Best Picture Books of 2015

It's a bit late, but I finally have my picks for the best picture books of 2015.

1. In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu

2. Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora

3. Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley

4. Wait by Antoinette Portis

5. Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno

6. Little Elliot Big Family by Mike Curato

7. Float by Daniel Miyares

8. Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bearby Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

9. Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Christian Robinson

10. Supertruck by Stephen Savage

Honorable Mention: 

Two Mice by Sergio Ruzzier

Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers

An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns by Betsy R. Rosenthal, illustrated by Jago

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Oskar and the Eight Blessings by Tanya Simon, illustrated by Mark Siegel

Picture This: Mother Bruce

Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

Bruce, a grumpy bear, lives alone, and that's the way he likes it. The only hobby he enjoys is cooking and eating eggs. When a few of his eggs hatch, he tries to return the goslings to their mother but she's gone for the winter. He tries to abandon the goslings, but they follow him. As they get older he tries to get them to fly south, but they won't leave. Will bear ever be rid of these geese?

Hilarious. A story and style reminiscent of classics, but with a modern edge. Bruce is a foodie who likes to find fancy recipes on the internet. He wants free-range organic eggs, and the narrator explains that he likes to support local business under an illustration of a mangled beehive. The illustrations are fantastic. Just look at the endpages—a lovely woodland scene with the sun shining through the trees. But of course key to this story are facial expressions—specifically Bruce’s. They are instrumental in producing all the laughs, and they’re executed perfectly every time. Writing, illustrating, timing--all just right. I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say that it just keeps getting funnier.

Picture This: Bernice Gets Carried Away

Bernice Gets Carried Away by Hannah E. Harrison

Another grumpy animal, Bernice the cat, is having a terrible day. It’s cloudy, she got a piece of cake with no flower, her soda tasted gross, she didn’t get any candy from the piñata, will the tragedies never cease? When a clown shows up with balloons to give out, she is determined not to get a lousy balloon. She swipes the whole bunch, shouting, “MINE!” She did no take into account the consequences of one little cat holding that many helium filled ballons, and soon finds herself floating up, up, up. Will she find a way to get down? Or cheer up?

This isn’t an especially new story or concept, but it’s done very well. Harrison’s impeccable illustrations make it appealing and beautiful to look at.

Books of 2015

Books read: 51

Popular: Vintage Wisdom from a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen ♦ Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter ♦ The Other Side of the Wall by Simon Schwartz* ♦ Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson ♦ The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J. A. White* ♦ Denton Little’s Deathdate by Lance Rubin* ♦ Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona ♦ When You Leave by Monica Ropal* ♦ An Age of License by Lucy Knisley ♦ It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario* ♦ The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger ♦ Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson* ♦ Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins ♦ The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley* ♦ Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen* ♦ Kissing in America by Margo Rabb* ♦ The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss ♦ Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon ♦ The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh* ♦ The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Petersen and the Churchill Club by Philip Hoose* ♦ From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsberg ♦ Court of Fives by Kate Elliott ♦ Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier ♦ Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis, and Shannon Waters* ♦ Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley* ♦ The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin* ♦ Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari* ♦ Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead* ♦ P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han* ♦ Choosing Courage: Inspiring Stories of What It Means to Be a Hero by Peter Collier* ♦ Little Robot by Brian Hatke* ♦ Maddy Kettle: The Adventure of the Thimblewitch by Eric Orchard* ♦ Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon* ♦ Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy* ♦ Tommy: The Gun that Changed America by Karen Blumenthal* ♦ Cinder by Marissa Meyer ♦ Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway* ♦ Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly* ♦ Dory and the Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon* ♦ The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz* ♦ The Nest by Kenneth Oppel* ♦ The Marvels by Brian Selznick* ♦ Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika Magoon, illustrated by Emily Carroll* ♦ Jackaby by William Ritter ♦ Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah* ♦ The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart ♦ The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough* ♦ Geek Girl by Holly Smale* ♦ The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney ♦ A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern* ♦ Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson*

* indicates published in 2015

Favorite books read in 2015

1. It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario*
Well written, fascinating, true, and with all that gorgeous photography.

