Best Illustrated Books of the Year

Here we go--the award season is upon us now: the National Book Award finalists have been announced, the Cybil panelists are hard at work whittling down their lists of nominees, and the New York Times has announced it's Best Illustrated Children's Books for 2009. And there are some beuts among this year's list. Personal favorites: Only a Witch Can Fly, A Penguin Story, and the breathtaking The Lion and The Mouse. I'm also happy to see Shaun Tan get a nod for Tales from Suburbia, to highlight the fact that illustrated books are not just for kids, even if a non-adult audience is in mind.

NYT notable Children's Books of 2008

The New York Times has listed it's notable children's books of 2008. Yet again, I must protest that of the 8 books listed, five of them are really YA titles. There are no books for early readers, (Elephant and Piggie are more then adequate,) middle readers (hello, Mercy Watson) or anything for the formidable 8-12 tween demographic. It's either picture books or 12 and up. What a swiz! And again, why do they limit the list to 8? I realize that illustrated picture books get their own list, but even that only brings the total of notable children's books to 24. Adult books get a list of 100! No balance whatsoever.

However, one comment I can make in favor of this list is that it includes Wabi Sabi. And readers of this blog heard it here first, back in June, that this was a special book.

NY Times Best Illustrated Children's Books 2008

The New York Times has released it's list of the best illustrated children's books for 2008. While I'm thrilled to see the inclusion of Wabi Sabi, what's with the rather cheap looking scans included in the slide show? Could the Times not produce better quality prints from the books? They are supposed to be highlighting the illustrations, after all.

Why we read

I'm catching up on my newspapers this morning (delayed school opening due to inclement weather--a mixed blessing.) This article in the New York Times about why we read caught my eye. It also quotes this years' winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Sherman Alexie, talking about the impact of The Snowy Day, the classic picture book by Ezra Jack Keats, had on his development as a reader.

New York Times Notable

Considering they came up with 100 books for grown-ups, this puny list of 6 Notable Children's Books by the venerable New York Times seems a bit of a jip. And only one of the titles, How to be a Baby...by me, the Big Sister (Lloyd-Jones, Sally), is legitimately a children's book. The rest are YA or have strong YA leanings (that means you, Mr. Potter.) A little more effort please!