You can't! Each author has a distinctive voice that lends itself
to the story at hand and comparing them is like comparing apples
to oranges. I like apples and I like oranges... but what if I
love apples but don't care to eat oranges? Very personal, that
choice. For certain things, Gail Gibbons is best. For others,
you can't beat Aliki or Thomas Locker.

For me, Cynthia Rylant has always topped the list, and for so
many reasons. Her voice is simple, yet elegant and just enough.
She has a way of picking just the right words.

Her values show through with each story, long or short. Her
stories show respect and admiration for old people, dogs, cats,
and life in general. Her books are life-affirming.

She says she doesn't use a notebook for ideas or go through a
process - yet I can picture her standing, sitting still, and
just "being," while the seeds of ideas ebb and flow.

(I also love Kate diCamillo, Mem Fox, Pam Munoz Ryan, Ezra Jack
Keats, and Karen Hesse... etc. etc. etc....)

:-)K

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