The Lion & the Mouse is a 2009 nearly wordless picture book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. The book, published by Little, Brown and Company, tells Aesop's fable of The Lion and the Mouse. In the story, a mouse's life is a spared by a lion. Later, after the lion is trapped, the mouse is able to set the lion free. Adapting the fable, with the moral that the weak can help the strong, as a wordless picture book was seen as a successful way of overcoming the brief plot generally found in the source stories. While it was Pinkney's first wordless picture book, it was not the first time he had told the story, having previously included it in his Aesop's Fables, published in 2000. Pinkney, who had received five Caldecott Honors, became the first African American to win the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. His illustrations were generally praised for their realism and sense of place. The cover illustrations, featuring the title characters but no text, drew particular praise.
This Is Not My Hat is a 2012 American children's picture book by the author and illustrator Jon Klassen. The story is told through the unreliable narration of a little fish, who has stolen a hat from a big fish and how the big fish reacts to the theft. It is a thematic follow-up to I Want My Hat Back (2011) and was meant to be a more literal sequel until Klassen took a suggestion to change which animals were in the story. The book was well received by critics who praised its dark or ironic humor which could only be understood by comparing the words of the little fish's narration against the events of the illustrations. In addition to several positive reviews, Klassen won the 2013 Caldecott Medal and the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal becoming the first book to win both awards. This is Not My Hat was also a commercial success.
Rabbit and the Moon is a 1998 children's picture book by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Leslie Baker. It is an adaption of a Cree legend about how Rabbit reached the Moon, and how the Whooping crane got its long legs and red head marking.
New Shoes for Silvia is a 1993 Children's picture book by Johanna Hurwitz and illustrator Jerry Pinkney. It is about a girl, Silvia, who receives a present of a pair of red shoes that are too large for her, and what she does with them until many months later when they finally fit her.
The Hired Hand: An African-American Folktale is a 1997 book by Robert D. San Souci and illustrator Jerry Pinkney based on an African American folktale about an itinerant worker who is able to rejuvenate and resurrect people.
Where Crocodiles have Wings is a 2005 children's picture book by Patricia McKissack and illustrated by Bob Barner. It is a rhyming story where imaginative animals occur.
The Christmas Boot is a 2016 picture book by Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Jerry Pinkney. It is about a woman, Hannah Greyweather, who finds a single black boot, that turns out to be owned by Santa.
5 Little Ducks is a 2016 children's picture book by Caldecott Honor recipient Denise Fleming based on the nursery rhyme of the same name.
Ducks Away! is a 2016 children's picture book written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Judy Horacek. Published by Scholastic Inc., It is about a mother duck and her five ducklings attempting to cross a bridge, one by one, and fall off the bridge into the river below. The duck becomes more and more agitated until she, with the last of her ducklings dropping into the water and their encouragement, decides to follow them.
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin is a 2017 children's picture book. The book tells about the plants, animals and habitats of the Grand Canyon, both now and in the past, using the premise of a hiking trip there. The inspiration for the book was a trip in high school; Chin had originally conceived of a Grand Canyon origin story. The book marked the first time Chin used die cuts, in addition to his normal use of pen and ink, watercolors, and gouache. The book was awarded a 2018 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations and a 2018 Sibert Honor for its informative text. Grand Canyon is one of only a few non-fiction books that are not biographies to be recognized by the Caldecott.
Squirrel's New Year's Resolution is a 2010 Children's picture book written by Pat Miller and illustrated by Kathi Ember. It is about Squirrel who wants to make a New Year's resolution but initially doesn't know what it is, then helps her friends with theirs but is unable to think of one for herself. Finally, Rabbit tells her that she actually resolved to help someone every day.
A Father's Day Thank You is a 2007 children's picture book by Janet Nolan and illustrated by Kathi Ember. It is about Harvey, a bear cub, who, unlike his siblings, does not know what to give his dad for Father's Day until receiving all sorts of help from him comes up with a card of appreciation.
We Are Water Protectors is a 2020 picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. Written in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, the book tells the story of an Ojibwe girl who fights against an oil pipeline in an effort to protect the water supply of her people. It was published by Roaring Brook Press on March 17, 2020. The book was well received. Critics praised its message of environmental justice, its depiction of diversity, and the watercolor illustrations, for which Goade won the 2021 Caldecott Medal, becoming the first Indigenous recipient of the award. The book also received the 2021 Jane Addams Children's Book Award winner in the Books for Younger Children category.
The Paperboy is a 1996 children's picture book by American author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Inspired by Pilkey's own experiences as a paperboy, it tells the story of a paperboy and his dog as they deliver newspapers in the early hours of the morning. The Paperboy received positive reviews from critics and was awarded a 1997 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.
Tell Me About Your Day Today is a 2012 children's picture book by Mem Fox and Lauren Stringer. It is about a boy discussing the day's events with his favorite stuffed toys.
Lulu Gets a Cat is a 2017 children's picture book by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw. It is about a little girl called Lulu who wants a cat, shows her initially reluctant mother that she is ready by reading about cats at the library and treating her toy cat Dinah as if it is real, and then adopts a cat who she calls Makeda.
My Pet Human is a 2015 children's book written and illustrated by Yasmine Surovec. It concerns a black and white stray cat that likes his independence but is eventually persuaded through the regular provision of food and comfort that having a little girl and her family to look after him may not be such a bad thing.
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku is a 2011 children's picture book by Lee Wardlaw and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin. Told in senryu, it is about a shelter cat that is adopted by a family.
Going Down Home with Daddy is a 2019 picture book written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter. It tells the story of a young boy who attends a large family reunion at his great-grandmother's house and struggles to prepare a contribution to the family celebration. Inspired by Lyons's visit to a family gathering in rural Georgia, the book was published by Peachtree Publishing on April 1, 2019. The acrylic illustrations incorporate Adinkra symbols representing various concepts in Ghanaian culture. Critics praised the book's themes of family culture and heritage as well as Minter's illustrations, for which it received a Caldecott Honor in 2020. It also received the 2019 Lupine Award in the Picture Book category.
Nancy Speir is an American sculptor, painter, and graphic artist. She is best known as an illustrator of children's books.
