How to use this Page

Way back in 2012, I reviewed the first in a new series of books that I was VERY excited about, Mrs. Noodlekugel, written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Adam Stower. Book three, Mrs. Noodlekugel and the Drooly Bear came out earlier this year and it seemed like the perfect time to call this series to your attention again or for the first time! Mrs. Noodlekugel is could be Mrs.

Gryphons Aren't So Great is the second book in the Adventures in Cartooning Jr. series by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost. If you don't know the Adventures in Cartooning series of graphic novels (my review here) you have to check them out. They combine humor, action, adventure and even drawing instruction (thus the name) in a format that is perfect for readers who

 I reviewed the picture book Everybody Sleeps (But Not Fred) by Josh Schneider earlier this year and LOVED it. Schneider is a hilarious author and a hilarious illustrator, as his rhyming story about Fred, who has a "to-do list you wouldn't believe," proves. Fred needs to stay awake to do things like practice his karate chops and warm up for a yelling contest while animals from all over

There are SO MANY super cool things about this new TOON Book We Dig Worms! by Kevin McCloskey I don't know where to start. How about the beginning? We Dig Worms! came about when McCloskey, who teaches illustration at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, was asked for a "fun worm book" by his wife, a librarian. What McCloskey created is a fantastic non-fiction book that, while filled with great

Bob Shea is a very funny guy. He is also a very funny guy who gets kids. Best of all, he can blend his humor with his  grasp of a child's psyche and translate it onto the page in pictures and words, which is not easy. Way back in 2010 I loved and reviewed Dinosaur vs. the Potty when it came out and read it over and over at story time. While I've been keeping up with reading Shea's books,

Hooray! My favorite publisher of graphic novels (for kids, teens, and adults) First Second has been taking strides into the world of picture books with Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! by Dominique Roques and  Alexis Dormal and Julia's House for Lost Creatures by the amazing Ben Hatke.  And now, with Sleepless Knight, billed as an Adventures in Cartooning Jr. book, the picture book version of

Riff Raff the Pirate Mouse and Riff Raff Sails the High Cheese are the first two books in a new early reader series by Susan Schade who, along with her husband Jon Buller, created one of my all-time favorite trilogies, The Fog Mound, which is a brilliant blend of traditional and graphic novel. For this new series, Anne Kennedy illustrates with a colorful, cartoonish charm. In Riff Raff

There are a handful of early readers that have a special place in my heart - Frog & Toad , Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant (a multiple Newbery winner) and Mark Teague, Dav Pilkey's Dragon series, Elephant & Piggie,  of course, and James Marshall's fabulous George and Martha books. And, as of 2011, Tim Egan's Dodsworth books (my review here) have edged their way into this small space. A good

The Yeti Files series by Kevin Sherry is just about the best thing EVER! Sherry, who is the author of some very funny picture books that I enjoyed reading out loud at story time when I was a bookseller, is perfectly suited to take the helm of an endeavor like this, in terms of illustration style and sense of humor. And his appreciation of large magical and non-magical creatures. Book 1 of

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE GLORKIAN WARRIOR DELIVERS A PIZZA -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza is the newest graphic novel for kids from the multi-talented James Kochalka. I reviewed

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE MINIATURE WORLD OF MARVIN AND JAMES -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} Almost five years ago, I reviewed Masterpiece with this high praise,"In the great tradition of EL Konigsburg's masterpiece of children's literature, From the

The Heidi Heckelbeck chapter book series debuted in 2012 with Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret and is now ten books strong, with two more due out in 2014. Written by Wanda Coven and illustrated by Priscilla Burris, this sereis is ideal for emerging readers ready to step up from leveled readers but not quite ready to tackle traditional chapter books like the Magic Tree House and Junie B Jones.

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE CRITTER CLUB ELLIE'S LOVELY IDEA -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} The Critter Club by Callie Barkely, illustrated by Marsha Riti, debuted in January of 2013 and now, over a year later, is five books strong with three more scheduled

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - CAPTAIN AWESOME TO THE RESCUE -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> Captain Awesome vs. the Spooky, Scary House is the eighth book in this super series that debuted early in 2012. With his cry of MI-TEE!, Captain

In May of 2013, Boris on the Move, the first book in Andrew Joyner's fantastic new series was published, followed by three other titles before the year was out. Boris is part of a new line of books (seven series and counting) from Scholastic called Branches. I've been a children's bookseller for almost 20 years now and, about 10 years ago when my oldest son started reading, I began to

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - SQUISH 5 GAME ON -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> Back in 2011, I enthusiastically reviewed the first two books in the Squish series by Jennifer L Holm and Matthew Holm. The Holms, a brother and sister

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - BINK GOLLIE BEST FRIENDS FOREVER -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> I think that Bink & Gollie : Best Friends Forever just might be the third and final title in  Bink & Gollie series. The first two books,

Aside from Françoise Mouly (TOON BOOKS) and Art Speigelman's brillinat Little Lit collections of folklore, fairy tales and funny (and scary) stories, illustrated in comic book format by a truly remarkable collection of artists (Jules Feiffer, Maurice Sendak, Barbara McClintock, David Macaulay, Daniel Clowes and William Joyce, to name a few) and authors (see previous list and add: Lemony

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - BENJAMIN BEAR IN BRIGHT IDEAS -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> When Philippe Courdray's Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking was released in August of 2011, it was a big hit in my home, one of the first books my

BENJAMIN BEAR in Fuzzy Thinking  is NOW IN PAPERBACK!!! TOON BOOKS hits another home run with their latest offering, Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking by Philippe Coudray. This book had me and my son in stitches when read it together. If you can imagine a little bit of the zaniness of Elephant & Piggie rubbing off on the bear from I Want My Hat Back who has chosen to befriend rabbits, not

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - PENNY AND HER MARBLE -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} I reviewed Penny and Her Song, Kevin Henkes's first foray into beginning readers,  a year ago. Henkes's pictures books have been special to me because his career was really taking

Penny and Her Song is now in paperback!! I am so excited that, with Penny and Her Song, Kevin Henkes has written his first book for emerging readers. This man is so talented, across the board, and this seemed to be the one genre he hadn't tackled. Besides being a wonderful illustrator, he writes picture books with a range of complexity as well as chapter books for a range of readers. As

Benny and Penny in LIGHTS OUT! is Geoffrey Hayes's fourth Benny and Penny titles and his fifth TOON Book. And I still love these little mice as much as I did when I read and reviewed their first book back in 2010. As many parents know, including François Mouly, who founded TOON Books as a response to the dearth of good primers, it is very hard to write an engaging beginning readers title.