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Horton and the Kwuggerbug and more Lost Stories
Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss aka Ted Geisel
Published by: Random House Books For Young Readers
Published: Sept 9, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0385382984
Ages: 4-8 (and up)
Source: Book obtained from publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 5/5

It’s incredible to me that we can read new Dr. Seuss stories after Ted Geisel died, but these Dr. Seus stories were “lost.” They’re treasure I’m glad was rediscovered: A new Horton the Elephant story, a fanciful story about Marco (from And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street) who arrives to school late and tells the tale about why; a police officer who saves the town; and a short grinch story featuring a different grinch than the one who stole Christmas. These stories have the same wonderful rollicking, almost perfect rhythm that Dr. Seuss is known for; twists and plot surprises that keep the reader interest; conflict that keeps us riveted; characters we care about, empathize with, and root for; and humor. I loved the satisfying ending, especially, in Horton and the Kwuggerbug where a mean-spirited character gets his just desserts; this was my favorite story in the book. I also love that the stories include fanciful made-up words and great imagination that fit his stories perfectly.

Dr. Seuss’ beautiful, strange, evocative, and trademark illustrations fit the stories perfectly, with crazy cliffs and strange-looking trees, emotionally expressive characters, and bright colors. They’re Dr. Seuss’ strong illustrative style that generations of readers have loved and been entranced with, and generations will continue to love.

The stories all have a strong emotional appeal, with conflict and psychological tension. These are pure Dr. Seuss, and they’re a delight. When I finished reading, I had Dr. Seuss’ rhythms and some of the rhymes running through my head–which shows how catchy they are; I think is a sign of greatness. I loved these “new” stories, and I think children and Dr Seuss fans will love them, too.

My only criticism is that Horton and the Kwuggerbug probably should have been published on its own; the other stories aren’t as polished or as captivating. For instance, How Officer Pat Saved the Whole Town is all about what might happen, not what is happening, so it’s not as dramatic or intense or fun, though it’s still enjoyable.

Also included is a long, detailed introduction by Charles D Cohen–an expert on Dr Seuss stories. It provides some fascinating detail for readers who love Dr. Seuss.

Highly recommended.

The Worst Princess
Written by Anna Kemp
Illustrated by Sara Ogilvie
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Ages: 3-7 (and up)
Source: Obtained from the publisher for an honest review.
My rating: 5/5

This is a refreshing tale about a princess who thinks she needs to be saved from her tower–until she realizes that getting “saved” just locks her up in a different tower. The princess makes friends with a dragon, and together they travel the world. In the end, the princess saves herself.

I love books that show girls being strong, not ruled by sexism, who are able to save themselves–especially when the books are written well, without being preachy or didactic. This book is a delight on all levels–the content, the way the story is written, and the illustrations.

Kemp’s rhyming text flows smoothly; there is rarely a rhyme that feels even slightly forced. The story is lively and entertaining, and the dialogue helps it move quickly. Humor permeates the story, from the names the princess and prince call each other (twit, turtledove), to the insults given (the prince telling her to twirl her pretty curls), to the dragon setting the prince’s shorts on fire. I love the princess making tea for the dragon, and the way they become friends who defend each other and travel the world together. Princess Sue is a strong role model that breaks out of the sexism she was trapped in.

Ogilvie’s illustrations are vivid and alive, quirky and expressive, and a delight to pore through, with a lot of detail to enjoy. The characters and the objects they interacting with have strong outlines which bring them into the forefront and focus, while backgrounds are more muted and blurry. I love the bold, bright colors. Princess Sue’s bright orange hair is echoed in the dragon’s bright orange-red scales, which visually and emotionally tie the two together even more. And the prince does look like the pompous twit he acts like, with his thin curly mustache, foppish hair, long narrow nose, and stuck up expression.

This is an important–and fun!–book for both girls and boys. None of us need be constrained by the gender rules for behavior that society sets for us. Girls can think for themselves, protect themselves and others, travel the world, and be outspoken. Boys can stay at home, cook, take care of children, or follow their dreams, whatever they might be. Though the book doesn’t show boys escaping their forced gender roles, it will make children (and adults) think, and it challenges sexism in a humorous way. We need more books like this.

If you love strong-girl characters, you have *got* to get yourself–or the kids in your life–a copy of this book! I think it’ll become a classic, like Princess Smartypants
and The Paper Bag Princess. This, for me, became an instant favorite.
.

Highly recommended! If I could give it a higher rating, I would. This is a keeper, and one to give away as gifts, too.

Drop It, Rocket! (Step Into Reading, Step 1)
Written and illustrated by: Tad Hills
Published By: Random House Books for Young Readers
Published: July 8, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0385372541
Ages: 6-9
Source: Obtained from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. (As you may be able to tell, I only review books I love.)
My rating: 5/5

Rocket loves to find new words. He brings the little yellow bird many objects so they can make words from them. But when he finds a red boot he refuses to put it back down or trade it for anything–except for a book which the friends then pore over.

Hill’s sentences and words are short and easy for young readers to read, so that should bring a feeling of success, and yet they keep reader interest by telling a great story. The story moves quickly with a lot of dialogue, and there’s some great humor (with a set up of Rocket dropping every object he’s asked to, until he gets to the boot) and conflict. I love the focus on words and reading. It’s very feel-good and fills me with delight.

Hill’s illustrations are sweet, light hearted, and expressive, with great emotion, facial expressions, and body language. The illustrations perfectly compliment and enhance the text. I love how they work together so that the illustrations show things that the text doesn’t, such as how all the objects Rocket brought back are printed out as words. The great amount of white space around each illustration helps to add to the light, airy feeling of the illustrations.

If you love books about books or words, you’ll want to pick this one up! Highly recommended.

Mr. Wuffles!
Written and illustrated by: David Wiesner
Published by: Clarion Books
Published: October 1, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0618756612
Ages: 4-8
Source: I purchased the book myself.
My rating: 5/5

I love David Wiesner’s books; he’s created some of my very favorites, especially Tuesday and Flotsam–so I look forward to each new release, and Mr. Wuffles! didn’t disappoint. Mr. Wuffles! is a Caldecott Medal Honor Winning title, and it deserves to be.

