1994 Blue Ribbons

Books. In 1994 we saw thousands and reviewed hundreds; this is a list of the ones we like the best. Some of these titles were asterisked as "books of special distinction" when we first reviewed them; others slowly, insistently, revealed their distinction as the year progressed. Are they the year's "best" books? No-that kind of judgement is best left to each professional (not to mention each child) and his or her own conscience. Instead these are books that one Bulletin reviewer or another adored and then managed to make the rest of us love too. And with this particular ship of fractious fools, that's not easy.

Picture Books

• Bernier-Brand, Carmen T., ad. Juan Bobo: Four Folktales from Puerto Rico; illus. by Ernesto Ramos Nieves. HarperCollins. (July)
• Gershator, Phillis, ad. Tukama Tootles the Flute: A Tale from the Antilles; illus. by Synthia Saint James. Jackson/Orchard. (April)
• Han, Suzanne Crowder, ad. The Rabbit's Judgment; illus. by Yumi Heo. Holt. (May)
• Isaacs, Anne. Swamp Angel; illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton. (November)
• Lester, Alison. My Farm; written and illus. by Alison Lester. Houghton. (July)
• Lester, Julius. John Henry; illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Dial. (October)
• McDermott, Gerald, ad. Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest; ad. and illus. by Gerald McDermott. Harcourt. (November)
• Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Calling; written and illus. by Susan Meddaugh. Houghton. (September)
• Moser, Barry. Tucker Pfeffercorn: An Old Story Retold; written and illus. by Barry Moser. Little. (June)
• Priceman, Marjorie. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World; written and illus. by Marjorie Priceman. Knopf. (February)
• Rathmann, Peggy. Good Night, Gorilla; written and illus. by Peggy Rathmann. Putnam. (May)
• Sabuda, Robert. The Christmas Alphabet; written and illus. by Robert Sabuda. Orchard. (October)
• Winter, Jeanette. The Christmas Tree Ship; written and illus. by Jeanette Winter. Philomel. (December)

Fiction

• Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. HarperCollins. (January 1995)
• Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, the Eye and the Arm. Jackson/Orchard. (March)
• Friedman, Carl. Nightfather. Persea. (December)
• Hickman, Janet. Jericho. Greenwillow. (November)
• Koertge, Ron. Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright. Kroupa/Orchard. (May)
• Lynch, Chris. Gypsy Davey. HarperCollins. (November)
• Quattlebaum, Mary. Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns; illus. by Melodye Rosales. Delacorte. (March)
• Reaver, Chap. Bill. Delacorte. (May)
• Shoup, Barbara. Wish You Were Here. Hyperion. (November)
• Waugh, Sylvia. The Mennyms. Greenwillow. (May)

Non-fiction

• Carlson, Lori M., ed. Cool Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States. Holt. (September)
• Davidson, Rosemary. Take a Look: An Introduction to the Experience of Art. Viking. (February)
• Drucker, Malka. The Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays; illus. by Nancy Patz. Little. (November)
• Harris, Robie H. It's Perfectly Normal: A Book about Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health; illus. by Michael Emberley. Candlewick. (October)
• Kuklin, Susan. From Head to Toe: How a Doll Is Made; written and illus. with photographs by Susan Kuklin. Hyperion. (May)
• Lavies, Bianca. A Gathering of Garter Snakes; written and illus. by Bianca Lavies. Dutton, 1993. (February)
• Lester, Julius, ad. The Last Tales of Uncle Remus; illus. by Jerry Pinkney. Dial. (February)
• Marrin, Albert. Unconditional Surrender: U. S. Grant and the Civil War. Atheneum. (March)
• Rosenberg, Maxine B. Hiding to Survive: Stories of Jewish Children Rescued from the Holocaust. Clarion. (July)
• Tripp, Nathaniel. Thunderstorm! ; illus. by Juan Wijngaard. Dial. (April)

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