"Sleep No More!" Good Night, Owl by Greg Pizzoli

OWL WAS SETTLED INTO BED WHEN HE HEARD A NOISE.

SQUEEK!

It's not loud. It's not unpleasant, actually. It's not even scary. But what IS it?

Somebody at the door? Exasperated, Owl puts on his robe and shuffles to the door.

Nobody.

Back in bed, he wills himself to drop off.

"GOOD NIGHT, OWL." HE SAYS TO HIMSELF.

SQUEEK!

Now the sound seems to be coming from below him. Relentlessly, Owl peers under his bed. Nothing. It must be coming from under the floor. Systematically, Owl begins to pry up the floorboards, one at a time. Still nothing.

By now Owl is more than perturbed. He lies down, but by now his ears are tuned to hear nothing but that sound.

SQUEEK!

It must be coming from the cupboard. Owl takes everything out. Nothing. His comfy bedroom is in chaos. But as soon as his head hits the pillow, he hears that sound again.

SQUEEK!!

It's coming from the roof! With a wild look in his eyes, Owl grabs a sledge hammer and begins to demolish his roof Now surely he has vanquished whatever is making that sound at last!

Or has he? Owl's cozy cottage is reduced to shambles and he is one wide-awake and no wiser owl, in Greg Pizzoli's newest anti-bedtime story, Good Night Owl (Hyperion Books, 2016). With his usual puckish humor, Pizzoli's charming illustrations reveal the cause of his crazed insomniac activity--a small brown mouse, sometimes seen peeping from behind the head board or under the bed, sometimes from a facing page, always out of sight for Owl. It's a mouse who seems to want no more than a cozy place to snooze, as is revealed in the final pages as he and Owl finally say good night from their bed under the stars.

We've all had the experience of settling down in bed, only to hear that one strange noise that we just can't quite ignore. Being naturally nocturnal, owls are often chosen for the role of "night owl" in picture books, and this Owl is no exception. In fact, in his obsessive search for the source of the mysterious sound, Owl's eyes take on a comic, slightly manic look.

Kids will get a good giggle out of the mouse's stealthy appearances all over Owl's bedroom and Owl's silly measures to find him, and they will be soothed, despite themselves, by that final "Good night, Owl."

Pizzoli's soft and flat pastel illustrations, set against muted nocturnal gray-green and gray-blue backgrounds, belie the feverish activities of poor Owl while adding a comforting sleepytime mood to this story, a different take on bedtime. Greg Pizzoli is the master of wry, ironic humor for the preschool set, as evidenced in his earlier award-winning smash, The Watermelon Seed, which answers that burning childhood question, what would happen if I swallowed a watermelon seed and it grew inside me, or that other compelling question, what would happen if I told my parents to leave me alone and they actually did, as in Pizzoli's Templeton Gets His Wish (read reviews here).

Pair this one for storytime or bedtime with that other sleep-resisting owl in Jonathan Allen's I'm Not Sleepy! (Baby Owl).

Sweet Solitude? Templeton Gets His Wish by Greg Pizzoli

TEMPLETON WANTS HIS FAMILY TO LEAVE HIM ALONE.

HIS MOM IS GRUMPY.

And, as the folk saying goes, When Mama's not happy, nobody's happy.

Mom stands over him until he cleans his room right, and she even follows him into the bathroom to make sure his scrubbing meets her specifications.

Dad is cranky, too, and Templeton's little brother keeps snitching his best toys.

If only he could just make them all vanish!

But wait! An advertisement in the newspaper for a diamond that grants wishes catches his eye. Templeton sneaks some money from his little brother's piggybank (After all, it's rent due on his snitched toys) and places his order.

When the magical diamond arrives, Templeton wastes no time in placing his order.

AND TEMPLETON GOT HIS WISH.

HIS FAMILY WAS GONE.

Let the solitary partying begin!

Templeton plays with all his toys at the same time. The floor of his bedroom is littered with toys, candy wrappers, and cereal bowls. He even adds a few cool murals to his walls! He stays up very late, the rest of the house dark, and smiles through his window as the midnight moon rides high in the sky.

