2006 KIND Children's Book Award Recipient

The Last Badge
By George McClements
Hyperion Books for Children, 2005
32 Pages; $16.99 hardcover; Ages 5-9

Every once in a while a children’s book gets as many grins and giggles from adults as it does from its target audience. The Last Badge is just such a gem! Bent on earning a place in his family’s Album of Scouting Greatness, Samuel Moss sets out to earn every badge under the sun: igloo building, web spinning, monkey grooming, and thermonuclear dynamics, to name just a few. There is one badge, however, that no one in the Moss family—spanning twelve generations of Grizzly Scouts—has ever earned. And it’s precisely the one that will put young Sam in the books. Of course, scoring the Moon Frog Badge is a nearly impossible feat, as the elusive amphibian rises from the muck only on the twelfth hour of the tenth night of the eighth month...every 30 years. Follow along as father and son embark on a madcap quest for scouting fame. Clever, silly, and infused with grownup wit, this colorful adventure and its surprise ending will delight wildlife conservationists of all ages.

2006 KIND Children's Honor Books

A Mother’s Journey
By Sandra Markle
Illustrated by Alan Marks
Charlesbridge, 2005
32 pages; $15.95 hardcover Ages 5-9

Author of more than 70 nonfiction children’s books, Markle spent three full seasons exploring Antarctica’s frigid landscape and its most celebrated inhabitants: emperor penguins. Much in the way of the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins, A Mother’s Journey quietly chronicles the unique partnership between penguin mates and the remarkable challenges they overcome to ensure their chicks’ survival. The book and video pair perfectly for a unit on Antarctic wildlife.

Eliza and the Dragonfly
By Susie Caldwell Rinehart
Illustrated by Anisa Claire Hovemann
Dawn Publications, 2004
32 pages; $8.95 softcover Ages 4-9

With bright, green eyes and a bottom lip five times the size of his head, Horace is a spectacle indeed. But that never stops him from modeling for Eliza, dancing for Annie, or taking Spanish lessons from Carlos. Horace is a dragonfly nymph, and there is much he can do...except fly. As the children marvel over his transformation (Horace loves an audience), their winged friend emerges from the shallows of a pond, slips out of his shell, and goes from eeeeewwww to awesome. Graced by gorgeous watercolor spreads, this gentle story of an insect’s life cycle has won accolades from both the National Science Teachers Association and International Reading Association.

Lucky: A Dog’s Best Friend
By Gus Clarke
Kane/Miller, 2005
27 pages; $7.95 softcover Ages 4-8

One by one, the dogs at the shelter find a home—all except Bernard, who hasn’t been discovered by the right person. One day, his furry sheltermates hatch a plan to make Bernie “top dog” when visitors arrive. How will they keep him from getting passed over? Readers will revel in the naughty scheme and cheer for the old pooch who finally becomes the pick of the litter. Reminding us that animal shelters are filled with wonderful companions and that senior pets deserve an extra look, this picturebook will be an instant favorite among humane educators.

Earth Day Birthday
By Pattie Schnetzler
Illustrated by Chad Wallace
Dawn Publications, 2003
32 pages; $8.95 softcover Ages 4-8

Start with a familiar melody, introduce a dozen North American animals (“...Three panthers creeping...Four salmon leaping...Eight cranes a-dancing...”), and end with one special holiday to celebrate them all. This sing-along book lends itself to a lively circle time activity or a choral performance for your school’s Earth Day celebration. Just add animal costumes, masks, or posterboards, and the stage is set!

The Trouble with Henry: A Tale of Walden Pond
By Deborah O’Neal and Angela Westengard
Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Candlewick Press, 2005
40 pages; $16.99 hardcover Ages 5-9

The trouble with biographies is that they can be a bit...dry. Lucky for us, The Trouble with Henry—like the historic hero at the center of this tale—breaks all the rules. Travel back almost two centuries to Concord, Massachusetts, and meet Henry David Thoreau. Weary of the shops, smokestacks, and noisy, sooty streets that have sprung up around him, Thoreau hikes into the woods near Walden Pond, plants a bean garden, and builds himself a tiny, one-room cabin among the pines. As summer turns to fall, he confides to his neighbors—turtles, foxes, pewees, otters, and a mouse—“I am the happiest man on earth.” Soon enough, however, the biggest manufacturer in Boston plans to plunk a toothpick factory right near the pond. How will Henry convince the citizens of Concord to protect the woods and see that nature and all its splendor are the greatest commodities of all? Many students are not introduced to Thoreau and his philosophies until their second or third year of college; how lovely that your students have the chance to make his acquaintance in the second or third grade!

Mutt Dog!
By Stephen Michael King
Harcourt, Inc., 2005
32 pages; $16 hardcover Ages 3-8

Against all odds, a resourceful dog manages to survive in the city with no one to love him and no place to call home. One night, he stumbles upon a refuge for others like him—cold, tired, hungry, and homeless—but it is a shelter for people, and there seems to be no room for a dirty, scruffy dog. Within those walls, however, our stubborn stray meets someone who believes that everyone deserves a chance, a name, and a place to belong. An excellent choice for story hour, Mutt Dog! illustrates the healing power of compassion.

Editor's Note: Mutt Dog is based on the true story of Muttley, now 15 years old, who lives with his family in a coastal community in Australia. Click here to see a picture of author Stephen Michael King and the real Mutt Dog!

John Muir and Stickeen: An Icy Adventure with a No-Good Dog
By Julie Dunlap and Marybeth Lorbiecki
Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
NorthWord Press, 2004
32 pages; $16.95 hardcover Ages 7-10

Acclaimed author, explorer, and naturalist John Muir, whose very name is synonymous with wilderness, was not known for his fondness for pets. To him, domestic animals lacked the wit and spirit of the wild. So it is with contempt that he greets his friend’s canine companion, Stickeen, who joins the crew on an Alaskan expedition. See how the determined dog changes Muir’s mind about man’s best friend in this dramatic, true account of their struggle on the icy cliffs of Glacier Bay.

