A Ball for Daisy
By: Chris Raschka
Medal Winner
Reviewed by: Deanna Knoll
Well written wordless picture books are a special gift to any child's library. These are the ones that children can pull off the shelf and "read" themselves and feel so accomplished. A Ball for Daisy is a perfect example and tells a sweet story of loss, sadness, forgiveness and friendship in its pages. I love the simple yet understandable illustrations.
Blackout
By: John Rocco
Honor
Reviewed by: Deanna Knoll
I'll admit, I went in negatively biased against this book because I didn't love the art (and yes I know, it won the Caldecott for the illustrations!) but...after finishing this book, I loved it. A little girl feels so alone because everyone else is busy and doesn't have time for her. A serendipitous power outage brings the whole family together by candlelight. I loved the message of this book and appreciated the reminder as an adult, to slow down and enjoy the people around me, even when there's not a power outage.
Grandpa Green
By: Lane Smith
Honor
Reviewed by: Deanna Knoll
The book description uses the word "enigmatic" to describe it, I choose the word "confusing." While the idea of a grandson and grandfather walking in the garden together, reminiscing and trimming bushes sounds magical, turning every bush into a memory just seems a bit farfetched. I think there are other books that convey the concepts of sharing memories together much better.
Me…Jane
By: Patrick McDonnell
Honor
Reviewed by: Deanna Knoll
Recommended age: ages 4-8
With simple drawings and prose, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of Jane Goodall's childhood dream of living in Africa writing about animals. The story is easy to follow and relate to and worthy of sharing with little ones who have big dreams.
