Prairie Bud Nominees 2011-2012

Michalak, Jamie

An adventurous giraffe drives off with his friend, a cautious turtle, to see the world. Sparky is a turtle who likes to stay inside his shell. Joe is a giraffe who likes to stretch his neck and see the world. When a car appears one day at the famous cageless zoo where they live, the two set off on the ride of their lives, with Joe behind the wheel and Sparky hanging on for dear life. From the shopping mall to the car wash to the take-out burger joint, Joe and Sparky cause mayhem everywhere they go.

Grade Level: K-2
Publisher: Candlewick Press

Mortenson, Greg

Greg Mortenson stumbled, lost and delirious, into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build them a school. Told in the voice of Korphe's children, this story of his promise kept illuminates the humanity and culture of a relevant and distant part of the world while sharing an example of how one person can change thousands of lives.

Grade Level: K-1
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Noll, Amanda

A monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week." Ethan knows that without Gabe's familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the job — pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail — but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.

Grade Level: K-2
Publisher: Flashlight Press

Scanlon, Liz Garton

All the world is here. It is there. It is everywhere. All the world is right where you are. Now. Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky

Grade Level: K-1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Shields, Carol

Early one morning when the sun came out, Six woolly wombats went walkabout.

This counting poem follows six brave little wombats on walkabout in the Australian outback. Early on, the curious wombats learn to beware the hungry dingo! Illustrations place the appealing little wombats in a world of golden wattles, billabongs, kookaburras, and gum nuts. Accompanied by a short, simple glossary of Australian terms and wildlife.

Grade Level: K-1
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)