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Have you been to the moon? All right, have you dreamed of going? Imagine the child, with smaller, though no less fantastic ideas. After all, it’s not that much of a leap from you hopping on a spaceship, to opening their minds. [For ages 3-8] Claire and the Unicorn Happily Ever After Written by B.G. Hennessy; illustrated by Susan Mitchell (Simon & Schuster; hardcover, 32 pages, $12.95) Every night, Claire’s father would read her a fairy tale, and every fairy tale would end with the words, “and they lived happily ever after.” She asks her father what makes people happy ever after, and he replies that he does not know. That night, Claire and her pet unicorn, Capricorn, set out on a journey to find out. They ask a princess, a library fairy, a frog prince and a fairy godmother what makes them happy, and each one gives a different answer. How would Claire ever figure out what happily ever after was? This is a charming tale, with dreamlike watercolor illustrations, that asks a rather profound question. Hugo the Flying Firefighter By Loretta Broekstra (Allen & Unwin, hardcover, 32 pages, $13.95) Hugo jumps into his little red airplane and commands, “Let’s go, Wilco.” And off they go for a joyful ride over the neighborhood. Hugo sees all of the neighbors, out gardening, mowing the lawn and washing their dogs. But wait Hugo spots smoke coming out of the Pigdons’ house. Will the neighbors hear him? Will firefighters save the family in time? Stop This Birthday! Written by Rowan Cutler; illustrated by Elizabeth McClellan (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 28 pages, $14.95) Zephyr is so excited: Tomorrow is her birthday. She just can’t wait for her special day to come. And when it does come, she has a wonderful time in her sparkly party dress with all of her friends, opening gifts and eating cake and ice cream. When the birthday fairy comes to her that night, she asks Zephyr what her wish is, and she says she wishes it was her birthday every day. Her wish is granted. Then she wishes for too much. He Came with the Couch By David Slonim (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95) After much searching, Sophie’s family has found the perfect couch. There is one small problem, though: A voiceless, little blue-faced creature is firmly attached to it. And he won’t budge. “Can we keep him?” sweet Sophie asks. The parents say no, and try to get rid of the little creature in any way they can. Then one day a minor calamity happens, and everyone gets to see where the little creature’s heart lies. This hilarious tale of love and acceptance is a little treasure, made all the more special by the bright, clever illustrations. Harry and the Dinosaurs at the Museum Written by Ian Whybrow; illustrated by Adrian Reynolds (Random House, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95) Harry’s sister Sam needs to go to the natural history museum to do research on the Romans. Harry wants to go, too, and of course, take along his dinosaurs in this delightful follow-up to “Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs.” Harry starts to get bored, just as Sam predicted he would, in the Roman and Egyptian section of the museum. So he sets off to the prehistoric area, hoping to find the ancestors of his beloved dinosaurs. Only problem is, will mom and gran be able to find Harry? The talking toy dinosaurs are a wonderful touch. [For ages 5-8] Pink Magic Written by Donnna Jo Napoli; illustrated by Chad Cameron (Clarion Books, hardcover, 32 pages. $15) Nick is getting a little envious of his little sister, Eva. It is her birthday and she is getting all the mail; the birthday cards just keep coming in. Eva makes a silent wish when she blows out her birthday candles: She wishes that Nick will get lots of mail, and not just any mail, but great mail in his favorite color, pink. Then the deliveries begin: There is a sweet, pink watermelon, an elegant pink flamingo, even some fast, fun pink pigs. But even though he’s getting mail, it’s not mail from a loved one, the way Nick wants. Will Eva be able to think up a remedy for that? This is a nice story of siblings who actually love and care for one another, something that isn’t seen too often in books or other media. The pictures, done in collages and acrylics, are unique and funny. Rodeo Ron And His Milkshake Cows By Rowan Clifford (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95) The little town of Cavity is no place for Rodeo Ron and his multicolored milkshake cows. The whole town is a belching, brown-toothed mess because no one will drink milk. They all drink super-sweet, super-fizzy sodas from Frothy and Fruity’s Soda Bar. But Rodeo Ron challenges the townsfolk to just try to break their soda habit. He rides his cows, and they buck and shake until they make the smoothest, freshest milkshakes imaginable. But who will win in a drink-off between Ron and the soda brothers? This funny, colorful tale not only will bring laughs, but will get kids thinking about keeping their own teeth healthy. Dreamflight Written by Brigita Garcia Lopez; photographs by Felix Streuli (North-South Books, hardcover, 32 pages, $16.95) Max wakes up one night to a strange roaring sound. He can’t believe his eyes when he sees a little man wearing a racing helmet and goggles, roaring around his room in a red racing car. It turns out to be Wilbur, Max’s guardian angel. Trouble is, Wilbur is a guardian angel who can’t resist the sweet taste of chocolate. The two grow to be friends, and Wilbur even teaches Max to fly in his dreams, soaring over the countryside. But too much chocolate is starting to weigh Wilbur down. Can a guardian angel guard a child if it can’t fly? Brigita Garcia Lopez has created a wonderful little world with her expressive clay figures. They make for a unique, funny way to tell a fantasy-like tale |
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