Charlie & Mouse by Laurel Snyder

 10 books from the Geisel Award or Honor winning books

3. 2018 Medal Winner

Charlie & Mouse

written by Laurel Snyder,

illustrated by Emily Hughes

About the Author:

Laurel Snyder is the author of many books for children. She lives and writes in Atlanta, Georgia. Emily Hughes is an illustrator (and sometimes writer) who lives in windy Brighton, England, while thinking fondly of her hometown in Hilo, Hawaii.

Book Summary:

"Four hilarious children's stories, two inventive brothers, one irresistible and award-winning beginner chapter book—now in paperback! Join Charlie and Mouse as they talk to lumps, take the neighborhood to a party, sell some rocks, and invent the bedtime banana. With imagination and humor, Laurel Snyder and Emily Hughes paint a lively picture of brotherhood that children will relish in a beginning chapter book format; making this a perfect book for young readers graduating from picture books." - Amazon.com

CHARLIE & MOUSE OUTDOORS

(by Laurel Snyder & Emily Hughes).

Reading & (writing/imagination) activity

Reviews:

"Four ebullient linked stories introduce the two eponymous brothers and their down-to-earth family."--Publishers Weekly, starred review "Sweet and funny."--The Wall Street Journal "Utterly endearing."--Julie Danielson, Kirkus Reviews "Charlie and Mouse has to be one of our favorites of the entire year, so far. It so easily elicits giggles!"--The Children's Book Review

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dezg9My0ew

https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Mouse-Book-Laurel-Snyder/dp/1452172633/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Charlie+%26+Mouse&qid=1606087096&sr=8-1

Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor

10 books from the Geisel Award or Honor winning books

2. 2019 Medal Winner

Fox the Tiger

written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor

About the Author:

Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of Snail Crossing, Fox and the Jumping Contest, Fox and the Bike Ride, Fox Is Late, Fox versus Winter, and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winning Fox the Tiger. Corey lives in Seattle with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories. You can visit him online at www.coreyrtabor.com.

Book Summary:

"Soon Turtle and Rabbit are joining in the fun. But will Fox want to be a tiger forever? In Fox the Tiger, this winning trickster character and his animal friends learn that the best thing to be is yourself. Fox the Tiger is a My First I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for shared reading with a child. Other Fox books include: Fox Is Late, Fox and the Jumping Contest, and Fox and the Bike Ride." 

-Amazon.com

Kids Book Read Aloud - Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor

Reviews:

PRAISE FOR FOX AND THE JUMPING CONTEST: “The text is drily witty, and the comical illustrations, rendered in pencils, watercolors, and ink and assembled digitally, are energetic and appealing. Kids may want to have jumping contests of their own after reading this-just omit jetpacks.” (Kirkus Reviews)

PRAISE FOR FOX AND THE JUMPING CONTEST:  “Tabor’s picture-book debut doesn’t carry a lesson per se, but it does have plenty of laughs and utterly sweet illustrations. While Fox’s friends aren’t pleased to learn about his scheme, things (mostly) work out in the end.” (Booklist)

Sources: 

https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Tiger-First-Can-Read/dp/0062398679/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Fox+the+Tiger+by+Corey+R.+Tabor&qid=1606086569&sr=8-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZBi97IpvCU

Stop! Bot! by James Yang

10 books from the Geisel Award or Honor winning books

1. 2020 Medal Winner:

Stop! Bot!

written and illustrated by James Yang

About the Author: 

James Yang's prize-winning work has appeared in many magazines and newspapers, including Graphis, Newsweek, Forbes, Fortune, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He is the author/illustrator of Bus! Stop!, Joey and Jet, Joey and Jet in Space, and Puzzlehead.

The designer of "Clockman," a sculpture on display at the National Museum of American History, Mr. Yang and his wife live in New York City.

