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Henry in Love

by Peter McCarty

(Balzer & Bray, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 2-6

Peter McCarty has long been one of my favorite picture book illustrators. From Hondo & Fabian to Jeremy Draws a Monster, Peter’s books have earned a spot on many a child’s bookshelf. In his newest offering, Henry in Love, we meet Henry, a little cat who is smitten with one of his classmates.

Peter will be signing copies of his book on Sunday, February 14, 2010 at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY. Click here for more info.

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All Unquiet Things

by Anna Jarzab

(Delacorte, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 14+

I love a good murder mystery. Set in an exclusive Northern California private school, Anna Jarzab’s All Unquiet Things is just that – a total page-turner. Jarzab’s book introduces us to Neily, a boy still dealing with the emotional ramifications of his ex-girlfriend’s murder, one year before the book starts. She had dumped him horribly, but the night she died she tried to call him, and Neily didn’t pick up. The guilt still haunts him – if he had answered the phone, could he have saved her?

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A Very Big Bunny

by Marisabina Russo

(Schwartz & Wade, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 3-6

It’s hard to be little. Or big for that matter. Kids can be mean to one another, and hurt each others’ feelings. If a child is feeling picked on for being different, a book can really come in handy to make them feel better about themselves.

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The Purple Kangaroo

by Michael Ian Black and Peter Brown

(Simon & Schuster, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 2-6

There are a handful of picture books that kids demand their parents read again and again each night, books whose rhythmic words and bright pictures serve more to excite than to relax before bed. Nevertheless, these are the books that kids love. Such a book is Michael Ian Black and Peter Brown’s The Purple Kangaroo.

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Dinosaurs Love Underpants

by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort

(Aladdin, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 2-6

Did you know that the extinction of the dinosaurs came about after a long battle over underwear? It was a surprise to me, too, when I found out, but that’s exactly how it goes down in Claire Freedman and Ben Cort’s new picture book Dinosaurs Love Underpants. Published by Aladdin, this colorful, rhyming picture book presents a hilarious take on dinosaur extinction, and it’s perfect for all those rambunctious toddlers.

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King Lear

by Gareth Hinds

(Candlewick, paperback)

Recommended for ages 10+

It can be really hard to get teens to read Shakespeare. Yes, they have to read Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in school, but when a play is a required assignment it is rarely enjoyed by the reader. Luckily, artist Gareth Hinds has found a way make Shakespeare’s great works accessible to teenagers. His most recent work is a graphic novel version of King Lear, published by Candlewick. As Hinds says in his book, “Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be performed, and yet their greatness rests as much on their merits as literature – on the experience they give a reader – as on their theatrical power. I think the graphic novel form is a perfect bridge between the printed word and theatrical performance.” I agree with Hinds. The next best thing to taking your kids to a performance of King Lear is to hand them this graphic novel and let them watch the story unfold.

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Red Ted and the Lost Things

by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Joel Stewart

(Candlewick, paperback)

Recommended for ages 3-6

Has your child ever lost a favorite stuffed animal? This can be a pretty traumatic experience, but the next time this happens, just come to the bookstore and pick up a copy of Michael Rosen’s picture book Red Ted and the Lost Things. Illustrated by Joel Stewart and published by Candlewick, this is the story of Red Ted, a small bear-like stuffed toy, who gets separated from his girl, Stevie, and winds up in a vast lost and found in a train station. There he befriends another stuffed toy, Crocodile, and they scheme to find a way back to Stevie. They sneak out of the lost and found; out of the train station and into the outside world and meet up with a cat who helps them find their way home. This lovely story can be a comfort to worried kids.

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Weezer Changes the World

by David McPhail

(Beach Lane Books, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 2-5

Meet Weezer the dog, star of David McPhail’s new picture book Weezer Changes the World, published by Beach Lane Books. Weezer is just a regular dog, until something happens and suddenly he becomes more than just a dog – a peace ambassador to the world, or something like it.

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Nerds

by Michael Buckley

(Abrams, hardcover)

Recommended for ages 8-12

Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm series, is a favorite at our store. This fall, Michael debuts a brand new series: Nerds. Nerds introduces us to an elite team of 5th grade spies. Together, they make up the National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society, and the government calls on their service frequently, but they meet a new challenge in Dr. Jigsaw, an evil mastermind trying to take over the world.
Michael Buckley will be signing copies of his books at Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck on Saturday, January 9th from noon to 2. Visit oblongbooks.com for more information.

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