Mr. Wuffles doesn’t play with any of the toys his human buys for him. But when a tiny alien spaceship–the size and almost the look of a golf ball with protrusions–lands in Mr. Wuffles’ house, Mr. Wuffles goes crazy playing with it. The tiny aliens inside get headaches and feel sick from being tossed around, so when they think Mr. Wuffles is asleep they sneak out. Mr. Wuffles is about to attack them when a ladybug distracts him, and the aliens flee to safety–into the walls of the house, where they are greeted by ants and ladybugs who’ve all been chased by the cat (as evidenced by the paintings on the wall). The aliens and the bugs–who look similar in shape–become allies and friends, sharing food and ideas, and coming up with a plan for escape, while Mr. Wuffles watches them under the radiator. The aliens and bugs distract the cat until they get their spaceship working and fly away, out the window, while the triumphant bugs don some of the alien attire and add to their paintings on the inner walls of the house.

There are only a few short lines of text in the story; most of the story is told through the illustrations. But the sparse text works to emphasize certain details in the book, and bring the story full circle. In the first two panels, Mr. Wuffles’ human says “Look, Mr. Wuffles, a new toy!” and when the cat walks away, says “Oh, Mr. Wuffles,” which makes the reader notice all the toys Mr. Wuffles never plays with. Three quarters of the way through the book, we see Mr. Wuffles’ human asking him what is so interesting–while he stares determinedly under the radiator, where the aliens and bugs are–to Mr. Wuffles, they seem like living or animated toys. And then in some of the last panels, Mr. Wuffles’ human brings hima new toy–a rocket–while saying “Hey, Mr. Wuffles–blast off!” and then when Mr. Wuffles walks away, saying “Oh, Mr. Wuffles.” So we see again Mr. Wuffles snubbing toys for living creatures–bugs and aliens. And there’s also some humor with the rocket symbolizing outer space and exploration of the universe and other intelligent life–while real aliens have already visited Mr. Wuffles’ home. The text works well, emphasizing key story points.

The illustrations are what make the book. SO much is told through the beautiful, colorful illustrations–through body language, through action. The story is well paced and also holds a lot of humor, with a funny explanation for why some pets may prefer chasing after bugs and living creatures than playing with their toys, and humor that animals, insects, and aliens may be more intelligent than us or notice things that we don’t.

The illustrations are painted in various sizes of panels, almost like a comic book, some taking up a full spread, some half a page, some a quarter or a fifth or less, the action moving beautifully from one panel to the next. The viewpoint also changes, moving us from seeing Mr. Wuffles and what he’s doing, to seeing the aliens and bugs and what they’re doing. The bright, rich colors, realism, and strong storytelling bring the story alive. There is so much to see on every page–details readers will love to find–and fantastic expression and body language.

Anyone who’s owned a cat will also recognize the body language and behaviors of a cat–chasing after a fly, leaping up in surprise, swatting at moving objects, getting overwhelmed at too much stimuli, a swishing tail when wanting to pounce or annoyed at something–and refusing to play with some expensive toys while loving chasing after anything from nature.

This is a funny, light-hearted fantasy romp, especially for children with imagination and cat lovers. There’s also a bit of a fun surprise for readers who buy the hardcover; take off the paper jacket, and instead of the cover you see outer space. Highly recommended.

If you can, I hope you buy pick these books up at your local bookstore or library. They are well worth it, and will bring many enjoyable reads. I know I’ll be buying copies for gifts–they’re that good.

I love finding picture books where the art and the writing work together just right, where the storyline is compelling and the illustrations are beautiful. Picture books like that are treasures, sure to inspire imagination, good feeling, greater understanding, and/or and dreams in young readers. I also love books that celebrate books and reading. All these picture books are ones I highly recommend.

Where’s Mommy?
Written by Beverly Donofrio, illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Published by: Schwartz & Wade Books/Random House
Published: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-375-84423-2
Recommended Age: 3-7 years (and up)
My Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My policy is only to review books that I love or enjoy.

As soon as I opened Where’s Mommy? I was drawn in by the warm, comforting images and delightful storyline. Every image has a yellow-orange background like sunlight that creates a warm happy, mood. There is SO much to look at in every illustration; so much detail to study and enjoy. And the writing is just enough to keep the reader interested and tell us what we need to know, but not too much that it becomes hard to sit through.

In Where’s Mommy? a little girl and a little mouse who are friends but can’t tell anyone about their friendship, both can’t find their mothers one night when they’re getting ready to bed. They look for their mothers, ask their family, and start getting worried–until they find their mothers together.

Where’s Mommy? is beautifully written and illustrated. We see two lives at once; the human girl’s and the mouse’s. Both the dual storyline and the dual illustrations parallel each other, and then converge in a satisfying story. I LOVE the parallel stories; in every page or spread, we see the human girl doing something–getting on her pajamas, brushing her teeth, looking in the kitchen for her mother–and then on the same spread (often below the human girl, or beside her), we see the mouse girl doing the exact same thing. The mouse family lives beneath the floor of the human family, and the way McClintock illustrates it, we see them not only doing the same kinds of things, we also see their rooms parallel each other, sharing not only the house but the page. Absolutely beautifully done.

McClintock’s detailed pen-and-ink, watercolor, and gouche illustrations are a delight to pore through. There are so many details in every drawing that make the illustrations feel cozy and just right, that tell us a happy family lives there–the toys lined up along the couch and shelves and scattered on the floor in the human image, with furniture and plants and books and paintings–and in the mouse family, so many creative, sweet details, like beds and seats made out of teacups, an iPod for a giant music system, clothespins making up part of a bed, Christmas lights and flashlights creating light, an empty plastic berry container as a countertop, and yes–tiny books and dishes and art. Everything is drawn beautifully, with great care and perspective. Warmth and friendliness emanates from every page.

Donofrio’s text is beautifully written. The story starts out with friendship, a secret, and the reason for the secret, with the two lives paralleling each other. It takes us on their paralleling journey, has the two characters bump into each other, and then at the climax gives us a delightful surprise. The text makes the girl and mouse’s lives closely parallel each other but still fit their own world; it’s satisfying to read. The story is fun and grabs the readers’ curiosity and interest–what will happen next?–and pulls us though to the surprise and the ending, where the lives parallel each other once more, ending with a question that the reader can answer.

