Storytime: New & Notable Picture Books (19)

This week's Storytime features badly behaved babies, a Yeti bus driver, an animal mishap, moonlit party, and an important moment in history.

Beastly Animals

Written by Ellen Jackson; Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel
Ages 4-8

Buy It 
Goodreads

From wriggling chicks to jumpy kangaroos, this hilarious rhyming picture book showcases different kinds of babies, all of which are perfectly, adorably beastly!

Making mischief, having fun
each is precious, every one.
In a knoll, a hole, or nest,
Mamas love their babies best.

Parents and kids will love this rhyming story about animals parents and their misbehaving babies! I've been a fan of Wenzel's illustrations since his collaboration with Angela DiTerlizzi for Some Bugs and I absolutely adore his illustrations for this story by Ellen Jackson.

Are We There, Yeti?
Written & Illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee
Ages 4-8

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Goodreads

When Bigfoot is driving the bus, a field trip can feel legendarily long, but the best surprise of all is yeti to come!

When Yeti, the school bus driver, takes the class on a surprise trip, everyone wants to know: Are we there, Yeti?

And when they finally arrive, a new adventure is in store! Told with simple text and delightful illustrations, Ashlyn Anstee's debut picture book presents a fun, new take on a timeless question.

This silly story with minimal text pokes fun at the often heard question "Are we there yet?" whenever kids embark on a road trip. I found it hilarious that "yet" became Yeti as the kids addressed their bus driver who was - of course - a Yeti. Anstee's illustrations are fantastic, especially the facial expressions of both the kids as they ask for a bathroom break and express their displeasure when the trip is over.
 

There's a Lion in My Cornflakes
Written by Michelle Robinson; Illustrated by Jim Feld
Ages 4-8

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Goodreads

If you ever see a box of cornflakes offering a free lion, ignore it!

This is the hair-raising story of two brothers who didn't - and then ended up with a grizzly bear, a cranky old crocodile, and a huge gorilla!

Now if only they could get a free tiger...

This hilarious and whimsical picture book is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike!

Last year Michelle Robinson released How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth, which I loved, so I was very much looking forward to this newest offering. This story is just as fun and funny! Little readers will love this cautionary tale that quickly spins out of control!

Edmond, The Moonlit Party
Written by Astrid Desbordes; Illustrated by Marc Boutavant
Ages 4-8, Avail. July 30th

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Goodreads

In Edmond, The Moonlit Party, Edmond the squirrel is shy and a bit lonely, but he nevertheless believes that his life is just as it should be. He's happy making his colorful pompoms, stirring his nut jam, and going to sleep early. But one evening, when there's once again a party in his apartment house tree, the fragrance of his jam brings an unexpected visitor to his door. With the entrance of Owl, an aficionado of disguises and fun, into his life, everything begins to change for Edmond. Not only does he agree to attend Owl's party. He goes and has the best evening ever, and the world seems deeper and more wonderful than ever before, and just right, too!

Edmond, The Moonlit Party is a joyous, vibrantly illustrated story about friendship and connectedness, as well as a clever depiction of the importance of striking a balance between the introvert and extrovert within.
 

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Written by Jonah Winter; Illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Ages 4-8

Buy It
Goodreads

An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family’s tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a “long haul up a steep hill” to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky—she sees her family’s history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery. Veteran bestselling picture-book author Jonah Winter and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Shane W. Evans vividly recall America’s battle for civil rights in this lyrical, poignant account of one woman’s fierce determination to make it up the hill and make her voice heard.

I just want to give this book a big hug. Warning: There's good chance that you'll be crying by the end of this one. This is a must for every collection.

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Love any of the books featured this week? Let me know in the comments!