a good book.

Today's theme is authors who create their own illustrations (or if you prefer, illustrators who write their own stories!) The author/illustrator is a curious beast. It is rare to find someone with one particular talent, but to find a person with two, well that's just cause for extreme jealousy (on my part at least.)

One perk is that they know exactly what they want from the story they are trying to tell but on the flip side they have full responsibility for the whole shebang, no partner to bounce ideas off of or collaborate with.
Here are a few recent editions of solo undertakings that shine.

Flora and the Flamingo
Author/Illustrator: Molly Idle
Pages: 32
Age Range: 2-7
Published: 2013
Genre: picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

Chubby little Flora dons flippers and mimics the graceful flamingo's every move but the flamingo is having none of it. Doing her best to discourage Flora, the flamingo squaks at her and sends her splashing into the water. But seeing her dripping and sad then she has a change of heart, helps her up and the two dance beautifully togteher. Beautiful, wordless with lifting flaps creating movement and action on each page. soft pink palette will appeal to the ballerinas in the crowd proof that anyone can do anything they set their minds to (though they may need a bit of help along the way!)

The Great Lollipop Caper
Author/Illustrator: Dan Krall
Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-8
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ***
Rating: PG

All kids love Lollipop but no kids love the earthy, acidic little Caper (well, except adults but he doesn't count them, he wants the kids!) But he has a plan to flavor all the lollipops to taste like capers and thus win them all over! Donning a trenchcoat and hat (looking a bit villainous but apparently passing as a harmless pea) he sneaks into the lollipop factory to carry out his evil deed. But it backfires and only Lollipop can save the day and conseqently teaches Caper a thing or two about being yourself. Cute, sillly and ...capers, seriously! The endpages are adorned with (doctored) photos of the two main characters. Running text tells the story punctuated by speech bubbles from the characters and bystanders. The book has an almost cariactured vaudeville feel but with bright, unlikely color combinations (vivid red background spreads, neon greens,) rather than black and white and the comically grotesque facial features will be sure to make kids giggle. Perfect for fans of the slightly dark and twisted like Lemony Snickett and Jon Klassen.


Windblown
Author/Illustrator: Edouard Manceau
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-6
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ***
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G

In the vein of Press Here and so many other interactive types of books to come out of late this also invites the reader to participate, but not until the end. Some colorful scraps of paper are blowing in the wind but with each page turn they rearrange into a different animal who had a part in making them what they are now (cutting them up, making the paper, shaping the wood etc.) The text builds in 'the house that jack built' fashion inviting vocal participation from the reader/listener. The illustrations are simple, the colored pieces taking center stage and being accented by basic pen drawings to turn them into something new. It could easily be used in a classroom with students being given some matching scraps and encouraged to add their own embellishments (or big pieces of paper to make scraps of their own.) By the end the wind blows them all the way to you…what will you do with them?

Ben Rides On
Author/Illustrator: Matt Davies
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8
Published: 2013
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG

Ben gets a new bike and it's perfect! He rides it all the way to school, the really, really long (and adventurous) way. But when he gets there it's stolen by the big bully Adrien Overbite and all day Ben thinks only of his poor bike and how he can exact revenge. He's crushed, particularly when he sees the bike smashed against a tree on his long walk home. But then he realizes that Adrien has been launched over the nearby cliff. At first he thinks he's gotten his comeuppance and plans to leave him there but his concscience gets the better of him. He helps Adrien only to have him ride off again on Ben's bike. But Adrien has a surprise up his sleeve.
This is a great little story of doing the right thing (and a conversation starter about bullying and making good choices). Davies scribblyish illustrations (reminiscent of David Catrow though the pallette is subdued) are fabulous. I particularly love the facial expressions. Former Pulitzer prize winning political cartoonist, this is Davies' first political cartoonist, this is his first foray into picture books.