rating: * *

One

Author: Kathryn Otoshi
Illustrator: Kathryn Otoshi

Comments:
This book not only reinforces colors and counting, but also deals with themes of bullying, peer pressure, teamwork, and friendship. Otoshi's main characters are watercolor blobs of blue, red, green, yellow, purple, orange, and the silver number one. But even these blobs express the emotion of the text as they change size and shape throughout the story.

Copyright: KO Kids Books, 2008
Age level: 3-7
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fantasy
Multicultural/International: No
Awards: 2006 BAIPA Book Award
Location: Lookybook
Rating: * * * * *

My Friend Rabbit

Author: Eric Rohmann
Illustrator: Eric RohmannComments:
Eric Rohmann weaves a story about unconditional friendship and problem-solving. His illustrations in which characters and pages both have heavy, dark border is visually appealing. The orientation of the book also shifts throughout the story. Although the book contains text, both of its pages are wordless and the illustrations speak for themselves.

Copyright: Roaring Brook Press, 2002
Age level: 4-8
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fantasy, Wordless
Multicultural/International: No
Awards: 2003 Caldecott Medal
Location: Lookybook
Rating: * * * * *

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse

Author: Leo Lionni
Illustrator: Leo Lionni


Comments:

This book is ultimately about friendship, but it also addresses differences between friends, the grass-is-greener kind of envy, and putting your friend first.

Without realizing the connection, I enjoyed many of Leo Lionni's books as a child and through sharing books with children. Other books of his that I enjoy include "A Color of His Own," "Swimming," "It's Mine," and "Fish is Fish." Other books of his that I would like to read include "Tico and the Golden Wings," "The Alphabet Tree," "Frederick," "The Greentail Mouse," and "An Extraordinary Egg."

Even before Eric Carle, Leo Lionni experimented with using collage in children's literature.

Copyright: 1969
Age/grade level: Ages 4-8
Format: Picture Book
Genre: Fantasy and Science Fiction
Multicultural/International: Leo Lionni is Dutch, grew up in Holland, and moved to America when he was 29. He has also lived in Italy.
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year
Location: Personal Library
Rating: * * *

Person Leo Lionni

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