Picture Book Month - Day 8

Welcome back to another column about picture book favorites.  To make up for my non-blogging weekend I will introduce a family of authors today, the Woods.  Audrey Wood is a fourth generation artist who began writing picture books after the birth of her son, Bruce.  Her husband Don began illustrating some of her books, beginning with Moonflute.  The story will always come first and then they will decide on who will illustrate it.  Their son Bruce started as an illustration model for their books and is now an illustrator of over 20 books - 5 written by his mother. 

Silly Sally was written and illustrated by Audrey.  In this rhyming, cumulative story "Silly Sally went to town, walking backwards, upside down." Along the way she meets some animals who join her until they meet Neddy Buttercup "walking fowards, right side up."  They continue into town where everyone joins them.  This is a fun story for story time.

A Caldecott Honor winning collaboration between Audrey and Don, this is a rollicking tale of a king who refuses to leave his tub.  Children will love the antics of the silly king as the members of his court must one-by-one join him in the tub!  The repeated refrain is "King Bidgood's in the bathtub, and he won't get out! Oh, who knows what to do?"  Each member of the court has an idea, but they end up in the tub: "...cried the Queen...,'Get out! It's time to lunch!' "Come in!' cried the King, with a yum, yum, yum. 'Today we lunch inthe tub!'"  Children will find the illustrations hilarious as the tub fills up.  Finally the little page boy solves the problem by pulling the plug. 

Beginning in 2001, Audrey has collaborated on 5 picture books with her son Bruce.  So far, they have concentrated on concept books including 3 alphabet books, one color book and this counting book.  Ten Little Fish is a book I use for story times about the ocean, fish or counting.  The story counts down from ten, "Ten Little Fish, swimming in a line./One dives down, and now there are..." and the children love shouting out the answer "Nine!"  When only one little fish is left he meets another fish and they have 10 little fish and it begins again.  Children will love the colorful digital illustrations.

I must say that the Wood's books are a staple of my story times.  I  love The Napping House, The Big Hungry Bear, A Dog Needs a Bone, Quick As a Cricket, Piggies and Little Penguin's Tale.  Stop by the library and check some out!