Anita Lock

The Fan Brothers make their picture-book debut with a whimsical story bursting with hope and innovation.

Everything about Grimloch Lane is unspectacular. Among its uncreative residents is a young boy named William, who one day discovers that a tree outside the orphanage where he lives has been magnificently altered into an owl. William and his neighbors are delighted with the daily additions of marvelous topiaries that grace the once-lackluster street. While the neighborhood celebrates the most outstanding piece—a dragon—William spies the Night Gardener and follows him into Grimloch Park, where the two work side-by-side through the night, shaping the park’s many trees. What follows is a marvelously inspiring transformation, especially in the life of one young lad.

Terry and Eric Fan have produced an exceptional story of awakening, set during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Readers will discover a truly magical world in these eye-catching scenes rendered in graphite, pen, ink and watercolor. Intricately designed, vintage-style spreads incorporate light and well-balanced text, and the slow transition from drab scenes to ones replete with brilliant hues breathes life into the story of an orphan boy and his serendipitous encounter with the Night Gardener. 

An inimitable work, The Night Gardener has the potential to become an award-winning book and an all-time classic.

While children’s literature is replete with Beatrix Potter’s critters and their accompanying stories, there are far fewer biographical books on the beloved author, let alone tales about her that reflect her style of writing. Deborah Hopkinson and Charlotte Voake have joined forces to create a one-of-a-kind children’s book that mirrors the curious world of the inimitable Beatrix Potter.

Growing up in Victorian London, Potter and her younger brother, Bertram, had the whole third floor of their childhood home to themselves. Known as the playroom, it not only served as a habitat for Potter’s pet collection but also as a science laboratory and an art studio where she trained, drew and painted her motley menagerie. “But the sad truth is that although Beatrix loved animals, she did not always have the best of luck with them,” Hopkinson writes. Nonetheless, Potter persevered in her experiments. She begged her neighbor to let her borrow the prize guinea pig Queen Elizabeth for her next art project. The result is both bittersweet and eye opening.

Emulating Potter’s unique “picture letter” storytelling, Hopkinson combines her whimsical narrative with Voake’s quaint pen–and-watercolor illustrations to produce a story that was inspired by entries in the journal Potter kept from 1881 to 1897. Including an author’s note with additional information on Potter as well as resources for further research, Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig is a delightful read and wonderful addition to the Potter collection, just in time for the 150th anniversary of Potter’s birth.

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Origami Yoda series comes a wacky and witty tale about transportation.

McToad likes Thursdays for one simple reason: He gets to mow Tiny Island—although getting his lawn mower there is not as simple as one may think. He has to transport his mower via truck, train, forklift, airplane, baggage buggy, helicopter, boat and crane before happily cutting the lawn—complete with lemonade break—and then reversing the whole process to return home.

Tom Angleberger collaborates with award-winning illustrator John Hendrix to produce a story that will capture the interest of both kids and adults. While the mere mention of mowing the lawn may raise adults’ ire, there are those who look forward to the oft-weekly routine. Aside from the love-hate task, there are plenty of other big machines to keep older readers amused as younger listeners and readers get caught up in McToad’s fascinating journey. Angleberger’s straightforward text is enhanced with creative and attention-grabbing fonts for each form of transportation. Much like the catchy, cumulative format in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” Angleberger’s repetitive use of fonts engages young readers in McToad’s Thursday ritual. Hendrix’s colorful and hilarious illustrations, created with a combination of pen, ink and acrylics, turn McToad’s day into a madcap adventure.

An interactive read from beginning to end, McToad Mows Tiny Island is ideal for one-on-one story time or in a group setting.