I think this book will inspire friendship and hope, imagination, appreciating differences, and give readers a sense of comfort and belonging.

This is one book where the story text and the illustrations work so perfectly together that they just belong together; it’s as if they were created by the same person. Both are created so beautifully that the book is a joy to read; this book is one of my new favorites. I highly recommend it.

Journey
Written and Illustrated by Aaron Becker
Published by: Candlewick Press
Published: Aug 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6053-6
Recommended Age: 4-8 (and up)
My Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: I purchased the book myself.

This wordless book is pure delight. It reminds me of both Harold And The Purple Crayon, and The Red Book by Barbara Lehman, where a lonely child finds a friend, happiness, and joy through creativity.

In Journey, a lonely young girl uses a red crayon to draw a door into another world–a world busting with color, beauty, and imaginative adventure. The nameless girl starts out in a gray-brown city, all alone and dark except for the pop of red from one toy she takes with her–her scooter, a kit, a ball. But when her family is too busy to play with her, her world turns completely gray-brown–until she spots the red crayon on her floor, and draws a door in the wall of her bedroom. She walks through the door–into a world lush with color, life, and imagination–a green forest with hanging lights. She goes on an adventure, using her magic red crayon to escape from danger, and to help rescue a beautiful purple bird that soldier captured. Together, the girl with her red crayon and the purple bird escape and travel through another door into another magical land–and then back to the city, where the bird is reunited with the boy who drew her, and the girl, the boy, and the bird become friends and go off on an adventure, riding a bike that both the girl and the boy created together.

Becker’s illustrations are powerful and a delight to page through. The initial bleakness of the girl’s world is shown dramatically through the gray-brown washes–lacking any other color except for the one bright red spot of hope through the girl’s toy when she approaches someone to play–and her crayon. Her red crayon becomes a focal point, both through the dramatic pop of color and through the magic of what it can do. Each object that the girl draws to help herself–a door, a boat, a hot-air balloon–are a red burst of color that stand out against the muted but lush colors of the magical worlds she travels through.

Becker’s illustrations are intricate and detailed, with so much to look at. I also like how the illustrations aren’t all the same size; in some, there are three small drawings on a white background per page, on some, they are full color but confined to one page, and on some the action takes place over an entire full spread of color. This helps keep the story appealing and engaging.

This in an enchanting, hopeful, imaginative book that reminds readers of the importance of friends, and the power of art and imagination to transport us out of unhappiness and make our lives happier and brighter. It’s also a 2014 Caldecott Honor Book, and rightly so. It is one of my absolute favorites. Highly recommended!

The Story of Fish and Snail
Written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman
Published by: Viking (Penguin Group)
Published: June 2013
ISBN: 978-0670784899
Recommended Age: 3-5 (and up)
My Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: I purchased the book myself.

Snail and fish are friends and live in a book together–called The Story of Fish and Snail. Snail waits each day for Fish to come home and tell her a story. But one day Fish says he found a new book, and wants to show it to Snail. Snail doesn’t want to go into other books, and they argue. Fish leaves, and Snail is all alone and sad. But then Snail sees Fish in an open book below theirs, and dives down into the new book. The two friends, together again, sail off to have an adventure in the new book.

I love the concept and playfulness of characters who live in the book we’re reading about, where the book becomes part of the art (kind of like Chester by Melanie Watt). There’s something so creative and appealing (especially to book lovers) about this. I love how the illustrations move from seeing Fish dive into the open pages of The Story of Fish and Snail as if the pages hold water and everything that we see within the pages for real, and not just illustrations, to closer and closer up views of the pages of the book until we don’t see the book any more, but just the book world (under water with stones and a tiny castle), getting closer and bigger views of the arguing friends so that they almost take up the page visually (and also with the emotion and fight), until Fish leaps right out of the book and we once again see that it’s a book spread open. I also love how the only color is inside the book pages; everything else (when we get a farther out view) is shades of gray in a library–because the rest of the setting isn’t important. What’s important are the worlds inside the books, and how they come alive. It’s also a great analogy of how books really do come alive for readers.

This is a beautifully drawn and written book. Visually, the characters are so expressive and full of emotion, and the book worlds are beautiful and magical–as if books physically hold what the words and pictures say they do. The illustrations are warm and comforting, showing two lives at once, and there is so much for readers to look at. The climax was strong, the writing was just right–not too much, just enough to tell the story, and perfectly matching the illustrations.

The Story of Fish and Snail encourages a love of books and imagination, and also reminds us that fear can hold us back, but sometimes we have to stretch ourselves a little if we want to keep up with our dearest friends. This is another new favorite of mine. Highly recommended!

The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art

Written by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Mary Grandpre
Published by: Knopf Books For Young Readers/Random House
Published: Feb 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0307978486
Recommended Age: 4-8 years (and up)
My Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My policy is only to review books that I love or enjoy.

In The Noisy Paint Box, Vasya Kandinsky was taught to be a proper Russian boy, with manners and rules and things to practice, and he lived up to that–until his aunt gave him a wooden paint box. Vasya heard the colors make noise when no one else could. And so he painted the sound of the colors. But his family didn’t understand and wanted him to be like a normal Russian boy–so for a long time he held himself in and did what was expected of him–until finally he couldn’t ignore the singing of color. Finally, he went back to painting, painting what he heard and saw and felt from color. And when he did that, he created a new form of art–abstract art. Art that was meant to make people feel.

Text and illustrations work really well together. I love that Barb Rosenstock tells us about Vasya Kandinsky–a famous painter–and tells it as a story that comes alive, a story that we can almost touch and hear. Her word choices feel like poetry: “He spun a bright lemon circle onto the canvas. It clinked like the highest notes on the keyboard,” and make us feel it, see it, almost hear it. Her beautiful writing will grab the reader’s interest and keep them wanting to know about the little boy who people tried to force to conform, who grew into his own creativity and art. I also like that there’s an author’s note at the end of the book that included detailed information about Vasya and shows some of his actual paintings.

