This is Not My Hat - Jon Klassen

I discovered this beauty as I was trying to catch up with the Caldecott Award books I hadn't read yet. Based on my previous experiences with Caldecott winners, I had more or less established a subconscious set of rules as to what kind of feelings a Caldecott book would evoke. This is Not My Hat shattered those expectations in the most enjoyable way possible, leaving me jaw dropped, laughing, and dumbfounded in the end.

The illustrations are worthy of the award - not just for their stunning quality, but also for their key role in telling the story. They work together effortlessly with the text to keep the reader engaged and eager to see what will happen next.

Jon Klassen pushes the modern limits of "safety" in the picture book world. While what exactly happens at the end is not entirely clear, a less-than-cheerful outcome for the protagonist is implied through the illustrations. Cautionary tales are sugar coated or reinterpreted in contemporary storytelling, leaving the audience with the false sense of security that bad choices don't necessarily have bad consequences. This book brings us back to the good old cautionary tale in a hilarious modern way.

The Day the Crayons Quit - Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

For anyone who has ever used crayons, this book is a must. Daywalt explores what crayons would be like if they had personalities based on how we tend to use them. The different crayon perspectives are absolutely hilarious. Jeffers' illustrations are expressive and to-the-point. An overall fun picture book for the whole family to enjoy.

Antonia, the Horse Whisperer - Elisabeth Zöller and Birgitte Kolloch

Eleven-year-old Antonia Rosenburg helps care for the horses on her family-owned riding stables. She has big dreams of winning riding competitions, but those dreams are put on hold when her favorite horse is injured. When her family takes on a new client with a wild-mannered horse, Antonia discovers that she has a natural gift for reaching out to this horse. The problem: their client doesn't want an eleven-year-old near his precious horse. The other problem: the horse, Elfin Dance, won't go willingly to anyone else.

This book is a cute beginning to a promising series. Instead of being about winning a big horse competition or accomplishing amazing feats, Zöller and Kolloch focus on human-to-human and human-to-horse interactions. The problems Antonia faces are realistic and not overly dramatic. Antonia never doubts her natural gifts, even if others do. She takes action to solve her problems in a realistic way. There are no "bad guys" in this book, just problems that need solving.

This is a great transitional book from intermediate to juvenile fiction. The illustrations by Gotzen-Beek are cute and plentiful, which may help girls who are reluctant to move into more advanced books. It flows nicely and quickly. I look forward to more in the series.