2005 Honor Book:
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
By: Mo Willems
If you have not read this book yet, you better go get it now! I loved Knuffle Bunny. Of the Caldecott books that I read, this was definitely my favorite. If you are a parent or a nearby stranger who has witnessed a baby's meltdown, you would enjoy this book. Trixie is the little lady in this book who is in love with her Knuffle Bunny. One day Trixie's dad takes her to the laundromat with him and she loses Knuffle Bunny. Trixie, unable to talk, spends the day crying, screaming, and absolutely melting down, leaving her poor dad in absolute misery. I often see children having these fits and wonder what could possibly be so wrong with them. I now know, that it doesn't have to be much more than lack of communication abilities. If I couldn't talk to others to tell them what was wrong, I would probably scream and cry too. All ages will love this tale. The illustrations in this book are like nothing I have ever seen before. Mo Willems sets fictional characters to real-life backgrounds in a very pleasing way. From this book I have learned that I can get a good laugh out of a real-life drama. The next time I see a child having a meltdown, I'm going to have to wonder if he/she has lost his/her Knuffle Bunny!
2004 Honor Book:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
By: Mo Willems
Mr. Willems delivers another hit out of the park with this tale of a stubborn pigeon. Although, the book is decorated with very few pictures, they are well suited and organized for the book. The sketches are simple and so is the story, making it a comical and an easy to read tale. The illustrations appear to have been done in crayon and pencil. The text reminds me of a young child trying to persuade someone to let him/her do something. I was fully entertained by this nonsensical banter and could have read it over and over again. I couldn't help but think of all of the times I had begged and pleaded with my parents to let me do something often offering up bargaining comments such as, "I never get to do anything!", "I'll be your best friend.", and ,"No fair." All of these were found in the book as well. Willems did not disappoint in the humor factor in this book either. He continued to lure audiences in with creative illustrations and true to life banter in both books. He has taught me that children are interesting and entertaining creatures, with persuasive p
ower.
ower. 2003 Winner:
My Friend Rabbit
By: Eric Rohmann
If you have ever had a friend that usually gets you into more trouble by trying to help, then you need to read this book. Rabbit and Mouse are good friends, but Rabbit is the type of friend that makes things worse by trying to help. Although, he is full of ideas, sometimes things just shouldn't be done his way. This reminds me a lot of my brother and I when we were growing up. Even if I knew his suggestion would get us into more trouble, I did it anyways because I wanted to be his pal. I think that anyone who reads this book could quickly find someone in their life who they could relate it to. This is a very simple book, without a lot to say. I would have to say that it was probably my least favorite of the ones I read. I've learned from this book that creative illustrations can do more for a book than words can. Sometimes the pictures can make the story come alive.
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