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Guest post by Suzanne Santillan author of picture book, Grandma’s Pear Tree.

My favorite picture book as a child was “Mrs. Twiggley’s Tree” written by the late Dorothea Warren Fox. It was a quirky tale about a terribly shy woman who lived in a tree with her dog and some visiting bears. During the story Mrs. Twiggley rises above her shyness to step in and save others, including those who were the most critical of her.

Little did I know that while I was reading this story I was learning a lesson of tolerance and helping others. I memorized the story and to this day I can still recite portions of the text.

The magic of a well written picture book is that it teaches a lesson without the child knowing it. As an author and a parent I seek out picture books with this trait. It takes true talent to teach a message without the reader even realizing it.

Today my favorite picture books are the books that look at things from a little different perspective. Below is a list of books that I have found that I feel have that magic. Each story is humorous and quirky and there is a little lesson tucked in there as well:

Daft Bat

Written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross

This story features a bat who always gets things upside-down and wrong-way-round. Only when Wise Owl suggests a change of perspective does everything become clear to Bat’s young friends.

This book is a great way to share the message that things aren’t always as they seem and it’s always good to look at things from the other persons (or bats) perspective. The pictures are fun and colorful, a quick and easy read for the end of the day.

Bedtime for Mommy

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

This is a role-reversal tale where a child tries to put her Mommy to bed. Children will laugh along with Mommy’s antics. From five extra minutes to glasses of water, Mommy tries to drag out her bedtime as long as she possibly can.

Pham’s  illustrations are light and fun and fit the text perfectly. This is a great cuddle up for fun book that would be a great addition for any family’s library.

Duck! Rabbit!

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Two main characters debate whether the creature at the center of this clever book is a duck or a rabbit.

This book is clever and funny and gives you an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective. Rabbit? or Duck? I’ll let you decide.

Once Upon a Time, The End (Asleep in 60 seconds)

Written by Geoffrey Kloske and illustrated by Barry Blitt.

This fun book is filled with humorously edited stories and clever versions of the classic tales we have grown up with.

Falling for Rapunzel

Written by Leah Wilcox and illustrated by Lydia Monks.

Written in lively verse, “Falling for Rapunzel” tells the story of the Prince who hears Rapunzel’s distress over a bad hair day and attempts to rescue her with hilarious results.

For older children I would recommend :

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Josee Masse

This book is a series of reversos, or poems which have one meaning when read down the page and perhaps an altogether different meaning when read up the page.

The book is filled with poems for such favorites as Snow White, Cinderella, The Ugly Duckling and more.

Here is an example of “In The Hood” a take on Little Red Riding Hood:

In my hood

skipping through the wood

carrying a basket

picking berries to eat –

juicy and sweet

what a treat!

But a girl

mustn’t dawdle.

After all, Grandma’s waiting.

Here is the reverso that now sounds like it is from the wolves perspective:

After all, Grandma’s waiting,

mustn’t dawdle . . .

But a girl!

What a treat –

juicy and sweet,

picking berries to eat,

carrying a basket,

skipping through the wood

in my `hood.”

It takes a talent to write like this and the author gets it just right. The illustrations are colorful and really add a fun feel to this very clever book. This would be a great gift or addition to your family collection.

Author Jon Scieszka is the master of looking at things from a different perspective. I would check out any of his books especially:

“The True Story of The Three Little Pigs”

“The Frog Prince Continued”

“The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales”.

These twisted versions of fairy tales are fun and take you in a direction that you never expected to go and if you look very hard you just might find a lesson in there as well.

This is only a small sampling of the great picture books out there.

Do you have a favorite picture book that does a great job of teaching a lesson?

**All comments will be entered to WIN Suzanne’s picture book, Grandma’s Pear Tree!  One winner will be chosen at random July 2, 2010.

Congratulations to Maya!  Random.org picked you as the winner!

Melissa’s Note: I’m not sure I can pick one, Suzanne — hmmm . . . Right now we’re really loving Naked Mole Rat by Mo Willems encouraging individuality.

Suzanne, thank you so much for writing this guest post — what a valuable resource for all of us parents, teachers and human beings!

Suzanne Santillan is the author of Grandma’s Pear Tree(Raven Tree Press 2010) and the co-author of the blog Writing On the Sidewalk.

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