Today’s featured books draw on classic styles of storytelling. They meet young audience not just where they are as readers, but also offer them choice in the kinds of stories they want to read.
One of our judges likened Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories to Winnie the Pooh and Frog and Toad. Classic stories from our youth that combine adventure and friendship with a dash of humor.
Jom Klassen’s The Skull is a retelling of a classic folktale story from Tyrol, a small state in Western Austria. “Tyronean (sic) version of tales that are part of the stock of German and European folktales.” source It is more akin to the original versions of fairy tales whose origins come from Europe, than the Disney-fied ones. The distinction is important.
Not all readers like dark, scary stories but some do. Some developing readers enjoy the silliness of friendship stories, others don’t. The great news is that up-and-coming readers can choose from an array of stories.
Summary excerpts come from Goodreads. Click the cover to add this book to your TBR.
EASY READER
Bear and Bird are best friends, and they spend a lot of time together. They don’t always understand each other, but both agree that all they want is for their friend to be happy. Whether it’s the tale of a missing Bird and a “talking” flower that has Bear bewildered or that of a blanket whose irresistible coziness inspires a comic misunderstanding, Jarvis’s well-honed timing combines with gentle humor and genuine affection that will have readers eager for more.
Kirsten @ Goodreads – I love early readers where the reader can read the chapters independently, because it is a great introduction to chapter books – a very different style of reading. This is one of the best early readers I have read in a while.
Linda @ Goodreads – There are adventures and mistaken assumptions. You’ll need to get the book to see what friends do to stay friends and enjoy the delightful illustrations and expressions in this very fun story!
Sarah @ Goodreads – A modern update to Frog and Toad or Winnie the Pooh. The story is sweet and caring. My kids love snuggling up and hearing this one over and over.
EARLY CHAPTER BOOK
In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both?
Sandy @ Goodreads – Jon Klassen never fails to surprise, and this latest offering is no exception. This complex and rather intense story is handled with matter-of-fact calm, which goes a long way to making this amenable to early elementary readers, though not to all. It is presented with illustrations on every spread, paired with minimal but direct text that uses simple, controlled vocabulary effectively. Even middle-grade readers will devour this, especially those whose reading challenges may deny them the subject matter they would otherwise choose.
Kirsten @ Goodreads – This is definitely not my kind of story, but children who are into spooky stories will love it. There is limited text, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the story is fun. It will not appeal to all children and it is a bit dark, though those titles are getting more popular now. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to someone looking for a scary chapter book.