A DONKEY READS by Muriel Mandell, illustrated by André Letria (Star Bright, 2011)
A tyrannical Mongol leader demands tribute from all the residents of an Anatolian village, but one poor family fears their only possible offering, the family donkey, may inspire insult. Indeed, the despot flies off the handle with the first hee-haw, but is placated by the village wise man, Nasreddin Hoca, who insists that the donkey's "intelligent eyes" indicate that he can be taught to read. By feeding the donkey barley between the pages of the book, he manages a most clever trick that hopefully will save the hides of the unfortunate clan. This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good trickster tale, or as a stand-out to add to the increasingly expanding children's bookshelf on the theme of reading (recently: DOG LOVES BOOKS
by Louise Yates, THE WONDERFUL BOOK by Leonid Gore, READ TO TIGER
by S.J. Fore, and the deservedly popular HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ
by Tad Hills). Thickly painted illustrations have heft and are extremely expressive, and add a lighthearted dimension to a suspenseful folktale. Smart, funny, provocative and inimitably surprising, this legend of Nasreddin Hoca has survived over seven hundred years, and with good reason; it is as much of a pleasure to share today as it must have been centuries ago. (5 and up)
by Louise Yates, THE WONDERFUL BOOK by Leonid Gore, READ TO TIGER by S.J. Fore, and the deservedly popular HOW ROCKET LEARNED TO READ by Tad Hills). Thickly painted illustrations have heft and are extremely expressive, and add a lighthearted dimension to a suspenseful folktale. Smart, funny, provocative and inimitably surprising, this legend of Nasreddin Hoca has survived over seven hundred years, and with good reason; it is as much of a pleasure to share today as it must have been centuries ago. (5 and up)Also of interest:
Just getting to know Nasreddin, the Aesop of Turkey? Try this one, too:
THE HUNGRY COAT
by Demi (McElderberry) Nasrettin (spelling variation) is invited to dinner, but is rudely shunned by guests and host alike. Could it be his shabby attire? He slips away, returning in magnificent garb, and is welcomed warmly. When served his dinner, though, he proceeds to feed his coat! There is a lesson about appearances hidden in the lining of Nasrettin's strange behavior, one that readers will not likely soon forget. The great Islamic folk hero and champion of common sense gets his due in Demi's signature style: small, jeweled figures surrounded by swirling borders and motifs and touched with gold. This serious topic is told with good humor and cleverness, making this a sensational read-aloud that every child (and grown-up) will benefit from hearing, and one that will whet readers' appetites for even more of Nasrettin's timeless fables. (6 and up)Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
More Esmé stuff at www.planetesme.com.
, in which a little bear rewards himself prolifically for his greatness, while his friends struggle to get him in check. 
, accompanied by Kay Thompson (who is also the author of 
):
by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Beach Lane, 2011) 
by Grace Lin (Knopf) Isn't it funny how fortunes always seem to come true? After dinner at a Chinese restaurant, an observant little girl notices how the slip in each relative's cookie matches their circumstance. Lest we forget that this award-winning author (
, 
, 
) is also a proficient illustrator, the pictures are particularly eye-catching, brilliant in color and featuring double-paged spreads with fetching patterned backgrounds. The story ends with some real history of the fortune cookie with its Asian inspiration and American birth, and an illustration of one split apart in the reader's honor: "you have just read a good book." Yummy! (5 and up)
by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Aladdin), 
an exciting and laugh-out-loud tale of a "freeze-in-place" contest between a very competitive Gander and Duck that goes dangerously awry when a hungry fox shows up. Move, Gander, move!!! The message is clear: sometimes there's something more important at stake then winning. I like a book that impels children to scream really loudly while you read, that means it's a good story. Wear your earplugs. 
by Pam Munoz Ryan, a piece of magical realism that depicts the childhood of poet Pablo Neruda, backed by the ethereal art of Caldecott winner Peter Sis...
by Rita Williams-Garcia, the sensitively told story of a girl in the late 1960's whose mother is involved in the Black Panther movement.
by Aaron Hawkins (Houghton Mifflin), a lively story set in the Great Depression about a family who tries to survive by starting their own apple orchard. Then there is 
by Katie Pickard Fawcett (Knopf), set in 1970's Appalachia in which Chili Sue Mahoney longs to see the world outside of Kentucky, and finds herself living vicariously through her teacher. Then there is the little gem 
by Sarah DeFord Williams (Putnam) with an unfortunately non-Newbery looking cover and already in paperback (ye of little faith), but inside is the poignant-with-a-capital-P story of a girl who finds a journal of a girl suffering through the flu epidemic of 1918, and finds the worlds of then and now converging; short and sweet, this is the most unassuming heavyweight contender read since Patricia MacLachlan's 
by Philip and Erin Stead (Roaring Brook, reviewed 
, which is pretty darn timeless and will probably take it...
, done with Candace Fleming, two talented children's book workhorses who also deserve recognition.
; Sharon Draper's gotten lots of buzz for her novel 
; and 
is a shoo-in for a Geisel (who can resist Kate DiCamillo matching wits with Alison McGhee, coupled with David Fucile's work that is as fun as any television cartoon?). Yes, I am a librarian, and I can recognize the distinguished qualities of some books. But as a teacher librarian for elementary school kids, I have my own favorites based on what works well in classrooms...I look for distinguished books with a pragmatic edge. 
Marilyn Singer's 
are too base and funny to win, but by golly, how funny are they, and will anyone recognize with gold how truly hard it is to write something that funny, and how very very very much children want to read something that is that funny? And these awards do mean these books will be bought by 
the thousands and put into probably more classrooms, even, than libraries, and children will be assigned to read them...so I guess my wish is that whoever wins, let it be books that kids really like. 
by Bill Thomson as a worthy Caldecott contender), and the mighty 
What books did you really like this year? Who do you predict will win, and who has already won your heart? Please share in the comments section this week. One lucky winner chosen at random will get a signed copy of my new book, 
. That way, tomorrow, any way it goes, I can be assured someone I really like will win something. 