Winter Books to Push the Blues Away

If you are feeling to cold and that let-down after the holidays, check out a few of these brilliant books, read to yourself or to the little ones in your life, and maybe have a cup of tea from your samovar!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Felix Bernard and Richard Smith, illustrated by Tim Hopgood

Changing the words only slightly from the original song, Tim Hopgood has turned this popular winter song into a family adventure in the woods. With brilliantly designed snowflakes, trees and birds peeking out of the woods, this lush representation of a favorite winter song makes us all want to sing along.

Everyone Loves Cupcake by Kelly DiPucchio, pictures by Eric Wight

Metaphorically speaking, that is. Cupcake will do anything to get the other pastries to love her. When she can’t win everyone over, she finally heeds the advice of Fortune Cookie: Be true. Be YOU! When she confesses her shortcomings, the other pastries do as well, leading to my favorite lines of the book: Cheesecake says “I don’t really like New York.” And the donut admits, “Sometimes I feel empty inside.” Enjoy a little fun while helping children learn how to make friends.

A Boy, a Ball and a Dog by Gianna Marino

A simple story of a boy throwing a ball to his dog, with the dog always catching it, until one day, the wind catches the ball (an orange balloon) and blows it out over the sea. Told through a combination of stunning pictures and simple text, the reader follows the balloon out over the sea and back again. Marino has mastered both the use of color and the use of a simple phrase. Even if you don’t have a boy to share this book with, you will love it!

Ninja! Attack of the Clan by Arree Chung

Ninja is back, joined again by his family. What happens when everyone is too busy to play with him, even baby sister? Complete with hide and seek, the kiss of death and a “licking” by little sister, this story is perfect for families who are often too busy to pay attention to each other as they should.

Fairy Friend by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Claire Keane

Using rhyme, Fliess tells how to catch a Fairy while Keane uses soft colors, exaggerated facial expressions and reflected light to illustrate both the fairies and the child chasing them. This magical book will captivate any child’s imagination and if you have a child who loves fairies already, that captivation will be even more enchanted.

Would you Rather be a Princess or a Dragon? By Barney Saltzberg

Rhyming couplets describe the difference between a princess and a dragon. “If you want to be a princess, / practice walking straight and tall./ If you want to be a dragon/ practice bouncing off the wall.” Saltzberg gives both the princess and the dragon delightful expressions and exuberant personalities. After reading this, I want to be a princess and a dragon.

Grandmother Fish: A child’s First Book of Evolution by Jonathan Tweet, illustrated by Karen Lewis. 

Following the chain of evolution from a fish to a reptile to a mammal, an ape and finally a human. This is told in the simplest terms, with words and pictures that will charm the youngest child. The endnotes give more sophisticated explanations of evolution, natural selection and additional details on the animals portrayed in the book. This book provides a way to introduce children to an important scientific theory and may start them on their way to becoming scientists themselves.

Leave Me Alone! by Vera Brosgol

Combining old-world illustrations (a grandmother drinking tea from her samovar) with science fiction fantasy (stepping from a mountain onto the moon and from there into a wormhole), Brosgol has created a picture book for all ages! If you have ever felt there are too many people around you; if you have ever had too many chores to complete; if you have ever wanted just a little time and space for yourself, then this book is for you! Enjoy and in the meantime: Leave me alone!

Books for Preschoolers

Puddle by Huewon Yum

 

Yum has written and illustrated several books for the preschool set. Her characters are drawn with simple lines that lead to extremely expressive faces. The little guy in this story is bored having to spend a rainy day indoors, but the mom encourages him to draw. At first reluctant, the young one is drawn to the picture, literally and figuratively and is soon clamoring to go outside where he can jump in the puddles and enjoy the dreary day. Another hit for the preschool set.

Splashdance by Liz Starin

Starin knows how to take a goofy idea (a bear practicing to win a water ballet contest) and to make it even goofier! First the bear is in, then she is out as no bears are allowed in the pool. Then, after a period of despondency and depression, the bear finds a new group to practice with. And while Ursula’s group puts forth the best performance, they do not win the contest. Ursula’s old partner (a human) and his new partner (a giraffe) win the contest. Because what is more absurd than a bear in the pool? A giraffe, of course!

My Thumb by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Rich Deas

Written in rhyme with a syncopated rhythm, My Thumb is an ode to thumb-sucking. While there are some things this little sucker can’t do with her thumb in her mouth, she is still content to suck away, extolling the virtues of her “soggy, wrinkled, half-baked” thumb. For those little ones who just can’t kick the habit, finally a book that doesn’t try to convince them to give it up.

