Picture Books Holiday Reading 2008

The boy who wouldn’t share, Mike Reiss and David Catrow
Edward is unwilling to share his toys with his sister, however, he has a change of heart when she has something he wants.
(NZ) Bubble Trouble, Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar
Little Mabel blew a bubble and it caused a lot of trouble! Such a lot of bubble trouble in a bibble-bobble way. For it broke away from Mabel as it bobbed across the table, where it bobbled over Baby and it wafted him away.
The cow that laid an egg, Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
A madcap, yet moving, story about having the courage of one's convictions. Great read aloud for all ages.
Dinosaurs love underpants, Claire Freedman and Ben Cort
Dinosaurs love underpants. And they will do just about anything to get their claws on a pair!
The Enemy, Davide Cali
A lone soldier sits in his foxhole during a battle, facing a lone enemy, only to discover that his enemy is a lot more like himself than he has been told. A profound yet deceptively simple picture book on war and peace.
Feeling sad, Sarah Verroken
Duck is feeling sad. Black clouds are hanging over her head, and her world seems full of darkness. Will she find the sun, or will it find her first?
The foggy foggy forest, Nick Sharratt
Who's lurking in the foggy forest? Whether it's a fairy queen on a trampoline, three brown bears on picnic chairs, or an ogre doing yoga, children will love trying to guess what each foggy silhouette will be.
CoverHow to Heal a Broken Wing, Bob Graham
No one in the busy city sees the bird lying on the pavement, its wing broken. No one but a small boy called Will. He and his mum carry it home and, with time, rest, and a little bit of hope, the wing mends and they set the bird free to soar over the city once more.
How to paint the portrait of a bird, Jacques Prévert and Mordicai Gerstein
A child wakes up, puts up an easel, picks up a brush and paints. This is a fable about art, wonder and creativity.
(NZ) Kei te pēhea koe, Tracy Duncan
A beautifully designed, with evocative illustrations and simple bilingual text, which explores feelings.
Knuffle bunny too, Mo Willems
Her daddy in tow, Trixie hurries to school to show off her one-of-a-kind Knuffle Bunny. But an awful surprise awaits her: someone else has the exact same bunny!
CoverLittle beauty, Anthony Browne
A gorilla is taught sign language. One day he signs that he is sad and needs a friend, so his keepers bring him a tiny cat called Beauty and the two of them become inseparable. But when the gorilla gets angry, will his keepers think him unfit to be friends with such a small, defenceless animal?
Little yellow leaf, Carin Berger
A yellow leaf is not ready to fall from the tree when autumn comes, but finally, after finding another leaf still on the tree, the two let go together. This is a story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown, and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.
(NZ) Maraea and the albatrosses (English) / Ko Maraea me ngā toroa (Te Reo), Patricia Grace and Brian Gunson
Maraea is an elderly Māori woman who lives by the sea. For generations, her whānau has had a special relationship with the local albatrosses, who always return home after their long sea journeys. Now Maraea is alone. Left to care for these beautiful birds, she begins a wonderful journey of her own.
(NZ) My favourite places, Martin Bailey
A boy walks around the New Zealand bush near his home and imagines that each place is a fantasy adventure.
Not a stick, Antoinette Portis
Just as a box is not always a box (see Portis’ previous title Not a Box), a stick is not just a stick. An imaginative young pig shows many of the things that a stick can be, whether it's used for conducting an orchestra, painting a masterpiece or slaying a dragon.
coverThe odd egg, Emily Gravett
When Duck finds an egg of his own he's delighted, it's the most beautiful egg in the world! But all the other birds think it's a very odd egg indeed and everyone's in for a big surprise when the egg hatches.
Odd bird out, Helga Bansch
Robert is different to all the other ravens. The other birds don't like his jokes, his colourful clothes or his singing. So Robert decides to leave home to find his place in the world. Translated from the German.
One boy, Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Innovative counting book with a clever play on the words.
Out of the egg, Tina Matthews
When the barnyard animals who refused to help her plant and tend a seed ask to play under the "great green whispery tree" that Little Red Hen grew, she says no, but her chick thinks that answer is mean.
(NZ) Peter and the pig, Simon Grant and Jenny Cooper
When Peter the pirate goes into the pet shop to buy a parrot the owner manages to sell him a whole list of alternative items with hilarious results.
coverPing Pong Pig, Caroline Church
Nobody told Ping Pong Pig that pigs aren’t supposed to fly.
(NZ) Seven stars of Matariki (English) / Te Huihui o Matariki (Te Reo), Toni Rolleston-Cummins and Nikki Slade-Robinson
When Mitai's seven handsome brothers are bewitched by seven beautiful wahine, Mitai seeks advice and learns that the women are patupaiarehe and must be cast far away. They are given to Urutengangana, the god of the stars, who places them in the far away heavens. Yet once a year, at winter solstice, he allows them to shine in the Eastern sky.
Spells, Emily Gravett
Once upon a time, a frog found a book. After reading "Spell to become a Handsome Prince" on a page fragment he tried to piece the spell back together, with unexpected consequences.
Splat the Cat, Rob Scotton
It's Splat's first day of school and he's worried that he might not make any friends, so he brings along his pet mouse, Seymour, hidden in his lunch box. But when Seymour escapes and the cats do what cats do (they chase mice!), Splat's worried again. Maybe now he'll lose all his friends, old and new!
Ten little fingers and ten little toes, Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury
Rhyming text compares babies born in different places and in different circumstances, but they all share the commonality of ten little fingers and ten little toes.
Wild boars cook, Meg Rosoff
Besides being naughty, greedy, stinky, and rude, wild boars Boris, Morris, Horace, and Doris are also very hungry. Luckily Doris finds the perfect recipe for them to make.