The bathtub grows dusty, as Templeton gives it a wide berth. He notices a few flies circling, and maybe a bird nest on his head? But, hey! It doesn't bother him! Baths are for mama's boys!

BUT AFTER A WHILE THE HOUSE SEEMED REALLY QUIET.

AND SOMETIMES IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY.

Greg Pizzoli's piquant tale, Templeton Gets His Wish (Hyperion Press, 2015), is a clear case of the the old be-careful-what-you-wish-for premise, executed to point up the upside of family life, shown cleverly in the contrasting illustration when a wiser Templeton mournfully looks out the one lighted window, the others dark and abandoned, into a dark night of scary sounds. As might have been predicted, he soon decides it's time to undo that wish.

Greg Pizzoli's charming illustrations are done up in mid-century cozy kitsch, and with effective but minimal text, he lets Templeton's expressions and body language reveal his second thoughts about family life. "Cheerful entertainment, with just a touch of snark," as Publishers Weekly puts it.

But What If.... The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

I LOVE WATERMELON.

CHOMP!

This croc loves everything about watermelon, and he likes it at every meal. And he is especially good at taking big, BIG bites of the delicious pink stuff.

Until--he chomps and chews, and discovers that--GULP!--he has swallowed a seed!

Crocodile knows what seeds do: they sprout and GROW!

Will his guts get stretched? Will his nice, normal green scales turn pink?

Will a long, twisty watermelon vine be sprouting tendrils right out of his ears?

Anxiety increases as his tummy rumbles and rolls. Oh, no! It's started growing already!

"BUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPP!"

Relief! The seed flies out of Croc's mouth! He's saved from being a walking fruit salad!

Will this crocodile be able to swear off watermelon lust forever? Greg Pizzoli deals with one of those "what if" fears that kids sometimes have in his latest, The Watermelon Seed (Hyperion, 2013). In this sweet little pink-and-green charmer,  Pizzoli's worried little crocodile is portrayed in large cartoons  that fill the pages with fun, and although this story provides no hint as to what really happens when one of those slippery seeds slides down into the tummy, the tasty page design of this funny story will leave kids hungry for more!

HELLO! I am Baloney. This is my book, all about me. says Baloney the pig. "And me, too!" says a blue horse, stepping into the story. "Oh, hi, Peanut." says Baloney. He starts over. "I'm Baloney. I am the star of this book. It's my first book and I hope that..."

Biz the bee buzzes in.

"What?" "Oh, hi, Biz. Anyway, I'm the star of this book and this is Peanut and Biz." "You forgot Krabbit," says Biz.

Krabbit, the grumpy Rabbit appears, page right.

"WHATEVER." he grouches. Baloney starts over. "I am Baloney and this is.... "WAIT!" Where's Peanut?" "I think she went to the bathroom," says Biz. "She said she had to and... this was taking so long and.. <you know...." "NOW? But I'm starting the book!" Baloney cried. This is taking a REALLY long time," groused Krabbit. "Are we DONE?"

Being an author is not an easy job, especially when you are also the main character, a.k.a., the STAR, as Baloney the pig finds out when he tries to corral his friends into literary form. It seems his book's characters have their own ideas in Greg Pizzoli's newest gambit, the graphic novel titled Baloney and Friends (Baloney & Friends (1)) (Little, Brown and Company, 2020). But three-time Caldecott winner and Honor book author Greg Pizzoli has assembled quite an ensemble of comic characters in his ambitious new medium, boasting at least 85 pages of comic book-framed fun. Baloney tries out magic tricks on his friends: he makes a carrot disappear by eating it while they wait with eyes closed, and when that fails to amaze, while Baloney searches for his magic tricks book, Peanut offers to buy pizza, and Baloney returns to find that they have indeed disappeared. Like magic! For kids just moving beyond beginning reader stage, this new graphic novel has plenty more comic scenes with the four friends. A good follow up to beginning books from Dr. Seuss's famous beginner books or Mo Willems' superb series, Pizzoli had just the fun to brighten the long dark evening of late autumn. "A sure bet for Elephant and Piggie fans who are ready for the next step up or want to make the move to comics, says Booklist.

