2014 Picture Book 10 for 10

Welcome and thanks for stopping by to see my 2014 10 for 10 list! This has certainly become one of my favorite days of the year!I can't believe another whole year has passed and we are once again celebrating this wonderful (and expensive) day for a FIFTH year!  It's so fantastic to have a day where picture books are celebrated across grade levels and contents. 

In the past four years I've highlight my top 10 picture books for Kindergarten readers, top 10 picture books for intermediate readers, top 10 picture books for building character & community, top 10 Maine picture book authors/illustrators, and top 10 picture book book trailers. This year I had a lot of themes swirling around in my head and finally decided on my drive home from New York today to highlight my top 10 picture books about books and/or reading.  All of the titles have become favorites that I love sharing with readers of all ages. 

(description from Publisher's Weekly) With a pinch of the tWith a pinch of the tongue-in-cheek and a pound of perseverance, this droll wolf story is a charmer. When a hungry, nearly penniless itinerant wolf decides to make a meal of some barnyard animals, he finds that they won't even look up from their books. "This is a farm for educated animals," they tell him. The wolf is caught so off guard that he forgets about his appetite and enrolls in school. When he takes his newfound knowledge back to the farm and proudly reads, "Run wolf! Run!" the animals go on "reading their own books, not the least impressed." Not until the wolf makes repeat visits to the library and buys his own storybook (with his last coins) can he read "with confidence and passion," entrancing the cow, pig and duck with story after story.

(description from Goodreads) Cal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain, and Cal knows that's not easy riding. And all just to lend his sister some books. Why, that woman must be plain foolish; or is she braver than he ever thought? That Book Woman is a rare and moving tale that honors a special part of American history; the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifetime readers.

(description from Goodreads) With the help of Miss Brooks, Missy’s classmates all find books they love in the library—books about fairies and dogs and trains and cowboys. But Missy dismisses them all—“Too flowery, too furry, too clickety, too yip pity.” Still, Miss Brooks remains undaunted. Book Week is here and Missy willfind a book to love if they have to empty the entire library. What story will finally win over this beastly, er, discriminating child? William Steig’sShrek!—the tale of a repulsive green ogre in search of a revolting bride—of course! Barbara Bottner and Michael Emberley pay playful homage to the diverse tastes of child readers and the valiant librarians who are determined to put just the right book in each child’s hands

(description from Goodreads) One sunlit afternoon, a bear discovers a mysterious fragment of paper that leads him to a cabin and to an unlikely friend. Although he can't understand her words, he returns day after day all summer to hear the woman read to him. Each night he carries the sound of her stories--of sailors and goddesses and far-off lands--back to his cave. The stories are from another world, but their sound touches him

(description from Goodreads) Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn't have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?  This endearing story of friendship and patience is a worthy companion to Philip and Erin Stead's last collaboration, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.

(description from Goodreads) Elizabeth Brown doesn't like to play with dolls and she doesnt like to skate. What she does like to do is read books. Lots of books. The only problem is that her library has gotten so big she can't even use her front door anymore. What should Elizabeth Brown do? Start her own public library, of course! With charming verse and watercolors Sarah Stewart and David Small celebrate one of America's oldest and finest institutions.

(description from Goodreads) Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books . . . if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he’s on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can’t digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth? With a stunning new artistic style and a die-cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It’s almost good enough to eat.

(description from Indie Bound) Tomas is a son of migrant workers. Every summer he and his family follow the crops north from Texas to Iowa, spending long, arduous days in the fields. At night they gather around to hear Grandfather's wonderful stories. But before long, Tomas knows all the stories by heart. "There are more stories in the library," Papa Grande tells him. The very next day, Tomas meets the library lady and a whole new world opens up for him. Based on the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator Tomas Rivera, a child of migrant workers who went on to become the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system, this inspirational story suggests what libraries, and education, can make possible. 

(description from Goodreads) Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand books within it--will be destroyed forever. In a war-stricken country where civilians--especially women--have little power, this true story about a librarian's struggle to save her community's priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries. 

(description from Amazon)  Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, It’s a Book is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages. Granted I only use this one with adult learners, but I love it SO much! 







It's been so fun to participate in #pb10for10 from the very beginning. I am always excited to see what spin others will take with their lists. Thank you to Cathy Mere (@CathyMere) atReflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community and Mandy Robek (@mandyrobek) atEnjoy and Embrace Learning for continuing to host this fantastic celebration of picture books!