More recommended books
Ages 2-5. "Picnic" by John Burningham, (Candlewick Press, $16.99) Another triumph, with a hunt-and-find component, from a major talent.
Ages 3-5. "Mighty Dads" by Joan Holub, illustrated by James Dean (Scholastic Press, $16.99). Rhyming romp with bright "vehicle characters" (crane, bulldozer, etc.); great for a first-time dad.
Ages 3-5. "Flora and the Penguin" by Molly Idle (Chronicle, $16.99). In a lovely and wordless storybook with unusual lift-the-flap elements, Flora glides and twirls o'er the ice with a jaunty little penguin.
Ages 3-7. "The Numberlys" by William Joyce and Christina Ellis (Moonbot/Atheneum, $17.99). Zany contemporary artwork does much to help relate a clever tale about a world with no pizza, no colors – only numbers. But five feisty friends set to work inventing the alphabet. (You often hold this book sideways to view the 2-foot-tall illustrations).
Ages 4-8. "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel" by Caryn Yacowitz, illustrated by David Slonim (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $17.99). Hanukkah alert: Bubbe swallowed a dreidel she thought was a bagel – and so on.
Ages 5 & up. "Once Upon an Alphabet" Oliver Jeffers (Philomel Books, $26.99). The artist-author of "The Day the Crayons Quit" delivers an artistically ambitious (112 pages), ABC book in which each letter gets its own outrageous little tale.
Ages 6-8. "Dory Fantasmagory" by Abby Hanlon (Dial, 153 pages, $14.99). The startup of a fun-filled new series for the Junie B. Jones set. Child-like art on every page does much move the story along.
Ages 6-9. "Leroy Nicker Saddles Up" by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick, 96 pages, $12.99). Two stars in children's lit launch "Tales from Decawoo Drive," a humorous new series starring young Leroy, who wants to be a cowboy, and his personable horse Maybelline.
Ages 9-14. "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" by G. Neri, illustrated by A.G. Ford (Candlewick $16.99). Meaty biography of the Man in Black unfolds in free verse and is graced with large, superbly detailed oil paintings; to be read over a period of time.
Ages 10 & older. "I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick (Little, Brown, 230 pages, $17). Powerful memoir of girl whose once-peaceful life in Pakistan was dissolved by the Taliban. She almost died from gunfire, but continued protesting peacefully. This year she became, at 17, the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
When you take an extra smidge of time to match the right book with a youngster on your holiday gift list, it’s a win-win for both giver and recipient. Here are a dozen top-notch recommendations for books that appeal to children and adults alike.
Ages 8 and younger
‘The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House’
Some kids get feisty just when it's time to simmer down. Atlanta storyteller and musician Eric Litwin, author of several "Pete the Cat" hits, tackles that idea with goofball gusto. Created digitally, super-bright artwork by Scott Magoon further enlivens Litwin's playful romp. "All little nuts need to go to bed," Mama Nut repeats, her voice getting bigger. But Wally Nut and Hazel Nut just want to wiggle and giggle and howl at the moon. Get nutty yourselves by downloading the Nutty Lullaby, free at www.TheNutFamily.com. For ages 2-6. Little, Brown, $18
‘Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar’
Kids may have to tear this book by Keith Richards away from their elders. The ink-and-collage illustrations by the rocker's daughter, Theodora Dupree Richards, create a burst of love, nostalgia and hip, chaotic energy. "The closer to his house I'd get," writes Richards of his boyhood visits to Granddad Dupree, "the bigger my smile would grow. By the time I landed on his doorstep, I was all teeth." He reveals that still today, he thinks of his granddad whenever he picks up his guitar, writes a song or steps onstage. Includes a CD featuring the Rolling Stones icon. For ages 3-6. Little, Brown, $18.
