July picture book roundup

Between BEA in May and ALA in June, I've been happily swamped in books!  I have so many to read over and review, but here a few quick reviews of titles that have found their way into my book bag.

Maloney, Peter and Felicia Zekauskas. 2011. One Foot Two Feet: An EXCEPTIONal Counting Book. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

I've been carrying this one around for too long (as a matter of fact, I think it's overdue!). A many-faceted book, I like it more each time I read it. It's a counting book, it's a color book (brightly colored "frame" pages offer a sneak peak of each illustration), it's a hidden picture book (find the plane!), it's a vocabulary book (one is a foot, two are feet, one is a die, six are dice), it's simple enough for toddlers, yet sophisticated enough for preschoolers.  In short, a winner!

Littlefield, Bruce. 2011. The Bedtime Book for Dogs. New York: Grand Central.
(Advance Reader Copy from LibraryThing)

Come. Sit. Stay.  I want to tell you a story.  I think you'll like it.  It's about a treat.

 A cute concept, this truly is a book to read to your dog. Because the words are so simple, perhaps a struggling reader might enjoy reading it aloud.  Who can resist reading to a dog?  And yes, I read it to my dog.  She loved it!

Dewdney, Anna. 2011. Llama Llama Home with Mama. New York: Viking.

Anna Dewdney's rhymes are pitch-perfect, her illustrations are expressive and funny, and she's darned nice, too! (She signed my book at Book Expo America) A perfect book for a sick day. Everyone loves Llama Llama!

Klassen, Jon. 2011. I Want My Hat Back. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Candlewick sure knows how to find 'em!  This is the first book that Jon Klassen has written and illustrated, and it's a winner.  Written in softly, color-coded  dialogue, Bear searches for his missing hat, stopping to ask the other denizens of the woods,

Have you seen my hat?
I saw a hat once.
It was blue and round.
My hat doesn't look like that.
Thank you anyway.

Have you seen my hat?
What is a hat?
Thank you anyway.

The surprise ending requires a sense of humor as a certain hat-filching rabbit may just end up slightly flattened. This book would make a perfect home-grown puppet show!  (Jon Klassen is another friendly author/illustrator who affably signed my book @ BEA- thanks!)


And yes, it's Nonfiction Monday, but unfortunately, I forgot to bring home a nonfiction book to review this weekend!  Please stop by anyway.  Today's Independence Day roundup is at Bookmuse.