For the past several years the Caldecott (best children’s picture book of the year) and Newbery (best novel) haven’t satisfied me. So I’ve decided to initiate the Wilde Awards. Beating the team of librarians to the punch, (Their announcement comes the end of January), I’m also, as an independent, design my own award criteria. So here follows the first Wilde Children’s Book Awards.
Books most likely to change children’s book history:
A tie for two new books: Sam and the Tigers written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Dial, $15.99) and The Story of Little Babaji written by Helen Bannerman, illustrated by Fred Marcellino (HarperCollins, $14.95). Almost a century ago Helen Bannerman published Little Black Sambo, the story of a small boy who outwits the tigers who have taken his beautiful new clothes. For decades the book has provoked so much controversy about its racist elements, many librarians remove it from their shelves. The Story of Little Babaji preserves the original with the exception of changing the names to authentic Indian names. Sam and the Tigers builds on the foundation of Bannerman’s original, and takes many departures blending a long-ago-faraway voice with spirited dialect and an urban contemporary attitude that brings the tale straight into the nineties.
Picture Book with the Best Young Female Character:
*Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow, $15.00; grades K-2) Lilly, adored heroine of two other Henkes picture books, returns for a staring role in the story of a small girl who adores everything about school, especially her playful teacher, Mr. Slinger, who makes learning fun. Until one day, when Mr. Slinger, must impose a limit on his exuberant student. Once again, Henkes hits the emotions of early education on the mark, and finds words to help children think about their relationships with important adults in their lives.
Sexiest Non-Fiction :
*There’s a tie between individual book titles, both deserving because of their incredible photography, clear writing and intriguing approach: Patricia Lauber, Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms (Scholastic, $16.95; grades 2 and up); Sandra Markle, "Outside and In" series Sharks (Atheneum, $16.00; grades K-6); Seymour Simon, The Heart ( $16.00) (both from Morrow; grades 3 and up); and Anastasia’s Album: The last tsar’s youngest daughter tells her own story (Hyperion, $17.95; ages 9-12)
*There’s been a myriad of wonderful picture book biographies, my favorite: Kathleen Krull, Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman. (HBJ, $16.00; grades 2 and up) which is poetic in telling and illustration and tells the story with strength that properly represents its heroine.
*And last...a whole series that deserves the award: Henry Holt’s new w5 (who,what,where,when and why) series. The first set of books creates an impressive tour of ancient eras with Michelangelo and His Times, Alexander and His Times, Ramses II and Egypt and Caesar and Rome . all books from Holt, $19.95 All titles have the feel of cutting-edge non-fiction. The illustrations and graphics are powerful and intriguing, while the text is just as impressive. Some of the series’ success results from the fact that each author is an expert on the subject covered and all write with an ease of authority and a passion for the period.
Books that Most Effected Our Family This Year:
*Sid Fleischman’s The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer’s Life (Greenwillow, $16.00; ages 9-12). This autobiography of the well-known children’s book author moves along at a rapid clip, my daughter devoured it and then decided to read every book he ever wrote.
*Hudson Talbott (with photojournalist Mark Greenberg), Amazon Diary: The Jungle Adventures of Alex Winters (Putnam, $15.95; grades 4 and up) My son, not quick to let a book grab him, wouldn’t move from the couch until he’d finished the fictional diary of Alex Winters, a sixth grader with a bit of an attitude who’s traveling from Chicago to the Amazon Jungle to join his anthropologist parents. On the first page, the plane crashes and by the fourth entry, Alex has been discovered by the Yanomami tribe. The unusual book combines drawings, Polaroids, integrates facts and fiction with a genius of design, conception, action and preadolescent voice.
*Shel Silverstein , Falling Up (HarperCollins, $15.95 ;grades K and up) Everyone kept picking up the book of poetry and reading aloud. And we all tried ""a list of friendship complaints that’s supposed to be said in one breath! My husband amazed us all by reading it twice in one breath!