OUTA SIGHT! Jack Blasts Off (A Jack Book Series 2) by Mac Barnett

THE LADY IS MAD!

WE HAVE TO BLAST OFF!

There's no love lost between Jack and his dog Rex and the grouchy lady on the block, and when Rex eats her book, she sends them off on a rocket ship to the moon. Jack and Rex are thrilled, but what they don't know is that the Lady only paid for enough fuel for a one-way trip. Pleased to see them go, the Lady lies down for a quiet nap.

But Jack and Rex are having a blast, cruising through space with their alien space pilot, Zip, who has four arms and three eyes. Zip sets the space ship down on the far side of the moon. Jack plants his flag, but Z claims he was there first!

Zip is turning out to be no better neighbor than the Lady!

But there's no place like home (next door to the Lady) for Jack and Rex, in Mac Barnett's and Greg Pizzoli's newest in their popular easy readers series, Jack Blasts Off (A Jack Book) (Viking Books, 2019). Jack plays the traditional role of the silly noodle character in Mac Barnett's comic text, and Pizzoli's funny illustrations keep the youngest readers turning the pages. Says Publishers Weekly in their starred review, "Pizzoli’s scruffy-edged, emotive cartoons are just as funny, and he carries the comedy into drawing lessons and closing endpapers.”

Bunny in a Tree? Hi, Jack! by Mac Barnett and Greg Pizzola

Jack is a bunny who hops to a different drummer. He has a thing for living, not in bunny burrows, but in a tree--a tree house of his own.

But Jack gets tired of the "high" life, or perhaps he gets lonely, so he climbs down and goes out to find a friend. He meets an old lady Hare, and, er, borrows her purse.

JACK! GIVE THAT BACK!

Inside Jack finds some lipstick, which he tries on his own lips before returning the purloined purse, but he keeps the lipstick and leaves a trail of bright red graffiti behind himself until at last he meets his friend, a big white rabbit named Rex.

In the best-selling author, Mac Barnett's comic title in his easy reading pre-primer-level books, Hi, Jack! (A Jack Book) (Viking Books, 2019), author Barnett has his co-creator, the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, along to document Jack's snacks and acts in this super-simple series of silly stories for beginners. As Publishers Weekly puts it in a starred review, "Barnett works wonders with a limited vocabulary, packing the stories with humor, tension—and admonishments of Jack. Pizzoli’s scruffy-edged, emotive cartoons are just as funny, and he carries the comedy into drawing lessons and closing endpapers.”

Other books in the Jack series are Jack at Bat (A Jack Book) and Jack Goes West. (A Jack Book)

Ready for Takeoff: North, South, East, West by Margaret Wise Brown

WHEN I FLY AWAY, WHICH WAY IS BEST?

NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST?

Mother Bird has done her job. She has taught her little fledgling how to fly high, above the storms and with the wind, but now it is time for her young one to fly forth to find her own home, and she cannot tell her where that is.

The little bird quails at the thought of leaving the comfort and safety of her familiar nest in the safe sycamore tree. But somehow duty calls, and her now strong wings bear her away into the unknown.

But the North is too icy cold and blown bare, and she dreams of the warmth of southern breezes. But when she arrives in the South the weather is too hot and steamy. The young bird goes west, but finds the sun sinking into the sea and night falling. North, South, West--they are all different, but none of them feel like home.

SO SHE STRETCHED OUT HER WINGS AND FLEW INTO THE RISING SUN.

OVER MOUNTAINS, DEEP CANYONS, GREAT FORESTS, AND PLAINS SHE FLEW...

TO WHERE LAND WAS SOFT AND GREEN, AND SYCAMORE TREES GREW ...

