An embarrassment of riches

It's that time of year again . . . time for the Publishers Weekly Fall children's announcement issue, and time for me to work double-extra-hard to get all the great new books ordered. There are so many things to look forward to, I almost don't know where to start.

Zuzu by Linda Michelin Johnson
The cover has a different title than the B&T listing, and the illustrations look a bit funky, but I'm still intrigued by this book. Why? Because when Zuzu's new neighbor doesn't return her smile, she "makes him a series of gifts that she thinks he needs." I like to think of a little girl rationalizing someone else's crankiness, figuring out what they need, and then giving it to them. It kills me!


I'm Dirty by Kate McMullan
I Stink, also by McMullan, was one of my favorite books to read for storytime. I would use my "Sunday Sunday Sunday" monster-truck-rally voice and read about puppy poo and ugly underpants, and the kids would laugh and laugh. Now we have I'm Dirty, which features a backhoe cleaning up a junkyard. Heavy machinery, potentially funny lists of garbage, and the promise of things getting dirty? Why, it's enough to make me long for a group of small kids to read to!


One More Sheep by Mij Kelly
There's someone at the door, but nobody knows if it's a stray sheep or something more menacing. The only way to find out is for Sam to count all the sheep, but that makes him so sleepy! The illustrations won me over, with the worried, stocking-capped sheep so fat and funny. They are sort of like Gary Larsen drawing Russell the Sheep.


Big Bad Wolf and Me by Delphine Perret
The Big Bad Wolf is so wimpy that he's mistaken for a dog, so our young protagonist takes him home in order to teach him to be tough again. The lanky, scribbly wolf juxtaposed with the nonplussed young boy strike me as very funny, and the reviews are good. I think this one will be a hit!


Queen of the Scene by Queen Latifah
I know that celebrity books aren't always good, and the plot of this self-esteem-boosting offering doesn't seem particularly complex. But who doesn't love Queen Latifah??!?! She's feisty, down-to-earth, and very talented--and that's enough for me to give Queen of the Scene a chance.



Featherless Chicken by Chih-Yuan Chen
Another self-esteem booster, this one about a featherless chicken who wants to fit in. Again, it's the cover art that hooked me on this one. Just the sight of the chicken springing out of his shell--his eyes rolling and an egg-yolk sun shining on him--makes me want to read this.