Daddies are Awesome by Meredith Costain, illustrated by Polona Lovsin.

Another rhyming book all about daddies. The words are directed at preschoolers with their need to have their hands held and go on adventures; the pictures are all father dogs and puppies of multiple breeds, beagles on one page, spaniels the next. Look this one up next year on Father’s Day!

Marta Big and Small by Jen Arena, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

A bilingual book that tells a story about Marta with both Spanish and English words. While most of the book is in English, there is a proliferation of Spanish words that are translated either in words or pictures. Makes the use of dual languages seem natural and fun.

Books with Friends

Friendship plays a big role in picture books for children. Here are a few of my favorites this month. 

 

Little Elliot:  Big Family by Mike Curato

Mouse and Elliot, a tiny mouse and a small polka-dotted elephant,  are old friends. When Mouse goes off to his family reunion, Elliot is lonely and notices families all over the city. Curato does an excellent job of showing different ethnicities and genders in both his words and his pictures, while focusing on the central point: family members enjoying themselves and one another. Will Elliot get to experience what it is like to be a part of a big family? Read it and see.

Little Elliot: Big Fun by Mike Curato

Little Elliot and Mouse head out for an amusement park on the edge of the City, depicted like Coney Island of bygone days. The rides overwhelm Elliot and they have a hard time finding something that is not too fast, or wet or dizzy. But, when they finally take a chance on the giant Ferris Wheel, they (and the reader) are rewarded with a stupendous view of the city from the top. But, the best is when Little Elliot asks Mouse what his favorite part of the day is, and Mouse replies, “Being with you.” True friends, nothing better!

Best Frints in the Whole Universe by Antoinette Portis

What is a frint, you may ask? While this book will give you some hints, the answer lies in the mind of the reader. Best frints on Planet Bobarp do not act like best friends on Planet Earth, which this book makes perfectly clear. For all those parents and teachers who are dealing with friends and siblings who are sometimes enemies, this might be a lighthearted way to start a conversation without making a big deal about childish behaviors.

Bossy Flossy by Paulette Bogan

What happens when Bossy Flossy meets Bossy Edward on the school playground? Do they both stop their bossy ways and become best friends? Well, not exactly, but they do start to recognize what it feels like to be bossed around. Which is always a good thing and maybe a friendship does develop. Have fun reading and hope you don’t recognize yourself in this book!

Hill and Hole are Best Friends by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Vasanti Unka

Hill and Hole live side by side and talk to each other about the world around them. When the time comes that they want to experience the world from another perspective, they enlist the help of Mole who moves the earth to make Hole a hill and Hill a hole. And that’s where it gets a little confusing as Hill the hole talks to Hole the hill.. How many friends want to be just like their best friend and experience life as their friend does? How many of us actually get to do this? While Hill and Hole enjoy switching roles, they soon want to switch back, asking now for the help of Wind, who wisely says, “Sometimes it is easier to do things than to undo them once they’re done.” How true! What appears as a simple story is a metaphor that could be used with children at almost all grade levels. Deep!

Maggie and Michael Get Dressed by Denise Fleming

Fleming is one of my favorite illustrators for children’s books these days. Her drawings are realistic, yet appear to be simple and are amazingly easy to imitate, making me feel like an artist myself! Michael is a toddler who is supposed to be dressing himself, but instead is helping his puppy, Maggie, put on all his clothes. Toddlers who hear this story are learning colors, names of clothing and some body parts. Clever!

Poetry and other books for summer reading

Summer time, time for relaxing, reading and reflecting. Some good books of poetry as well as other fun books to read aloud on these lazy days. Enjoy!

Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka
 

Concrete poems are those that give a visual representation of what the poem is about. One of my favorite was a circle of words: Hola! Gutentag! Boujour! Welcome to the circle tour. No one needs a ticket here. We take this trip every year. Bon voyage! It’s nonstop fun as earth revolves around” And then in the middle, a smaller circle with just the words: “the sun.” So many poems, so many word pictures! So much inspiration!

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, 

Pictures by Julie Morstad

Poems for every season, each one labeled with a date to give it a personal touch. Mostly free-verse, some just a few words and some list poems, like this one for March 24: what the snow left behind/was a red scarf/next to a wooden carrot/one blue mitten/a big snow shovel/a little snow shovel/and mud/and mud/ and mud/ and more mud/and muddy mud/and mud

These poems were made for sharing and for imitating, sometimes for laughing and always for thinking.

