Picture Books

Picture books have so much to offer! Great storylines and fantastic illustrations work together to create a literary experience that is a feast for the eyes as well as an enjoyable reading experience. Here are a couple of fun ones that recently made their way home with me from the library!

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

Warning! This book contains a dangerous kitty-turned-criminal! The cause of this event... no cat food in the house! Augh, the horror! The misery! The mess that occurs when kitty finds out that the only available food options are healthy foods.! Thus begins a 4-part alphabetical adventure that is often more naughty than nice!

This cleverly concocted alphabet book comes to life through the brightly colored illustrations that clearly show the menacing meanderings of this rampaging kitty. Kitty, who is less than pleased with her owners wrecks havoc around the house, but returns to her loving "good kitty" self when the right kinds of food are reintroduced into the household.

Nick Bruel creatively romps through the alphabet on four separate occasions and his alphabetical choices such as: "Plotted against us" for the letter P and "was Violent with the vet" for the letter V, twist and turn this book into an entertaining and over-the-top exploration of alphabetical fun that children from kindergarten through 2nd grade are bound to enjoy.

KEYWORDS: picture book, alphabet, cats, pets, mischief, humor

One Dark and Dreadful Night by Randy Cecil

At the Wayward Orphans Theatre, the melancholy Maestro Von Haughty stands ready to present "three tales of terror and misfortune." However, the "talented tots" who live in the orphanage have their own idea of how the evening's entertainment should unfold and humorously and happily set their plans in motion, much to the dismay of the Maestro.

The mood of this book is double-sided, with the Maestro Von Haughty trying diligently to create a feeling of gloominess and dismay, and the orphans working hard to change each production into something more light-hearted and enjoyable for the audience. With cleverly placed asides as part of the dialogue and illustrations that not only extend the text, but clue the reader into what's happening behind-the-scenes, the reader enjoys the unfolding of a happier tale.

I enjoyed the conversational dialogue of the orphans that occurs as an undercurrent to the more polished and severe dialogue of the Maestro. I found myself laughing at the antics of the orphan performers as they work to undo the terrible tales of the Maestro and would recommend this book to be shared with children ages 8 and up, as they will appreciate the underlying tones of humor and wit that are based on some popular fairy tale stories and that lead up to a quite satisfying ending.

KEYWORDS: picture books, theater, fairy tales, orphans, humor