Book That Most Surprised Me This Year
*I had some good laughs over The Amazing Pop-Up Grammar Book (Dutton, $16.99; ages 7 and up) by Jennie Maizels and Kate Petty in the catalog. "Let’s see them make grammar appealing!" I scoffed. Interactive pages advertise adverbs, pronouns prepositions, conjunctions, plurals, possessives and punctuation in a way that children won’t be able to keep their hands or minds off them! This is one of those rare intelligent pop-ups whose concepts and presentation reflect a great deal of intelligence.
Book that Got the Most Laughs This Year
*I cracked up adults with readings of Mimi Otey Little’s Yoshiko and the Foreigner (F,S,G $16.00; ages 8-12) a picture book which tells of the meeting of an American soldier and his Japanese bride. The story which has wonderful things to say about the universality of love, respect for culture and tradition, and family understanding begins with the soldier struggling with a guide book to speak the language. "I am a dancing girl. Where is the doctor?" and when the car erupts in giggles, he tries again. "You see, I am a boiled pepper." The subway roars and the Japanese girl takes pity on him.
The book that provoked the most child laughs would have to be David Pelham’s Sam’s Pizza (Dutton, $11.99; ages 4 and up) a rhyming pop-up which tells of a brother who loads up his sister’s pizza with reptilian and insect goodies.
Favorite Contemporary Novel and Book that Made Me Cry The Most
Definitely the most heart-breaking story I read was Suzanne Staples’ Dangerous Skies (Farrar, Strauss, Giroux, $16.00; ages 12 and up). The heroine is Tune, a young black woman whose mother died when she was a toddler and ever since she's been partly raised by Buck’s family. Race never seemed to matter as the two spent their childhood fishing and crabbing in the waters of the Chesapeake. But now they’re adolescent and Tune’s growing strange. Everything erupts in when Buck finds the body of Jorge Rodrigues, a Hispanic worker. Buck’s sure that the county’s most powerful and cruel man, Jumbo Rawlins is responsible. Everyone else blames Tunes and suddenly life changes. Nothing is what it once appeared to be and Buck is estranged from his parents, his friends, his past and even Tune herself is remote. The book builds gradually to a horrific and startling, shattering conclusion where readers learn the horrible truths that have been governing Tune's life and witness the sadness of Buck who finds he can do nothing to change the beliefs in his community or even the family who loves him.
**Best Historical Fiction:A Tie ***
A tie between the beautifully written Jip, His Story (Lodestar, $15.99; grades 5-8) by Katherine Paterson. Jip received his name from having fallen off a gypsy wagon as a toddler and has grown up at the town poor farm. The success of the farm is due to Jip, who has the rhythms of planting in his heart and the gentleness to coax calves and milk from a cow that wouldn’t produce. Jip has the caring to make family of two other unfortunates, the slow-witted Sheldon, and Put, a man given to fits of lunacy. Despite the cruelty and the bareness of his life, Jip is happy with his lot, though he wonders often about those who deserted him. Once Jip begins to attend school, a string of mysteries begins to unfold and he discovers he is the son of an escaping slave woman and a white master. Suddenly, he is a victim of prejudice and must escape the slave catchers. Paterson’s lyricism and imagery makes Jip and his mid-19th century world vivid.
Karen Cushman’s The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (Clarion, $13.95; ages 10 and up) is a gold-rush story of a young woman who’s unhappy to be leaving New England civilities and the father recently buried before they left. Cushman, using Lucy’s voice, gives a wild word ride through eccentric characters and their bizarre actions. Historical research is flawless and she definitely knows the heart of a young woman yearning for home and confusion about what she needs and wants.
Worst series of year:
Pat Pollari’s Barf-O-Rama has twelve new titles including:To Wee or Not To Wee; Scab Pie, Mucus Mansion; The Great Puke-off and Jurassic Fart. Each has lots of disgusting writing, incredible child-appeal, and most offer a glossary to inspire learning new vocabulary words like "nose noodle" and "ninja fart." And they're only $3.50! At that affordable price, your child will be able to save allowances easily and collect the whole set!