Good Night Truck by Sally Odgers, Illustrated by Heath McKenzie

A modern version of Good Night Moon, with rhyming couplets about all kinds of transportation: trucks, diggers, tractors, boats. All of these are anthropomorphized with shining eyes and crazy eyebrows, drawn in off-beat colors that fit with the busy colorful backgrounds. In the end, all the vehicles are tucked in for the night and the truck gets to cozy down with the narrator as he/she snuggles in bed.

And now for a touch of whimsy, or if you prefer, just plain silliness!

Music Class Today! By David Weinstone, Pictures by Vin Vogel

David Weinstone started teaching Music for Aardvarks almost 20 years ago. His interactive music classes are illustrated herewith whimsical, multi-generational and multi-racial participants. One of Weinstone’s CDs would have made a nice addition to this book, as the major focus of the story is left to our imagination.

Bunny Dreams by Peter McCarty

What do bunnies know? What do bunnies dream? This whimsical story takes us through the day and night of a group of bunnies, whose names all begin with B. On each page, the bunnies are drawn to represent different scenarios, sometimes with letters on their bodies, sometimes with wings. But, my favorite pages are the ones where the bunnies are wearing little striped sweaters to make them look like they are bumble bee bunnies. Kind of weird, but in a good way!

The Fintastic Fishsitter: A Big Fat Goldfish Adventure by Mo O’Hara, Illustrated by Marek Jacucki

What I liked about this book:

1.     The main characters are Indian-American, you don’t find that in children’s books, maybe never!

2.     The other characters are a zombie fish and a clever cat, you might find these in other children’s books, but rarely together.

3.     The fish and the cat are both kind of evil, but the girl prevails in the end, getting them to play nicely together.

4.     The humor is not lost on adults or little ones.

Is that enough? Try it, you’ll like it!

Go, Little Green Truck! By Roni Schotter, pictures by Julia Kuo

Little Green is a useful pick-up truck who is displaced by Big Blue when Farmer Gray’s farm grew. Little Green is now lonely, sitting to the side and not being driven. Until finally one day, Fern (notice the name of the farmer’s daughter, sound familiar to you children’s book lovers?) finds lonely Little Green and determines that this truck should be used for trips to the Farmers’ Market. All ends well, with Little Green once again feeling useful! Lots of metaphors here as well as luscious pictures of the farm, all the animals and vegetables! And who can not fall for a book with a farmer’s daughter named Fern?

Let’s Go to the Hardware Store by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Mellissa Iwai
 

Buying a new house means a trip to the hardware store, for sure, so Daddy sets out to get what he needs, accompanied by Flora and the narrator, a little boy who remains unnamed. They explore and buy a myriad of tools that are clearly illustrated and labeled. They even get a birdhouse kit at the end of the trip. But, they forgot the one thing Mommy asked for: picture hangers. So off they go again to the hardware story. Anyone who has ever done any DIY in the home knows how important the trips to the hardware store are!

Concept books or should I say, Books by Laura Vaccaro Seeger?

Most of these concept books are by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and though she is prolific, her quality remains high. Many of her books teach about concepts our youngest readers will be interested in and need to know, but they teach in such a way to be interesting as well as informative. I am constantly amazed at the creativity in her books and have enjoyed looking for the surprise as I go from page to page. If you would enjoy having one of these concept books for your very own, comment on this blog and be sure to let me know which book you would like!

Walter Was Worried by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Weather can worry, frighten, delight and shock us. All of these emotions are portrayed not only through pictures of the actual weather event, but with faces that are decorated with the letters that make up the word being depicted. A very clever way to show a number of concepts: emotions, facial expressions, letter names. Seeger also manages to include both boys and girls and children of different races. A great addition to any library for young learners.

Black? White! Day? Night! By Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Maybe the best book of opposites I have ever seen. Each pair of opposites starts on a page with a see-through window at some place on the page. Lifting this first page shows the opposite concept, with the part that was shown on the see through window cleverly incorporated into the opposite word. One of the most clever is the page that is labeled “same” which contains several windows, all with a small diamond showing through. Lifting this page reveals a page of snowflakes, all “different” from one another, but all containing at some point, a small diamond. I love this book!

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Another concept book by Seeger that also uses the window in a clever way, taking a traditional counting book to a new level. One boy incorporates one into the word alone; five mice (turn the page) skate on ice. The drawings are done with sharp primary colors and the end page shows the one boy, who is now all done, walking away from a group of drawings with his paint brushes tucked in his satchel.

