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    The Children's Book Review

    5 Compelling Picture Books Worthy of Reading Again and Again

    Guest PostsBy Guest Posts5 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Best Kids Stories Book Lists Picture Books
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    Barry Wittenstein | The Children’s Book Review 

    Barry Wittenstein
    Barry Wittenstein

    Whatever number of golden age of children’s literature we’re in, it’s a golden supernova. Every year, books are published that feel like they’ve always been around. As if their creators tapped into some mystical, universal spirit for a moment of clarity and spark of creativity. The great ones have the wherewithal to access the universe’s secrets again and again.

    Maybe that’s the thread that connects these five. And love.

    And by that, I mean I LOVE these five. So much so, I’m envious. Insanely envious! In a good way, of course. Their work inspires me, shows me the possibilities. Out there in the universe.

    Steel TownSteel Town

    Written by Jonah Winter

    Illustrated by Terry Widener

    This was published in 2008, but I just came across it. The subject is a fictional steel town from the 1930s. The sky is always dark; the factories spit out dirt, smoke and fire, and shifts of workers come and go, never stopping. You finish the book, you feel like you need to wash your face and hands.

    The free verse and amazing illustrations nail it.

    Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

    Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers | May 20, 2008 | ISBN-13: 978-1416940814

    Town Is by the SeaTown Is by the Sea

    Written by Joanne Schwartz

    Illustrated by Sydney Smith

    Maybe I got a thing for “Towns.” But this town is in Nova Scotia, written from a young boy’s perspective, who daydreams about his father mining under the sea. The contrast between the sun dancing off the sparkling water and the darkness of the miners is stark. The story is quiet, but powerful. And one that keeps resonating long after the final page.

    Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

    Ages 5-9 | Publisher: Groundwood Books | April 11, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1554988716

    Imagine by Raul ColonImagine!

    Written and illustrated by Raúl Colón

    Normally I’m not a huge fan of wordless picture books. I mean, after all, words are my paintbrush. But Imagine! blew my mind. A young boy skateboards through New York City, ending up at the Museum of Modern Art. There, figures from famous paintings jump out of the canvases he’s viewing, joining him in a celebration of life and creativity. Autobiographical.

    Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

    Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books | September 11, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1481462730

    Mary Who Wrote FrankensteinMary Who Wrote Frankenstein

    Written by Linda Bailey

    Illustrated by Julia Sarda

    This picture book tells the backstory of how Mary Shelley wrote her tale of terror. Who knew that famous poet Lord Byron suggested a contest to see who could write the best ghost story? Like Imagine!,  Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein tackles the act of creativity. The story is also about a woman who achieved the unthinkable (!)—creating one of the greatest novels and most enduring monsters of all time.

    Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

    Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Tundra Books | August 28, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1770495593

    The Man Who Walked Between the TowersThe Man Who Walked Between the Towers

    Written and Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

    Written in 2003 about French aerialist Philippe Petit, who in 1974 spent an hour on a tightrope strung between the towers of the World Trade Center. Sometimes he sat, sometimes he laid down, sometimes he walked back and forth as the birds and clouds floated underneath. The book captures the spirit of fun-seeking young Petit. Gerstein won the 2004 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations.

    Order a Copy Now: Indiebound | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

    Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Square Fish | April 17, 2007 | ISBN-13: 978-0312368784

    —

    About Barry Wittenstein

    Barry Wittenstein has tended bar, driven a taxi, worked at CBS Records and CBS News back in the day, spent a decade writing music and lyrics, toiled six years as a web editor and writer for Major League Baseball, and three years as a substitute elementary school teacher. He could be Walter Mitty’s brother.

    Barry loves to write narrative nonfiction picture books. He is the author of Waiting for Pumpsie and The Boo-Boos That Changed the World. In 2019, he will publish two more nonfiction picture books—Sonny’s Bridge, about the legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins; and A Place to Land (with illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney) about how Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech. He is currently working on a YA novel. He lives in New York City with his wife.

    To learn more, and to download free curriculum guides, visit his website: https://onedogwoof.com/ or follow him on Twitter: @bwittbooks

    Waiting for PumpsieWaiting for Pumpsie

    Written by Barry Wittenstein

    Illustrated by London Ladd

    Publisher’s Synopsis: In 1959 the Boston Red Sox was the last team in the Major Leagues to integrate. But when they call Elijah “Pumpsie” Green up from the minors, Bernard is overjoyed to see a black player on his beloved home team. And, when Pumpsie’s first home game is scheduled, Bernard and his family head to Fenway Park. Bernard is proud of Pumpsie and hopeful that this historic event is the start of great change in America.

    This fictionalized account captures the true story of baseball player Pumpsie Green’s rise to the major leagues. The story is a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement and a great discussion starter about the state of race relations in the United States today.

    Praise for WAITING FOR PUMPSIE:

    ★“A grand slam.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

    “Bernard’s conversational narration creates a warm bond with readers from the get-go, and although Wittenstein and Ladd never sugarcoat instances of racial prejudice, the story’s moments of triumph sound the loudest notes.” —Publishers Weekly

    Ages 5-8 | Publisher: Charlesbridge | February 21, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1580895453

    Available Here
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    What to Read Next:

    1. Best New Picture Books | April 2017
    2. The Best Non-Fiction Picture Books of 2018
    3. Best New Picture Books | May 2017
    4. Best New Picture Books | August 2017

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Atheneum Books for Young Readers Barry Wittenstein Charlesbridge Groundwood Books Joanne Schwartz Jonah Winter Julia Sarda Linda Bailey London Ladd Mordicai Gerstein Picture Books Raul Colón Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books Square Fish Sydney Smith Terry Widener Tundra Books
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    The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by a guest author.

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