Mary Grandpre’s illustrations (the illustrator of the Harry Potter books) make the story come alive even more. The characters are expressive, and the illustrations are so creative, with words and images and bright swirls of color incorporated right into the illustrations themselves. For instance, when the grown-ups talk at dinner, not only do we see strips of cut-up words coming from their mouths, but we also see their heads and bodies full of words. And once Vasya discovers paint, we see the paint colors swirling up off the page with words, symbols, and bright color to show the sounds he hears. Grandpre’s style is unique, visually compelling, and full of movement, bright color, and energy.

The Noisy Paint Box reminds readers that creativity is powerful, that it’s important to be true to ourselves no matter what anyone else says, and that if we have a dream, we should follow it. This book will encourage creativity and art, and creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Highly recommended!

Books Always Everywhere
Written by Jane Blatt, illustrated by Sarah Massini
Published by: Random House For Young Readers
Published: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-0385375061
Recommended Age: 3-7 years (and up)
My Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My policy is only to review books that I love or enjoy.

Books Always Everywhere is another book that celebrates books and reading, and so encourages the reader to enjoy books. I think this is especially important when young children are increasingly introduced to technology, television, and video games. Books teach us about the world and encourage empathy and help us understand the world in a different way than even movies can–by putting us inside the characters through our own imaginations. So I love this book about books for very young readers. I could see it being made as a board book. (The copy I have is a regular picture book.)

Jane Blatt’s rhyming text is very simple, aimed at young children learning to read: “Book big/Book small/Book wide/Book tall.” Words also appear on the books the toddlers read–some on the inside pages, and some on the covers or spines. The text flows easily and quickly, and the rhymes are just right–something I’m particular about when reading, because when the rhyming is off it can take the reader out of the story. But here it works perfectly, and gives the readers a sense of books being everywhere.

Sarah Massini’s illustrations are sweet, simple, and fun–a good match for the text and the age. They they remind me of Helen Oxenbury’s style. The baby and toddler characters are adorable in their various onsies and PJs and little outfits, with simple, sweet faces, just dots for eyes, and little curves for noses and mouths–and babies and young readers are sure to enjoy seeing other little people in the pages. I also like that various ethnicity are shown in the characters. But my favorite part are the books within the pages of this book–three-dimensional books that are much bigger than they’d be in real life–big enough to climb on–and smaller books that the toddlers hold, read, and sit on. I love, too, how the books are not just books to read, but also books to play with–to sit on, to create a fort with, a hat, a tower–prompted by Blatt’s text–just like books are used in real life with young kids, and also books are enjoyed everywhere, on swings, in bed, at the beach.

I think Massini must have had fun creating book titles and text that fit what the characters were doing in each illustration. Young readers will enjoy hearing the silly, funny titles: “Trees Are the Bee’s Knees,” “Ooops-a-daisy!” when a baby drops a book, while other titles are of classic tales.

Books Always Everywhere is a sweet, simple book about enjoying books everywhere. It will encourage a love of books and reading, and shows other young children reading, too. I think kids need to see reading modeled to help them read more, and this book could encourage that. Highly recommended!

SLJ created a list of picture books to help kids cope with tragedy because of the recent Sandy Hooks tragedy. I think it’s a great starting point–and I’ll bet we all have some books we would add.

I think books can help us deal with painful issues; books helped save me when I was a kid being abused and tortured. Books can help us by directly dealing with issues, or sideways through metaphor or fantasy. Books can make it easier to hear about and deal with painful things–and picture books are great at doing that.

Picture books aren’t just for young children; I think they can also be great tools for older children, and even adults, to deal with trauma or to find hope again. Because trauma and the loss of someone we love can also bring up anger, sadness, fear, grief, and depression, I would add these picture books:

The Heart and the Bottle

By Oliver Jeffers

This is a moving book that deals with grief and loss, and the way it can make you forget how to see beauty around you, or care about things, or be curious–and the way it can make you want to protect yourself and your feelings. And it reminds us how important it is to still feel and care about people, and the people we’ve lost–all using metaphor. It’s beautifully written and illustrated.

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book

Written by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake

This book deals directly with grief and death; Michael Rosen talks about losing his son and his mother, and how it makes him sad much of the time, or angry, and the way he deals with it and tries to make himself feel better. He does things like reminds himself that everyone has sad stuff, and he tries to do one thing he’s proud of every day and then focus on that when he goes to bed, and do one thing that makes him feel happy–and he writes about sad. He also talks about remembering the good times he had with his son and his mother. There’s a lot that people who’ve lost someone will relate to in this book. I wish the ending felt a bit stronger in a happy ending or more wrapped up, but it’s a good book.

Sometimes Bad Things Happen

By Ellen Jackson, photographs by Shelley Rotner

This book talks about some of the things that can make kids feel bad, including bad things they hear on the news, and then reminds them that most people want to make the world a better place. It also goes through some good coping methods for when bad things happen and you feel sad, scared, hurt or angry, including thinking of the good people you know, hugging a friend, looking up at the sky, etc. It has some good suggestions and a positive outlook, and may be a good tool for traumatized children.

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Be Sad

By Rob Goldblatt

A book about a boy who doesn’t want to be sad so he tries to get rid of everything that makes him sad, shutting himself away from everyone and everything that could possibly make him sad–until he realizes that the things that make him sad also make him happy. It encourages readers to embrace even the things that make us sad, and to keep the people and animals we love in our life.

Red Sled

By Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Chris L Demarest
This is a simple, sweet book about feeling sad and doing something to change it. It starts out with a sad boy and a sad father and a red sled, and then has them having fun in the snow, and coming home to hot chocolate, a hug, a sleep and a read. It is lighter than the other books, and not as in depth, but a good reminder that sometimes distraction and having fun can help feeling sad or down.



The Blue Day Book: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up

By Bradley Trevor Greive

A book that uses humorous animal photos to lighten the mood and help the reader hear what it being said. The book first talks about how you may feel if you’re feeling down, and then has some concrete suggestions that can help lift your mood, like taking a short nap, singing your favorite songs, be creative, talking to your friends or thinking about someone you like. It can help to lighten your mood (though it may also feel hard to read when things are really down).

