Old Bear, by Kevin Henkes

步入成熟期的圖畫書創作家大概一到三年才能出版一本書，一來是主題已經不是垂手可得，二來繪作的技巧、自我要求越來越高，放眼美國的David Weisner, Kevin Henkes, Peter Sis, 都是如此。
即使近年出版社因成本取向，紛紛出走亞洲尋找印刷廠，只有知名作者還是能指定"printed in the United States of America"，據說在簽合約時一定要聲明清楚。
這本OLD BEAR是2008年看到印刷最精美的圖畫書，似乎回到“圖畫書可以放30年傳家“的品質。還有一種書香。 MS說是caramel，我以為是森林味。說不定是特製效果。

If You Give A Cat A Cupcake, by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond

見過Laura Numeroff，這位愛打網球的作家，真佩服她繼If You Give a Mouse a Cookie之後已經“掰“了6本，還能保持水準繼續。

The Inside-Outside book of Libraries, by Roxie Munro illustrated by Julie Cummins

列舉美國各地特殊的圖書館，如國會圖書館、美國海軍林肯圖書館、點字圖書館、監獄圖書館、工具圖書館、到各地的小學圖書館、最後，家裡的圖書館。

時時刻刻的閱讀造就有特性的個人，大大小小的圖書館豐富且方便，時局詭辯、天氣多變之際，尋得一方閱讀空間應該是最實際的。

Charlene's Top 20 Favorite Picture Books, 2008

圖畫書可消暑、避寒、免生氣、提振精神；
可躺著看、側著看、坐著看、一個人看、大家一起看；
用來助眠、助笑、助想像、助消化；
有了圖畫書的生活才知道以前沒有的時候多可惜；
如果有所謂的推銷讀圖畫書的志工，那就是我。

• 
• I, Crocodile, by Fred Marcellino
• Keeper of Soles, by Teresa Bateman illustrated by Yayo
• Zen Shorts, by Jon J. Muth
• Hmm..., by Colin McNaughton
• Wolves, by Emily Gravett
• Bark George, by Jules Feiffer
• Two Eggs, please, by Sarah Weeks illustrated by Betsy Lewin
• The Night I followed the Dog, by Nina Laden
• The Sweetest Fig, by Chris Van Allsburg
• The Conqueror, by David McKee
• Dear Mrs. LaRue, by Mark Teague
• The Hat, by Tomi Ungerer
• Milo's Hat trick, by Jon Agee
  
• Elizabite, by H.A. Rey
  
• Higglety Pigglety Pop!, by Maurice Sendak
  
• The Wolves in the Walls, by Neil Gaiman illustrated by David McKean
  
• Pete's Pizza, by William Steig
  
• Chester's Way, by Kevin Henkes
  
• Fenwick's Suit, by David Small
  
• Henry Hikes to Fitchburg, by D.B. Johnson
  

這些書的排列沒有順序，先由我在書架上巡視一圈，挑出了近乎50本的最愛，確定看到封面會想再看的或是介紹別人看的書，接著，拿張紙寫下來，邊些邊重新看過，某部份就歸類到“不要錯過的圖畫書“的欄內，的確，最愛與不願錯過還是有差距的。

不要錯過的有

• My Many Coloured Days, by Dr. Seuss
• I Like Where I Am, by Jessica Harper illustrated by G. Brian Karas
• The Frog Who Wanted to See the Sea, by Guy Billout
• King Long Shanks, by Jane Yolen illustrated by Victoria Chess
• Bronto Eats Meat, by Peter Maloney illustrated by Feliciaa Zekauskas
• The Hounted House, by Kazuno Kohara
• Ugly Fish, by Kara LaReau illustrated by Scott Magoon
• UP, by Jim LaMarche
• and tango makes three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell illustrated by Henry Cole

因為這些書好看，但不醒目或經典，往往出版之後葬身書海之中或因為在台灣少見，在國外書店看到時已經是絕版或二手書店中。