David McPhail

Although good with numbers, young Edward struggles with his reading in this delightful Christmas picture book from author/illustrator David McPhail. His teacher suggests special testing, but Edward's mother insists that what is needed is patience. Then one Christmas Eve night, when Santa Claus accidentally leaves his book behind at Edward's house—the book containing the names, addresses and presents intended for each child on Santa's list—it falls to our young reluctant reader to show more overcome the obstacles before him, and to help the magical gift giver out, learning that he can indeed read in the process...

The first of three picture books from McPhail to feature young Edward—subsequent titles are Edward and the Pirates and Edward in the Jungle—Santa's Book of Names is the second I have read, as I happened to pick up Edward and the Pirates a few years ago, not realizing it was part of a larger series. In any case, having enjoyed the subsequent book so much, I decided to seek out this earlier adventure, and I am not sorry to have done so. While the later book featured Edward's love of stories and of books, this initial tale chronicles how Edward first came to read. I appreciated the fact that while Santa's official present for Edward is a book, the true gift he gives is an appreciation for reading itself. The artwork here is lovely, making excellent use of color and light to create some enchanting vistas. My favorite of the lot, visually speaking, was the two-page spread in which Santa and Edward fly through the city, navigating between towering skyscrapers. Recommended to young children who are struggling with their own reading, as well as to all picture book audiences which appreciate magical Santa stories. show less

Edward, the young boy who helped Santa in author/illustrator David McPhail's holiday picture-book, Santa's Book of Names, returns in this second adventure. Now a more accomplished reader, Edward enjoys texts of all kinds, from the cereal box to the community monument. He especially likes to read the many books he takes out of the library. When he falls asleep with his latest - "Lost Pirate Treasure" - he has a fantastical dream involving a band of pirates demanding the book, and his mother show more (as Joan of Arc) and father (as Robin Hood) coming to his rescue...

As a book-lover who haunted my local library as a child, I took Edward and the Pirates completely to heart! I appreciated the way that the stories Edward reads come alive for him, and the way he puts himself into each narrative, participating through imaginative play. I also greatly enjoyed the artwork, which is a little dark in tone at first, but which also has a lovely luminous quality to it. I haven't read the earlier book about Edward, as I was unaware when I picked this one up that it was part of a series. That said, given how much I enjoyed this one, I would definitely like to track it down. Recommended to young book and story lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about the magic of reading. show less

Baby Bear and his Momma discuss the nature of promises in this gentle, heartwarming picture-book from prolific author/artist David McPhail. From providing him with good things to eat, to listening to the things he tells her, Momma Bear promises Baby Bear many things, emphasizing in the process how important it is to keep one's word. Although she can't promise him that he will always be happy, Momma Bear does promise that she will always love him. Baby Bear, in his turn, promises that he will show more be good. Most of the time...

A lovely, emotionally resonant book, I Promise is suffused throughout with a feeling of love, and offers young children a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of promises - their power and their limitations. The artwork, done in pen and ink and watercolor, is just beautiful, capturing the playful, loving bond between mother and baby bear, and the beauty of the natural world around them, from waterfall to woods. Recommended to anyone looking for new reassurance stories for young children, as well as to those searching for picture-books about promises, and keeping one's word. show less

Crash the cat is an aptly named feline, as everything he does seems to lead to chaos. Knocking over playthings, smashing a newly made cake, knocking over a can of paint - Crash creates quite a mess. His concerned family take him to the vet, worried that he might have vision problems, but his sight is just fine. Crashing into things is just his way. Fortunately, his family love him all the same...

Although I see that quite a few online reviewers were put off by the illustrations of Crash! The show more Cat (some even described the two little girls as nightmarish), I found David McPhail's watercolor artwork here quite cute, and well-matched to the story. I do prefer his animals to his people (much like another prolific picture-book creator, Jan Brett), but overall still found this one charming. Recommended to young cat lovers, especially if their feline companion is a chaos-causer like Crash. show less