Reading Roundup: April 2011

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 39
Early Readers: 2

Sources
Swapped: 1
Library: 40

Standouts
Writing: When the Moon Forgot by Jimmy Liao, translated by Sarah L. Thomson
A dreamy story about the time the moon fell out of the sky and was discovered by a little boy. Liao ably contrasts the effect of a world without a moon (a brisk business in fake moons crops up for awhile) with the genuine friendship growing between the boy and the moon, and their reluctance to let each other go even as it becomes obvious that it’s what needs to happen.
Illustration: Quick, Slow, Mango! by Anik McGrory
Oh, those watercolors! And the whimsical details like Kidogo's astonished ears as the mangos float past him. The story is delightful, but it's the pictures that I want to pore over, and possibly lose myself in Kidogo and Pole-Pole's world.
Overall: I Know the River Loves Me by Maya Christina Gonzalez
This bilingual poem sings about the glories of the river that a little girl loves, a feeling she knows is reciprocated. The swirling, lush illustrations complement the text perfectly.

Because I Want To Awards
All Together Now, Awwwww: The Duchess of Whimsy by Randall de Seve
Impossible to Describe or Categorize: This is Silly! by Gary Taxali
Can't Wait to Read This in Storytime: Little Mouse's Big Secret by Eric Battut