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The picture book lady at my almost-local indie children's book store loves that edition of The Lion and the Mouse and wants it to win the Caldecott. I wondered whether a wordless version of a fable that, as best I can tell, not all that many kids are being taught these days really got the full story across, but I have to admit the pictures are gorgeous.

I am personally pulling for ALL THE WORLD to win, and have been since I first saw it in all its gorgeousness. (And the words! I love the words, even though they don't factor into the Caldecott list.) I'll have to look for the third book, which I've not yet seen!

Love Booklights-I always recommend the site to parents looking to help their children find new books!

Good morning, here I am- reporting for duty! Just stopped in to say Hello!

You are read. In fact, of the many blogs I subscribe to, you are one of the few I actually read your WHOLE POST not just skim the header. *sends waves of validation*

Hello again - I posted a delurk message on my blog as well. It's been fun. I hear you about more personal validation though!

You taught me not to lurk months ago with the commenting challenge. So now I shoot my fingers off here, there and everywhere :) Pat yourself on the back -- you've made a difference for hundreds (if not thousands!) of readers and bloggers nationwide!!!

And here I thought base jumping was the new golf. Thank heavens I straightened that out by checking out your blog today, as I often do. Happy Delurking Week!

Validate, validate, validate. We love you, MR!

I was doing so well commenting until the holiday break, but then I actually stepped away from the computer and didn't right or read much. Bad blogger--must get back to participatory blogging!

I really feel like they're diluting the true meaning of the holiday by stretching it out like this...

Delurking here... you crack me up! My fave kid's book is Peach and Blue by Sarah Kilborne.

and I enjoy your blog!

I'm going to delurk long enogh to give you the Premios Dardo award, check out the post at:

http://www.bookdads.com/2009/01/the-premios-dardo-award/

Ok, back to lurking.
Have a great day!

I do believe that I stood next to you at the Mo Willems event at TC the other day! I had 2/3 of my kids with me-- the 3rd grader who couldn't tear himself away from his newest Star Wars book, and the redheaded toddler who tried to ruin everyone's time by screaming her bloody head off. That was you with the ipod-listening daughter, right?

As a former varsity water polo player, I think I can confirm that water polo is, indeed, the new golf.

(At least insofar as I haven't played either one in more than 20 years.)

morninglightmama - yes that was me! Isn't it fun to know that bloggers exist in real life? I was going to write about the Mo thing yesterday, and then today, but now it's looking more like tomorrow. It was fun.

I'm appreciating all of the extra validation. My tanks were running on empty.

Oh, and tim, "stretching out the holiday..." LOL.

Christine, "base jumping was the new golf.." LOL that would have been a much better line.

Hello, My Name is Pat and I am one of your lurkers. I was even such a faithful fan of your blog, I found myself slightly annoyed that the election threw off your posting of Alphabet Letter storytimes. I am happy to see that you resumed this recently tho. Yay. Thank you.

Oh, I am a big fan of Mo Willems too. I was on the Carnegie Medal Committee that awarded Mo for Knuffle Bunny, the dvd. I was so happy to be a part of that committee. I was even happier to eventually meet Trixie.

Delurking just to say don't abandon us for water polo - I have your blog BOOKMARKED and everything, and that isn't a commitment I make to just any ol' website!

Thank you for your wonderful blog, MR! I'm a regular reader, but I don't comment NEARLY as much as I should!

I have two young children, and I admire--so much!--how you mix reading and motherhood. Both are so important to me, too.

Ah, I did hear rumblings about this last week, but far too late to do anything about it. Perhaps I will this week...

hehe, word verification: latcoma

I'm delurking long enough to say hi. Somehow I managed to miss national delurking day or week or whatever it was. I hope you reach your magic number. I have no pony for you though.

nope, I'm not going to delurk, and you won't get your number because I DO know how much EXTERNAL gratification you need...which is why I'm here to warn you that I've tagged you on FB. And I really need to see more Obama drooling over here...c'mon!

Hi- I delurking here. I read your blog from time to time and probably say hello maybe every couple of months....but I'm here....lurking around on a weekly basis :)

Hello! Did I tell you I think your blog title is genius? Love it. Found your blog couple weeks ago. Really enjoy it. Happy New Year!

p.s. I'm a children's librarian too (on hiatus) and it's always nice to read other librarian's blogs :)

Oh, favorite picture book of 2008 was Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey :)

Hi. I'm a regular reader but I'm not sure how often I comment. My favourite children's book of last year? The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Sucked me in from the first sentence. Also loved Before I die by Jenny Downham and Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine.

We're all in the time-sucking mode together. Your work, however, is a public service that makes our days go faster, with a touch of humor.

Hi there--I'm still hooked on your blog, with all the great info on children's lit and a daily dose of humor. Keep up the great work! ~Cheryl

Hi -- can I count a 2008 book I read last week? The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins.

Keep up the good work. :)

One of my favorite books this years was Skinned by Robin Wasserman. Love reading your blog!

I love reading your blog and hearing about all the great books and other things out there.

I've had a great time reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series to my nephews. I believe Titan's Curse and Battle of the Labyrinth are both 2008 books. We've done lots of spin-off Greek mythology reading and discussions from the books.

For early readers my daughter and I really enjoyed Jan Thomas's A Birthday for Cow followed by The Doghouse. They're an easy read for her but she loves them and it's one of the first times she started reading with animation.

I have a hard time picking a favorite picture book. Right now I'm reading Smash! Trash! by Jon Scieszka a lot.

Hi Pam,

Love your blog.

I'm going to go look for you on facebook now... I only have like 13 friends. Time for a few more!

