2005 KIND Children's Book Award Recipient

The Ghost of Cutler Creek
By Cynthia DeFelice
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004
192 pages, $16.00 hardcover; Ages 9-12

Just when 11-year-old Allie Nichols has gotten used to voices from beyond the grave, another breed of ghostly visitor comes calling—and this one speaks in haunting whimpers and scents. Who is Bella? Why won’t she talk? And what is her connection to LJ, the bad-tempered new kid in town? Tag along as the amateur crime-solver and her sixth-grade sidekick Dub unearth the dirty secrets of their neighborhood pet store and a puppy mill business moored in their own backyard. This rare novella packs some powerful humane lessons while deftly managing to avoid sounding preachy or dull. Suspenseful scenes and plot twists hold students’ interest, and themes of courage, responsibility, and acceptance make it a hit with teachers and humane educators alike. [Note: Early in the book, a teacher is asked if his dog has ever had puppies. He replies that she hasn’t—yet. This missed opportunity to mention pet overpopulation, spaying, and neutering could easily be incorporated into a class discussion. Because crowded animal shelters and surplus pets are still a sad reality in most communities, breeding more animals is often seen as irresponsible.]

2005 KIND Children's Honor Books

Coconut Comes to School
Written by Berlie Doherty
Illustrated by Ivan Bates
London: HarperCollins Publishers, Ltd., 2003
32 pages, $14.95 hardcover; Ages 4-8

The schoolchildren have come to know the sound of her bray and the familiar rhythm of her canter. Every morning, they anxiously await the brown-eyed donkey’s appearance in their classroom window. Cranky Mr. Clapper, on the other hand, is not as fond of Coconut’s forays into the schoolyard, so he hatches a simple scheme to keep her out. When the teacher’s plan fails and his life hangs on the brink, guess who comes trotting to the rescue? Beginning readers will cheer for the story’s happy ending and hee-hawing hero.

Diary of a Worm
Written by Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by Harry Bliss
New York: Joanna Colter Books, 2003
40 pages; $15.99 hardcover; Ages 4-7

The New York Times best-selling author of CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Cows That Type strikes pay dirt again with Diary of a Worm, the hilarious first-person chronicles of a shoe-fearing, homework-eating annelid. Like Cronin’s other picturebooks, this little treasure is one adults will “dig” as much as kids do. Under it all, Diary of a Worm serves as a delightful reminder that wee wigglers are the best composters, gardeners, and environmentalists this planet has ever seen.

Dog Blue
Written and illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 2004
40 Pages; $14.99 hardcover; Ages 3-6

Bertie’s favorite color is blue. His shoes are blue, his sweater is too, and he even has a blue dog collar...but no pup to match. In his quest for the consummate cobalt companion, Bertie makes an unexpected discovery. He finds walking, wagging, yapping perfection in a dog who’s...well, black and white! Sparse words and pleasingly simple sketches deliver the message that pets are perfect no matter their shape, size, pedigree—or color!

Forever Friends
Written by Barbara S. Cohen
Illustrated by Dorothy Louis Hall
Los Angeles: Smallfellow Press, 2004
32 Pages; $16.95 hardcover; Ages 4-8

How do you cheer up a sick friend? Roll around in a heap of rubber balls. Help him out of a dinnertime jam? Eat his peas. Say “howdy do” to neighbors? Vigorously lick their chins, of course! Petey is Skip’s best buddy, and he has a lot to offer in the way of friendship and guidance—and plenty to gain in return, like a good scratch behind the ears and whole lot of lovin’. With its soft, comical watercolors and oversized type, this easy reader is a great way of introducing animals as companions.

Saving Samantha: A True Story
Written by Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen
Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen
Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2004
48 pages; $17.95 hardcover; Ages 9-12

From the wildlife rehabilitators who brought us Adopted by an Owl is another richly illustrated, real-life tale of hope and healing. Caught in a rusty steel trap, a red fox pup is rescued and returned to the snowy meadows she calls home. Follow along on the vixen’s journey, which includes curious encounters with Myles the dog, Igor the rooster, Corvis the crow, and a whole cast of supporting players.

The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle
Written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry
New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004
40 pages; $16.00 hardcover; Ages 4-8

Lynne Cherry’s passion for the natural world—and her talent for portraying seascapes, landscapes, and wildlife—make an encore presentation in her latest children’s book, this one about a tropical isle and the strange, colorful life forms it supports: oysters, anemones, sea grass, pelicans, lizards, and an adventurous little seed trying to put down roots. In the style of Cherry’s other books (she has written more than 30), The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle combines tranquil prose with page after page of images worth framing.

Whose Garden Is It?
Written by Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by Jane Dyer
San Diego: Gulliver Books, 2004
40 pages; $16.00 hardcover; Ages 4-8

Passing a garden in full bloom, Mrs. McGee wonders aloud, “Whose garden is it?” The answer comes quickly enough from a proud, old gardener, but he surely doesn’t have the last word. Rabbit, woodchuck, butterfly, bird, mole, vole, sun, and rain—just about everyone claims credit for the glorious profusion of flowers and vegetables. Is anybody telling the truth, or is everybody? Rhyming verse and full-page illustrations make this a terrific read-aloud with an important point—that this good, green earth is everyone’s to cherish, nurture, and crow about.