The Way Back Home

Author & Illustrator:   Oliver Jeffers
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   2007
Location: Knox County Public Library- Halls

Awards:   Merit- Bisto Book of the Year Awards

Summary:  A boy finds an airplane in his closet and (although he can't remember putting it there) he goes flying in it. He runs out of gas and gets stuck on the moon, where it is very dark because his flashlight goes out. Meanwhile, a Martian crash lands his space ship onto the moon (which by the way is a crescent), and the two meet. Then work together to figure out ways to get back home. The boy jumps with a parachute into the ocean and swims home. When he gets there, he packs up his backpack and hikes to the top of a mountain where the Martian pulls him back up to the moon with a rope. He fixes the Martian's ship and refuels his plane, the two say goodbye, and head back home. At the end, there's a wordless spread where a package is delivered and perhaps the friendship continues...

Classroom Ideas: There is problem solving here- it's quite ingenious. And, of course, the theme of friendship between two very different "ethnic" groups (is that the word for Earthling and Martian?)

Bear Despair

Author & Illustrator:   Gaetan Doremus
Publisher:  Enchanted Lion Books
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   starred review Publisher's Weekly & School Library Journal, NYT Best Illustrated

Summary:  In this wordless picture book, Doremus's cross-hatched pen and ink drawn illustrations create a fantastical world for his characters. Bear's teddy bear has been stolen by a wolf who throws it across the forest. Bear gobbles the wolf and then sets off to find his teddy. In succession, the bear is taken by the lion, bird, and elephant. Each animal throws the bear away and Bear eats the animals. Finally, Bear gets his teddy back from octopus and all of the animals climb out of Bear.

Classroom Ideas: Another interesting story that uses a problem solving theme.

Stuck

Author & Illustrator:   Oliver Jeffers
Publisher:  Philomel
Publication Year:   2011
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   CBI Book of the Year Honor for Illustration, Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Orbil Prize Best Illustrated, School Library Journal & Kirkus starred reviews

Summary:  Floyd's kite is stuck in a tree and his method of getting it out is to throw things at it. Soon, lots of things are stuck in the tree- his shoes, his cat, a ladder, a bucket of paint, the family car, the milkman, an orangutan, a small boat, a big boat, a rhinoceros, a truck, the house across the street, a lighthouse, and a whale! Soon some fire men and a fire truck came driving by- and Floyd threw them up there too. Finally, Floyd throws a saw up in the tree and that's the last bit of room and the kite comes unstuck. When he goes to sleep, he thinks maybe there was something he was forgetting. I adore Jeffer's illustrations and the surreal environment that he creates!

Classroom Ideas: Younger readers will enjoy knowing how to problem solve better than Floyd. There might even be a lesson here on not getting stuck on one way to solve a problem and thinking outside the box.

Chloe and the Lion

Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Publisher:  Disney Hyperion Books
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   featured on "Calling Caldecott" blog, Children's Choice Award, starred review School Library Journal

Summary:  Meta-picture book. A story about Chloe and a lion turns into an argument between the author and the illustrator. When the Adam the illustrator goes rogue and draws a dinosaur rather than a lion, he gets replaced with a new illustrator who can't draw the story that way Adam can. Mac tries to draw it himself and then realizes that he can't do it. He has to apologize and then save Adam so that they can finish the book.

Classroom Ideas: This book can start a discussion about the parts of a successful children's book and how the author & illustrator are a team.

Z is for Moose

Author: Kelly Bingham
Illustrator:   Paul O. Zelinsky
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books
Publication Year:   2012
Location: Knox County Public Library- Powell

Awards:   Featured on "Calling Caldecott" blog, Publisher's Weekly Kirkus and Horn Book starred reviews,

Summary:  Hilarious version of an alphabet book! Everything starts out well until Moose jumps onto the 'D' page. Zebra, acting as a director, is not impressed with Moose and sends him off to wait for his turn. He continues trying to get into all the pages in creative ways- under the ice cream, on the jam label, in kangaroo's pouch, until the M page comes. But wait! M is for Mouse? Moose is mad and starts destroying the book until Zebra comes up with a compromise. This adorable book made me laugh out loud several times!

Classroom Ideas: Smaller readers would love correctly identifying the pages that Moose has ruined. With older kids, this could serve as a mentor text or start a discussion about problem solving and compromise.