When I Feel Sad (The Way I Feel Books)

Written by Cornelia Maude Spelman, illustrated by Kathy Parkinson.

A sweet, reassuring book about feeling sad. It talks about reasons you might feel sad, the way sadness feels, and some ways to deal with being sad and feel better, such as talking to someone, crying, getting a hug, and then using distraction. The illustrations are sweet and comforting, and may help some children.

And there are also many, many picture books that offer comfort and hope and escape.

What are your picture book suggestions for dealing with trauma and grief?

I have so many fantastic picture books I’ve recently read and loved, and I’ve been wanting to share them with you, but I keep getting buried under all my work. So I decided to do a bunch of shorter reviews, all together, of my most recent favorites. I think any of these books would make fantastic gifts!

I’m Bored
Written by: Michael Ian Black
Illustrated by: Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Published by: Simon & Schuster
Date:
Recommended Age: 3 and up
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book so much I bought two copies–one for myself and one for a three-year-old boy I love. The story interested me and is well written, but for me it was the lively, expressive illustrations that really made the book.

In I’m Bored, a little girl is bored until she finds a potato that talks to her. The potato is not any potato–it’s a talking potato–and it’s bored, too. The potato thinks kids are boring, so the little girl sets out to prove that kids are NOT boring. In trying to convince the potato, the little girl realizes just how much she can actually do and what fun she can have. She doesn’t change the potato’s mind–but the grumpy potato is in for a surprise!

Black has written a dryly funny text that both kids and adults will enjoy. Kids will love joining in with the potato’s expected response: Boring, boring, boring! I loved how Black showed how kids can do both real-world things to have fun (turn cartwheels, skip, spin around) and use their imagination (be a ballerina, lion tamer, or fly), and also how he has the child realize that she’s glad she’s a kid. And the twist at the end was perfect! I was also so happy to see a mixture of things the girl could be, that kept it from being really sexist (such as that she could be a lion tamer).

Ohi’s illustrations are so full of life and emotion. Think a potato can’t have expressions or look like a person? Open up I’m Bored and you’ll see differently. With just a few lines Ohi makes the potato come alive just as she does the girl. Ohi’s style reminds me a bit of Mo Willems; I think Ohi will become just as well known and loved.

The illustrations are done in bold black lines, filled out with some color, and the characters really stand out; there is little to no background in most of the spreads. Where the background comes in is when the girl is using her imagination, and then we see dragons and lions, etc in pale blue lines that help the reader understand she’s using her imagination. When the girl uses real-world objects, like a paper box with the faceplate cut out for an astronaut’s helmet, it’s also in bold lines like the girl.

The girl and the potato are both very expressive; I love the expressions on the potato’s face, especially, when he’s bored or surprised. I also love how Ohi gave the girl a pretend sword when she’s a fairy princess with dragons and unicorns, which for me helped that page not be sexist.

I’m Bored is a funny book that will encourage imagination, play, and remind kids that they can do anything they want. It may also help kids (and adults) see that while not everyone may not find you interesting, everyone experiences that, and you can have fun all by yourself. Highly recommended!

Source: I bought the two copies myself. Full disclosure, I know the illustrator, but that does not affect my review. I only review books I absolutely love.

Mine!
Written by: Shutta Crum
Illustrated by: Patrice Barton
Published by: Knopf Books
Date: Aug 2012
Recommended For: Ages 1 and up
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a book I’ve been meaning to review for a while; I first read it as a hardcover picture book and fell in love with it. I recently got the board book as well, and fell in love with it all over again.

In Mine, a toddler who has trouble with sharing learns not only to share, but to make friends–with both the baby and the dog.

This delightful picture book is almost wordless; the only two words that appear are “mine” and “woof” (from the dog).
Shutta captured the childlike joy of play and copying something silly (such as dropping toys into the dog’s water bowl and enjoying the splash, after the dog did that first), as well as the desire to have something be your own. I love how Shutta shows the natural openness and kindness of children (who haven’t been hurt).

Patrice Barton’s style is warm and soft, almost fuzzy, reminiscent of Shirley Hughes. She captures the emotions of the two children and the dog so beautifully, with expressive faces and body language. The illustrations look like watercolor, gouache, and pencil, with shadow grounding the characters and the toys on the ground, and lines to show motion (like throwing a toy). A cute, expressive little dog appears in almost every image, and will be fun for little readers to see what she/he is up to.

There is such a lovely sense of play and fun in this book, and the ending is sweet and heartwarming. It may encourage co-operation, friendship, and play. Highly recommended.

Source: Review copy from the publisher for an honest review. I only review books I love.

The Stone Hatchlings
Written by Sarah Tsiang, illustrated by Qin Leng
Published by: Annick Press
Date: June 2012
Recommended for: Ages 4 and up
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In The Stone Hatchlings, Abby adopts two “eggs”–two smooth stones that she finds in her backyard. She makes a nest for them, sits on them to help them hatch, and then feeds and sings and takes care of her “birds”. Abby spends many happy hours with them, until her interest starts to wane, and she sets them free in her backyard again. This is a wonderful story about the power of a child’s imagination.

I love how Tsiang had Abby’s parents be both honest with her “Those are stones,” and encourage her creativity and imagination by allowing her to sit on the sweater nest and “eggs” during dinner, and trying to see and hear the birds that Abby could so strongly see and hear. This is a warm, friendly story with caring parents and a very creative, nurturing little girl. There’s enough text to make this a book for slightly older children (four or five), but the text never feels too much; it keeps moving the story forward.

Leng’s illustrations are expressive and often humorous, adding little details that weren’t in the text, such as the dog sniffing the father’s smelly feet when Abby tries to take his shoes, or Abby taking the scarf off her mother’s neck for her nest. There’s lots of movement in the illustrations, and a sense of liveliness. Some illustrations use the white page for the background and only show the important foreground details (and so feel more light), and others have a background that helps you see Abby’s house and world (so feel more complete). I liked the movement back and forth between them.

The stones stand out from the watercolor illustrations; they look like photos. Leng deftly adds to the stones when Abby imagines them as birds, adding necks and beaks and wings, showing the reader what Abby imagines but still keeping it grounded in reality.

