When I was a kid, we had to read with our eyes closed!

I swear that there weren't this many cool picture books when I was a kid! And I had to walk to school uphill in the snow with no shoes and a hot lump of coal in my pocket for lunch. Yep . . . we knew what suffering was back then!

Dizzy by Jonah Winter
Speaking of difficult childhoods, this book introduces kids to jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, who found fame and satisfaction in spite of his rocky beginning. I heard the author read this one aloud at ALA, and his rendition blew me away. Like great jazz, his hippety crazy prose captures feelings, making conversation out of sounds that aren't words. Channel your inner hepcat, break out those scatting skills and read this one at storytime.


Who is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel
When a cast of characters--including the tooth fairy and a bedroom-dwelling monster--are asked to describe the title character, confusion reigns. Each describes Melvin as he is seen through their own personal filters, raising topics about point of view and self-image. This one sounds very clever and funny.



Wolves by Emily Gravett
Another book that is getting great reviews. When a young rabbit borrows a book on wolves from the library, he is far too engrossed by what he's reading to notice that a wolf has stepped from the book and is stalking him. Will he realize what is happening before it's too late? All the reviews talk about the clever design and the wonderfully expressive illustrations . . . all of which means I'm looking forward to seeing this one.


Mouse's First Fall by Lauren Thompson
Mouse and his sister, Minka, enjoy a glorious fall day. Autumn seems to be a popular topic for back-to-school lessons, and this story will fit into this them quite nicely. And the mouse on the cover is the fattest, roundest mouse I've ever seen, which makes him quite irresistible.