NAPPA Award Winners 2009: Books & Magazines

NAPPA Top Toys for 2009: Books and Magazines
Writers and artists continue to jump higher in the noble effort to entertain and educate our children. Lots of serious titles this year about social issues, war-torn countries, milestones in history, fatal illness, etc. But don’t worry — there’s also plenty of silliness, with a plethora of animal tales and the funniest introduction to toilet-training that one could imagine. Read, enjoy and share together!

For Infants & Toddlers

Baby Colors, by Rachael Hale; Little Brown Books, 2009; $6.99; www.lb-kids.com. Adorable babies with expressive eyes are paired with sweet rhyming text and a rainbow of colors in this small, sturdy board book. Each baby showcases a color with a four-line rhyme and photograph.

The Potty Caddy, by Rachel Gordon, illustrated by Sarah Bergmann; Workman, 2008; $14.95; www.workman.com. Informative little books for parents and kids, a chart with stickers, a pack of “toilet targets,” funny magazines to read while in the bathroom, a special roll of toilet paper — this is a complete toilet-training kit!

Waddle, by Rufus Butler Seder; Workman, 2009; $12.95; www.workman.com. Show babies how exciting books can be with this “Scanimation” title. Bold images of penguins, frogs, snakes, hummingbirds and other animals actually move across the page.

When I First Held You: A Lullaby from Israel, by Mirik Snir, illustrated by Eleyor Snir; Kar-Ben Publishing, 2009; $9.95; www.karben.com. A lyrical lullaby in rhyme, in which a parent describes the happy day when the young child was born. This charming book captures the love and emotion of a baby’s birth.

For Preschoolers & Up

Duck! Rabbit!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld; Chronicle Books, 2009; $16.99; www.chroniclebooks.com. This clever picture book will have each family member looking and looking again. It’s a visual puzzle, and readers must decide if they’re looking at ducks or rabbits.

“This would be great for a lesson about understanding different points of view … how different people might see something in different ways.”
— Adult Tester and former principal

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery; Little, Brown, 2009; $17.99; www.lb-kids.com. As difficult as it is to find ways to talk to kids about the war in Iraq, this touching animal story succeeds, with photos of a special friendship that will inspire discussion.

Panorama: A Foldout Book, by Fani Marceau, illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet; Abrams, 2009; $19.95; www.abramsbooks.com. Unfold this gigantic book in one direction for lyrical text and bold pictures of animals from all over the world. Unfold in the other direction and learn what these same animals do at night.

The Christmas Magic, by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jon J. Muth; Scholastic, 2009; $16.99; www.scholastic.com. Thompson takes readers on a journey to the far north, where they watch Santa ready his reindeer and select the perfect toy for each child in the world. Sure to make all believe in the magic of Christmas.

For Ages 6 & Up

Chicken Dance, by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat; Sterling Publishing, 2009; $14.95; www.sterlingpublishing.com/kids. There’s a Barnyard Talent Show tonight, and two chicks, Marge and Lola, are determined to win. The prize? Two tickets to an Elvis Poultry concert. This wacky romp is sure to make readers laugh out loud.

Finding Lincoln, by Ann Malaspina, illustrated by Colin Bootman; Albert Whitman, 2009; $16.99; www.albertwhitman.com. Louis must write an essay about Lincoln, but it’s 1951, and he can’t use the “whites-only” library. A historical fiction picture book showcasing bravery and celebrating the joy of libraries and the passion of librarians.

Horrid Henry, by Francesca Simon, illustrated by Tony Ross; Sourcebooks, 2009, $4.99 (paper); www.jabberwockykids.com. Sometimes, kids just need to laugh. In these four easy-to-read stories about mischievous Henry, kids may laugh so hard they’ll snort milk out through their noses!

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, by Brian Floca; Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2009; $17.99; www.simonandschuster.com. Captivating drawings and a simple, beautifully written text dramatize the 1969 moonwalk in terms just right for young readers who will marvel at the amazing journey of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.

For Ages 9 & Up

I, Q: Independence Hall, by Roland Smith; Sleeping Bear Press, 2008; $8.95 (paper); www.sleepingbearpress.com. Quest (or “Q”) and his stepsister Angela are thrust into the work of the Secret Service and the Israeli Mossad when Angela realizes she is being followed. This thriller will take readers on a fast-paced ride.

Savvy, Ingrid Law; Walden Media/Dial Books for Young Readers, 2008; $16.99; www.walden.com. Recounts the adventures of Mibs Beaumont, whose 13th birthday will reveal her “savvy” — a magical power unique to each member of her family. A Newbery Honor book.

Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall, by Emily Bearn, illustrated by Nick Price; Little Brown Books, 2009; $16.99; www.lb-kids.com. In three short novels that ooze charm, two mice venture beyond their stylish, cozy home within a cottage broom closet to explore the world outside and save the day for their human friends again and again.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead; Wendy Lamb Books, 2009; $15.99; www.randomhouse.com/kids. An elegant puzzle, begging to be reread, about sixth-grader Miranda in New York City, for fans of classics like The Westing Game, From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and especially A Wrinkle in Time.

For Ages 12 & Up

It’s All Too Much, So Get It Together: Less Junk, Cleaner Mind, Better Life, by Peter Walsh, illustrated by Jon Pack and John Hendrix; Simon & Schuster, 2009; $12.99 (paper); www.simonandschuster.com. Professional organizer Peter Walsh brings his mental and physical decluttering concepts to a teen audience. The entire family quickly will be applying Walsh’s organizational secrets to create a calmer lifestyle.

Notes from the Dog, by Gary Paulsen; Wendy Lamb Books, 2009, $15.99; www.randomhouse.com/kids. Solitary, bookish Finn has one goal during his 14th summer: talking to as few people as possible. But then he meets Joanna and is soon helping her cope with breast cancer.

The Bite of the Mango, by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland; Annick Press, 2008, $12.95 (paper); www.annickpress.com. Mariatu Kamara grew up in a small rural village in Sierra Leone. Army rebels attacked a nearby village and brutally cut off Mariatu’s hands. Horrifying and inspiring, her memoir tells an unforgettable story of courage, resilience and hope. Violence and disturbing events make this more appropriate for readers ages 16 and up.

Wild Things by Clay Carmichael; Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, 2009; $18.95; www.frontstreetbooks.com. Witty Zoe has seen too much for her 11 years, and at first she has more in common with the feral cat she’s trying to befriend than she does with the people in her new home in North Carolina.

Magazines

ChickaDEE, Owlkids; $4.50 per issue, $29.99 1-year subscription (10 issues); www.owlkids.com. ChickaDEE celebrates its 30th anniversary discovering “A World of Fun.” Each issue is packed with comics, puzzles, animals, crafts, science experiments and jokes to entertain and help kids think in new ways.

Kahani, Kahani Media; $5 per issue, $20 1-year subscription (4 issues); $35 2-year subscription (8 issues); www.kahani.com. “Empower, Educate, and Entertain” are the focus of Kahani, a South Asian Literary Magazine for Children. The quarterly magazine illuminates the richness and diversity that South Asian cultures bring to North America. It’s full of stories, art activities … and no advertisements.