A Surprise for Giraffe and Elephant by Paul Gude

ELEPHANT WAS WOKEN UP BY A VERY LOUD NOISE.

"GIRAFFE! IT'S TOO EARLY FOR ALPINE HORNS!"

Since Giraffe is speechless, she tries to show her fondness for Elephant by serenading on the alpenhorn. Elephant tries to be tactful about the early morning honking but Giraffe is obviously hurt.

But she tries to make up for her faux pas. Elephant remarks that she has always wanted to go for a toboggan ride. She shows her friend a picture. Giraffe grabs a welding torch and stays up late to build a toboggan.Politely Elephant pulls it out to an open spot on the sunny savannah and Giraffe takes a seat behind her.

IT WASN'T AS MUCH FUN AS THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.

Elephant tries to soothe her friend's feelings by promising Giraffe a surprise party and urges her friend to make a list of what she would like. Giraffe's requests are specific.

1. BALLOON ANIMALS

2. POLKA MUSIC

3. NO CAKE

Poor Giraffe's surprise party is certainly a surprise, even if it is not exactly what she asked for. Suffice it to say that request #3 turns out to be a large sheet cake with "NO" spelled out in frosting on top. But who can be disappointed with the efforts of such a good friend?

Fans of Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books will find the same deadpan delivery and odd-couple humor in Paul Gude's A Surprise for Giraffe and Elephant (Giraffe and Elephant are Friends) (Hyperion Books, 2015). Gude's artwork is similarly simple but telling, with flat color and strong black lines delineating the characters, and minimalist storytelling that lets the understated expressions of his cartoon characters reveal the affection between his unlikely friends. Beginning readers will find this one easy going, and the charming naivety of Elephant and Giraffe will draw knowing giggles from slightly older kids.

For a double dose of Gude's sweet silliness, pair this one with its predecessor, When Elephant Met Giraffe (Giraffe and Elephant).

Eye Candy! Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson

MOUSE AND BEAR ARE WALKING.
CHITTER-CHATTER TALKING.
SO MUCH FOR THEM TO DO,
AND BEAR SEES... BLUE!

Out strolling with his trusty sidekick, Mouse, Bear suddenly becomes aware of

BLUE DRAGONFLIES, BLUEBERRIES...
BLUE EVERYWHERE!

Bear has as epiphany! Once he starts thinking about blue, he suddenly sees it everywhere, But then....

Hare howdy-doos them from down the trail and points out something ahead.... RED.

Ooh! Right away Bear sees red raspberries on the bush.

Down by the pond Badger bops by in red overshoes, just as Bear sees... YELLOW bees!

And suddenly there are yellow things all around. Wow.

But Mole has a different view down by stream. He spots GREEN.

Before the woodland stroll is done, all of Bear's friends get into the fun. The picnicking Wren, Raven, and Owl are just sitting down, when Bear sees something yummy and BROWN!

The well-browned cookies are passed around, and a good time is had by all in Karma Wilson's first concept book starring her beloved Bear, Bear Sees Colors (The Bear Books) (Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2014). As an introductory colors book for the nursery school set, as a review for older youngsters, or even as an easy reader, Wilson's rhythm and rhyme put kids through their paces, while Jane Chapman's familiar illustrations are just as charming as ever for fans of Wilson's best-selling Bear series, which began with Bear Snores On (The Bear Books) in 2002.

For a fascinating follow up, add Herve' Tullet's delightful new hit, Mix It Up! (see recent review here) to the color mashup to take the color session to a new level.

Doing Unto Others: Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Words hurt.

In Laura Vaccaro Seeger's Bully  (Roaring Brook, 2013), the opening endpapers reveal the source of a young bull's bad attitude. His friendly overtures to a big gray bull are rebuffed, and brushed off  in no uncertain terms,  head down, he slinks away, feeling small and unwanted.

But when he meets up with a trio of young animals who a want to play, he responds in kind, hitting where it hurts. He calls the little hen "Chicken!" He tells the turtle he's slowpokey, and a bee who crosses his path buzzes off when he gets a brusque brushoff. And when a friendly young skunk approaches, the little bull points out the obvious, with a gnarly, snarly "You stink!" As he vents his own hurt by hurting others, the little bull appears to grow larger and meaner, finally filling the pages, all evil eyes, horns and hooves, crowding out the others.

But when a little goat who crosses his path is told to "butt out," he finally points out the truth with a word.

"BULLY!"

Suddenly, the little bull gets it. Deflated, he asks himself:  Is he a bully? Is he like that big bull who blew him off? Ohh!

In a succession of award-winning picture books--Green, First the Egg (Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book (Awards)), Lemons Are Not Red (Ala Notable Book(Awards)), (Neal Porter Books) and Dog and Bear (Neal Porter Books) (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winner-Best Picture Book) (Awards))--Seeger has shown herself incapable of creating a book that is not fresh, insightful, and moving, absolutely lyrical even with the briefest of texts, always with humor, and a standout in original conception and design.

Simple in style and with the sparest of texts, this story zooms in on the creation and redemption of a bully who suddenly sees himself as others see him and sees others in himself.  It's a complex theme, as deep as human nature itself, well told in bold pictures and the leanest of dialogue, but meaningful even to the youngest.   Booklist says," ... for all its simplicity, this story opens up a number of complex issues for discussion," and Publishers Weekly puts in that "Seeger’s pages pop with action, and the lesson couldn’t be clearer."

Ask Your Mother: Tweak Tweak by Eve Bunting

"Hold onto my tail, Little Elephant," Mama Elephant said. "Today we are going for a walk. If you want to ask me a question, tweak twice."

Brave words for Mama Elephant or for any mother of an inquisitive youngster. The tweaks come fast and keep on coming as the two walk.

"Mama? What is that?"

"That is a beautiful butterfly flying high in the sky."

"Can I fly high in the sky?"

Like all youngsters, Little Elephant wants to try everything she sees. Patiently, Mama explains that little elephants can't exactly float like a butterfly, climb trees like monkeys, jump over a pond like frogs, swim down the river with a crocodile, or sing like a songbird in a fig tree. But little elephants can swish their ears and make a breeze, stomp their feet like thunder, cool down with a whoosh of river water from their trunks, and trumpet with a powerful roar. And best of all, she tells Little Elephant...

"You can grow up to be a big, strong, smart, beautiful elephant."

"Like you, Mama?"

"Yes, just like me."

With that way she has of capturing a small but significant moment between her characters, in her forthcoming Tweak Tweak (Clarion, 2011) Eve Bunting has nailed the essence of parenting here, as Mama helps her youngster understand the world and her place in it with grace and a certain elegance of phrase. Sergio Ruzzier's softly stylized pastel illustrations capture just the right balance of charm and humor to help earn this soon-to-be-published little gem a coveted starred review from Horn Book.