And in a new sycamore she builds a nest for her babies, in this first-time publication of the notable Margaret Wise Brown's heretofore-unknown North, South, East, West (HarperCollins, 2017), in which the little feathered pilgrim finds her way, literally trying her wings, exploring her world, and finally coming down to where she is meant to be. This early but never-illustrated story by the famed author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny drew the services of the award-winning artist Greg Pizzoli, whose flowing lines and bright colors form stylized illustrations that make each page come alive. Says Horn Book Magazine,, “Pizzoli’s style is defined by a bright palette and crisp geometric forms that combine to create a Mid-century modern aesthetic befitting a story written by Brown, the mid-century master of picture-book texts.”

Misbehaving! Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly Dipucchio

NATURALLY, DRAGONS HAVE A BIT OF TERRIBLE IN THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DRAGONS.

BUT THIS DRAGON HERE? TERRIBLE!

Dragons are supposed to keep their smoky mischief beyond the pale, properly out in countryside caves, curating their hoards and blasting knights on chargers seeking adventure and fame.

But this one? He's just a home-town jerk!

HE SCRIBBLED IN BOOKS.

HE TOOK CANDY FROM BABY UNICORNS.

HE SPIT ON CUPCAKES!

(WHO DOES THAT?)

The king advertises for brave knights to rid the walled city of this threat to civil deportment, but the run-of-the-mill heroes all fail. Dragon continues in his deplorable behavior.

HE BURPED IN CHURCH.

But a brave young lad in a feathered cap steps up to the challenge. He sets up an easel and sketches out the beginnings of a story. He lays a trail of marshmallows to lead Dragon to a shady tree where the lad settles himself, reading a storybook aloud. Dragon feigns disinterest, but circles around and stealthily climbs the tree to listen. Just as the story gets really interesting....

SNAP! CRASH! DRAGON LANDED WITH A THUD ON THE GROUND.

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR HOW THE STORY ENDS?" THE BOY ASKED.

DRAGON SMILED.

It seems even impudent dragons delight in a good story, especially one with a hero dragon, in Kelly DiPucchio's latest, Dragon Was Terrible (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016),  With the help of noted artist Greg Pizzoli's comic cartoon characters, kids will laugh at this rude dragon, a perfectly awful spoiled preschooler type, who nevertheless falls for a good storyline, turning the page on beastly behavior for his inner dragon. "This is one terribly good dragon tale that will leave readers laughing," says Kirkus in their starred review.

Misbehaving! Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly Dipucchio

NATURALLY, DRAGONS HAVE A BIT OF TERRIBLE IN THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DRAGONS.

BUT THIS DRAGON HERE? TERRIBLE!

Dragons are supposed to keep their smoky mischief beyond the pale, properly out in countryside caves, curating their hoards and blasting knights on chargers seeking adventure and fame.

But this one? He's just a home-town jerk!

HE SCRIBBLED IN BOOKS.

HE TOOK CANDY FROM BABY UNICORNS.

HE SPIT ON CUPCAKES!

(WHO DOES THAT?)

The king advertises for brave knights to rid the walled city of this threat to civil deportment, but the run-of-the-mill heroes all fail. Dragon continues in his deplorable behavior.

HE BURPED IN CHURCH.

But a brave young lad in a feathered cap steps up to the challenge. He sets up an easel and sketches out the beginnings of a story. He lays a trail of marshmallows to lead Dragon to a shady tree where the lad settles himself, reading a storybook aloud. Dragon feigns disinterest, but circles around and stealthily climbs the tree to listen. Just as the story gets really interesting....

SNAP! CRASH! DRAGON LANDED WITH A THUD ON THE GROUND.

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR HOW THE STORY ENDS?" THE BOY ASKED.

DRAGON SMILED.

It seems even impudent dragons delight in a good story, especially one with a hero dragon, in Kelly DiPucchio's latest, Dragon Was Terrible (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016),  With the help of noted artist Greg Pizzoli's comic cartoon characters, kids will laugh at this rude dragon, a perfectly awful spoiled preschooler type, who nevertheless falls for a good storyline, turning the page on beastly behavior for his inner dragon. "This is one terribly good dragon tale that will leave readers laughing," says Kirkus in their starred review.

