Annal:1997 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Picture Book

The Adventures of Sparrowboy

Brian Pinkney

• 1997 Horn Book-picture winner
• Score: 10.47

Something mysterious is about to happen on Thurber Street.

ZAP!

Will the events of one afternoon change Henry’s life forever?

Home on the Bayou: A Cowboy's Story

G. Brian Karas

• 1997 Horn Book-picture honor
• Score: 6.47

When you take an original, lasso-throwing, boot-stomping cowboy, pack all his belongs in the car and move him from the wide open spaces of the West to swamp country, you can expect run-ins with the local alligators, a snafu or two at home, and a western-style showdown with Big Head Ed, the school bully. A cowboy of uncommon bravery discovers that with the right ingredients, home can be anywhere.

Potato: A Tale From The Great Depression

Kate Lied, Lisa Campbell Ernst

• 1997 Horn Book-picture honor
• Score: 6.47

When Dorothy’s father loses his job and cannot find another, the family borrows a car and sets off for Idaho where jobs picking potatoes can be found. This true story, written by a child, gives children a vivid sense of the Depression on a level they can understand. The illustrations, simple and charming, are a perfect match for the story.