The picture books that everyone should know. List complied by the Appleton Public Library Children's Services staff.
I was mildly disappointed to discover the absence of Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham, a book that I read to my older son Andy dozens of time, and grew to love as much as he did. Andy particularly loved the author's use of the word "squabble", which, of course, I had to define for him.
I wonder how many parents avoid this picture for its title. According to Merriam-Webster, the original sense of the word "outing", the one used here, is "a brief usually outdoor pleasure trip". The most recent sense of the word, and one used frequently in the media is "the public disclosure of the covert homosexuality of a prominent person especially by homosexual activists". The cover illustration makes it clear what sense of the word we're talkin' about here. (Other dangers lurk inside the cover of this book. Check out Allison's comment here.)
Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
An ALA Notable Book
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal
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