Stop whatever mundane task you are doing, take the hand of the Green Wind, and dive into a fairyland of Catherynne Valente’s own making.

Naming a novel The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making is similar to naming a child Genevieve Rose Delaney Beatrice Smith: it is quite a lot of name to live up to. And this book does in every way, fulfilling the promises of adventure, excitement, and the use of big and wonderful words, which the title so eloquently introduces. September is an “ill-tempered and irascible enough child” who lives in Omaha, Nebraska. The Green Wind takes pity on her and invites her on an adventure into fairyland. So away she goes, without one backwards glance, into a fairyland like no other. One of the joys of this book is Valente’s stunningly original and fully realized Fairyland; a summary of its wonders would not do it justice.

September loses a shoe, meets two witches and a wairwulf, befriends a Wyverary (his mother was a Wyvern and his father was a library), rescues a Marid, saves a spoon, and almost turns into a tree. And that isn’t even the half of it. This novel can and should be devoured in one sitting, but do not despair. Once you are done there are two more novels in the series waiting to be loved!

I decided to read Eleanor & Park because of how much I enjoyed Fangirl, also by Rainbow Rowell. But, what I liked about Eleanor & Park was so very different from what I liked about Fangirl. What I liked about Eleanor & Park was the simplicity: the simplicity of the main relationship, the simple truths about young love, and subtle reminders of how very hard high school can be.

My favorite young adult novels tend to spark memories or nostalgic feelings, and reading this book brought me back to a very specific memory of holding hands with my first boyfriend. When all you’ve done is hold hands, then holding hands is the most exciting, invigorating, and heart-pounding activity that you’ve ever experienced. And to be honest, I just hadn’t thought about that in a while.

I loved so much about Eleanor & Park: the amazingly precise observations, the slow and cautious bonding of the two main characters, and the world’s reaction to their bonding. It was all so simple and beautifully said; it was perfect without ending that way.

Since we are still in midst of Picture Book Month (aka November), I wanted to rave about one of my favorite picture books of the year— the latest offering from Peter Brown, Caldecott Honor illustrator of Creepy Carrots!

The book opens to grayscale brick wall endpapers, which are a stark contrast to the bright cover art, but which also perfectly embody the drab nature of Mr. Tiger’s world. As the reader soon learns, “Everyone was perfectly fine with the way things were. Everyone but Mr. Tiger”. All of you who are familiar with Grumpy Cat will find a kindred spirit in Mr. Tiger. He’s a dapper feline who’s so over being proper all the time. And now, Mr. Tiger is having some rather wild urges: he starts walking on all fours, he plays with kids, and he even roars (gasp!). When his friends have had enough of his strange new behavior, they suggest he go live in the wilderness—and Mr. Tiger thinks it’s a splendid idea. Until, that is, he realizes no one else lives there. His friends are all still back in town—being proper. So Mr. Tiger must decide what to do next…and the fairly surprising ending will certainly delight readers.

But fear not. This isn’t a book that encourages children to run around like wild animals. At least, not necessarily. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin—or fur—and finding the right herd of friends who will accept you for who you are.

For those of you interested in the inspiration for Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Peter has a nice post about it, and the evolution of his style for this latest book, on his blog. I’m not nearly articulate, or dapper, enough to describe the intricacies of his newest style with justice, but I do love it so. It’s deceptively detailed and wonderfully vibrant. Children will particularly love the scenes where Mr. Tiger lets loose with his great big roars.

Readers are transported to a magical animal kingdom in this elegant Italian import. Giovanna Zoboli’s lyrical text takes readers through a series of wishes by an unseen narrator, admiring each animal’s best traits (“I wish I had the eyes of a blackbird to see every blade of grass growing in the meadow . . . and the feather-light steps of a tiger as it explores in silence.”). Simona Mulazzani renders the animals masterfully, using striking compositions and sophisticated color palettes reminiscent of Henri Rousseau. Her imaginative use of pattern brings a lush, dream-like quality to each painting. Fans of Mulazzani’s artwork will especially appreciate the endpapers, which feature her preliminary pencil sketches.

Simona Mulazzani’s artwork recently won the Silver Medal at the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show 2013. You can view her original artwork and many other books at the exhibit through Dec. 21. More Information here ▸▸