The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
My 3-year-old just told me his cow is "beige" – one of the words he's picked up from the terrific "The Day the Crayons Quit." In it, Duncan's crayons have had enough – and they explain why in a series of handwritten letters. Beige crayon is fed up with Brown getting all the attention. Blue feels over-used (all those oceans and skies). Peach is embarrassed he's naked, after Duncan peeled off his wrapping. Black doesn't want to be relegated to outlining. Duncan solves all in the end with a coloring masterpiece. It's an incredibly clever and brilliantly illustrated read.
Lost Sloth by J. Otto Seibold
When Sloth's phone rings, it takes him a while to answer (because they are slow, you know). When he does, he learns he's won a shopping spree – today! Will he get there in time? The completely quirky story makes our boys giggle and cheer – "Go, Sloth, go!" We've always been fans of Seibold's illustrations, and these feel like a party.
If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead
This sweet and uplifting story reads like poetry. A boy and his basset hound wait patiently to see a whale. And in doing so, they see lots of other things.
It's not fast-moving or funny or silly or surprising. It's what we call a "quiet book" – with a lyrical narrative and soft illustrations – perfect for winding down at bedtime and for encouraging sweet dreams.
Ganesha's Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel & Emily Haynes
For a super-fun cultural lesson, this is a completely new retelling of a classic Hindu tale. As a child, Hindu god Ganesha (who has the head of an elephant) loved sweets. But when he bit into a jawbreaker – against his friend Mr. Mouse's warning – his tusk broke off. But he later found a purpose for it – using the magical tusk to transcribe the seemingly endless Mahabharata, the epic poem of Hindu literature. We love getting lost in the pages – made amazing by the gorgeous illustrations from Pixar animator Sanjay Patel.
The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm, Noel Daniel (editor) and Matthew Price (contributor)
In honor of Tell a Fairy Tale Day, we picked this Grimms' compilation – the most beautiful edition we've found. There are twenty-seven tales – including classics like Cinderella, Snow White and Hansel & Gretel – with incredible illustrations that are a mix of styles from the 1820s-1950s and today. While the book is pretty dense for our preschoolers, they'll appreciate it someday. And in the meantime, after a quick flip through, we tell the fairy tales from memory – which is how those stories should be passed along.
Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
As we watch the Olympics with our kids, we've been trying to teach them a little bit about the countries represented. So we were thrilled to find what must be the most beautifully illustrated, kid-friendly atlas (that covers part of the world). It's for all ages, really. In addition to cities, forests, deserts and seas, each map features fascinating factoids – from famous natives, to local foods, to where to spot a leopard seal. Bonus: an appendix illustrates flags of the world (helpful for closing ceremonies "what-country-is-this?" game).
Journey by Aaron Becker
For International Friendship Week, we've picked a special story about a lonely little girl who guides her own adventure that leads to finding a new friend. All it takes is imagination, kindness, courage – and a red marker. With it (in the style of Harold and the Purple Crayon), she draws her way through a spectacular journey – starting on a boat, then a balloon, and a flying carpet. The book has no words, encouraging kids to create their own narrative along the way. Our kids find it captivating, and it's one of the most enchanting, imagination-sparking stories we've encountered.
The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud
A sweet story with beautiful illustrations and a seek-and-find element of fun, The Bear's Song is one of our very favorite new books from 2013. When Little Bear chases a bee out of the den and into the city, Papa Bear searches everywhere for him. They finally reunite in the fancy Opera House, where there's a performance underway. Hijinks happen before the story ends with a hive, honey and hugs.
