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         Shop TalkConnecting people and picture books
Archive for December, 2010Top of the Shelf: The Village GarageTuesday, December 28th, 2010
The Village Garage by G. Brian Karas Karas takes young readers around the calendar, depicting a busy road crew as they tend crumbling bridges, clear snow-clogged highways, clean leaf-cluttered streets, and fill dangerous potholes. Children will find lots to examine with a myriad of amusing details, machines aplenty, and action on every colorful page. Click here to purchase The Village Garage or here to read more Top of the Shelf book recommendations. Picture Book Puzzler: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it SnowMonday, December 27th, 2010I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some snow! Just like each individual snowflake in a snowstorm is unique, each illustrator here has his or her own unique style of illustrating snow. Can you guess the name of the picture book behind each of these snowstorms? Let us know in the comments below! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Happy Holidays from The Carle BookshopThursday, December 23rd, 2010Happy Holidays from The Carle Bookshop! See you back here next week.
Top of the Shelf: Little Red Riding HoodTuesday, December 21st, 2010
Little Red Riding Hood by Gennady Spirin Inspired by 17th century Dutch paintings, Spirin spins the Red Riding Hood tale into a lavish production pleasing to the eye. The little girl, wearing a vibrant red-colored peaked bonnet, meets the wolf, costumed in an elaborate tunic and feathered hat, for the traditional confrontation but a happy reunion for grandma and Little Red provides a satisfying ending. The story is old; the paintings magnificent. Click here to purchase Little Red Riding Hood or click here to read more Top of the Shelf book recommendations. Picture Book Puzzler: Secret SantaMonday, December 20th, 2010I love seeing all the interpretations of the Santa figure from culture to culture and from artist to artist. Here are some of my favorite Santas from picture books. Can you guess which artist is behind each one? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Best Picture Books of 2010Saturday, December 18th, 2010It’s my favorite event of the year! Susan Bloom, Simmons College Children’s Literature professor and Horn Book reviewer, annually picks her best picture books of the year and shares them with us here at The Carle. If you missed last Saturday’s event, don’t worry! We’ll share with you the coveted list below. Susan Bloom shows us it’s clear by the gems published in 2010 that the picture book most certainly is not dead. In fact, these picture books are alive and well, bursting with color, imagination, and innovation. Need proof? Just pick up one of these amazing new books and see for yourself!
1. Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Salley Mavor 2. All Things Bright and Beautiful by Ashley Bryan
3. The Tree House by Marije and Donal Tolman 4. Little Black Crow by Chris Raschka
5. Snook Alone by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering 6. Chalk by Bill Thomson
7. My Garden by Kevin Henkes 8. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Becky Prange
9. Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier. 10. The Boy in the Garden by Allen Say
11. Mirror by Jeannie Baker 12. Shadow by Suzy Lee
13.Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu 14. The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett
15. Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems 16. April and Esme Tooth Fairies by Bob Graham
17. It’s a Book by Lane Smith 18. How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
19. How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page 20. Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca
21. Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile 22. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead
23. The Boys by Jeff Newman 24. Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G. Brian Karas
25. Dogs Don’t Do Ballet by Anna Kemp, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie 26. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham
27. Dust Devil by Anne Isaacs, illustrated by Pau O. Zelinsky
29. Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall 30. There’s Going to be a Baby by John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury If you’d like to print out a copy of Susan’s list or see her lists from previous years, click here. You can also see last year’s 2009 list featured on our blog here. What picture books were your favorites this year? Stock up on Stocking StuffersMonday, December 13th, 2010It’s hard to believe that it’s the last full shopping week before Christmas. At the bookstore, we’ve been bu We first picked up these super-cute Eric Carle band-aids in October and since then have been simply shocked at how well they sell. As every kid knows, a fun bandage for your boo-boo makes it feel ten times better and these Eric Carle band-aids seem to double as a fashion statement. Seriously, even among our adult Carle Museum staffers, these bright band-aids are popping up on our skin even if we don’t need one. And what have I been hearing across the register as And indeed they do. We’ve put together a list of our other best selling stocking stuffer ideas – if you ever come by our brick-and-mortar shop, you’ll see them lining the counter by the registers. A big hit are the Petit Cinema flip books – mini flip books based on turn-of-the-century French black-and-white movies. With four different movies to flip through, they are so funny to flip through and share with friends and a great conversation starter for kids about how movies used to be made.
