Annal:2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Picture Book

At Night

Jonathan Bean

• 2008 Horn Book-picture winner
• Score: 10.58

On some nights, a snug bedroom is a hard place to fall asleep. On some nights, it’s better to get away from slumbering, snoring family members and curl up alone with one’s thoughts in the cool night air, under wide-open skies. In this charming bedtime fantasy, a sleepless city girl does just that, finding her surprising way to a serene rooftop version of a backyard campout.

With captivating ink-and-watercolor illustrations and a simple, lyrical text, newcomer Jonathan Bean has created a soothing bedtime story that is sure to charm children and parents alike.

The Arrival

Shaun Tan

• 2008 Horn Book-picture citation
• Score: 8.58

In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He’s embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life—he’s leaving home to build a better future for his family. Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant’s experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can’t communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character’s isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

Marla Frazee

• 2009 Caldecott honor
• 2008 Horn Book-picture honor
• Score: 12.59

When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon’s grandparents’ house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature. But sometimes things work out best when they don’t go exactly as planned.

In this moving and hilarious celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Marla Frazee captures the very essence of summer vacation and what it means to be a kid.

Fred Stays with Me!

Nancy Coffelt, Tricia Tusa

• 2008 Horn Book-picture honor
• Score: 6.58

Told from the point of view of a young child whose parents are divorced, Fred Stays with Me follows a girl and her dog, Fred, from one parent’s house to the other’s, giving her a sense of continuity and stability. With a simple text and childlike language, the story expresses and addresses a child’s concerns, highlights the friendship between child and pet, presents a common ground for the parents, and resolves conflict in a positive way. Tricia Tusa’s charming and whimsical artwork adds a light, happy feel to this poignant—but not overly sentimental—story.