Balzer and Bray on the Brain

In Honor of New Releases From Balzer + Bray

I’ve been thinking a lot about Balzer & Bray lately. I like the work they do, at least the picture books and middle grade I know. They have two of my favorite authors in Mo Willems and Bob Shea, and two editors who’ve been nothing but nice to me in Ruta Rimas and Alessandra Balzer (yep, one half of B+B).

So I’m kind of excited about this post. No analysis, no breakdowns, just books I love.

The first up is Bob Shea’s I’m a Shark. Shea is the master of the braggadocios four-year old with a whimsical touch of vulnerability. I’m a Shark is every bit as good as Dinosaur vs. Bedtime. Clipped phrases, a boastful main character, with lots of dialogue. An easy read aloud or an easy reader, whichever works best for your little dinosaur (or shark).

The plot: Shark isn’t afraid of anything. Well, there is that one thing, but… I can’t give away the punchline. Let’s just say adults will find Shea’s ending accurate and comical, and children will see more than a little bit of Shark in themselves.

I saw Alessandra discuss (OK, dissect) this book at the SCBWI Winter Conference in New York. Knew from that moment I was going to have to study it. More on the dilemma this presents in my next post).

Mo Willems has a habit of creating characters that can anchor an entire series: Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie, Cat the Cat, and so on. This times he takes a shortcut and puts his series in just one book: a collection of short stories featuring Amanda and her Alligator. Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! centers on an imaginative, impulsive child whose best friend is a stuffed alligator. I think I also encountered this book in NYC and found it adorable. (Yes, grown men can use that word when discussing children’s books.)

Amanda has a wild side in her, reminiscent of Pigeon, but there’s a soft side, too, like Piggie. Hard to put all that in a picture book, but Mo does it again.

Both I’m a Shark and Hooray for Amanda & her Alligator! were released today. The third book I’d like to discuss isn’t available until May 3rd: Eric Luper’s Jeremy Bender and the Cupcake Cadets.

Eric’s second book with Balzer + Bray is also his first middle grade. I’ve taken an interest in middle grade lately since Ruta suggested I give it a shot. So will do. I’ll be picking up Eric’s book at Hudson Children’s Book Festival on May 7th. Can’t wait to see him again (and read about Jeremy Bender!).

In the meantime, here’s the book trailer. Enjoy Eric, times two.