We seven panelists for the Cybils Fiction Picture Book Award have been busy.
Between us, we have read 1,689 books in the last three months (I did the math). Yes, these were picture books, but honestly it isn't the reading but the considering that takes time. I myself read 250 of the 254 nominated books (said quite proudly) and reread over 200 of these to write detailed notes on the writing and the illustrations. Then I took the best of these and submitted them to the most important test---real children. I spent a week in my library reading several books to each of my thirty-two classes of students and soliciting feedback. If feedback was negative or even just ho-hum, it was the kiss of death for a book.
My fellow panelists did much the same, and then we threw books into the ring to see which ones could stand up to all the punches we could swing.
I don't remember ever reading this many wonderful fiction picture books, and a few of my favorites didn't make it out of the ring alive, but here are our Cybils Fiction Picture Book Finalists of 2015:
Sidewalk Flowers
On a wonder-inspiring walk around the city with her father, a young girl gathers wildflowers that tenaciously grow in the cracks of the sidewalk. She uses them to lovingly bedeck the people and animals she passes, unlocking a colorful world from the drab urban grey. JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith have created a gorgeous wordless journey that uses perspective and pacing brilliantly to give readers a kid's-eye view of the world--a world where poetry is found in the tiniest, most ordinary details. This one is perfect for quiet contemplative reading and provoking visual storytelling.
---Hannah DeCamp, Kid Lit College
Written by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu
Author Muon Van’s spare, lyrical text is richly illustrated by April Chu, evoking a short art film. Together they pull readers deeply into the hearts, lives, and loves of a particular family in a mountainside fishing village half a world away. Told as a nested circle story, it unfolds line by line, page by page, contrasting the expansive waters surrounding fishing boats with the intimacy of the fisherman's family waiting at home. Shifting perspectives and warm, earthy scenes make the story safely familiar despite images rendered with Asian style and detail. Comfort shifts to concern as a sea storm rises, revealed in the artwork of a fantastically talented pet cricket. It's a story that is both richly specific and lovingly universal, with enough visual detail and depth of character to invite countless satisfying rereads.
Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise
Beware, inhabitants of the night! Hoot Owl is flying in search of a meal! Everyone knows owls are wise. But as well as being wise, Hoot Owl is a Master of Disguise. One after another, Hoot Owl devises disguises designed to fool his prey. Sean Taylor’s intentionally purple prose begs to be read aloud. Jean Jullien’s bold, expressive illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment to Hoot Owl’s dramatic plans. Kids from preschool to elementary age will enjoy seeing through Hoot Owl’s self-proclaimed cleverness, staying engaged (and giggling) throughout.
---Sondra Eklund, Sonderbooks
Blizzard
When the relentless snow brings a boy’s world to a halt, he discovers a way to both enjoy it and provide relief to his family and neighbors. John Rocco’s Blizzard produces four feet of snow and is still warm on the inside as it unites family. Proving how fast a blizzard shuts things down and also how long the recovery process takes, our young main character’s first person voice relays the varied emotions that accompany the flurry, engaging readers personally. With a lovely balance between dialogue and storyline, interaction from family and neighbors, and wonder-filled thoughts of a boy on a mission, Blizzard creates a relatable experience -- even for those who never see snow! Featuring an incredible use of white space in the overwhelming amounts of snow and delightful details such as a snow-infused timeline and a snow-tracked map of the rescue, Rocco has created a complete work of art.
Last Stop On Market Street
Written by Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Matt de la Peña delivers a great cross-generational experience on an ordinary bus ride. CJ doesn’t want to wait in the rain, doesn’t want to ride the bus, and does not want to venture across town like he does ever Sunday after church. He longs for what others have until Nana opens her gentle, very unique worldview that includes trees that drink from straws, a blind man that see with his ears (and nose) and CJ, himself, who embraces the discovery that the true smell of “freedom,” is one that simply finds magic, beauty, and fun in the many diverse spectrum of people he meets everywhere. Loved, loved this title and how well the energy of the words marry the vibrancy and color of Christian Robinson’s illustrations, for this book is one that will leave every child embracing delicious moments in their own life.
---Jodell Sadler
Bug in a Vacuum by author/illustrator Mélanie Watt is that most valuable of picture books: a bibliotherapy text that succeeds on its own literary and artistic merits. On one level, it is the humorous story of a bug who is sucked into a vacuum and struggles to come to terms with its situation. Watt overlays this narrative with a presentation of the Kübler-Ross model of the five stages of grief. The mixed media illustrations merge seamlessly with the text to tell a rich, multilayered story. It has much to offer children of all ages — and I do mean all. The witty commentary and humorous illustrations of the bug, rife with puns and visual metaphors, are sufficient to carry the story even if the reader has no knowledge of or interest in the grief process. Sensitive readers will breathe a sigh of relief as the bug reaches a satisfying conclusion. This quirky offering by the author of Scaredy Squirrel will surely provoke thoughtful discussion, inspire meaningful questions and draw children in for multiple readings.
Mango, Abuela, and Me
Mia's "faraway" grandmother comes to live with her
familia, and both she and her abuela are sad; Mia can't speak Spanish and her grandmother no habla ingles. How can Abuela tell Mia about her home where wild parrots roost in mango trees and how can Mia tell Abuela about her accomplishments in running and art? Mia is inspired by a red feather tucked in her grandmother's suitcase to buy a parrot, and suddenly both Mia and Abuela find their "mouths are full of things to say." With vivid writing and expressive illustrations, this is a story that will "toca su corazon," touch your heart.
Oh goodie. These all sound wonderful. No clinkers in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteI feel very proud of this list.
ReplyDelete