Read LOTS of Award winners this week

Well, I am going to have to do a mini post on the books I read this week, or blogging would be all I did all week. I read a BUNCH of the award winners. Mind you, nearly all of them were picture books, and that goes a lot faster.

Here, in no particular order, are the titles I read and a short blurb about each.

Balloons Over Broadway was my favorite picture book, even though it actually won for informational book. It has AMAZING art and interesting information. this book will be an easy sell. Even my husband was interested in it.

Breaking Stalin's Nose was a short novel with some drawings - not enough drawings to call it a graphic novel, though. Liked learning about Russian history. Wonder if kids will get into this or if there's too much backstory they don't know. Or will they care there is backstory or just like it for the story it IS?

I Broke My Trunk. Silly and cute and little ones will love it. Pretty minimal text. Good amount of repetition - not overwhelming.
The Elephant Scientist. Beautifully illustrated with photographs, this book tells both the story of a female elephant scientist and of elephants themselves. A reasonable amount of text, but nicely balanced by photos and captions.

A Ball for Daisy. This was the Caldecott winner this year, and I have to say, I didn't love the art in it nearly as much as some others. It is a wordless book which has advantages and disadvantages.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters. A beginning chapter book, it's clever and about a topic that I think many, many kids can relate to. Also many parents. I thought this one was quite fun.

Diego Rivera. Filled with drawings that mimic the artist's great murals but are not meant to represent them perfectly. I learned some things about Diego Rivera, but I wasn't wild about the book.

Underground. Thought the cover art was the best of the book. It's not that I didn't like the rest, but I really, really like the cover, and I was not as wow'ed by the rest.