Reading Roundup: April 2012

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 7
Early Readers: 1

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff
Okay, we've all seen it before: the "Mama what's that?" structure. But I like the way that Ashley Wolff does it, folding in color concepts and seasons with an affectionate-but-not-adorable mother-child relationship.
Illustration: Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett
It could be my yarn-lovin' ways that ensured a place in my affections, but I think there's more. Klassen's spare lines and taciturn faces are livened only by the wild and lovely colors of the knitted creations Annabelle gifts upon all and sundry.
Overall: Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Allison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
Teeming with imagination, quirky wit, and a friendship of opposites, this 2010 award winner feels like a classic that I've already loved for years.

Because I Want To Awards
Sorry, guys, not this month. Too small of a pool. I will say this: all my standouts battled each other fiercely for their respective spots. It was very nearly a three-way tie for overall.