Putnam Publishing Group

Children's Bookwatch, Jan, 2005

Putnam Publishing Group

345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

www.penguin.com www.amazon.com

A host of inviting new picturebooks are strong picks for discriminating collections. Susan E. Goodman's Truth About Poop (0670036749, $15.99) may read like fiction using action words and vivid descriptions, but its contents are nonfiction. Descriptions of which creatures poop, how, different kinds of dung and virtually all natural history involved receive engaging drawings by Elwood Smith to bring the subject to life. Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac tell Raccoon's Last Race (0803720774, $15.99), receiving funny drawings by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey as it presents a fable of a long-legged raccoon, a race, and the changes which result from his actions. Rosemary Wells' Bunny Mail (0670036307, $15.99) provides a funny lift-the-flap Max and Ruby picturebook: Max wants a bright motorcycle and decides to write Santa asking for one--but the postman can't understand it. It's up to Grandma to save the day. Perhaps not durable enough for vigorous library lending, but certainly an excellent choice for parents. Jan Brett's The Umbrella (0399242155, $16.99) tells of Carlos, who walks into the cloud forest with his green umbrella certain he'll see many animals. When he leaves his favored umbrella in search of creatures he finds a host of wild animals have discovered a new home. The usual lovely Brett drawings make The Umbrella a special winner. Karen Kaufman Orloff and David Catrow's I Wanna Iguana (0399237178, $15.99) tells of Alex, on a mission to convince a skeptical mother that he should have an iguana. Mom is horrified: she imagines the iguana's problems--but Alex has answers in this zany, funny story. Tedd Arnold's Even More Parts (0803729383, $15.99) tells of a boy who takes too literally the dilemma of people losing parts ("I lost my head", "My nose is running.") Chip decides a plan is in order for preserving these parts, and a funny set of solutions evolves.