Children's Books: Good new offerings from past Newbery, Caldecott winners

Here are some great new children's books by previous winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals:

Two-time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry has just published her first picture book, "Crow Call" (Scholastic, $16.99). Based on a memory from Lowry's childhood, "Crow Call" tells the story of a special day that a young girl named Liz spends with her father, just back from World War II.

It's not easy to pick up the emotional threads; Liz even practices saying his name: "Daddy. Daddy. Saying it feels new." Liz loves the oversized men's wool plaid hunting shirt her father has purchased for her, as well as the cherry pie they share before heading out to hunt crows. But Liz' obvious discomfort at killing and her delight in the way the birds respond to her use of the "crow call" persuade her father to refrain from shooting.

Lowry, who won Newbery Medals for "Number the Stars" (1990) and "The Giver" (1994), offers readers a Newbery-worthy text that, while set in the past, will readily resonate with any young reader who has experienced the absence of a parent. Lowry's text is matched by Bagram Ibatoulline's evocative illustrations, which use a palette of golds, browns and greens to firmly anchor the book in its Pennsylvania setting while also conveying the still-strong bond between Liz and her father.

As a final touch sure to please young readers, the concluding page shows a photo of Lowry as a child, wearing her beloved knee-length wool plaid hunting shirt. (Ages 4-8.)

Nonny Hogrogian is a two-time Caldecott Medal winner, for "Always Room For One More" (1966) and "One Fine Day" (1972). "Cool Cat" (Roaring Brook, $17.99), is her first new picture book in many years, and it's definitely worth the wait. In this wordless tale — which begins on the cover — Hogrogian focuses on a cat who has tired of the barren, litter-strewn place where he lives. No problem: This is a cat with creative energy and, just as important, a suitcase full of paints and brushes. With the help of some animal friends, Cool Cat transforms his world into a place of blue-sky beauty, a page-by-page transformation that will enthrall young readers. Hogrogian's art can seem deceptively simple, but she is a picture-book master who knows how to keep readers turning the pages. (Ages 3-6.)