SLJ's Best + Oscar's Half Birthday

A few days back, feeling despondent because I couldn't think of anything for which to storm a big-box superstore at 5 a.m., I sounded a bit un-holidayish, and I post today to remedy that. Let there be candy canes! Let there be paper snowflakes! Let there be marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes! What time does Wal-Mart open tomorrow morning? I'm going to run all the way from Electronics to Home & Patio to Automotive and buy, buy, buyeeeeeeeeee. Who wants a hubcap?

But, first, something important.  A Best of 2005 list! This one comes from School Library Journal. (Okay, who's the smart aleck who just said "Liberry"? You may step out of the circle and return to your desk. Ahem.) One of SLJ's recommended picture books is Bob Graham's Oscar's Half Birthday, which is just adorable. We've been reading it this week  at home. Here is an excerpt, about Oscar,  from SLJ's list of 62 books:

PreS-Gr 2–A picnic in an urban park to celebrate a baby’s first six months attracts onlookers and soon turns into a neighborhood affair. Fresh images, clever phrasing, and lots of funny details convey the perfection of everyday life. (July)

Oscar's family is bi-racial, and his sweet parents look like East Village hipsters. Mom rocks a belly shirt and arm bracelets; Dad sports a goatee and a ponytail. His big sister, Millie, wears angel-wings and carries a dinosaur puppet, both of which seem just right for an almost four-year-old. Oscar himself is one cute baby. Great fun.

Thank you to the blog Kids Lit for pointing out the SLJ list.