Barb Kerley

Hello! Okay, you had inspired me to finally comment which I should have done long ago since I read your blog all the time. I am a Children's Librarian as well and really appreciate all the wonderful things you put on this blog. Thanks!
Btw, one of my favorite YA books of 2008 was The Adoration of Jenna Fox. This is even more amazing because I'm not really into sci-fi/fantasy but I loved this book.

Hi Pam! I'm not a lurker. But I do agree with you about that image. Very cool.

As for favorite books of 2008, I think my favorite picture book was A Visitor for Bear. I liked it so much that I accidentally bought my friends two copies at different points in the year. (It was embarrassing, but it says a lot about the book).

Lurker here! Thanks for the great ideas! My favorite audiobook of the year was Savvy by Ingrid Law - it really came alive on audio. My 10 year old also loved it.

I've just found your blog and can't believe what I've missed! I need 3 days to read and an extra week to heal my aching cheeks from the laughter. Love it!!!!

Hello! Another happy reader of your blog here. I recently read The Magic Thief, which I enjoyed. My favorite of the year was probably Paper Towns though. (With Hunger Games a close second.)

I read all the time, mostly through Bloglines. Even when you extoll the virtues of Mr. Obama. I must be addicted to your book talk, since even that doesn't scare me away :)

Favorites for 2008 are posted at the blog, but I have a new favorite. I just read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, and I thought it was genius.

Love the graphic!! Thanks for promoting this wonderful week of awareness!!

I enjoy your blog every day, though I rarely comment. Favorite children's book of 2008? "Dragon Slippers"

I'm highly amused by the idea of 'National Delurking Week'. I'd love to find a great calendar listing all of the various national days, weeks, and months we've got.

I think I'm in your library branch quite often. If so, my girls love it and always hate to leave.

Delurking! Always enjoy what I see here. My favorite YA book in '08 was Madapple by Christina Meldrum. Very, very good.

Another lurker reporting in. My favorite book of '08? Not sure I pay a lot of attention to the copyrights, but we have been big on Kevin Henkes and William Steig around here for the past year.

Thank you all for delurking, and I hope that more people continue to come into the light that is the comment field. It's quite comfy here, I assure you.

I have some great book titles to pursue now, some great compliments to file away for a blue day, and a person who may actually have met me in my library. (It's the BC branch in our Fair County).

Oh, if you click on the link I put in for Get to Know a Customer Day you'll connect to a lengthy list of celebratory days, weeks, and months. Let's call it my little delurking gift to you.

I am a regular reader, but not a regular commenter. We have gotten some of our favorite books for your blog reccomendations! Thank you

hey! delurking from switzerland! i'm afraid i'm no good with favorites (especially since i'd have a very hard time remembering everything i read this year). but, i did just read Hunger Games and was very very impressed with it! could definitely be a contender for favorite. I got my kiddos Wynken, Blynken, and Nod for Christmas, which I think was one of your recommendations, and we love it! My husband is in the states right now and I have him picking up How To Heal a Broken Wing for me.

I read a lot, but rarely comment, sorry! Don't often have anything intelligent to say.

Delurking myself: I'm also a mother, also a reader also have the mouth of a smartass. Sometimes I feel as though your words are my thoughts (only funnier). I Love your blog and read it several times a week.

I love your blog, but am a chronic lurker on most blogs I read! Most of the books I read this year were not published in 08, I'm sort of always catching up on my "to read" list... but I did enjoy reading all of Kate DiCamillo's books and the Penderwicks.

Fav YA novel that I read in 2008? That's tough, but it's a toss between The Book Thief, Chains, and Octavian Nothing.

Howdy Howdy!
Hands down, favorite book of 2008 was "Wave" by Suzy Lee...
Z-Dad

Wedding dazed but slowly returning to blogging life...favorite YA book this year was Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. Historical fiction at its very, very best.

I wasn't lurking, I swear! Just stumbling though, looking around, and I thought I'd say hello!

Does this mean we're going to have another comment challenge? I need another boost in the keister.

I've been lurking for awhile and enjoy your blog. My favorite book was The Hunger Games. I can't wait for the next one!

I'm an occasional lurker venturing over at the right time it seems. Good times.

I really enjoyed the latest installment of the Sisters Grimm series, Tales from the Hood.

Hi. I'm a lurker/subscriber--though I'm often weeks behind in my Bloglines. My favorite children's books of 2008 include Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, Laurie Halse Anderson's Chains, and M.T. Anderson's Octavian Nothing.

I can get behind this National Delurking Week but I'll pass on getting to know your customer.
One of my favorite middle grade reads of 08- I Put a Spell on You- Its a very funny spelling bee mystery (hopefully the description makes up for forgetting the authors name)

Boy, all of a sudden everybody wants to know that I'm out there reading their blog! ;-D

Thanks for all the book reviews - and one of my favorites for the year was UNDERCOVER by Beth Kephart, an overlooked gem with sensational writing.

I admit it, I lurk but mostly because I am so busy enjoying what I am reading that when I stop to comment it all just takes longer and so it's a time issue for me. I love your blog though and do check it almost daily. Thanks!

Hi, another lurker here. A favourite 2008 teen book was the Australian book Loathing Lola, but I'm not sure if it's available in the States.

Great blog, btw. :)

Guess I will "delurk". Just a fellow blogger stopping in to say Hi!! Great blog, by the way.

My favorite YA book of the year was probably Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. (that's not counting the incredible number of Teen paranormal garbage that I like to fill my days reading!)

I read in google reader. Two kids under 4, 1 a newborn, so not much time to comment. This year the only book I had to get right away was Breaking Dawn. I was a little disappointed.

Don't know how I fell into the lurking category, but seem to have. You know I read because of my enthusiasm for the 48 Hour Reading Challenge, but that leaves a lot of the rest of the year in silence... Must do better!

One of the favourites of 2008 was Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr. So wonderful.