Picture Books Aren't Dead!!!

A few weeks back I arrived home to a large package at my door.  My 12 year old daughter was excited to see what was in it, so we opened it.  Inside was 6 picture books.  6 amazing wonderful picture books sent from Penguin Young Readers Group.

Along with the books was a note. It said:

If you think the picture book is dead, you probably have no reason to read further.As you may know, there has been a fair bit of chatter in the media about picture books - and most of it has not been positive.  From the perspective of Penguin Young Readers Group, the chatter couldn't be further off base.  

I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!
PICTURE BOOK ARE NOT DEAD!!!!
Keep reading and you'll see why.

These are the books:

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by: Eric Carle 

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bentley

Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long

Mouserella by David Ezra Stein

They also included a card for each book with information about the artist and art work. Very cool! 

So of course my first thought was to show the books to my 4 year old since he's the right audience for picture books!  We started with Stuck.  He loved it!!!! We laughed and laughed and laughed! 

Then we read Blue Chicken and it was the same! Laughter.  

The best part was bedtime.  He wanted to take certain ones up to bed with him.  The next morning I found them all around him while he slept.  

Sleeping with the books!

So when this package questioned whether the picture book is dead I have only to point to my 4 year old who loves these books.  How can then be dead when he drags them over to me and begs me to read Blue Chicken yet again so he can giggle at the chickens???  

They aren't dead! They are alive in the heart of kids everywhere!

And let me tell you it's not just 4 year olds.  
Every year I bring in a ton of children's books, and I let my students pick from them to read on a reading day.  They love them.  They go nuts for them.  These books hold some many memories for them.  It is the one day I never have to tell them to get reading.  So really, picture books are dead in the hearts of 12 year olds either!

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for sharing these fantastic books with me.  Keep publishing them because really, we need them!