When I come across incredible pictures from a picture book, I relish every page as I gaze at all of the details. "Tale of a Tail", by Judit Z. Bodnar, and illustrated by John Sandford, is one of the most beautiful picture books that I’ve ever seen! It’s a take off of a very old folk tale. The author remembered her Hungarian parents telling the tale when she was very young. I remember the tale being called "How the Bear Lost His Tail", but don’t recall where it originated from. However, Ms. Bodnar has put a different angle on it. It’s about how crafty fox has just caught a load of fish and has taken them home to cook them over his open fire. As he sits down to his plate full of fish, he hears a knock at the door. It’s bear and he can smell the fish. "Give me some, won’t you? I have an awwfulll longing for fisssh." Now the fox is very clever and realizes that there is no way he’s going to give even the teeniest taste of his catch to bear. So he tells him to go to the lake where he can place his tail into the water. The bear is quite confused at these directions because it’s winter and the lake is very cold. But fox proceeds to explain to bear that he can use his tail for a fishing pole and after a while the fish will be sure to bite. What bear doesn’t realize is that his tail will surely freeze in this icy water. Now, here is where the tail takes a turn. And suffice it to know that I will not give away the surprising end. But the story is, like the fox, very cleverly written, and the pictures go along so well that I really don’t believe another illustrator could have matched the author like Mr. Sandford. As soon as you open into the inside cover, you realize you have just opened into a blistery winter season. There is a map, covered in snow, that details where fox lives and where bear hails from. There is even a picture of the bear as he struggles to pull his tail out of the water but you really sense the cold. You can see a puffy cloud from his breath as well as a sprinkling of snow on the tree limbs. This book is truly a feast for your eyes as you read the author’s flair of her Hungarian ancestry along with the pictures that go perfectly with it. Great for all ages.

Tomie DePaola has just written a sequel to "Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato." "Jamie O’Rourke and the Pooka" is DePaola’s most recent book. He has written a variety of picture books; many award winning. But he’s written this one in an Irish setting and text. When Jamie speaks, you can almost hear the Irish accent as he tells his wife goodbye. She has just set off to visit her sister for a week, and he’d better keep the house clean for when she gets back. But, by and by, a few of his friends drop by and before long they’ve left the house in a mess. He figures he’ll just clean it up in the morning, but suddenly hears a noise in the kitchen. When he creeps up to take a close look, he sees a donkey washing away. He realizes that it’s a magical pooka who has come to clean up him mess each night. The story is a delightful look into another way of life and with a touch of magic in it as well. DePaola is one of our most gifted author/illustrator’s and he has a tremendous talent for illustrating his people with rounded, happy, full of expression faces. His words enable the readers into different parts of culture throughout the world! Here are some of my favorite books of his that I highly recommend to all: "The Clown of God", "Days of the Blackbird: A Tale of Northern Italy", "Strega Nona", and "Oliver Button is a Sissy". This book would be great for 5 through 10 years of age.