THE GREAT QUILLOW by James Thurber/ Illustrated by Steven Kellog
     "This contemporary fairy tale by one of America’s best-loved authors brings style and humor to the familiar folk theme of overcoming brute strength with intelligence and courage. The artwork captures the bustle and the bickering of the story as well as the terror and the wonder. A fine choice to read aloud, even to children who could read it to themselves.” - Booklist
     "Thurber's beloved classic, originally published in 1944 ... This meddling giant terrorizes the countryside demanding daily rations of mammoth proportions. Despite their skepticism, the townspeople give their confidence to Quillow the toy maker, who has a plan to cleverly outwit the brute. A delightful chuckle of a book!"- School Library Journal
PUBLISHER: Harcourt Brace Contemporary Classic 1994

WINTER'S CHILD by Angela McAllister,/ Illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith
     "McAllister's fairy tale is based upon an idyllic friendship between two young boys, Tom and a supernatural child who, unknown to the former, is the son of Winter. They play so well together that they wish winter will never end. Winter's Child out-stays his natural season to please Tom, but there is a near fatal price to be paid by his continuing presence. Winter's Child has to leave Tom to allow for the return of Spring. The themes ... include the old advice to be careful what you wish for, of relationships between the generations, of the power of friendship, of the nature of making sacrifices, of the vulnerability of old age and the Biblical precept: to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the sun." - The School Librarian Journal
PUBLISHER: Templar 2012

BEEGU by Alexis Deacon
    "This book's raison d'etre is an endearing yellow alien named Beegu, who resembles a cross between a stuffed bunny and a three-eyed toddler in footie pajamas. Marooned on Earth after her flying saucer crashes, Beegu searches for help, her earlike appendages drooping in disappointment each time an unsympathetic adult sends her packing. At last she stumbles onto a playground, where welcoming children give her a hula hoop as a souvenir, and, more importantly, a positive impression of Earthlings to share with her parents when they finally return and beam her up for a joyful hug. Few words are used or needed, thanks to Deacon's clear visual storytelling. Beegu's experiences send a rather facile message about the sweetness of children versus the jaded self-absorption of grown-ups ("Earth creatures were mostly big and unfriendly, but there were some small ones who seemed hopeful"), but this drama of parental loss and reunion will resonate nonetheless."
- American Library Association
PUBLISHER: Hutchinson | Random House Children's Books, 2003

ONCE UPON A NORTHERN NIGHT by Jean E. Pendziwol/ Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
     "As a little boy sleeps soundly, wrapped up warm in bed, a winter tableau slowly builds outside, beginning with a single snowflake and culminating in a dazzling white wonderland. Pendziwol offers a quiet poem that beautifully and lovingly tells the story of how the scene appears. She gently evokes the snowfall, the animals creeping out of the woods to leave their tracks behind, the shimmering stars in the night sky, the glistening frozen branches of a willow tree, and the curlicues of frost framing the little boy’s windowpane. Award-winning Arsenault’s gorgeous, muted illustrations begin in blacks and grays but gradually expand to include bright swatches of color. The lilting, whispering rhythm and tone of Pendziwol’s poem, along with the accompanying serene landscape, make this a perfect snuggly bedtime read-aloud." 
- Booklist
PUBLISHER: Groundwood Books 2013