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Simple Pleasures

Picture books that offer more heart than words

By Karyn M. Peterson -- Gifts and Dec, 11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM

Sometimes less is more. Each of these engaging new picture books has a quirky sensibility that utilizes simple language—or in a few cases no words at all. Yet far from limiting their appeal, these features will attract all ages of kids and adults. From the most basic question-and-answer format to the depth of a story told through complex, layered illustrations, all are sure to bring a smile.

Through spare, stylized line drawings, Not a Box, Antoinette Portis' defiant ode to the imagination, conveys the awesome spirit of childhood, when a cardboard box could be anything at all—a racecar, a mountain, a robot or even a rocket. Younger kids will delight in identifying the familiar inventions on each spread, while older kids will enjoy the simple text's charm and wit. ($12.99) HarperCollins, New York

In Kevin Sherry's hilarious debut, I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, an exuberant and personable giant squid proudly proclaims its size in relation to each sea creature it meets, an approach at cataloging one's surroundings that preschoolers can identify with. A surprising plot twist, an upbeat ending and a bonus page of reusable bathtub clings complete the package. ($16.99) Penguin, New York

In Scott Menchin's inspirational Taking a Bath With the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy, one blue little girl named Sweet Pea is cheered when a whimsical array of characters—from her dog to a man in the park—name their favorite things. Soon she begins to catalog her own. What makes her happy? Baking cookies with faces, sticking finger puppets on her toes, slurping spaghetti and so much more. ($15.99) Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Mass.

The fascinating, deceptively simple Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug, from comic book veteran Mark Newgarden and illustrator Megan Montague Cash, relates in pictures the not-so-average adventures of an average terrier. As the curious Bow-Wow tracks a tiny insect around his neighborhood block, the duo come face to face with their look-alikes … and then things really get weird. Tongue-in-cheek humor and lots of surreal details make this title outrageously fun on multiple levels. ($12.95) Harcourt, New York

In David Wiesner's award-winning Flotsam, an underwater camera washes up at the feet of an inquisitive boy, who promptly develops the film inside. The result is an astounding series of photos—a clockwork fish, a puffer serving as a hot-air balloon, an octopus in an armchair—rendered in lush watercolors. Shifting perspectives, a trip back through time and a beguiling (yet wordless) narrative will intrigue older kids and adults. ($17) Houghton Mifflin, New York

Suzy Lee's The Zoo depicts an unusual family outing in which a boisterous little girl, following a brightly colored peacock into a world of fantasy, becomes separated from her mom and dad. Her wild adventures with the various animals, conveyed in a vivid palette, parallel the gray-toned world in which her parents are frantically searching for her. A sophisticated, winning offering for dreamers of all ages. ($15.95) Kane/Miller, La Jolla, Calif.

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