2. The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz*
I don't have a review written of this. Part of the reason why is that I had a hard time finding the words to describe the many things that make it so, so good. Joan is earnest, hard-working, and hopelessly fanciful, a lover of books who believes a little too much in the fantasies they invent. She says things like, "people in books are always saying they have colds when they're crying, but having a cold and crying are two separate things, and I don't know why people in books haven't noticed this." I loved her and reading about her adventures. Full review to follow soon...I hope.

3. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel*
Excellently done, so spooky

4. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
That mythology--wow--and a good story, too.

5. Dory Fantasmagory and the Real True Friend  by Abby Hanlon*
Two words: floppy cookies

6. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen*
Another solid offering from Sarah Dessen. I especially appreciated the depth of this one and the focus on more than one kind of relationship--with friends and family, in addition to the one with the boy.

7. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley*
It was enchanting and I loved the characters (and the circus), but I think it was the theme of keeping and maintaining faith and belief that really brought this one close to my heart.

8. Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson*
Very well done all around. I think I’m a sucker for stories that tackle that transitory part of life between childhood and teenagerhood—especially when they also address changing friendships.

9. The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley*
Lovely, one that just got my heart.

10. Raven Flight by Juliet Marillier
Excellent fantasy, understated yet heart-stopping romance.











Honorable Mention
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari*
Dream On, Amber by Emma Shevah*
Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson*

Picture This: Leo: A Ghost Story

Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Christian Robinson

This is Leo. 
Most people cannot see him.
But you can. 

Leo lives by himself in an old house. When a family moves in, he’s so excited to have company he makes them tea. Though he intended to be welcoming and friendly, the family doesn’t quite see it that way, and they attempt to have the house exorcised. So Leo decides to leave and become a “roaming ghost.”

He wanders alone, until a girl named Jane introduces herself and recruits him into her various make believe games. Leo is thrilled to have a friend, but he realizes that Jane thinks he is one of her many imaginary friends. He worries that if he tells her the truth, he will scare her off, but she may not react in quite the way he expects.

Christian Robinson illustrates Leo in white, black and blues—blue on blue on blue. Perhaps this is because of the underlying melancholy of the story, or perhaps it’s because blue tends to be the color used to portray the invisible and transparent. Human characters are blue cutouts, while Leo is a simple blue line drawing. Leo blends in and yet is distinct from everything else on the page. I think the illustrations are deceptively simple. While the cutouts are roughly hewn and the drawings are done as if by a child, he mixes textures and shades of blue to create depth. I also love the title page and last page which seem to be two sides of the same wall (which Leo is walking through). And Leo and Jane’s chalk drawings of their imaginary adventures fill the endpages.

The story culminates as Leo attempts to stop a robber, saves the home, and has to confess his true nature to his friend. Author Mac Barnett is one of those who knows how to tell a story for children. I love those first few lines. “Most people cannot see him. But you can.” He involves his audience, creates fun, likeable characters, incorporates humor, it’s got everything. There are many nice moments throughout that probe deeper themes, not the least of which is the ending. The final exchange between Jane and Leo, as he confesses that he is not her imaginary friend, is absolutely priceless!

Recent Read: Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson

This is a story about war, the power of music, and humanity.

It was just as Shostakovich's career as a composer in St Petersburg (soon to become Leningrad) was getting started that Lenin, and then Stalin seized power over Russia, turning it into a totalitarian hell. And yet, even after living through the atrocities Stalin unleashed on his own people, they rallied to fight for Mother Russia when Hitler invaded with his armies. The Soviets were terribly unprepared, and so Hitler's progress was fast, soon cutting off all of Leningrad's supply lines. Hitler decided that rather than attack, they would just wait for the entire city of 2 million + to starve to death.

And so Shostakovich's home town faced a Russian winter with little to no food or fuel. What role would Shostakovich's music
play in this devastating tragedy? Despite the Soviet government's persecution of him before the war, he was a popular and beloved composer both in the USSR and abroad. As he began work on a new symphony, the Soviet leadership took interest. They knew it could be significant to would-be allies in the west, as well as to a suffering population at home. They went to great lengths to get the score sent abroad to help garner support from Americans, whose aid they were in desperate need of. But the symphony's history would culminate in Leningrad itself, where starving and dying musicians rallied together to perform it to an emotional and desperate crowd. It would become a symbol of hope.

