Recent months have seen the release of several great storybooks by local authors and illustrators. The creators of Wheedle on the Needle are back with a sequel – 37 years after the original was published. Bonnie Becker, creator of the delightful bear and mouse, has a new installment. And, there are some toes a-tapping in the farmyard.
Here’s our run-down of the best in new, local picture books for kids.
Wheedle and the Noodle, by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James
(Sasquatch, $16.99)
It has been 37 years since Stephen Cosgrove and Robin James put out Wheedle on the Needle, the story of a fluffy orange and somewhat cranky creature in the Pacific Northwest whose nose ends up as the red light atop the Space Needle. The Wheedle escapes to the top of Seattle’s famed landmark after humans invaded his peaceful forest, driving him crazy by merrily whistling while they worked. To stop the whistling, he threw rain clouds up into the sky until the mayor came up with the brilliant idea of giving the Wheedle an enormous pair of earmuffs.
In Wheedle and the Noodle, the Space Needle’s famous resident is disturbed again, this time by a tiny mewling in the night. He finally tracks down the annoying mewling to a wee kitten outside a shut down Italian restaurant in Pioneer Square. The kitten, whom the Wheedle dubs “Noodle,” is crying because it has no home. Wouldn’t you know it – Noodle follows the Wheedle to his home atop the Space Needle. But will the solitary Wheedle let the kitten stay?
Wheedle on the Needle got a new lease on life when Sasquatch Books reissued it two years ago. With Wheedle and the Noodle, the tale continues for the big fluffy orange creature with the sensitive ears and the big red nose. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
The Sniffles for Bear, by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
(Candlewick Press, $16.99)
Grumpy-but-loveable bear and small, bright-eyed mouse are back in this story about having a cold. We love these books by local luminary Bonny Becker. In this story, mouse’s efforts to cheer up bear are met with moans that bear’s chipper friend doesn’t understand the “gravity of the situation.” But, as always, mouse ends up being exactly what bear needs. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Farmyard Beat, by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown
(Knopf, $15.99)
Local author Lindsey Craig got a lot of toddler feet moving with her debut picture book Dancing Feet!, which was also illustrated by Marc Brown of Arthur the Aardvark fame. Farmyard Beat keeps toes tapping with its rhythmic story of animals who “can’t sleep ‘cause they got that beat.” Recommended for ages 3 to 6.
