Gris Grimly Illustrations

Crash (Jerry Spinelli)

Meet John "Crash" Coogan, football player, jock, king of the seventh-graders. Since the age of 6, he and his best pal, Mike Deluca, were mischief makers. Their favorite target: Penn Webb, Crash's geeky, pacifist, vegetarian neighbor. He wears clothes from used clothing stores and always wears a different button on his chest, and never even considers that the two jocks could be the suspects. After Crash's maternal grandfather has a stroke, his mother has to take good care of him, and she ends up quitting her job to be with him. Crash and his mom have to start shopping at secondhand stores to save money, and he gets a taste of what it's like. So when Mike takes a prank over the top, Crash has to figure whose side he's on.Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli's book makes you think about how financial status, religious beliefs or whatever our differences might be don't really matter; what does matter is how grateful you are for what you DO have, and we shouldn't judge others for what THEY have. "Crash" is full of comedy, sadness, and the moral definitely will leave you thinking. Recommended for ages 9-14.

Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud

When little Jordan Ray sets off with a big muddy spud he found, he's looking to make a deal with somebody to get rid of it, and take the money home to his family. But what he thought would be one simple trade turns into a long line of trades. This adventurous story by Gris Grimly ("Gris Grimly's Wicked Nursery Rhymes," "Tales of Mystery and Madness") comes along with all kinds of wacky, and sometimes spooky characters.There is a picture on every page, and it's all beautifully illustrated in watercolors, with a very Tim Burton-esque style, including exaggerated and crazy scenery with lots of pale greens, grays, browns and yellows.It's written as kind of a long poem, rhyming on every page, along with one sentence that goes throughout the book, adding words every time a new character comes along. It's very cleverly written, and is great for ages 8-10.

Once Upon a Time (Niki Daly)

In South Africa, a young girl named Sarie walks to school and back every day. She doesn't mind the walk - it's school that troubles her. When Mr. Adonis tells the class to open their reading books, Sarie gets a bad feeling in her stomach. The words jumble, and get all mixed up. All the kids in her class laugh at her stuttering, but not Emile, a shy boy who just watches her. He knows the others are just jealous because Sarie is beautiful. On Sundays, Sarie and her Auntie Anna go on imaginary rides in auntie's old car - a rusty old thing with missing wheels. They tell each other stories, and Sarie explains her feelings about school. One Sunday, Sarie finds a book in the back seat of the car, a copy of "Cinderella." They read together, building Sarie's confidence. After practicing, she becomes a beautiful reader. This charming book about the power of reading and writing includes gorgeous illustrations, also by Niki Daly. Daly tells a great story, in one short book, and his illustrations paint a genuine picture of life in South Africa, where he lives. Other books by Daly include "Jamela's Dress," "Happy Birthday, Jamela," "Bettina Valentino and the Picasso Club" and "Old Bob's Brown Bear." I recommend this book for ages 4-9.

How Artists See series (Colleen Carroll)

This unique and interactive series written by Colleen Carroll brings out the beauty and excitement in art. On each page is a painting, some incredibly famous ones, and some not-so-famous ones. The author isn't just talking about the painting, but talking to the reader about it. Asking questions like: How many colors do you see? How does the artist convey the feelings of the person in the picture? I am an artist, and Carroll really points out some things I wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't made it clear. These books are spectacular for young readers and older ones alike, considering that it is teaching you so well. The author also gives some information about the artists in the book, and compares their work with others. Each page is brief and easy to read, making this book good for little ones, too. Some of the books in this fun, artistic series include: "How Artists See Artists," "How Artists See the Elements," "How Artists See People," "How Artists See Heroes," "How Artists See Play" and "How Artists See Cities." I recommend these books for ages 7 and up.

Through My Eyes (Ruby Bridges)

"Through My Eyes" by Ruby Bridges is about an amazing woman in black history. In this inspirational and touching book, a young black girl named Ruby Bridges goes to an all-white school. You'll learn all kinds of things about that time period, from the KKK, to demonstrations on integration, to what the civil rights movement was like through the eyes of a black woman - hence the title. This book is full of photographs from that time, too, and the book isn't long, either. I've always thought this time in history was an interesting thing to learn about, and after reading "Through My Eyes," I really got an image of what it was actually like to live then. I think this book will inspire you to research more about civil rights, like it did for me. Although this book is targeted toward children and young adults, I think that everybody, young and old, should read it because of the message it sends: Don't judge a book by the cover. I recommend this book for ages 6 and up.

My Book About Me (Dr. Seuss & Roy McKie

It's always fun to look back at drawings you did, stories you wrote and crafts you made when you were a little kid, but wouldn't it be awesome to meet yourself as a 5-year-old? "My Book About Me" is a super silly, artistic and unique way to do just that. With all kinds of fill-in-the-blanks, the book includes simple questions like "How old are you?" and "How many teeth have you lost?" along with things like "How many shoelaces do you own?" and "How many windows are in your house?" It also has a section where you can draw your hairstyle on a pre-drawn face, and trace your feet and hands. This book has all kinds of fun things like that, which is why it is so great to keep, so you can look back and see all of your favorite things. I did one when I was 4, and then later when I was 7. It was so fun to compare the differences and see how I'd changed! This book has been around for a long while, and was first published in 1969. Even my mom had a copy when she was young. This book is great for all ages, because with the writing parts, parents can help, and the drawing parts kids can do on their own. I remember how excited I was when I finished writing in my first one, and now I'm waiting for my third book to come in the mail! Ages 4-14.