More Picture Books- Juvenile Corner

Happy Sunday everyone!

I hope those of you who read my first post about picture books so much, you were hoping that I'd do a second one.  If you fall into that category, than you're in luck!  
This picture book post focuses on picture books that are wordless, published originally in another country- before being published in the United States and a book that's all about the ABCs.

Like the post before, the books are listed in alphabetical order.  I hope you all enjoy!

                                  The Boring Book

Written and Illustrated by Shinsuke Yoshitake
Published by Chronicle Books in 2019; Hakusensha in 2017 (Japan)
Category: Children's Picture Books, International
Major Awards Won: New York Times Best Illustrated Book, Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
Age Range: 6-8
Pages and Spreads: 40 pages, 4 spreads

The Boring Book was published in 2017 in Japan.  What has to happen in order for something to be considered boring? What is the fine thin between boring and fun?  The Boring Book poses those questions with answers in only a way a child could imagine.  The child in the book does a great job of working through what boredom could be and how it works because let's be honest, who hasn't been bored before.  Adults and children alike!  I liked how the colors used in the illustrations were very bold but simple- the primary colors were used and there was a lot of gray.  I feel like this book would make an excellent book for a circle time.  I think that it would a great way to engage children and to get them talking about boredom and how to have fun when it seems almost impossible.  


Flora and the Flamingo 
Written and Illustrated by Molly Idle
 Published by Chronicle Books, 2013

Category: Children's Picture Books, Wordless
Major Awards Won: 2014 Caldecott Honor Book
Age Range: 3-6
Pages and Spreads: 32 pages, 10 spreads

Flora and the Flamingo was bother written and illustrated by Molly Idle.  Idle uses colored pencils to illustrate her story about a young girl and her encounter with a flamingo. This book is wordless but it also has flaps!  I found that the flaps added an extra dimension to the story.  They allowed for the more actions to occur on the same pages.  The drawings were done with what looks like colored pencils- they were on bright white pages.  Without words and a bright white background definitely makes the drawings stand out and take center stage.  It was very easy to feel the emotion that Flora and the flamingo were experiencing throughout the story.   I felt like this book would be best for the one on one interaction between adult and child.  I just don't know how flap books would work in terms of a story time. 


Jerome By Heart
Written by Thomas Scotto and Illustrated by Oliver Tallec; translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Karin Snelson
Published by Enchanted Lion Books in 2018; Actes Sud in 2009 (France)
Category: Children's Picture Books, International
Major Awards Won: Batchelder Honor Book of 2019 and Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2018
Age Range: 4-8
Pages and Spreads: 32 pages, 4 spreads


Originally published in French in 2009, Jerome by Heart follows the story of two young boys, Raphael and Jerome.  Raphael is telling the story, which encompasses his feelings for Jerome.  It's a sweet story and it shows how deep friendships and connections can go.  I know that the book was recognized by GLBTRT group as 2019 Rainbow Book Selection.  I don't know if I would say that Jerome and Raphael were in love like that, their connection ran deep, yes.  The characters in the book, I feel, are too young to know what love is on that level.  I think that this book is a great for the theme of friendship.  I felt that the age range was appropriate.


Wolf in the Snow
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Published by 
Category: Children's Picture Books, Wordless Book
Major Awards Won: 2018 Caledcott Award Winner
Age Range: 2-6
Pages and Spreads: 48 pages, 12 spreads


Without words, Wolf in the Snow tells the story of a little girl who's on her home from school during a blizzard.  At the same time, the reader sees that there is a pack of wolves who are traveling in the blizzard, where the wolf pup falls behind.  The girl and the wolf cross paths and she carries the pup through the blizzard until she finds their family to reunite the pup.  There is a moment of despair when the girl curls up in the snow- defeated by the blizzard.  The ending brings a sense of peace to the story, the wolves help the girl reunite with her family.  The illustrations are outlined with a heavy hand in ink, which makes them standout against the watercolor like colors.  Even though the book was wordless, the animal sounds are written out. I agree with the age range from the publishers. 



Z is for Moose 
Written by Kelly Bingham and Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinksy
Published by Greenwillow Books in 2012
Category: Children's Picture Books, ABC
Major Awards Won: Kirkus Starred Review, School Library Journal Starred Review, Booklist Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly Starred Review, Horn Book Starred Review
Age Range: 4-8
Pages and Spreads: 32 pages, 2 spreads


I think this book would make an excellent one for a story hour.  The interaction between the moose and the zebra were just too funny.  Bingham presents the ABC in a fun way, letters A, B, and C are explained perfectly; A is for apple, B is for ball, C is for cat and D is for Moose. But wait a second, that doesn't sound right!  From letter D to Z, Moose makes appearance and voices his concerns about how Zebra is directing this shoot.  The illustrations were cute and fun.  Between the illustrations and the dialogue between the moose and the zebra, the reader didn't need to focus on the alphabet.  It was easy to guess what the letters would have been for, even when they weren't focusing on that.  The age range from the publishers is accurate.  

- Jillian