Lemons are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Again Seeger uses the cut out on the page to demonstrate color of common objects. “Lemons are not red; lemons are yellow. Apples are red.” This could become the next early reading/writing text where students work in pairs to come up with another item color combination: I’m thinking, Grapes are not orange; grapes are purple. Oranges are orange. Let’s hear your creative ideas! (It doesn’t have to be food!)

           

Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

Starting with a basic array of two-dimensional shapes, a young boy and girl take the reader through a creative array of joined shapes that could be anything. A semi-circle under a triangle becomes a dancing ballerina or an elephant floating up into space being held up by a triangular array of balloons. The last page gives a variety of shape combinations and children and adults can use their imaginations to figure out what they represent!. Colorful and playful turns out to be a good way to learn shapes.

Lost. Found. By Marsha Diane Arnold, Pictures by Matthew Cordell

A book with only two words, repeated throughout as a scarf is lost and found a number of times. Each new finder in the animal world also finds a new use for the scarf. Cordell’s imaginative drawings of bears, beavers, foxes, etc. populate the page with anthropomorphized animals demonstrating their creativity along with his. The ultimate lost is when the scarf unravels into reams of thread, making it necessary for the original owner, Bear, to take up knitting. Preschoolers will love this book as they figure out what each animal is doing with the bright red scarf.

Green City by Allan Drummond

Not exactly a concept book, yet this book does deliver an interesting story around the concept of “going green.” Given that topic, and the way the book is written, it is appropriate for an older reader than our normal picture book audience. Drummond has done an excellent job of describing the problem faced by the residents of Greenburg, Kansas in 2007 and how they as a community decided to take the lemons they were given and make lemonade. For an intermediate class studying issues of energy use and green buildings, this will be an invaluable resource. For families who are trying to show their children what can be done to make a smaller energy footprint, this would make an excellent resource at home as well. A great companion book for Drummond’s Energy Island, published in 2011.

How to Pee: Potty Training for Girls by Todd Spector, Illustrated by Arree Chung

To match Potty Training for Boys published in 2015, we now have Potty Training for Girls. Told in a cute step by step progression for each “style” of getting onto the toilet, you can choose from “Princess Style,” “Fresh-Air Style,” or “Witchy Style” just to name a few. The drawings show cute, large headed girls, all but one appear to be White, going through the motions of getting to the potty and peeing. Spector gives some advice at the end making sure that parents do not take this potty training issue too seriously and ensuring they are waiting for the timing of the child.

Vacation Reading

I recently took a cruise with two good friends. True to form for my reader self, I brought several books to read while I lounged around on the cruise ship. Little did I know my two friends were so active, cramming activities into every minute of our lives on board and on shore. In spite of the numerous activities, I managed to get through a few of the books and start a few more. So here is what I read late at night on this ship:

Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith

One of my favorite series is the 44 Scotland Street series by Smith. This is Book 9 of the 10 books in this series and somehow I missed it along the way. I love the interconnected stories of those who live in the apartment building on Scotland Street, but I especially love Bertie who suffers the indignity of his overbearing mother with grace and ingenuity. This is the book that made me laugh out loud while lying in my bunk late at night.

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin 

Lucia Berlin has written short stories for the last half century or more and this was my first encounter with her work. Her stories have many autobiographical elements, but she has done so many things in her life, including being a cleaning lady, that they are all over the place. Often told in first person, the stories explore relationships, motherhood and dealing with alcoholics, both within yourself and with others that you know. I laughed and cringed at the stories in this book and hope to find other stories by Berlin, although they will have to be previously published as she is no longer with us. A true storyteller who found her calling.

Booked by Kwame Alexander 

 

Following his Newbery award winner about basketball players, Alexander now turns to soccer. A young player is dealing with his parents separation, trying to keep up with his studies at school and playing on a travel soccer team. Written in free verse, as was Crossover, this YA book is perfect to show that not all African Americans live in poverty in the inner city. Nick’s problems, including dealing with his English professor father, are much closer to the typical upper middle class student, giving us an insight into the life of an educated Black family.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I have read a few John Green novels, the hot author of YA fare. Some have seemed unusually saccharine, but this is not within that ilk. Miles goes off to boarding school to find the “great perhaps.” He discovers friendship, love plenty of teenage angst. But, there is a death and there is a great deal of effort put into finding out if this death was or was not a suicide. In either case, Green delves into the lives of teens, exploring why they might want to commit suicide. AS the narrator, Miles is both likable and repulsive. It is easy to see why Green is an acclaimed YA writer.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

A typical thriller set in a small Alabama town tells the story of Lucy Bane whose mother disappeared when she was a baby. Now, as a teen, one of her friends has disappeared, only to be discovered a year later, body dismembered and stuffed in a tree stump. Lucy cannot let go of these mysteries and spends the summer between her junior and senior year trying to solve these two mysteries in her life. Of course, she is confronted at the end by the killer, giving the readers a moment of suspense: will she survive? Spoiler alert: of course she survives!

