Monsters are big in books for young readers and listeners. Here are two new ones:
Some Monsters are Different by David Milgrim
A book of opposites told from the perspective of silly,
colorful monsters. Beginning with “Some
monsters are afraid, some are not…” and continuing, “Some monsters like to play
outside, some like it outside.” The tale goes through many ways that monsters
are different, but ends with “All monsters are absolutely, positively,
completely, perfectly wonderful…just the way the way they are!” A lesson we
need to keep on learning every single day.
Monstergarten by Daniel J. Mahoney, pictures by Jef Kaminsky
One of my favorite new books is
When it Snows by
Richard Collingridge
A small boy holding his teddy bear is in for an adventure at
the first snow. What starts out as a realistic story about the first snowstorm,
turns into a magical walk/ride over the fields and through a forest, ending up
at what looks like Santa’s village in the north pole. The look of delight on
the boy’s face is pure magic in itself. While the story line is extremely
brief, with very few details, the magic of the illustrations reminds me of The Polar
Express. Read this one in December!
Another story that appeals to the adult as well as the child is
This Is Our House
by Hyewon Yum
The story of a house that is passed from one generation to
the next. The grandparents and mom are Korean American and the dad looks to be
of Irish heritage. The narrator is a young girl telling about the house where
her Mom was born, grew up and went away to college. Then the cycle starts again
when her Mom and Dad moved into the same house and began their own family.
Refreshing look at a simple story with Asian characters.
And finally, one for the 2 year old in your heart as well as your home:
Patch by David Slonim
A young, blond boy narrates this story of his relationship
with his dog, Patch. Patch is a mutt who is not very obedient and even pees on
the floor. But, the little boy loves him anyway, in spite of his less than
stellar doggie performance. For any boy who has loved a dog, this book is a
perfect companion. The artwork consists of simple line drawings with dabs of
bright watercolors, very eye-catching and appropriate for the topic.