... And the Winners Are... 2014 Newbery and Caldecott Medals Awarded

The American Library Association has released the winners of this year's young people's book awards. The Newbery Award, for books written for young readers, has gone to Kate DiCamillo for her novel Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (Candlewick Press, 2013). (See my review here.) DiCamillo is a past winner of this award for her The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread and the Newbery Honor Award for Because of Winn-Dixie.

Four Newbery Honor Books were also named: Holly Black's Doll Bones (Simon & Schuster, 2013), previous winner Kevin Henkes' The Year of Billy Miller (Greenwillow Books, 2013) (see my review here), Amy Timberlake's One Came Home (Alfred A. Knopf, 2013), and Vince Vawter's Paperboy (Delacorte Press, 2013).

Taking the Caldecott Award for the best-illustrated book for children is Brian Floca for his Locomotive (Atheneum, 2013). Caldecott Honors went to  Journey (Candlewick, 2013), written and illustrated by Aaron Becker, to Molly Idle's Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle Books, 2013), and the multiple Caldecott-winning David Wiesner for Mr. Wuffles! (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2013 (see my review here.)

The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for beginning reader books went to The Watermelon Seed (Hyperion, 2013), written and illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (read my review here), with Geisel Honor Awards going to Mary Sullivan's Ball (Houghton Mifflin, 2013), frequent award-winner Mo Willems for his A Big Guy Took My Ball! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (Hyperion, 2013) (see review here), and Kevin Henkes' Penny and Her Marble (I Can Read Book 1) (Greenwillow, 2013).

Other ALA awards include the following:

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
“P.S. Be Eleven,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “March: Book One,” written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell, and published by Top Shelf Productions; “Darius & Twig,” written by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Words with Wings,” written by Nikki Grimes and published by WordSong, an imprint of Highlights.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
“Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Daniel Beaty and published by Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group.
One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: “Nelson Mandela,” illustrated and written by Kadir Nelson and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award:
“When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop,” illustrated by Theodore Taylor III, is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Authors Patricia and Researcher Fredrick McKissack are the winners of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is presented in even years to an African American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults, and who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution.
 Patricia McKissack and her late husband Fredrick McKissack, both natives of Tennessee, began their writing and research partnership in the 1980’s.Their subject matter from family-based folklore to nonfiction titles, are scholarly researched and written with accurate, authentic text, creating a cultural transmission of history. Their immense range of topics are informative, readable and enjoyable, covering accounts from slavery days to biographical studies of noted men and women in African American history past and present.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“Midwinterblood,” written by Marcus Sedgwick, is the 2014 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Eleanor & Park,” written by Rainbow Rowell and published by St. Martin’s Griffin (Macmillan); “Kingdom of Little Wounds,” written by Susann Cokal and published by Candlewick Press; “Maggot Moon,” written by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian Crouch and published by Candlewick Press; and “Navigating Early,” written by Clare Vanderpool and published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, Penguin Random House Company.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:
“A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin,” written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.
“Handbook for Dragon Slayers,” written by Merrie Haskell and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13) award.
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Rose under Fire,” written by Elizabeth Wein and published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

 “Brewster,” written by Mark Slouka and published by W. W. Norton & Company

“The Death of Bees,” written by Lisa O’Donnell and published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

“Golden Boy: A Novel,” written by Abigail Tarttelin and published by ATRIA Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

“Help for the Haunted,” written by John Searles and published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

“Lexicon: A Novel,” written by Max Barry and published by The Penguin Group, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

“Lives of Tao,” written by Wesley Chu and published by Angry Robot, a member of the Osprey Group

“Mother, Mother: A Novel,” written by Koren Zailckas and published by Crown Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

“Relish,” written by Lucy Knisley and published by First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership

“The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel,” written by Katja Millay and published by ATRIA Paperback, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

“The Universe Versus Alex Woods,” written by Gavin Extence and published by Redhook Books, an imprint of Orbit, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Bink &Gollie: Two for One,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video’s cast is anchored by Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome, with music by David Mansfield. Tony Fucile’s artwork is brilliantly brought to life by Chuck Gammage Animation.