Selected Children's Picture Books

SPRING THAW
Written by Steven Schnur
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Viking, 2000. ISBN #0-670-87961-4.

2001 Outstanding Science Trade Book

"It begins with a warm wind late at night, sighing through the hemlock trees..." It's springtime at last! As the sun rises slowly over a sleeping farm, small signs of spring begin to appear. From a roofline curtain of dripping icicles, to newborn lambs nestled in a mound of sun-warmed hay, to pale shoots of field grasses peeking up through melting snow, the magic of a new season is evoked in stirring detail.

"...Schuett's captivating illustrations are the real stars here, as they shift from the deep blue of winter to the warm golden tones of spring. Various textures are incorporated into the scenes, giving them an almost tactile look. In addition, the art often offers unusual perspectives...the text provides a soothing background to this lyrical montage of images. The book works beautifully as a mood piece, and the topic makes it a must for any collection." --School Library Journal

THE FEATHER-BED JOURNEY
Written by
Paula Kurzband Feder
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Albert Whitman, 1995.
ISBN #0-8075-2330-5.

When Grandma's old pillow rips, Rachel and Lewis can't understand why Grandma worries about saving each feather. So Grandma tells the feather-bed story...a story about a little Jewish girl and her family in Poland during World War II. And it is an account of the many people, Jewish and Gentile, who helped that girl along her way to survival.

American Booksellers Pick of the List
Smithsonian Notable Books for Children, 1995
AJL Sydney Taylor Book
Award 1995 nominee
CCBC Choices 1995

"The illustrations are perfect for the narration--poignant yet non-threatening, vivid and colorful. Each picture tells a story by itself, yet complements the narrative...each illustration was obviously thought through with great care."--Association of Jewish Libraries

NIGHTLIGHTS
Written by Steven Schnur
Pictures by Stacey Schuett
Farrar Straus Giroux, 2000. ISBN #0-37435522-3

"Each night before she goes to bed, Melinda counts the lights." Beginning with the one closest to her, Melinda counts up to twenty. But she doesn't stop there! In ever greater panoramic sweeps, her imagination carries her farther and farther away from her nursery...all the way up to one million, and the very farthest lights of all. With a simple, poetic text, and luminous artwork, (this is) a counting book for the millennium.

"...this lovely picture book has much to offer...Schuett's beautiful illustrations are exceptionally well executed and appealing. The idea of a youngster thinking about the ever-widening parameters of her world is intriguing and well-captured."--School Library Journal