Unspoken by Henry Cole review / Tidy Books Blog - Perfect Home for Kids Books

[...] little while, having had my attention drawn to it by blogger and librarian 100 Scope Notes, and the New York Times picks of 2012.  The book was tipped by many to be a Caldecott winner, but beaten to it by Jon Klassen’s [...]

Posted : Oct 01, 2013 11:50

Ruth Duncan

For me, Unspoken is one of those books that will become a classic. It's simplicity is its strength; beautiful and powerful. I'd keep it on my bookshelf even when my kids have left home. Shame it didnt' get Caldecott recognition, but good to see it getting recognition from others.

Posted : Feb 05, 2013 11:35

Best Books of 2012 | AES Elementary Library

[...] New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books [...]

Posted : Dec 09, 2012 05:34

Best Illustrated Children’s Books 2012 | iYouth Blog

[...] this month, the New York Times released their list, via twitter, of the Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2012.  10 books have been selected for this year’s award, which also happens to be the 60th [...]

Posted : Nov 11, 2012 07:38

Chapter summaries

I LOVE your blog. Thanks for the great recommendations and all the awesome reads!

Posted : Nov 09, 2012 06:32

Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole | BookDragon

[...] which pubbed just last week, has already been named one of New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2012. Even without that latest (well-deserved) honor, if creator Henry Cole‘s name or his [...]

Posted : Nov 06, 2012 02:22

Judy Houser

Unspoken is an exceptional picture book and definitely deserves the recognition. Cole's illustrations don't just enhance the story--they are the story. Beautifully detailed, Unspoken requires more than just a skimming.

Posted : Nov 03, 2012 09:58

Lolly Robinson

I know Robin and I will be posting about many of these individually over the next few weeks, but here are my initial thoughts on the seven I could put my hands on. Bear Despair -- wordless books always get a lot of attention and this one certainly makes the most of emotion. But while I can admire the effect the art is going for, this book wouldn't have made it onto my personal top ten list. (We probably won’t be posting about this book -- it’s not eligible for the Caldecott because Doremus lives in France.) The Beetle Book -- I think insects are the perfect subject for Jenkins's careful collage art. While I'm a big fan of the art in this book, I have trouble with the small handwriting-style text. I found it difficult to read and therefore uninviting. As Roger says, these details probably weren't being considered by the NYT committee. House Held Up By Trees -- there's a lot to admire here and Klassen gets to show more depth and emotion than he does in This Is Not My Hat. This book shows what a good artist he is, but Hat is a better example of playing with the picture book form. The Hueys in the New Sweater – I haven’t seen this yet. For what it’s worth, it was reviewed in the Horn Book Guide rather than the Magazine. Infinity and Me – I can’t imagine a more daunting task than to try to illustrate this text. Bravo, Gabi Swiatkowska, for taking it on. That said, this is a style that doesn’t really speak to me so if I were asked to review it, I’d need to pass it on to someone who can appreciate it better. (This is another that’s not eligible for the Caldecott because the artist lives abroad.) Little Bird -- I haven’t seen this one either (also passed up by the Magazine and reviewed in the Guide). One Times Square -- I could look at this book for hours. I’m intrigued by the three distinct styles: architectural drawings with thin, precise line; painterly watercolors; retro pen-and-ink. I find all three styles appealing, but I don’t think it’s a picture book so Robin and I probably won’t be posting about it. Red Knit Cap Girl -- This is the third book I haven’t seen. Also reviewed in the Guide, not the Magazine. Stephen and the Beetle -- I see some similarities in style among Bear Despair, Infinity and Me, and this book. It’s interesting to speculate on the role of personal taste when there is a small, three-person committee. I like this one better than Bear or Infinity, especially as the book progresses and we get closer to the beetle. Too bad this one isn’t eligible for the Caldecott either. Unspoken -- We will definitely be talking about this book, and it’s received a lot of attention in the past couple of months. There’s also been some controversy regarding the prominence of the quilt on the first few spreads. I think it’s got a shot at the Caldecott but will take some work. I do like the art and pacing. The rest of my comments will need to wait!

Posted : Nov 02, 2012 03:42

Roger Sutton

To answer Becky's question--I've judged the NYT awards three times (but under a different editor, so policies and procedures may have changed). There are no rules beyond the three judges picking what they think are the ten best illustrated children's books submitted to the Times. The hitch is that most of the judges only see most of the books on the day of the judging, so there's a lot of skimming. Thus, the books are judged more on the quality of their illustrations alone rather than on the effectiveness of any book as a whole. I remember having the damnedest time getting The Stinky Cheese Man on that list, but I did!

Posted : Nov 02, 2012 02:20

Deb Paulson

I felt that House Held Up By Trees and Little Bird have ideas and subject matter aimed more toward the people who buy picture books (the adults) rather than children. So to my mind, these are picture books for adults. Additionally, I think Klassen's edgy illustrative style is much more suited to a story like Extra Yarn or I Want My Hat Back than a story about the flowing, cyclic nature of life. I was disappointed when I tried to match story to pictures in that one, always wishing for a better match.

Posted : Nov 02, 2012 01:10

Rebecca Hachmyer

What is the criteria for this award?? Several of the winners have art that I appreciate but don't have the overall package that I would expect from a truly excellent picture book. So maybe this award is honoring something different? I was underwhelmed by The Hueys, but that was more about the lack of story than the quality of the pictures (I didn't work for me to have essentially all of the action take place off stage after the final page turn. Caldecott's Broken dish added another layer to the nursery rhyme-- it didn't carry the whole story.). Unspoken's style is wonderful-- I see echoes of Mercer Mayer's work for John Bellairs in his figures. House Held Up by Trees is lovely as a work of art. I will reserve judgement on the others..... for now :)

Posted : Nov 01, 2012 10:17

New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books Winners 2012 « It's a Blog!

[...] the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College and ten books were chosen. Click here to see the ten [...]

Posted : Nov 01, 2012 09:48