It's a fascinating and tragic story. One of the interesting things is how unreliable the sources they have are. Anderson is candid about the questionable nature of the records of Shostakovich and his life. He dedicates a lot of time to describing Shostakovich's music, and its possible meanings. There has been much speculation over the years, and Anderson gives us a window into many perspectives. As I listened to the symphonies described, I could remember Anderson's own careful descriptions of the music.

What struck me most was the section devoted to Leningrad during the siege. It's astounding what the people there endured, and what some did in such abominable circumstances (both good and bad). As Anderson suggests in the video below, this story indirectly poses the question, "What does it mean to be human?"

Picture This: Little Elliot Big Family

Little Elliot Big Family by Mike Curato
 
Elliot and Mouse are the best of friends. Mouse is looking forward to his family reunion where he’ll eat his grandmother’s cheese chowder with his 15 brothers, 19 sisters, 25 aunts, 27 uncles, and 147 cousins. When Mouse leaves, Elliot is all alone. He walks around the city and sees families everywhere. “Elliot wondered what it would be like to have 147 cousins. Or even just one.” Just as he’s about to be taken over by loneliness, Mouse comes to find him and invite him to join his family in their reunion.

Mike Curato’s debut, Little Elliot Big City tells the story of how a small polka-dotted elephant and a mouse bonded over a shared love of cupcakes. Maybe it’s my bias talking, but I think this one is even better than the first. As someone who comes from a large extended family, I really appreciated this family-oriented story. You have the main storyline of a lonely elephant, and his touching adoption into the mouse family. You also have a number of lovely family scenes as he walks around 1940s New York: brothers playing baseball, fathers playing with their children, sisters sharing secrets. It’s touching and it evokes the feelings I have about family.

Curato’s pencil illustrations are soft and inviting. He creates a vintage feel with his unique combination of pencil and Photoshop (read about it here). Often his illustrations look like they could be scenes out of an old movie. He uses color and composition to enhance the mood and emotions of the story. Curato pictures Elliot as a small, lone character among a sea of empty seats, or as the only soul on a snowy street. Page after page is perfectly composed. I just love looking at the illustrations. The family photographs that cover the endpages are a kick, too.

 

Picture This: Fire Engine No. 9

Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin


Fire Engine No. 9 is exactly what it sounds like—a book showing a day in the life of fire engine number nine. The text is almost all sound effects—the whoosh of firemen sliding down the pole, the brrriing of the alarm, the bark of the Dalmatian. The illustrations are exciting, colorful, and action-packed. Austin uses each double-page spread to its fullest advantage. The endpages show fire fighters' tools, and there's a small lesson on fire safety at the end. This is a must for truck-loving kids.

Picture This In a Village by the Sea

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu

 On the surface this is a simple tale—a day in the life of a family in a Vietnamese fishing village. The father goes out to sea early in the morning; his wife stays home and makes soup as her child naps. They eagerly wait for father’s return.

The story turns a bit magical when the cricket who lives in a hole in the floor paints a scene of the father’s activities. He’s caught in a storm, looking at a picture of his family, hoping to return to them.

It’s beautifully done in every way. It feels a bit like gently rolling waves—rhythmic and soothing in its cyclical nature. Each new page repeats a bit from the previous page in text and illustration. And the whole tale comes full circle at the end as the father envisions his family in that house that has already been so carefully described. Where at the beginning he looked back toward his home, the book ends with his family looking out to sea toward him.

The illustrations are beautiful. They’re filled with wonderful details. I love seeing the carefully chopped vegetables on the table, the chilies hanging on the kitchen wall, the flip flops lined up just outside the back door. Chu uses creative angles and perspectives to bring visual interest. I love the overhead view of the kitchen with the baby reaching for the dog.

And then there’s that cricket. Is his painting really happening or has he imagined it? But perhaps that’s the point. In the author’s note, Muon Van says of her own fisherman father, “we would often wonder where my father was, if he found the catch he was looking for, and when he would return home again, safe and sound.” Those mysterious paintings convey this feeling very well.

On a more philosophical note, this story captures the essence of life—work, food, and family—and the beauty of those simple necessities. It underscores what home is.