So, What’s It Like to Be a Cat?
By Karla Kuskin
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005
32 pages; $15.95 hardcover Ages 4-8

Caldecott Honor winner Betsy Lewin joins forces with Karla Kuskin, recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, to answer the eternal question. Armed with a notebook, a pencil, and a very articulate cat, a boy interviews his feline friend about the ups, downs, and in-betweens of cathood. Though their lighthearted exchange points up cats’ independent, somewhat solitary nature, it also reminds us that kitty has a personality all her own and that she ultimately needs her human family—whether or not she chooses to admit it! Lewin’s characteristically free-spirited art complements the humorous, rhyming dialogue. Note that the pets in this book are not wearing collars and tags, something no cherished cat or dog should be without.

Hummingbird Nest: A Journal of Poems
By Kristine O’Connell George
Illustrated by Barry Moser
Harcourt, Inc., 2004
48 pages; $16 hardcover Ages 4-10

One morning, the George family—mother, father, and daughter—sits down to breakfast on their patio. No sooner is the table set when a hummingbird begins divebombing the three. Forced inside, the family quickly discovers why the little critter is being so aggressive. She has constructed a nest in their potted ficus and is now vigorously defending it. For the next eight weeks, Kristine O’Connell George keeps a journal of the bird’s comings and goings, presented in this collection of beautifully illustrated poems. (“The Dog Complains” and “The Cat Remarks”—comments from the author’s quarantined pets—are favorites!) As sparse and superbly crafted as a hummer’s nest, George’s verse will be enjoyed by older and younger readers alike. Language arts teachers will especially appreciate the opportunities to discuss imagery, metaphor, simile, and personification.

Lost in the Woods
By Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick
Carl R. Sams II Photography, 2004
48 pages; $19.95 hardcover Ages 4-8

Fans of the New York Times’ bestseller Stranger in the Woods cried, “Encore!” And photographers Carl Sams and Jean Stoick delivered. This time, the duo train their lenses on a spotted fawn and a cast of curious onlookers. Goose, Mouse, and Cardinal are certain that the newborn deer is lost, but Tree Frog and Katydid know better. “Mama said to wait, to wait right here,” the fawn assures his woodland neighbors. “She will come back.” Like a baby album, Lost in the Woods is filled with proud snapshots, priceless captions, and the promise that mother is always close at hand. Sams and Stoick hope that their latest “photographic fantasy” teaches readers an eyes-on, hands-off approach to wildlife watching. Fawns and other wild animal babies are rarely lost or abandoned; moving or “rescuing” them often makes it impossible for parents to find them. Lost in the Woods is a terrific tool for reinforcing the three L’s: Look. Listen. Leave wildlife alone.

Travels with Tarra
By Carol Buckley
Tilbury House, Publishers, 2002
40 pages; $16.96 hardcover Ages 7-12

Like many college students, Carol Buckley fell in love. The difference is that her sweetheart stood about three feet tall, weighed 700 pounds, and was covered in hair. As she looked up from her homework one afternoon, Carol noticed a baby elephant parading past her window. The calf was being used as a promotional gimmick by a local tire dealer, and Carol, who had been studying exotic animals, was enamored. Eventually, she purchased Tarra and embarked on a twenty-year career that took her and her partner from school bazaars to circuses, theme parks to zoos. Tarra rollerskated with the Radio City Rockettes, presented at the Academy Awards, filmed commercials, and headlined in the Los Angeles Times. But as the Asian elephant grew older, her trainer began to envision a place where elephants could just be elephants. A poignant memoir with black-and-white photos, Travels with Tarra examines not only a performing elephant’s rise to fame but also her innate social, physical, and emotional needs. Though the book is not critical enough of the wild animal entertainment industry—one that is inherently exploitive and cruel—it does address the dilemma of what to do with animals after the curtain call and raises an even more important question: Should wild animals be captive at all?

Welcome, Brown Bird
By Mary Lyn Ray
Illustrated by Peter Sylvada
Harcourt, Inc., 2004
32 pages; $16 hardcover Ages 4-8

On a farm up north, a boy awaits a bird’s spring song. As his father prepares to clear the forest for a cornfield, the boy urges, “No, the thrush lives here.” In a southern rainforest, another child awaits the song of la flauta in autumn. When his father plans to cut trees for the lumber mill, the boy reminds him of the bird who nests there. Though the two boys are strangers separated by thousands of miles, they share a special connection. Only the small, brown bird who bridges the distance “...knows they are brothers.” Broad brushstrokes and the hushed blues and golds of Sylvada’s oil paintings round out this tender tale. Teachers who champion environmental education and the idea of global citizenship will applaud.

Libby and the Cat
By Yetti Frenkel
Snow Tree Books, 2005
32 pages; $16.95 hardcover Ages 3-6

Preschoolers have a natural affinity for animals—one that sometimes includes teasing, squeezing, and pulling on tails. Three-year-old Libby loves cornering her own pet, until one day kitty’s patience runs out. As her cat takes cover under the bed, Libby quickly figures out that pets enjoy being bossed around by “big people” as much as she does. Simple, lyrical text shows how the little tyke’s interactions with her pet move from control to companionship. For more on this theme, see Elizabeth Verdick’s Tails Are Not for Pulling, available in boardbook and paperback format, at www.humanesociety.org/youth. Note that the cat in Frenkel’s book is not wearing a collar and tags, and Tails Are Not for Pulling shows reptiles kept as pets—practices that are strongly discouraged by humane educators.