Sis, Peter. Madlenka. 2000. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.Madlenka lives “in the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain”, and Madlenka has a loose tooth. With the excitement that comes with losing a first tooth, Madlenka wants to tell all her friends in the neighborhood in which she lives. She runs from neighbor to neighbor, accepting congratulations, and takes a trip around the world as she visits. As Madlenka visits each of her neighbors, the illustrations take us from the neighborhood to each neighbor’s home country. While visiting Mr. Gaston, the French baker, Madlenka visits Paris and the Eiffel Tower. From Mr. Singh in India, to Mrs. Kham in Asia, Madlenka visits different parts of the world as she tells each of her neighbors about her loose tooth. As each visit unfolds, Sis highlights both the expected and unexpected sites in each country with simple lined drawings that transform into more detailed illustrations with a simple turn of the page. Sis’ illustrations, along with his international greetings send readers around the world without leaving their seats.   

Wilson, Karma. Illustrated by Raul Colon. 2007. How to bake an American pie. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 

With ingredients that are traditionally associated with America, a cat and dog chef combine efforts to “bake an American pie (first ever made on the Fourth of July)”. Beginning with “preheating the world…with a hunger and thirst to be free”, and ending with a “garnish of fifty bright stars”, the ingredients in this American pie include many geographical features also found in America the Beautiful, including a shining sea, fruited plains, amber grains, and waterfalls. Less tangible ingredients that are needed to bake the pie include forgiveness, meekness, courage, and liberty, qualities that make America great and make American pie a one-of-a-kind treat. The pen and watercolor illustrations by Colon include symbols of America such as a melting pot, a pie crust fruited plain, and the statue of liberty. The whimsical illustrations highlight the sweetly sentimental text and provide readers with a recipe that creates the ideal dessert, an ideal country.

McClintock, Barbara. Adele & Simon. 2006. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Adele has the responsibility of picking up her brother Simon at school. When she picks him up, she begs him not to lose anything today. Simon promises to try, and thus begins an afternoon walk home. At each stop, Simon manages to lose something that he needs—his drawing at the grocer, his books at the park, his scarf at the museum and so on until Adele and Simon arrive at home where their mother asks about all his missing items. The pen and ink and watercolor illustrations by McClintock are reminiscent of picture books from the early 20^th century, and the soft colors provide the text with a warmth and approachability that will encourage children to pick up the book repeatedly to visit Paris with Adele and Simon. As readers tour Paris, they will thrill to each watercolor depicting an actual location in Paris, each of which is described in more detail in endnotes at the end of the book. With each reading, readers will walk with Adele and Simon and will spend time examining each aspect of a picture that gains new details at each viewing. The illustrations are inviting and friendly and readers of all ages will enjoy visiting the locations where Simon understandably becomes too distracted to keep up with his own belongings.