THE PILOT AND THE LITTLE PRINCE (NONFICTION)

The Pilot and the Little Prince:  The Life of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry by Peter Sis (Farrar Straus Giroux). 

MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER! (PICTURE BOOK)

My Teacher is a Monster!  (No, I Am Not.) by Peter Brown.  A boy with a penchant for irritating his teacher encounters her outside of school and finds her to be an entirely different creature.  Brown's pictures are funny and Ms. Kirby's illustrated metamorphosis into a human being is gradual and pretty darn great.  This book, despite it's laughs, has an unexpected depth and speaks volumes about teacher/student relationships; the only disappointment is that when Robert regresses into his bad behavior back in the classroom at the end of the book, Ms. Kirby is depicted as the monster instead of Bobby. 
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FIREFLY JULY (POETRY)

Firefly July:  A Year of Very Short Poems by Paul B. Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.  

Sun's a roaring dandelion, hour by hour.
Sometimes the moon's a scythe, sometimes a silver flower.
But the stars!  all night long the stars are clover.
Over, and over, and over!
- Robert Wallace, "In the Field Forever"

What greater gift on the bookshelf than a perfect anthology of poems?  This lovely, over-sized tome of thirty six well-chosen treasures takes us through the wheel of the year with evocative and colorful full-edge mixed media. The only complaint might be wishing the "very short" ride would never end, but open it back up, and the seasons begin again.   A book that would be relished as a gift, and a lyrical read-aloud treat for teachers as well.

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AVIARY WONDERS, INC. (PICTURE BOOK)

Aviary Wonders, Inc.:  Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual by Kate Samworth. 

Extremely creative and extraordinarily gorgeous build-your-own-bird guide that painlessly introduces children to high-level science vocabulary and explores biology part by beautiful painted part, while quirky Q&A and assembly instructions also introduce readers to wonderful expository writing.   Teachers, this is an out-of-the-box mentor text, as children will enjoy creating their own catalogs and order forms for creatures that inspire them.  Imagination takes flight.
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BROTHER HUGO AND THE BEAR (PICTURE BOOK)

Brother Hugo and the Bear by Katy Beebe, illustrated by S.D. Schindler.  Based on a real note found in a 12th century manuscript, a monk loses a library book when it is eaten by a bear, and makes penance by recreating the manuscript page by painstaking page.  But will the bear be waiting for another course?  An exciting read-aloud that teaches the process of how books used to be made, you don't have to be a bruin to find this book delicious.  I only wish the publisher had invested in a little illumination...ah, well, nothing a gold marker can't fix.

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HELP! WE NEED A TITLE! (PICTURE BOOK)

Help!  We Need a Title!  by Henré Tullet.  Nothing's betta than a little meta.  An author climbs inside his own story to make peace with his characters and give them something exciting to do.  While this character-in-a-book awareness stunt has been done in various iterations in children's literature before (Henrik Drescher's unfairly out-of-print Simon's Book being one example, Mo Willems' We Are In a Book! and Mordecai Gerstein's A Book more recent explorations on the theme)  and my favorite writing-process-book-for-kids remains Mary Jane Auch's The Plot Chickens, naturally the author of Press Here has his own fun and cunning spin on things; expressive photos of the author himself pasted inside the book makes this a little fresh and lively lines are kid-friendly and worth a look.  

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FOOD TRUCKS! (NONFICTION)

Food Trucks by Mark Todd.  Each double-paged spread features a chummy vehicle, a poem and fun facts to fit every taste:  breakfast , burger, barbecue, falafel, salad, grilled cheese, cupcakes, sushi, curries, taco, pretzel, waffle, and, of course, ice cream.  While this title's content travels a bit all over the place with verse on one side and surprising non-fiction samples on the other, it offers an appetizing opportunity for children not only to choose a favorite but to design their own truck celebrating whatever culture and culinary tradition honks their horn.
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SECRET PIZZA PARTY (PICTURE BOOK)

Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri. Silly raccoon! Pizza's for kids! Can't blame a guy for trying, though. Count on this author to make us laugh out loud. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.  

WHO PUT THE COOKIES IN THE COOKIE JAR? (PICTURE BOOK)

Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? by George Shannon and Julie Paschkis. Gotta love a book that shows kids where their food comes from. Large, folksy illustrations are a pleasure to share with a group. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.  

THE ANIMAL BOOK (NONFICTION)

The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest,Cleverest, Shyest--and Most Surprising--Animals on Earth by Steve Jenkins.  Boom! A massive collection of animal information by the master, accented with amazing cut and torn paper illustration. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.  

OPEN THIS LITTLE BOOK (PICTURE BOOK)

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier and Suzy Lee. A story within a story within a story that's full of surprises! Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.

JONATHAN AND MARTHA (PICTURE BOOK)

 
 Jonathan and Martha by Petr Horacek. In this worm love story, two invertebrates become entangled in an argument, but learn to love each other through pear-sharing, sickness, health and bird attacks. Most offbeat and resonating little affair since the butterflies in Trina Paulus' Hope for the Flowers. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information, please support your local independent bookseller.

WILD (PICTURE BOOK)

Wild by Emily Hughes. Artwork as free-spirited as the main character! Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information, please support your local independent bookseller.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LLAMA (PICTURE BOOK)

Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía Una Llamita by Angela Dominguez. A classic with a Peruvian and bilingual twist. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller. 

JOURNEY (PICTURE BOOK)

Journey by Aaron Becker. Wordless adventure with a magical red marker. Harold and the Purple Crayon, all-growed-up. (Picture updated:  a Caldecott honor book!) Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.  

DEEP IN THE SAHARA (PICTURE BOOK)

 
Deep in the Sahara by Kelly Cunnane and Hoda Hadadi. Beautiful story about a Muslim girl in Mauritania who will be allowed to wear the malafa (head covering) once she understands what it truly means. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.

LAIKA: ASTRONAUT DOG (NONFICTION)

Laika: Astronaut Dog by Owen Davey. Striking, spot-on illustration inspired by vintage Russian poster art about the first dog sent into space. Ending is bittersweet, albeit fictional...I cried and cried and cried. A picture book tour de force. Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link for information; please support your local independent bookseller.

CATERINA AND THE PERFECT PARTY (PICTURE BOOK)

Caterina and the Perfect Party by Erin Eitter Kono. A little bird is getting ready to host her first party, how exciting! But when best laid plans go awry, it's the guest list that makes all the difference. Love how this story plots out the real steps it takes to plan a fête...perfect for future Pinterest pinners. Fetching, cheerful illustrations will make this a favorite! You're invited to read! Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan. Link for information, please support your local independent bookseller.

A LONG WAY AWAY (PICTURE BOOK)

A Long Way Away by Frank Viva. A beautiful story, whether you read it back-to-front or front-to-back! Recommended by The PlanetEsme Plan.  Link provided for information; please support your local independent bookseller.