The Stone Hatchlings is whimsical, imaginative, humorous, at times sad, but with a happy ending. The Stone Hatchlings can encourage creativity, imagination, creative play, and finding joy in simple things. It can also, in a way, deal with loss. Highly recommended!

Source: I bought the book myself from an indie children’s bookstore (Mable’s Fables in Toronto)

Rocket Writes a Story
Written and Illustrated by: Tad Hills
Published by: Schwartz & Wade
Date: July 2012
Recommended for: Ages 4 and up
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In Rocket Writes a Story, Rocket loves to read and to find new words. When his teacher, little yellow bird, asks him what he’s going to do with all the words he’s collected, Rocket decides that he’ll write a story. When Rocket gets stuck, his teacher helps him, and then Rocket learns how to write through his stuckness. When Rocket decides to write about an owl he passes, he gains a new friend.

Hill gives many hints in this book on how to write–from needing good characters, to writing about something that inspires or excites you, to taking time to mull over the story you’re writing, to showing that writing doesn’t always come easily, and that sometimes it helps to take a break from writing to write well. Aspiring and veteran writers will identify with and enjoy Rocket’s attempts–and then success–at writing. I enjoyed the story, though I felt at times that there could be a little less text, and a bit more actual things happening (but that may just be me). I also felt like I didn’t quite connect enough, that I was missing something emotional in the story, though that again could just be me. I loved how Rocket learned to write and enjoy the process, and made a new friend through his story. The ending was feel-good, and felt just right.

Hill’s illustrations are sweet, with soft colors and a softness to the characters. Rocket is adorable, both child-like and dog-like in his exploration of the world and words and new-found love of words and writing. I loved how when Rocket “found” a word, it was through finding that object (like a buttercup). I think that will help children connect to the idea that words are all around us and help us describe our world. This was also echoed in the word pictures that Rocket made, with each word having a drawing next to it (except for words like “to” and “at”). Some spreads have one illustration, some have multiple illustrations per page, moving the reader through the story.

Rocket Writes a Story may encourage a love of books and reading, a love of writing stories, and an interest in words. Recommended!

Source: Review copy from the publisher for an honest review. I only review books I love.

Title: Dog Loves Drawing
Author/Illustrator: Louise Yates
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf/Random House
ISBN: 978-0375870675
Published: August 2012
Recommended Age: 4 and up

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Review copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The beautiful pencil-and-watercolor drawings in Dog Loves Drawing are what initially grabbed my attention and drew me into this book. I love how Dog, the main character, is drawn as if he is a flat pencil drawing, while the tools he uses–colored pencils–look so real it almost seems like you can pick them out of the book. It’s a beautiful contrast, made all the more poignant when the dog is the one creating drawings in the book.

In Dog Loves Drawing, Dog, at home in his bookshop, receives a book without words from his aunt–a sketchbook. He begins to draw–starting with a door that he steps through onto an empty page–and his drawings come alive. Together with the characters Dog sketches (a stickman, duck, owl, and crab), they all have an adventure, each character drawing bits of the vehicles or surrounding world that help their adventure come alive–riding a train, sailing on a boat, landing on an island where duck drew a monster that chased them around until Dog saved the day by drawing a door,leaping through it and landing back in his bookshore. Dog draws his friends safe and the monster held at bay.

The text was written well, but I wished at times that there was a bit more connectedness or consequences from the things they drew (though there was with the monster). They went from a train to a boat for no reason that I could
see, and drew food but we didn’t hear them eat it (though we did see that it disappeared). But overall, the story is enjoyable, pleasing, and great fun.

Yates’ characters are expressive and full of energy. It looks almost like a drawing (Dog) is drawing other drawings to life, though they are still clearly two-dimensional drawings. Dog is the most vivid and fully-drawn character–as he should be since he’s supposed to be the most real (as is his aunt, and the people in his bookstore), and the characters he draw look more like a very talented child might draw. This can help a child reader feel that drawings they create might come to life just like Dog’s drawings did. And for me this is emphasized by the very realistic drawing implements (colored pencils and watercolor brushes).

The background is a bright, clean white–perfect for the pages of a sketchbook–and Dog and the characters and scenery they draw, plus big three-dimensional drawing and painting tools–all stand out brightly on the page, and really feel alive. I love that the characters seem to move right across the edge of the page onto the next page. I also love that the pencils and paintbrushes are sometimes still drawing the drawings that are coming alive (especially in the train rushing by).

There is something highly appealing about thinking that something we draw, and our imagination, can make our drawings come alive and really happen. Readers who like Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, Flyaway Katie by Polly Dunbar, Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, and Ish by Peter H Reynolds will especially enjoy this book.

This is an imaginative, playful, whimsical story that is sure to spark imagination and an interest in doodling and art. Dog Loves Drawing is a delight. Highly recommended!

Good for encouraging: Imagination; Creativity; Playfulness; Doodling, drawing, and painting; Love of art; Love of Books. Give kids this book, and a sketchbook and some drawing tools, and watch them have a blast!

You know the picture book The Carrot Seed
? It’s a lovely little book with a fantastic message–to believe in yourself and keep going, even when others tell you something won’t work out.

Over at No Time For Flash Cards, Allie has created a carrot activity–a collage— that you can do with a young child, and pair it with the book. What a great idea!

Thanks to ReaderMaid on Twitter for the link.

The Bears We Know


by Brenda Silsbe, illustrated by Vlasta van Kampen
Annick Press
(February 2009)
ISBN-10: 1554511666; ISBN-13: 978-1554511662
Ages: 4-8 (and up)

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Silliness and imaginative play are an important part of being a child–perhaps of being human. It’s important to have fun. The Bears We Know is a great way to add some silly playfulness to your day. An unseen narrater talks about the bears they’ve never seen who live in a house at the end of the street, and all the things the bears do all day. How do they know what the bears are up to? They just KNOW.

Silsbe’s text is funny and playful. The story is like an analogy of people who assume something about others when they don’t actually know anything about them (such as kids and a spooky house at the end of the street).

