The prompt this week for Top 10 Tuesday is Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving. The prompt goes on to add, "those covers or titles that don't fit the books, a book that was totally different than its summary, or those books you thought were going to be fluff that turned out to be more serious etc etc."
I want to take a second look at books that are defined as children's picture books. Often people think of children's picture books as simplistic, with controlled vocabularies, and overly-rosy views of the world.
That can be true.
It is not true of the best of children's picture books. The best children's picture books are small poems that ponder all the big issues of life, with illustrations that add to the thoughtfulness of the poems.
I will go so far as to say that the best children's picture books are...gulp...Literature.
Here are some you might consider reading again. And again. And sharing with a child. Or even another grownup....
Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski
(or Tacky the Penguin
or Chrysanthemum or a dozen other books
about children...or grownups...who don't feel like they fit in...)
Woolbur refuses to go along with the rest of the flock....
That's Good! That's Bad! by Margery Cuyler
A boy is lifted up into the sky by his balloon.
That's good, right?
Or is it bad?
Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis
Do you think you are in love?
Take a look at this little story....
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
I seem to love this story about a beautiful little house
that falls into disrepair with age
more and more as I grow older....
Window by Jeannie Baker
Here's another Jeannie Baker book
that you can only really appreciate, I think,
as an adult....
Rotten Island by William Steig
You must read this picture book.
Or any other William Steig book.
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Another fabulous author.
Chris Van Allsburg is a philosopher.
In the disguise of a children's picture book author.
Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks
Yet another author that you must try...
Terrific by Jon Agee
Jon Agee knows human nature....
Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka
Anything Chris Raschka.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
I've always loved William Joyce's books.
He's apparently been puttering around with movies
for a while and taking a break from books,
but now he's back with a book/movie,
an iPad book app that is...well, fantastic.
I could go on and on with this list, and I probably will on another day.
Do you have titles for this list?
What did you do with this prompt? Where did it take you?
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
