Announcement: Books of Wonder's Best Books of 1994

[Peter Glassman]

BOOKS OF WONDER'S BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 1994

The following is Books of Wonder's Best Children's Books of 1994 – our
staff's selection of the finest in illustrating and writing for children
published last year. This list was published in the newest issue of
Books of Wonder News. For a copy of this new issue or for more
information, please call us toll free at (800) 835-4315.

By the way, to my utter surprise, delight and (gulp!) embarrasement, my
staff voted my picturebook - My Working Mom - as one of the best
picturebooks of 1994. I credit it entirely to Tedd Arnold's wonderful
illustrations and wanted to let you know that I did not vote for my own
book! Now on to the list.

Best Picturebooks of 1994

What Am I? by N.N. Charles, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon.
Here is an extraordinary "concept" book which brilliantly ushers your
favorite youngsters into the wonderful world of words, shapes and colors.
Simple riddles in rhyme invite the youngest readers and listeners to
guess what is only partially revealed through cleverly cut out shapes in
the pages, which, when turned, reveal colorful pictures of familiar
mouth-watering fruits – creating a hands-on, imagination- stretching game
which provides youngsters with hour after hour of enthralling play. Best
of all, because it draws so many different concepts together into one,
simple, interactive, eye-catching format, it helps your favorite
youngsters begin to understand how things that at first seem very
different, can be similar and part of a larger whole. These brilliant
die-cut pictures represent the most innovative use of cutout pages we
have seen since Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Ages 2 – 5.

My Working Mom by Peter Glassman, illustrated by Tedd Arnold.
It's not always easy having a working mom. Especially when mom's job
involves flying off to meetings on a broomstick, brewing up potions and
mucking about with frogs and bats! Here's an enchanting tale that
explores one young child's problems with the trials, tribulations and
joys of having a working mother. This wry, bouncy picturebook is sure to
cast a spell over young readers and listeners with its cleverly
understated text and rambunctious pictures. Ages 3 – 7.

Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.
In this riotous tale, Isaacs introduces young readers and listeners to a
larger-than-life folk hero who could whup Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan and
Mike Fink all at the same time – even though she's a girl! Meet Angelica
Longrider – Tennessee's Swamp Angel – high-spirited child of the
rollicking, free-wheeling frontier. When the settlers are threatened by
a fearsome bear named Thundering Tarnation, Swamp Angel volunteers to
save them. Using her wits, spunk and strength, Swamp Angel battles
Thundering Tarnation from the Great Smoky Mountains to the starry heights
of the heavens themselves! Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Zelinsky's
glowing oil paintings on wood veneer backgrounds capture the frontier
spirit and fast-paced, outrageously funny zest of this riotous tall tale!
Ages 3 – 7. [N76-13646 $14.95]

Night Becomes Day by Richard McGuire.
"Night becomes day and day becomes bright. Bright becomes sun and sun
becomes shine..." As you and your favorite youngsters turn the pages of
this simple tale, you will gasp in wonder at the unfolding sequence of
transformations McGuire creates with both his words and his pictures as
he takes you on a fun-filled trip from night through day to night again.
Along the way, young readers and listeners will travel to vast oceans,
high mountains, a peaceful town, a bustling city and many other
fascinating places. This captivating voyage of transformations tumbles
from page to page with a riveting, dreamlike logic all its own,
introducing your favorite youngsters to the extraordinary power of
creative associations and opening the doors into the magic kingdom of
their imaginations! Ages 2 – 8. [N76-51769 $13.99]

The Maestro Plays by Bill Martin, Jr., illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky.
Martin's razzmatazz text soars with verbal pizzazz as it explodes with
the glorious sounds created by a musical genius. Radunsky's boldly
colorful, collage pictures capture all the maestro's dazzling virtuos-
ity. The ear and eye-catching splendor of this book is akin to the work
of the great Dr. Seuss and his friends – it begs to be read aloud and
chanted along with – which is an important early step in the process of
learning to read! Together, words and pictures combine into a joyful
symphony for the eye as well as the ear. Ages 2 – 7. [N76-31228 $15.95]

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann.
In this nearly wordless picturebook, a young gorilla steals the keys from
the zookeeper and sets all his animal friends loose. Together, they
follow the sleepy zookeeper home. The zookeeper is so unobservant, he
doesn't notice they've joined him in his bedroom and it's up to his wife
to set things right! Young readers and listeners will howl with laughter
at the slapstick humor Rathmann brings to this gentle story, and they
will squeal with delight as they find all the surprises hidden in her
deceptively simple, eye-catchingly colorful pictures – all of which make
this book a magnificent game of hide-and-seek as well as an ideal bedtime
tale to read and share. Ages 3 – 7. [N76-20565 $13.95]

