A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (Author, Illustrator)

A girl always want to fit in. She does what the reset of the crowd does. She secretly likes lima beans, but never eats them because her friends don't like them. One day she wakes up with stripes. After her doctor determines she has no other symptoms, she is allowed to go to school. There things get worse. Her stripes morph to other designs as kids make suggestions. At home other "cures" just make things worse. Her appearance changes to whatever others suggest. Finally, a little old lady cures her by giving her some lima beans. After that, she feels free to be more like herself and not always follow the crowd. The illustrations are great in this book about fitting in.

Too Many Toys

Too Many Toys by David Shannon

A kid has too many toys. He doesn't want to get rid of them. His  parents are stick of tripping all over them and say enough is enough. They try to get rid of the toys, but each one has some reason it should be kept around. Finally, they put a bunch of toys in a box to discard. However, when Mom goes upstairs, she finds all the toys dumped out. The boy found the box was the best toy. This is very relatable to both the parents and adults. The over-the-top drawing style also works well for the book.

Duck on a Bike

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

A duck sees a bike and decides to take it for a spin. The other animals say they are not interested in bikes. However, after a group of kids come by, the animals all jump on the bikes. They have fun taking them for a spin.

The book is great in its simplicity. The drawing where all the animals oggle the bikes is classic.