Beehive Books

I believe, although I haven't checked all 50, that each state has a children's book award.  I know Illinois has the Rebecca Caudill, Connecticut has the Nutmeg...and Utah has the Beehive. 

The great thing about Utah is that it nominates picture books.  Oh, happy day!

So for the last 2 weeks we have worked our way through the list.  The picture book list that is.  And while we aren't yet done, I thought I would share our reviews so far. 

You'll find our short thoughts/opinions in the italicized words in parenthesis below each book description. 
But you don't have to take our word for it.  ;)

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night
by Joyce Sidman; illustrated by Rick Allen
Welcome to the cool night wood where lyrical verse and striking illustrations reveal the creatures, wonder, danger, and magic of the midnight hours.
(This is a nice book. Too long for one sitting, especially for young children. Lovely pictures.)

In the Wild
by David Elliot; illustrated by Holly Meade
Simple clever poems and vibrant woodcuts light up a world of exceptional beauty filled with favorite animals in the wild.
(This was fun and artfully enjoyable - but so annoying.  It is such a bummer to find human evolution folded so nicely into early childhood reading.)

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse
by Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Josee Massee
Remarkable reversos, or poems that are read two ways: up and down, turn fairy tale characters on their heads.  (Clever but so boring.  We couldn't finish it.  Many people loving this.  Just not us.)

Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles

by J. Patrick Lewis; illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Witty and wacky poems pose riddles that challenge readers to “Name That Book”.
(Very fun, especially for young independent readers.  Funny choice of books I thought, however.)

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)

by Barbara Kerley
Thirteen-year-old Susy Clemens wants the world to know that her papa, Mark Twain, is more than just a humorist so she tells his story in her own words.
(I loved this.  My children thought it was okay in a good way.  I'm not much of a Twain fan but I enjoyed this perspective and telling of his life.  Clever format.)

Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci
by Gene Barretta
Five-hundred years ago Leonardo da Vinci had ideas for inventions that foreshadowed modern-day robots, hang gliders and automobiles.
(We didn't mind this one.  There are a trillon children's books on Leo, however.)

All the World

by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon; illustrated by Marla Frazee
Through the course a day, a circle of friends and family discover the significance of things great and small.
(Love, love.  Love, love.  Did I mention we (I) loved this one?  But illustrations are my best friends and I loved these illustrations.)

Brontorina
by James Howe; illustrated by Randy Cecil
Despite her size and improper footwear, a determined dinosaur pursues her dream of becoming a ballerina.
(Funny.  A chuckle here and there.  We liked Edwina or Dinorella a little better.)

City Dog, Country Frog

by Mo Willems; illustrated by Jon J. Muth
An unexpected friendship brings joy throughout the seasons.
(Two thumbs very up!)

Clever Jack Takes the Cake
by Candace Fleming; illustrated by G. Brian Karas
A poor boy named Jack struggles to deliver a birthday present worthy of the princess.
(Again, we liked this one.  Not enough to buy it, but that's okay.  We enjoyed it.)

The Cow Loves Cookies
by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Marcellus Hall
While all the other animals on the farm enjoy eating their regular food, the cow chooses to eat the one thing she loves best.
(Molly and Tim thought this was cute.  I wasn't as sold but hey...it's a children's book!)

Name That Dog! Puppy Poems from A to Z

by Peggy Archer; illustrated by Stephanie Buscema

Twenty-six bright canine poems introduce dogs of every imaginable type and personality.
(Yes, twenty-six letters long but very fun verses.  Amusing illustrations are well.  We liked this one.)

Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated)
by Florence Parry Heide; illustrated by Lane Smith
Bored, unhappy Princess Hyacinth will float away unless she is weighted down, but her days are made brighter when a kite-flying boy stops to say, “Hello”.
(We all chuckled a little at first.  Then it was a little too much.)

Curious Creatures
by Barry Louis Polisar; illustrated by David Clark
Meet some of the world’s oddest animals, including the strangest creature of all--man.
(Very interesting animals...especially the monkey-to-man evolution AGAIN.  I mean, it's not like your brain is going to go to mush and you'll start craving bananas for simply reading this.  But come on people!  Yes, annoying.)

Shark vs. Train
by Chris Barton; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
A shark and a train compete in a series of contests to see who is best.
(Uh...I have to say, this is Molly's sense of humor.  Yep, Molly's.)

A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose
by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen; illustrated by Linzie Hunter
Amelia will stop at nothing to convince her parents to let her adopt a very special dog.
(It was interesting to hear my children's opinions on this one.  They didn't like it because they felt the girl was manipulative and dishonest with her parents.  I was glad they picked up on that.  Who was I to argue.  We do love a different Stuve-Bodeen book about Elizabeti and her doll.)

Spells
by Emily Gravett; illustrated by Emily Gravett
A little frog tries to find the one spell that will make him a handsome prince, but he quickly discovers that trial-and-error is not a good idea when performing magic.
(Ugh.  A big, collective yuck heard round the world!)

And that's it so far. 
I'll have to see how many more we can sneak in over the next few weeks.

Reading all these pictures books made me hungry for some more and I have been feasting. 

I'll have to work up a post of the other gems I've come across. 

Amazon is so happy. 

And so am I.