Silsbe’s playful, over-the-top imaginings of what the bears could be up to are fun, while at the same time they poke gentle fun at people who make assumptions. The things the bears do (according to the unseen narrater) are the kinds of things that kids and adults might love to do while playing hooky, such as sleep in late, jump on couches, eat lots of junk food, watch cartoons and tv shows, etc. The story also encourages childrens’ natural curiosity and imagination, while showing that gossip and speculation is easy to spread.

I love the playful, funny things the unseen narrater imagines the bears are up to–such as bringing home couches from the dump to jump on until the springs are gone. Some of the things the narrater imagines the bears are up to are very silly, like the bears wearing tight bathing suits in the sauna and singing, while others feel more like what a kid or adult might really want to do. Others feel like an attempt to get into the character of what a bear might do (such as dumping sawdust on the floor, or napping before the fire)–those ones didn’t work as well for me.

Silsbe uses specific details, such as making hot buttered toast and hot chocolate, which help bring the reader more into the story. The book isn’t so much a story as an episodic, connected list of things that could happen. The ending has a great punch line that works–the narrater says that people ask them how they know so much about the bears when they’ve never seen them–and the narrater replies: “Well…some thing you just KNOW.” Very funny!

van Kampen’s watercolor illustrations are playful, happy, and gentle, with soft colors and soft, rounded edges. The illustrations really add to the fun of the book, bringing the text alive. (There was a previous version of this book with older illustrations–and these illustrations are far more fun and powerful.) The bears look very happy, fluffy and comfortably plump, and most objects also look comfortably plump. van Kampen makes great use of fun details that show the messiness of the bears in most illustrations, such as open chip bags with spilled chips, take-out containers and pop cans on the floors. These details are combined with many warming details, such as a patchwork quilt, flowered pillows, a wooden bed, a red wagon–all of which work to reassure and comfort the reader, and bring a sense of happiness.

A lot of white space helps give the illustrations a light feeling, and adds to the sense of happiness. Great fun foreground details, along with a lack of background detail and clutter also add to this sense of lightness. The illustrations also move through emotion, from happiness to brief sadness to back to being happy again, finding happiness through singing, making buttered toast, and having a good time together.

The reader never sees the narrater–only the bears and what the bears are supposedly doing. The bears are humanized to some degree in funny, cute ways, with each bear wearing one or more items of clothing (such as one wearing yellow boots, one wearing a red vest, one wearing a green winter hat and a polka dotted purple tie), and by their behavior, such as eating chips, sitting or jumping on couches, and sleeping in bed.

The illustrations add to the playfulness and the story, showing things the text doesn’t, such as the bears catching the toast that pops up by using a net.

This is a fun, silly, playful book. Recommended!

Friends are so important–they can help bring comfort, laughter, understanding, and joy. I love finding books about friends that feel celebratory and affirming. A Friend by Anette Bley is all of that.

A Friend

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I’m glad I have a friend to play with…on rainy days.
Someone to get in trouble with…when I feel like playing tricks.
Someone to dance and laugh with…when I am happy.
A friend who is quiet with me…when I am sad.
Someone who is there…whenever I need help.

–A Friend by Anette Bley, p. 1-9.

What do you want in a friend? What do you want a friend to do with you? Picture book A Friend answers all these questions and supplies many thoughtful, loving ways to be friends, or things you might need from a friend. This book is an is affirming and encouraging celebration of what a friend can offer.

Bley’s text is a beautiful, almost poetic reminder of what a friend can be and what a friend can offer you. It reminds readers of all the ways a person can be a friend, and the many things you can do with a friend–such as play with a friend on a rainy day or get in trouble with a friend when you’re feeling impish. Bley’s text also talks about things you might want from a friend, depending on how you feel–such as quiet when you feel sad–or on what you need–a hug and comfort when you want it, yet letting you go when you ask them to. Bley also covers qualities you might want in a really good friend, such as help when you need it, but not helping when you want to do things on your own, or the courage to tell you when others are laughing at you. The qualities and actions Bley discusses also seem to fit a really good parent. For introspective readers, it may also remind them of what they can offer a friend, as well as what they can receive. The text is thoughtful, warming, and wise, reminding the reader of the good in people. It feels truly loving and kind-hearted.

The text is specific while being general enough for the reader to identify with (such as “someone who forgives me for my mistakes when I feel small and foolish”–we’ve all been there). This gives the book a universal appeal. I think it will appeal to a broad audience, and to kids and adults alike. At the end of the book, it moves from talking about who a friend is and what they can do, to asking the reader who their friend is.

Bley’s text is not a story, but a wise, kind reminder about what it means to be a friend, and what you can hope to look for in one. Each phrase is split up with an elipses and a new illustration and sometimes a page turn, which gives the reader time to think about it and finish the sentence for themselves.

Bley’s pencil-and-gouache illustrations are sweet and playful, with strong, flowing lines. The characters have a slightly cartoonish feel, and always stand out, through the use of lots of white space, lack of background detail or clutter except for necessary elements, characters usually wearing bright clothing, characters being located centrally, and strong lines.

Bley’s characters are vibrant and expressive, with strong body language, and are beautifully drawn. They show that friends come in all ages and sizes, and sometimes even in animals. The characters change in each illustration, though are sometimes repeated for comparison next to each other as part of the same sentence. This will allow both girl and boy readers to identify with the book. At the same time, there is a great fluidity and a sense of all the characters belonging together, though Bley’s strong individual style, and a similarity in the characters’ faces.

One small thing that may detract from the book for some readers is that there is not enough variation in ethnicity.

Bley changes the layout and size of the illustrations in the spreads throughout book; some illustrations are split in a spread, coming to 3/4 and 1/4 page, which moves to 3 illustrations per spread, then 2 or 3 long narrow illustrations split horizontally, then vertically. This greatly adds to the visual interest.

There is some great bonus material in the front and end papers, where we get more text and drawings about what kind of friend we might want, and what we want the friend to do, with illustrations and text that are not in the book. The illustrations in the front and end papers are in green and white.

This is a wise, feel-good book about friendship. It’s a great book for a child, as well as a good gift to give to a friend. It has comforting, heart-warming text and illustrations. The book encourages friendship and thinking about what you might need from a friend, and also offers good limits that a child–or person–should have.

Highly recommended!