Pigsty by Mark Teague.
Though Wendell's mom says his bedroom's a pigsty, when pigs actually move
in, Wendell's a bit startled! But it isn't so bad at first – they all
have a blast playing Monopoly, flying paper airplanes and getting into
pillow fights. But, when hoofprints appear on Wendell's comics and his
baseball cards are nibbled, Wendell decides something has to change – but
Mom won't help! You and your favorite youngsters will revel in the
inventive solution Wendell devises to his "pig problem." Teague's sly
humor and outrageously surreal pictures of Wendell and his pigs make this
a side-splitting tale for any child who has been told, "clean up your
room!" Ages 3 – 7. [N76-72501 $13.95]

Best Illustrated Books of 1994

John Henry by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
The building of the railroads springs to vivid life in this stirring
retelling of the American folktale about John Henry. From his birth –
attended by bears, panthers and deer; to his rapid growth and the
development of his epic strength; to his legendary feats digging tunnels
for the railroad, this lush, colorful book gives young readers and
listeners a portrait of a hero they can admire and look up to – and
perhaps emulate. Everyone needs a hero and here two-time Caldecott Honor
artist Pinkney and award-winning author Lester have given children of all
ages a hero as strong and noble as the mightiest steam engine – brought
to vivid life with Pinkney's amazing, detailed watercolors! Ages 4 – 9.
[N76-13626 $16.99]

The Frog Princess, retold by J. Patrick Lewis, illus. by Gennady Spirin.
This rich Russian folktale tells how a young Prince marries a frog who is
actually Vasilisa the Wise, trapped by a cruel enchantment. Through
foolishness, the Prince loses his bride, but through an act of incred-
ible bravery, wins her back and breaks the spell which holds her prison-
er. This riveting tale, lavishly illustrated with Spirin's elegant,
courtly paintings is sure to hold your favorite youngsters spellbound.
Ages 4 – 9. [N76-13634 $15.99]

Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer, illus. by K.Y. Kraft.
When Vasilisa's cruel stepmother sends her to the dreaded witch Baba
Yaga, Vasilisa fears for her life. Baba Yaga commands Vasilisa to
perform impossible tasks but Vasilisa – with the help of a magical doll
left to her by her beloved mother – succeeds, and in a wonderful, magical
twist of events, goes on to marry the Tsar of all Russia. Craft's
exquisite, minutely detailed pictures, which pulse with vibrant color,
capture all the lurking evil of Baba Yaga's hut and all the courage in
Vasilisa's heart. Never before have we seen such a lush rendering of any
tale about Baba Yaga! Ages 4 and up. [N76-38584 $16.00]

The Three Golden Keys by Peter Sis.
In an enchanted tour filled with history, legend and wonder, Sis takes
young readers and listeners on a visit to Prague, his boyhood home.
Walking the streets he knew while growing up, Sis searches for the three
keys that will unlock the door to the house in which he grew up. Aided
in his quest by a mysterious black cat, he finds each of the golden keys
in a different part of the city, each wrapped in a scroll which unrolls
to reveal a magical story Sis loved as a boy. A captivating text filled
with memory, history and tradition blend with Sis's bold, eye-catching,
page-spanning spreads to evoke happy, bittersweet recollections of
childhood. Interestingly, this was the last book edited by Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis. Ages 4 and up. [N76-26258 $22.50]

Best Fiction of 1994

Pink and Say written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco. Told in the
voice of Polacco's great-grandfather, this Civil War story opens to
introduce us to a young wounded white soldier named Say. Rescued from an
abandoned battlefield by an equally young black soldier named Pink, Say's
life is saved when he is brought to Pink's mother's farmhouse deep in
enemy territory. There, both boys are restored to health and united in
friendship when Pink teaches his illiterate friend how to read. Though
the tragedy of war separates these young men, their friendship and
sacrifice is immortalized in their family's remembrance of them.
Polacco's stirring commemoration of the principles of life, liberty,
friendship and the brotherhood of all people make this book a remarkable
testament to the power of the printed word. Her numerous color pictures
add depth and power to her vital message – a message with the power to
change the lives of all who read it. Ages 4 and up. [N76-20696 $15.95]

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger, illustrated by Tony Ross.
Amber Brown is an extraordinary third grader – one every child will enjoy
getting to know because of her hilarious sense of humor and outrageous
sense of fun. For as long as she can remember, Amber has been best
friends with Justin Daniels. But disaster strikes when Justin's family
must move to another town and Amber feels that Justin – caught up in the
excitement of moving – is ignoring her and hurting her feelings. Soon,
Amber and Justin begin to fight. Can their friendship survive? This
gentle, touching tale is expertly written in Amber's voice with verve,
grace and style by the author of The Cat Ate My Gymsuit! An unusually
powerful, well-told tale for readers just above the "I Can Read" level.
Ages 6 – 10. [N76-20560 $12.95]

Time and the Clockmice Etcetera by Peter Dickinson, illustrated by Emma
Chichester-Clark.
This delightfully witty tale tells of the Hickorys, the Dickorys and the
Docks – the magical, telepathic mice who live in a marvelous, gigantic
clock atop a town's highest tower. When the only man in the world who
knows how to fix the clock discovers the mice's extraordinary secret, he
accidentally puts them in grave danger. Can quick thinking and a clever
plan save the mice from being killed as part of a scientific experiment?
Dickinson has penned a riveting adventure filled with the same kind of
timeless fantasy which has made The Cricket in Times Square and Char-
lotte's Web such enduring classics! Exuberantly illustrated with
numerous pictures, many in color. Ages 7 and up. [N76-70177 $16.95]

The Mennyms by Sylvia Waugh.
Meet the Mennyms, a family of living ragdolls who have spent the last 40
years literally playing at being human! None of their neighbors,
employers or schoolmates suspect their secret and the Mennyms must guard
it in order to survive. All is well until the overseas heir to their
creator announces he's coming to visit! Can the Mennyms's keep their
secret and continue to play their happy games of being human? Waugh's
wry, witty fantasy is sure to keep young readers on the edge of their
seats! On a par with The Borrowers. Ages 9 and up. [N76-38577 $14.00]

Cezanne Pinto, A Memoir by Mary Stolz.
In this riveting novel, young readers will meet Cezanne Pinto and travel
with him as he comes of age while running away from slavery on a Virginia
plantation to first freedom in Canada, only to return to the United
States and become a cowboy in Texas. Cezanne narrates his own story – a
story of great triumph, tragedy and adventure – with grace, dignity,
humor and rage. Through Pinto's voice, Stolz captures the epic sweep of
American history as well as the minute, heart-warming details of what
it's like to grow up! Your favorite youngsters will experience with
Cezanne the degradation of slavery, the sweet fruits of freedom, the joy
of discovering the magic of reading, and the thrill of Pinto's days as a
cowboy. Ages 9 – 14. [N76-11897 $15.00]

Earthshine by Theresa Nelson.
12-year-old Slim struggles to accept the fact that her father is dying of
AIDS and, in so doing, begins to come to grips with her rage, helpless-
ness, grief and loss. At the urging of 11-year-old Isaiah – whose mother
has AIDS – Slim at first resists, then reluctantly joins Isaiah's
desperate search for a miracle that will save their parents' lives. And
when a miracle finally comes, it is nothing like either Slim or Isaiah
imagined. It does not save Slim's father's life, but it does have a
profound, moving impact on all who witness it. Told in the form of
Slim's journal, this heart-wrenching novel is filled with insight into
the mysteries of life and death. Ages 10 – 14. [N76-24182 $15.95]

The Ear, The Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer.
Set 200 years in the future in Zimbabwe, this riveting science fiction
novel is also a heart-stopping mystery story with some extraordinary
mutants playing the detectives. Three children who have lived their
entire lives sheltered behind security fences sneak out into a bustling
world from which they have been protected. Their inexperience quickly
marks them as the children of wealthy parents, resulting in their being
kidnapped and taken to a former toxic waste dump. From this grim
setting, the three children go on an odyssey of discovery through the
varied tapestry of a society they never dreamed existed as they seek a
way home to their grieving parents. One step behind and struggling to
rescue the wayfaring children are the Ear, the Eye and the Arm – a trio
of detectives who have been hired to find the missing children before
their parents' powerful enemies can seize them. Loosely based on Shona
mythology, this exceptional novel expertly blends speculation on psychic
powers with traditional African mysticism and pulses with vibrant life
and rich, imaginative invention! Ages 12 and up. [N76-24151 $17.95]

Best Non-Fiction of 1994

The Days Before Now, An Autobiographical Note by Margaret Wise Brown
adapted by Joan W. Blos, illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. With the
subtle, rhythmic grace that marks all her best work, Margaret Wise Brown
– beloved author of such childhood favorites as Goodnight, Moon –
describes with vivid immediacy a host of delicate details of her
childhood in New York City and on Long Island. Allen's delicately-hued,
soft focus pastel drawings illuminate all this moving book's most
touching moments giving you and your favorite youngsters a delicious
taste of days gone by. Ages 3 – 7. [N76-45334 $15.00]

It's Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris, illus. by Michael Emberley.
Puberty is probably the most confusing, difficult transitions any person
must live through. Here, in this remarkable book, Harris answers just
about any conceivable question an adolescent navigating his or her way
through puberty is likely to have. Emberley's colorful pictures clarify
in detail all the information contained here with humor and accuracy.
Your favorite youngsters are guided through all this by a bird and a bee
– one fascinated by the subject, the other reluctant – giving everyone a
guide with whom they can identify! Together, text and pictures make this
a reassuring, captivating and – best of all – entertaining book about
changing bodies, growing up, sexuality and sexual health. Ages 12 – 15.
[N76-33141 $19.95]

Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and what the neighbors
thought!) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt.
Krull introduces your favorite youngsters to 19 of the world's
best-known, best-loved authors – including such childhood favorites as
Frances Hodgson Burnett, Mark Twain, Jack London, Louisa May Alcott,
Robert Louis Stevenson and Hans Christian Andersen. The quirks, foibles,
genius and greatness of each author is highlighted in a concise
biographical note. Hewitt's full-page, glowing, humorous portraits add
grace and humanity to these giants in their field. Ages 5 – 10.
[N76-30554 $18.95]

I Spy A Lion, Animals in Art devised and selected by Lucy Micklethwait.
In this colorful, clever hunt-and-find book, Micklethwait invites young
readers and listeners to look at a selection of beautiful paintings from
around the world in a whole new way. Every painting here has at least
one animal in it – some are easy to find; some are hard to find. Can you
find them all? This hunt-and-find game makes looking at great art loads
of fun and will spark a love of fine painting in everyone! Ages 3 – 9.
[N76-38679 $19.00]

Jazz My Music, My People by Morgan Monceaux.
All American music – from the Broadway stage to the concert hall – bears
the unmistakable stamp of jazz's influence – the music first developed by
African Americans and later embraced by all American society for its rich
melodic invention, rhythmic force and freewheeling improvisational style.
In this magnificent tribute to the men and women who shaped jazz over
the last 125 years, Monceaux gives young readers fascinating looks at the
lives of such musical geniuses as Jelly Roll Morton, Bessie Smith, Louis
Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Lena Horne,
John Coltrane and a host of others. His carefully researched text and
his exuberant portraits make this a remarkable reading experience! Ages
7 – 12. [N76-11931 $18.00]

Best Reissues of 1994

Sleepy ABC by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina.
Here is an enchanting, rhythmic, rhyming bedtime alphabet book from the
pen of the author of Goodnight, Moon, with pictures by the author and
illustrator of Caps for Sale, now reissued as it was first published over
40 years ago with its muted-tone pictures in a patchwork quilt motif by
Slobodkina. What a wonderful, gentle way to introduce young readers and
listeners to the alphabet while lulling them sleep! Ages 3 – 6.
[N76-10405 $12.95]

Editha's Burglar by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illus. by Henry Sandham.
This long-lost gem from the pen of the author of The Secret Garden tells
of how Editha – a seven-year-old girl in Victorian London – convinces a
burglar to take her small, childhood treasures instead of stealing her
family's silver and other valuables. Now reissued in an attractive
facsimile of the original edition, this immortal tale is vintage Burnett
– Editha redeems the wicked burglar with the power of her goodness – a
theme reminiscent of The Secret Garden. Ages 7 – 10. [N76-40026 $14.95]

Egg Thoughts and Other Frances Songs by Russell Hoban, illustrated by
Lillian Hoban.
Frances, the beloved badger heroine of many classic picturebooks is back
with this collection of wise and witty poems from her own pen. Included
are her hilarious thoughts about different kinds of cooked eggs, the joys
of string, an ode to a favorite cookie, and more! Lillian Hoban has
created a whole new set of colorful pictures which capture all the joy of
these lilting, read-aloud poems. Ages 3 – 7. [N76-10493 $15.00]

The Rainbow Goblins written and illustrated by Ul de Rico.
All the world is threatened with losing the beauty of the rainbow when
seven crafty goblins plot to steal all its colors. Can quick-thinking on
the part of a field of clever flowers stop the Goblins' nefarious plot in
time? This long out-of-print treasure with its richly colored, sweeping,
panoramic oil paintings is one of the finest original fairy tales penned
in the last 30 years! And it is finally available again, with its
colorful pictures gloriously reproduced to delight the eyes of you and
your favorite youngsters! Ages 4 – 9. [N76-97093 $19.95]

* * * * * * * * * *

For more information or a copy of the Best of 1994 issue of Books of
Wonder News (which includes information about signed copies of many of
these books), please call us toll free at (800) 835-4315.

- Peter Glassman
Books of Wonder