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(3)
PS
A polar bear has commandeered a mouse's chair. After numerous attempts to reclaim the chair ("Maybe I'll give him a scare-- / I'll jump out in my underwear!"), the mouse storms off. The self-satisfied bear heads home, only to find a surprise waiting. This playfully illustrated sparring match is both a pleasure-making exercise in gratuitous rhyme and a distillation of a classic sibling dynamic.
40 pp.
| Candlewick/Templar
| April, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7591-2$16.99
(4)
K-3
A young girl is annoyed when a ghost elephant takes up residence in her home. When her parents turn a blind eye, she seeks advice from her quirky, ghost-loving grandmother, who leads her to "purveyor of oddities" Mr. Spectral and a secret box. The comical ending and vibrant, detail-rich watercolors help offset the young protagonist's overly sophisticated language.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| March, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8075-1683-6$16.99
(4)
K-3
Harvey ignores his mom's warning against drawing on "Doodleday," only to find that, for starters, a spider he doodles captures his dad. Mom must save the day by doodling the scariest creature of all: an angry mother. Despite some major leaps in logic, the book succeeds as imagination-prodding entertainment featuring illustrations that are admirably coherent despite the wildness they depict.
32 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| September, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-135534-9$16.99
(3)
K-3
Young bloodsucker Bram Pire writes a letter to his "vampa" lamenting the new neighbors, with their "bizarre fondness for sunshine." While reminiscent of The Addams Family et al., the book stands apart with its final twist (the neighbors have a secret). In the droll illustrations, only the Pires and their home are rendered in black and white.
137 pp.
| Scholastic/Levine
| January, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-439-90100-0$16.99
(3)
4-6
Medusa isn't like other little girls, and Perseus and his friends are always making fun of her. When a camping trip turns dangerous, only she can save everyone. The black-and-white drawings effectively use varied line weights to convey different character traits and events. Though kids may not get every allusion to Greek mythology, this humorous book stands out as something fresh.