Book Summary:

"In this very young picture book mystery, a little boy out for a walk with his family stops to show a building doorman his new "bot": "I have a bot!" Only he doesn't have it for long, because it floats up out of his hands like an escaped balloon. "Stop! Bot!" Springing to action, the kind doorman runs up to each floor of the building to try and catch it -- along with the help of each floor's resident. But while everything looks normal at first, every floor (and resident) is a little more wacky and unusual than the last! Musicians, baseball players, zoo animals, and finally a very large monkey all play a part -- but will they rescue the Bot before it's too late?! Children will love all the funny details and easy-to-read words in this very playful picture book!" -Amazon.com

Reviews:

"Yang works within the constraints of the building’s form to generate intriguing possibilities presented with clarity and wit." -- Publisher's Weekly 

" A great choice for beginning readers. An unexpected rooftop surprise will leave youngsters with a happy resolution and smiles on their faces." --Booklist

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHArNCupxOg

https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Bot-James-Yang/dp/0425288811/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Stop%21+Bot%21+by+James+Yang&qid=1606084735&sr=8-1

In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers written by Alan Schroeder

  10 Coretta Scott King or CSK Honor winning books

10. Illustrator Award Winner- Javaka Steptoe

In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers

written by Alan Schroeder

About the Author:

"Javaka is the illustrator of Lee & Low's In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall, winner of numerous awards including the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and an ALA Notable. His two other picture books, Do You Know What I'll Do? (HarperCollins) and A Pocketful of Poems (Chronicle) have received critical acclaim as well. Steptoe is renowned for his innovative collage constructions. The Jones Family Express is his first book as both author and illustrator. He received his degree in fine arts from Cooper Union in New York City, and currently teaches art to children. The son of the late Caldecott medalist, John Steptoe, Javaka marks his picture book debut with this collection. He lives in Brooklyn, NY."

Book Summary:

"In this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers, fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor, and grace. Folami Abiade, Dinah Johnson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Dakari Hru, Michael Burgess, E. Ethelbert Miller, Lenard D. Moore, David Anderson, Angela Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, and Davida Adedjouma all contribute. Javaka Steptoe, who also offers a poem, employs an inventive range of media to bring each of the poems to life. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall testifies to the powerful bond between father and child, recognizing family as our greatest gift, and identifying fathers as being among our most influential heroes."- Amazon.com

Daddy's Arms by Fabian E Ferguson

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Daddys-Arms-Tall-Americans-Celebrating/dp/1584300167/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=In+Daddy%E2%80%99s+Arms+I+am+Tall%3A+African+Americans+Celebrating+Fathers&qid=1606069987&sr=8-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl6nOUlWKws

Beautiful Blackbird by Ashley Bryan

   10 Coretta Scott King or CSK Honor winning books

9. 2004 Illustrator Award Winner

Ashley Bryan (author and illustrator) of Beautiful Blackbird

Book Summary:

"Black is beautiful, uh-huh!

Long ago, Blackbird was voted the most beautiful bird in the forest. The other birds, who were colored red, yellow, blue, and green, were so envious that they begged Blackbird to paint their feathers with a touch of black so they could be beautiful too. Although Black-bird warns them that true beauty comes from within, the other birds persist and soon each is given a ring of black around their neck or a dot of black on their wings—markings that detail birds to this very day.

Coretta Scott King Award-winner Ashley Bryan's adaptation of a tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia resonates both with rhythm and the tale's universal meanings -- appreciating one's heritage and discovering the beauty within. His cut-paper artwork is a joy."- Amazon.com

Beautiful Blackbird

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly

Storyteller Bryan's (What a Wonderful World) singular voice provides rhythm and sound effects throughout this musical adaptation of a Zambian tale. When gray Ringdove calls the other monotone birds together and asks, "Who of all is the most beautiful?" they all reply, "Blackbird." They then encircle Blackbird, dancing and singing, "Beak to beak, peck, peck, peck,/ Spread your wings, stretch your neck. Black is beautiful, uh-huh!/ Black is beautiful, uh-huh!" At the birds' request, Blackbird agrees to paint black markings on them (with the blackening brew in his medicine gourd), but he warns Ringdove that it's not the color black that will make them beautiful. "Color on the outside is not what's on the inside..... Whatever I do/ I'll be me and you'll be you." The message about inner beauty and identity becomes somewhat diluted by the closing song, in which the birds triumphantly sing, "Our colors sport a brand-new look,/ A touch of black was all it took./ Oh beautiful black, uh-huh, uh-huh/ Black is beautiful, UH-HUH!" But if the ending creates a bit of confusion, Bryan's collages make up for it with their exhibition of colorful splendor and composition. Scenes of the rainbow of wings are outdone only by a lakeside view of their colors intricately "mirrored in the waters." And Bryan's lilting and magical language is infectious. Ages 3-7.

Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Blackbird-Coretta-Illustrator-Winner/dp/0689847319/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Beautiful+Blackbird+by+Ashley+Bryan&qid=1606066067&sr=8-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_uUiGOpWg

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix, written by Gary Golio

  10 Coretta Scott King or CSK Honor winning books

8. Illustration Honor 2011 - Javaka Steptoe

Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix,

written by Gary Golio

About the Author:

"A visual artist, musician, and psychotherapist, Gary Golio is the author of the New York Times- bestselling "JIMI: Sounds Like A Rainbow - A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix", recipient of a 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. His other books include "When Bob Met Woody: The Story of the Young Bob Dylan"; "Spirit Seeker: The Musical Journey of John Coltrane"; "Bird & Diz - Two Friends Create Bebop"; "Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song"; "Carlos Santana - Sound of the Heart, Song of the World": and "SMILE - How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry)". His forthcoming books include "Dark Was the Night - Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars" (2020) and "Sonny on the Bridge - A Surprising Story about Jazzman Sonny Rollins (2021).

Each of these books highlights an artist's roots and influences, promoting the idea that artists are models of persistence and commitment, embodying values of imagination, hopefulness, and self-acceptance.

Read less"

Book Summary:

"Jimi Hendrix was many things: a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. But first, he was a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself a question: Could someone paint pictures with sound?

     This a story of a talented child who learns to see, hear, and interpret the world around him in his own unique way. It is also a story of a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix--a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll."-Amazon.com

"Jimi Sounds Like A Rainbow" by Gary Golio - Read Aloud

Reviews:

Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustrator

"This book is likely to fascinate older children and reluctant readers who might be familiar with Hendrix’s music, and could easily be tied into art and music curricula."—School Library Journal, starred review

"The author—an artist and clinical social worker—lucidly demonstrates that a path to creative excellence is not only possible for young people but self-actualizing."—Kirkus, starred review

"Valuable lessons underlie newcomer Golio's account of Hendrix's life: important work can be done by young people; artistry develops slowly, through careful work; and surroundings that appear hostile to creativity can just as well nurture it."—Publishers Weekly

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Jimi-Sounds-Rainbow-Story-Hendrix/dp/0618852794/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jimi%3A+Sounds+Like+a+Rainbow%3A+A+Story+of+the+Young+Jimi+Hendrix&qid=1606065174&sr=8-1

Never Forgotten Author by Patricia C. McKissack Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

   10 Coretta Scott King or CSK Honor winning books

7. 2012  Honor Author

Never Forgotten

Author by Patricia C. McKissack

Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

About the Author:

"PATRICIA MCKISSACK is one of the most acclaimed authors writing for children today. She has written many award-winning books, including Never Forgotten, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; Porch Lies, an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book; The Dark Thirty, a Newbery Honor Book; Let My People Go, recipient of the NAACP Image Award; and Mirandy and Brother Wind, a Caldecott Honor Book. Her other books include The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll, Goin' Someplace Special, and Precious and the Boo Hag. Patricia and her husband, Frederick McKissack, are the recipients of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement."

Book Summary:

"This gorgeous picture book by Newbery Honor winner Patricia C. McKissack and two-time Caldecott Medal-winning husband-and-wife team Leo and Diane Dillon is sure to become a treasured keepsake for African American families. Set in West Africa, this a lyrical story-in-verse is about a young black boy who is kidnapped and sold into slavery, and his father who is left behind to mourn the loss of his son. Here's a beautiful, powerful, truly unforgettable story about family, memory, and freedom."

-Amazon.com

Never Forgotten Book Trailer

Reviews:

"Forceful and iconic," raves Publishers Weekly in a starred review.

Sources:

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Forgotten-Junior-Library-Selection/dp/0375843841/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Never+Forgotten+Author+by+Patricia+C.+McKissack+Illustrated+by+Leo+and+Diane+Dillon&qid=1606064809&sr=8-1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmbAIREIojQ