Reading Roundup: November 2015

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 28
Early Readers: 1

Sources
Library: 29

Standouts
Writing: This is a Moose by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
You'd think filming a nature documentary about moose woudln't lend itself to drama, hijinks, and laughter, but you would be wrong. The titular animal decides that he wants to do anything but moosey things, and ends up dragging the rest of the production along with him.
Illustration: Beautiful Hands by Kathryn Otoshi and Bret Baumgarten
With art made up completely of fingerprints and handprints, this is a feast for the eyes that might inspire some little artists. Though hopefully not on their walls.
Overall: Please, Open This Book! by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
Poor little monkeys! When the last person closed the book, everything went splat. Finally you've come along to open it so tehy can set things right. But - uhoh. What happens when YOU come to the end? This one rises to the top of my mental list of interactive books.


Because I Want To Awards
I Never Would Have Thought of Making a Picture Book About This: What in the World? Numbers in Nature by Nancy Raines Day, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
More than just numbers, this is about number sets, groups of distinct objects that are all similar. With the focus on early math literacy, it's an introduction to a concept that also works as a lovely picture books.
For That One Kid, You Know That One Kid: Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman
Awww, poor Steve! He makes a great wolf, but a less-successful student. He crashes and burns at school until he finds a way to make his wolfy instincts work for his classmates. It's pretty funny, but it's also about finding a balance between fitting in and being yourself.