‘The Book With No Pictures’
This book from writer-comedian-actor B. J. Novak (Ryan on "The Office"), is sitting pretty atop picture-book bestseller lists, even though there are no pictures. It's wordplay nonsense and that's the whole point: adult-child slap-happy togetherness. The book commands the adult to read every single word "no matter what." How kids love it when the adult must take orders – and act ridiculous. The grownup must say his head is made of blueberry pizza, then sing "glug glug glug my face is a bug … I eat ants for breakfast right off the ruuuuuuug!" Count on being begged to make a fool of yourself all over again. For ages 3-7. Dial, $17.99
‘Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla’
Katherine Applegate received the Newbery Medal for "The One and Only Ivan" (2012), also based on the true story of the gentle ape who was confined for 27 years in a small cement room for shoppers' entertainment before he was moved to Zoo Atlanta in 1994. The text here is spare and reverential. The illustrations by G. Brian Karas are full of love. For ages 4-8. Clarion, $17.99
‘Baby Bear’
Kadir Nelson, one of the most gifted artists in the field (and winner of the 2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award), triumphs again. His lush dark paintings tug on your heartstrings as Baby Bear, lost in the forest, seeks help from other animals. A giant moose tells Baby Bear to listen to his heart, while squirrels advise him to "choose wisely." This tender bedtime story will reassure young ones just starting to forge independence that they can ask for help, and learn to trust their instincts. For ages 4-8. Balzer & Bray, $17.99
‘Sam & Dave Dig a Hole’
Children love irony and being privy to what the characters in a story don't know or can't quite see. In this marvelous tale by Mac Barnett, two boys start digging in the dirt vowing not to stop until they find "something spectacular." Jon Klassen's art, created digitally and in colored pencil, adds witty and clever layers to a humorous story about friendship, strategic thinking and determination. For ages 4-8. Candlewick Press, $16.99
‘Elsa and the Night’
A sad badger named Elsa hasn't slept in 30 years. The townsfolk are "dizzy and quarrelsome for lack of sleep." One day, Elsa discovers the Night under her sofa. "You're not allowed to be here," she tells the small dark blob, which needs nourishment. Jöns Mellgren's screen-printed contemporary scenes in unexpected color combinations are breathtaking complements to the gentle, lyrical story that builds in suspense. "Elsa" will also appeal to an adult's artistic and poetic sensibilities. For ages 5-8. Little Gestalten, $19.95
Ages 8-12
‘The Madman of Piney Woods’
The year is 1901, the setting is Canada. Against all odds, Benji and Red form a strong friendship, but the boys also confront hatred and bigotry in this adventure story from Paul Curtis, the author of "The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963" and "Bud, Not Buddy." Narrated in alternating chapters by each boy, the story clips nicely along. The boys have one uncanny thing in common: Each had an encounter with the thick-haired Madman of Piney Woods (400 pounds and inching toward 8 feet tall). Despite some unsettling graphic details, this well-written story about learning to conquer fear also contains much humor. For ages 8-12. Scholastic, 363 pages, $16.99
‘Brown Girl Dreaming’
One of the many things Jacqueline Woodson learned from her South Carolina grandfather:
You can’t just put your fist up. You have to insist
on something
gently. Walk toward a thing
slowly.
The acclaimed Woodson grew up in the 1960s and '70s, in both the South and the North (Brooklyn). This eloquent and detailed memoir of her formative years, written in verse, should linger long in any reader's mind. For ages 10 and older. Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin, 336 pages, $17.99
Ages 12 and older
‘Egg & Spoon’
Gregory Maguire, the witty and well-oiled wordsmith who conjured "Wicked," has often mentioned his "childhood struggles to un-puzzle the bewildering world by using fairy tales" as guides. His new full-bodied fantasy seamlessly blends "The Prince and the Pauper" with the story of Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore. At the center of the epic tale are two girls of the same size and age. Elena is a hungry peasant in a "barely alive" village; the vastly privileged Ekaterina, who goes by "Cat," arrives on a luxury train that becomes stranded there. Candlewick, 475 pages, $17.99
‘Call Me By My Name’
Un-put-downable is this richly layered, heartbreaking novel by former LSU football star John Ed Bradley, who worked as a reporter for The Washington Post before returning to Louisiana. This superb coming-of-age story involves high school football, racial tensions, interracial romance. It's set in the 1960s, but hardly feels like it belongs to the past. Fearless, unflinching, and not one false note. Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 265 pages, $17.99
‘Atlantia’
Ally Condie's "Matched" trilogy was compared to both "The Hunger Games" and "The Giver." Her new dystopian novel is largely set under the ocean, where air is pumped into walls, processed, then flowed into an underwater "city" that's like a giant sea creature, with tentacles that form streets. Those who dwell Below sometimes can choose to remain there, where they enjoy a long life, or "sacrifice" themselves to go Above, where there's pollution, sickness and misery. Twins Rio and Bay are the last in their gene line, so at least one must stay in the Below society. But one defies the other, setting this plot into pulse-racing motion. Atlantia was built to save the human race, but many dark secrets lurk there. Dutton, 298 pages, $18.99
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