My Pick for Best Picture Book of 2008

It's easy to see why Publisher's Weekly gave Brian Lies's latest book a starred review and Martha Stewart named it one of her "good things". This is the the kind of picture book librarians & children's booksellers wait their whole lives to be able to put into peoples hands.

Steeped in classic children's book references with everything from the Velveteen Rab'bat' to the incredibly cute Hob'bat' hole showing up at the library read aloud, there's so much to see and talk about in this fabulous book that you sort of forget that he not only wrote all the text... he painted all the amazing pictures! I'm also happy to say that he's been to our store twice now and he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Every bit as wonderful as anything you'll find by Chris VanAllsburg or David Wiesner, this is my choice for Best Children's Picture Book of the Year.