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brash

I am always open to new books and ideas, but I will not seek out any additional works by Brash. While I did not love this book, I did read it to the end. She writes mostly through pictures and the art work is quirky to say the least. While I could relate to some of the stories and while she made depression more understandable, I was not pulled into this book or her life as I was with many of the other reads I took on this trip. If you are in your 20s and love dogs, you may find this more compelling than I did.

Books about friendship

Books about friendship have always had a special place in the world of children’s literature. Who out there cannot relate to the friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte or the unusual friendship between George and Martha or the more recent Herman and Rosie (Gordan). We all need our friends and the special friendships we form in childhood often stay with us, giving us old and new memories to share as we age. Here are a few new books about friendship both within and outside of the family. My only concern is that all of these books focus on the friendships of boys. Only Lenny and Lucy includes a female within the friend mix, but that character does not enter until the last few pages of the book. Come on, authors, let’s support girl friendships as well!

Big Friends by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies

If you have ever experienced a great friendship that is disrupted when a third person joins in, this book is for you. Birt and Echo are “Big Friends” spending every minute together having adventures on Sudden Hill with their cardboard boxes. When Shu joins them, the rhythm changes and Birt feels left out. Luckily for Birt, both Shu and Echo joyfully encourage Birt to rejoin the group and now the adventures have three. A happy story of friendship gone right. A great classroom read when children seem to be forming alliances for and against one another. Big Friends shows how friendship can expand to reach more than two.

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead, Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

When Peter and his family move to a new house, he is not happy and the dark woods on the other side of the bridge outside his window keep him awake at night. Peter and his dog Harold build Lenny first as a guardian of the night, but when that does not seem enough, they build Lucy as well. Finally, Millie, the girl next door comes over offering her binoculars “and a bag of marshmallows, too.” This nascent friendship is barely described and occurs on the last few pages of the book. But, it is compelling and begs to be continued. This award winning husband and wife team have once again connected with both children and adults in a story about moving, loneliness, fear and ultimately friendship.

How to Share with a Bear by Eric Pinder, Pictures by Stephanie Graegin

Thomas builds a cave of blankets and pillows in his living room, but finds that a little bear has invaded his space. What follows is a bunch of tricks on Thomas’ part to get the bear out of the cave. While Thomas devises clever ploys, the bear always seems to be one step ahead of him and his time alone in the cave is short. Toward the end of the book, the reader realizes that the bear is a younger sibling making the book so much more meaningful and poignant. A sweet way to introduce sharing space and objects with younger siblings as well as the idea that a brother or sister could be a good friend.

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright

Love Monster is returning home after a long trip, only to find a box of chocolates on his doorstep. Imagining sharing this box of chocolates with his friends, Love Monster quickly realizes that if he shares, he might not get the chocolate that he wants. When his queasy stomach will not allow him to keep the chocoaltes to himself,  Love Monster runs to his friends eager to share his gift with them. When he finds his friends, they are busy getting ready for a party to welcome him home. Opening the box of chocolates, he discovers that his friends have saved one last chocolate for him and it is his favorite: Double Chocolate Strawberry Swirl! Oh, to have friends who know what our favorites are and who save our favorites just for us!

Dear Yeti by James Kwan

Two young hikers are on an adventure and looking for Yeti, a beat of the mountains. Yeti proves to be elusive until the hikers are in danger of being eaten by a bear. Then he appears and politely asks the bear not to eat his friends. Sweet drawings and simple language told largely through notes the hikers write to Yeti.

.Kwan’s first picture book sets him up for a long career writing and illustrating for children.

Time for  Cranberries by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Illustrated by Jed Henry

When I first glanced at the picture of the front of this book, it made me think of the commercials for Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice. The author who lives on a cranberry farm with her husband and two sons describes the process of harvesting cranberries through words, pictures and interactions between three family members: father, mother and school-aged son. For those who live on farms, the hard work and use of large machinery will be recognized. For those who do not, the depictions of harvesting just one of our many food crops will open their eyes to the hard work and sheer joy involved. While no child friends are shown in this book, the young boy has a great friendship with his parents as they obviously love doing what they are doing.