2012 picture books

Here are some of the picture books that I've loved sharing with my classes during 2012.  My favourites are books that are great to read aloud (and should be yours too if you have to read the books that you choose to buy/borrow many, many, many times!).

Mozzie and Midgie by Doug MacLeod - This is partly my favourite because the illustrations are so cool but also because of the reaction my Kindy class had to this book.  One of the characters tells the other that he looks 'stupid' because of the silly hat he's wearing.  My class reacted with 'Oh, but Miss you said the 'S' work' and turned around to look at their teacher with open mouths.  Hadn't quite realised how delightfully conservative my school is!

Lazy Daisy, Busy Lizzie by Mary Ellen Jordan is just funny and silly and everyone has a good laugh.  This is one dysfunctional farm.

All through the year by Jane Godwin.  Illustrated by Anna Walker (just beautiful) tells the story of a girl and her family through all the months of the year.  It is Australian so if you want a picture book to help understand the seasons/weather in Australia this is a lovely book to do that.

Lost and found by Oliver Jeffers.  This is the first of a number books featuring a boy and his penguin friend.  While the illustrations are once again magnificent, Jeffers also writes in a funny and quirky way.  This book is a powerful story of friendship but in an understated, not preachy kind of a way.

The very cranky bear by Nick Bland.  Ok, so it does feature a moose which was a bit problematic for my Aussie kids, but this is just funny.  Used in the National Simultaneous Storytime in May, you may have heard it read in your local public library or school.

No bears by Meg McKinley is a great book for those who have grown a bit old and cynical about the amount of bears in fairytales.  The illustrations are as important to the story as the words so this is a lovely book to pour over together.

Come down cat by Sonya Hartnett is a book that is helpful for talking about fears with a child.  Nicholas is worried about his cat out in the dark and imagines all the scary things that might the cat might be facing (which are actually his own fears).  But it starts raining and suddenly the cat is no longer so brave and Nicholas shows his strength as he rescues his cat from the storm.  Good discussion starter.

Komodo by Peter Sis.  This is an old book (1993) but I only discovered it recently.  A young boy is obsessed with dragons and his parents take him to visit a real, live komodo dragon on the island of Komodo in Indonesia.  It doesn't turn out quite as he'd imagined.  I think this is a delightful book and great for those kids who are totally 'into' a topic.  They would relate to this boy.