Reading Roundup August 2010

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 45 (I know! I changed positions this month, and now I'm back to being a children's librarian, where having a stack of picture books on your desk looks like work.)
Early Readers: 4

Sources
Library: 46

Standouts
Writing: The Daddy Mountain by Jules Feiffer
Adventure and derring-do with a courageous little girl and her daddy. Perfect.
Illustration: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
I mentioned it in my review, but the slick, retro look of this book was the perfect choice for the anything-goes flight of fancy in the text.
Overall: Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure
A tender, gorgeous book about mothers, sons, anticipation, and the slow turning of the seasons. I don't usually make award predictions, but I will be very unhappy if this doesn't get some love come January.

Because I Want To Awards
What the . . . ?: The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez
Even Better on the Second Reading, Because You Know What to Look For: The Pirate Cruncher by Jonny Duddle
Yep. You're Gonna Cry: Remembering Crystal by Sebastian Loth
A Worthy Sequel: A Birthday for Bear by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton