Picture Books!

Posted on October 10, 2024 at 5:13 am by Gene Ambaum

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Little Simon, 2024. 9781665959551. (board book)

Pumpkins in a store in a big city wait to be chosen and made into jack-o’lanterns for Halloween. One of them realizes there’s a problem., and it’s not the gourd — it’s the pumpkin without a stem on top. I loved the gourd, the black cat, and the happy ending.

Pizza Shark: A Fin-Tastic Feast by Mike Lowery. Orchard Books, 2024. 9781339045832.

Edgar (a shark) invites his friends over for a pizza party. Lotta (a crab) arrives first, asks where the pizza is, and then tries to teach Edgar how to make pizza. (The problem is they don’t have any toppings. But not to worry, there’s a solution for that, too.) Lowery’s art can make any idea fun, including shark-friendly pizza. Bonus: this one has a few fishy puns for adults.

The Quacken written by Justin Colón, illustrated by Pablo Pino. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. 9781665922487.

There’s a fearsome creature at Cucumonga Campground. The most important rule is “Do Not Feed The Ducks.” But they look hungry, and after Hector breaks that rule nowhere is safe. This book seems destined to create a fear of ducks, though Pino’s drawings make it all crazy fun, especially the vomiting scene.