More Geisel Contenders (That We Didn't Have Time to Write About)

As the Youth Media Awards approach, we here at Guessing Geisel realize that, despite our best efforts, there are still contenders that we just didn't have time to cover. It's not that we didn't like these books, it's just that we simply ran out of time! So today's post attempts to give the titles we missed a place to shine. 

What else did we miss? Leave a comment and let us know!

Buster the Very Shy Dog, More Adventures with Phoebe by Lisze Bechtold 
In the fourth series title, Buster the dog and his canine companion Phoebe tell two stories of everyday doggy life. Meant for more confident readers, the sentences are longer (8+ words) and there's less leading (space) between lines of text. The illustrations are appealing and friendly, but the plots are rather slight and not as memorable or engaging as one would hope.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler, illus. by Nancy Meyers

King and his human owner Kayla solve their fourth case together. The appeal of a story told from a food-loving dog's point of view, plus the detective elements of this title could be a winning combination, as Brian Wilson considered so thoughtfully in last year's post about the series. Plus, King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats took home a Geisel honor last year, so perhaps the Butler and Meyers have another winner or honor in their future. 

You Should Meet Lin-Manuel Miranda by Laurie Calkhoven, illus. by Alyssa Petersen 

Could this beginning reader trim sized biography win the Geisel? That would certainly be a first! The subject himself is quite popular, which could entice many a reader. However, the large blocks of texts, long sentences, and vast vocabulary could be challenging to even the upper range of the Geisel criteria.

Good Dog by Cori Doerrfeld
Although we didn't cover this title in a standalone post, it was included in the What Kids Say - October 2018 post. As our child and grown up contributors noted, the strength of this title is the sheer cuteness of the dogs and the comforting tone of the book. For the very newest reader, this picture book has a lot to offer. 

My Pillow Keeps Moving by Laura Gehl, illus. by Christopher Weyant
In this hilarious picture book illustrated by Geisel winner Christopher Weyant (You are (Not) Small, 2015) a man accidentally buys a dog instead of a pillow. Wordless spreads and sequential illustrations help to tell the story visually. However, there is a fair amount of text used in the illustrations (window signs, for instance) that could be confusing to new readers because of the orientation (curved, slanted, etc.) and the use of all caps. 

Rocket the Brave by Tad Hill
Rocket, of picture book and beginning reader fame, is back in a gentle story about courage and curiosity. Using just 50 unique words, the repetition in this title is quite strong. The illustrations, featuring a lush forest of greens and browns rendered in colored pencil and acrylic paint, provide helpful visual context clues. Finally, Rocket's movement from left to right throughout the story create a gentle, yet insistent page-turning dynamic. 

Infamous Ratsos: Project Fluffy by Kara LaReau, illus. by Matt Myers 
Louie and Ralphie Ratso take on love, poetry, and friendship in the third book of the series. No strangers to the Geisel, the first Infamous Ratsos title took home a Geisel honor in 2017. As with the previous installments, Project Fluffy manages to hit the 96 page limit exactly. Could this series snag another Geisel nod? That all depends on how the committee interprets the criteria. Specifically, how difficult a text they feel a second grader can successfully navigate. 

Jack and Jill and T-Ball Bill by Terry Pierce, illus. by Sue DiCicco 
Reviving the three main characters from 2002's Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill, this sports story has a lot of supportive features for new readers: short sentences, large font, ample white space. Although there's some urgency to the plot, overall it may lack the page-turning dynamic sought after by the committee.

Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri 
We didn't exactly miss this one, we just decided to write about it's potential for a Geisel-Caldecott double whammy in a guest post for Calling Caldecott. We also covered it in our What Kids Say December post.