We also have stickers, mini lined journals and sketch pads all featuring favorite Eric Carle characters and best of all – ALL UNDER $10! To see all of our recommendations click here and stock up. The Right JudgmentSaturday, December 11th, 2010Shortly after learning to drive, in 1984, I was slowly cruising the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, glancing at apartment buildings to left and right, looking for To Rent signs. The flashing lights of a police car lit up my rearview mirror. Since I’d been driving at twenty miles per hour I was confused to be pulled over. The officer responded to my humble query by informing me that I’d just run a stop sign. Since it was a moving violation, I’d have to appear before a judge. This was not an auspicious beginning to my driving career. I was very anxious the morning of my court appointment. The courtroom was enormous, seating perhaps three hundred, and I could only find a place near the back of the room. I was startled to understand that none of these people were spectators: all had received tickets. I wondered what sort of protocol could possibly result in a judge assessing every one of us. A few minutes after the appointed hour, a court officer demanded, “All rise!” We stood up, and the judge entered, mounting to the seat behind his bench at the front of the courtroom. He looked imposing in his black robes. The judge shuffled some papers and chatted with several court officers. Then he thumped his gavel loudly and declared in a vigorous voice, “These are minor peccadilloes. Cases dismissed!” He rose, descended, and left through the back door. We hundreds of violators looked at each other in wonderment, gradually rose from our seats, and left the courtroom en masse. I decided that Chicago justice was a very fine thing. Two years later, I received another ticket for going through a stop sign and I reported to that court hearing sure that the case would be summarily dismissed. To my shock, this time I had to wait nearly an hour, and I was called up to appear before the judge individually. I was given a rapid dressing down, then fined seventy dollars. Still, that first experience of having my case surprisingly dismissed has stayed with me, coloring my every experience with traffic law. I remain hopeful that all will be forgiven. I tell this story as prelude to reporting something rather confusing that happened at a party a few weeks ago. I was two beers into a long conversation when a friend distracted me with the news that I should pay attention to what a different group was discussing. “She wants to tell you something.” A woman I recognized addressed me directly. “I have a confession to make. A big confession. Are you ready?” Since I knew her only very slightly I was alarmed, but I asked her to continue.
However, she was not in the process of handing me a check made out to The Eric Carle Museum. I felt embarrassed. Five or six people were listening to her tell me the story. I laughed, and bought some time by asking, “Was it the Trina Schart Hyman? The Chris Raschka? The Edward Ardizzone? We have several different editions.”
I flashed on that miscreant Dylan Thomas, and found myself saying, “Well, I love that edition too, but it doesn’t sell very well. I forgive you.” She looked concerned. “What were those other versions?” The conversation continued. After the party, I considered what had happened. She must have been hoping to have her guilt resolved one way or the other, and perhaps she had wanted me to ask her to pay for the book? Why had I failed to do so? It was that Chicago judge’s fault. Ever since experiencing the rush of pleasure at being forgiven for a crime I hadn’t meant to commit, I have doubted the automatic application of rules and punishments. Since I like being forgiven myself, I tend to forgive others.
In my position, what would Eric Carle have said, I wondered? Eric probably would have gently hinted that this might be a good moment to make a donation to the museum’s Annual Fund. (By the way, in the late 1980s several major federal undercover investigations of the Chicago judicial system sent hundreds of people to prison, including several traffic court judges.) Picture Book Puzzler: Causing a FlurryMonday, December 6th, 2010What book caused a real flurry among critics for being the first full-color picture book to feature an African American protagonist? The Carle Staff Recommends…Saturday, December 4th, 2010While we all get excited about the newest books of the season, when it comes to gift giving, an old-favorite is often a perfect fit. This holiday season, I asked fellow Carle Museum staffers what children’s books they felt particularly close to – whether it was a book they remembered from their childhood or a well-loved standby that they read over and over to their own children. The result is a wonderful list that can be a helpful guide for anyone wanting to give a classic book that will truly stand the test of time.
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton.
Time for Bed by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer.
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren.
The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by George & Doris Hauman And me? While it’s so, so hard to pick just one book, I’d say it’s this:
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew by Dr. Seuss Not only was this book a great entertaining story of a character going on a crazy journey to escape his troubles, but it also has a great message that sometimes the best thing is to face your problems instead of running away from them. Most of all, though, it was the book that brought my father and I together, and now in my mind, they are forever connected. To this day, I can still recite this book in the exact same way as my dad read it to me 20+ years ago. And that, my friends, is something very special indeed. I think it’s so interesting that our memories get so entwined with objects sometimes. In this case…books! You can look at a picture book, turn the pages, read the words, and be transported to a time when your child was so small in your arms, or you yourself were little and reciting the pages with parent. Books for us at The Carle are a portal back to our favorite times – memories of reading. And I think there is no greater gift than that. So here are just a few of our personal favorites, but we’d love to hear about the classic books that are special to you and your family. Do you have a favorite book that would make a great gift? Let us know in the comments below.
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