How to Heal a Broken Wing

by Bob Graham
Candlewick (Aug 2008)
ISBN-10: 0763639036, ISBN-13: 978-0763639037
Ages: 4-8 (and up)

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

-How to Heal a Broken Wing, Bob Graham, p. 1-8.

I love books that bring a sense of hope and bring good feeling.
How to Heal a Broken Wing does this beautifully.

A bird hits a building and falls to the ground, its wing breaking, and no one sees it or notices it–until a young boy does. He picks the bird up and takes it home, caring for it tenderly and patiently. Over time, the bird’s wing heals, and eventually when the boy sets the bird free, the bird flies away, well once more.How to Heal a Broken Wing reminds readers that kindness and empathy can make a difference, that taking action is important, and that sometimes it’s important to take the time and energy over something that others ignore. This is a book that promotes kindness and is full of hope.

Graham’s (, Max) story text is brief, without unnecessary detail, and has a good story voice. Graham’s text immediately evokes emotion, pulling at heart strings and engaging the reader with the opening text–that no one heard the soft thud of feathers against glass. It’s a powerful opening. Anyone who’s ever been hurt and ignored will be able to relate to it. Graham repeats “no one” twice (heard, saw, looked down) which increases the emotional power, and can bring a potential loneliness or sense of sadness–until the next sentence, when a boy sees and rescues the bird. The reader is given instant relief and lightness, and it works beautifully.

The story text moves from the specific (the boy, Will, seeing the bird with the broken wing), to the more general, the general text reading as a metaphor as well as being specific to the story: “A loose feather can’t be put back…but a broken wing can sometimes heal.” This can easily be taken to mean that a wounded spirit–or a wounded nation–can heal. It’s a powerful message, and an important one. Graham includes wise advice that readers can take for themselves–that to heal, the bird (or the reader) needs rest, time, and a little hope to heal. And the metaphor of flying once again after having been broken is also incredibly powerful. These metaphors and wisdom will, I think, give the book a wide readership, speaking to what each reader needs.

Graham’s illustrations and text work together beautifully, seamlessly, the illustrations showing us things the text doesn’t, sometimes complementing the text, sometimes standing in for the text.

Will, the boy in the illustrations, stands out sharply from the gloomy grey of everything and everyone else with his bright red jacket and blue pants, and his not being in a grey wash like everything else, or in dull drab colors that the other people wear. This brings visual attention and interest to the boy. And when the boy leans down to help the bird, a soft yellow light surrounds him and the bird, bringing even greater visual focus, and bringing a sense of goodness, of rightness, of bringing the first bright light in the gloom through his actions, lighting up the day. This is symbolic, and works well on many levels. The color brightens, the grey wash leaving, after the boy brings the bird home–working, again, on an emotional as well as visual level.

Graham’s pen, watercolor, and chalk illustrations are strong and evocative. They have an almost comic-book feel, with sometimes multiple panes of illustrations per page or spread showing a sequence of events, and dots for characters’ eyes. The illustrations vary in size and number on the spreads, keeping visual interest, and there is always a lot to look at.

The illustrations show us events and scenes that aren’t in the text, and that greatly add to the story, such as that Will’s parents are initially flustered by him bringing the bird home, but ultimately encouraging and accepting. And they show the boy’s and his parents’ tenderness and gentle care–how carefully the bird is wrapped to prevent further injury and carried; how the bird is fed water through an eye dropper; how they lay newspaper in a box with holes for the bird; and how, when the bird starts to get better, they try to encourage it to fly, and show it other birds through the window. Readers will enjoy poring over the illustrations, seeing everything that happens that isn’t in the text, and looking at all the details in the illustrations.

Graham uses light and dark to underscore mood and emotional tone. Light on the boy’s and parents’ faces and the bird bring a sense of hope. Graham also visually shows us the movement of time with the moon’s cycles. This worked very well for me, though some children might need an explanation.

How to Heal a Broken Wing is an uplifting, feel good book, one you’ll want to share with many people. Give this book to anyone who needs a sense of hope, of lightness, or to know that things will work out. Highly recommended!

How to Heal a Broken Wing won the Cybils awards in the fiction picture book category, and rightly so.

Want more books?

Go to Inner Strength: Strong Girls–and Boys, too to find another great picture book.


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I love picture books that are affirming and life-loving, encouraging creativity and self-expression. Willow offers all that and more.

Willow

by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan, illustrated by Cyd Moore

Sleeping Bear Press (May 2008)

ISBN-10: 1585363421, ISBN-13: 978-1585363421

Reading level: Ages 4-8

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Even on the sunniest days, Miss Hawthorn’s art room was cold and dark.
Everything was in its place.
There wasn’t a single broken crayon in the bunch.
The students sat in their rows, silent and still, like eggs in a carton.
Except for Willow.
…
All the students painted trees with straight brown trunks and round green tops.
Everyone except Willow.
“Whoever heard of a pink tree?” Miss Hawthorn asked with a frown.
“That’s what I saw when I closed my eyes,” said Willow.

Creativity, the ability to express yourself, and being yourself even when others disapprove are so important. They can help bring real happiness and peacefulness. Picture book Willow encourages all those things in an uplifting story.

Willow loves creating art. She’s a free spirit who follows her heart when she paints, creating pink trees and blue apples. She does this even in her art class at school, where her teacher, Miss Hawthorn, is an unhappy, stifling woman who tries to make all the children conform and paint only what she thinks things look like–imitating life, not encouraging real creativity or expression. The class is subdued and obedient, all except Willow. Miss Hawthorn dislikes Willow because of this, and because Willow shows her an art book with art that is creative and different.

One day, Willow gives Miss Hawthorn a gift–the art book. Over the holidays, Miss Hawthorn reads the book, and when the class comes back, they find their classroom and Miss Hawthorn changed–from a tight, cold classroom into a lush, creative, mind-opening classroom where artistic expression is encouraged.

Authors’ Brennan-Nelson and Brennan’s story is uplifting and encouraging. I love how creative Willow is, and how she never lets herself get daunted or suppressed by Miss Hawthorn and the rest of the class, but continues being creative. She is a strong character who subtly reminds readers to be themselves. The book encourages creativity and unique expression, and to be yourself. The book has a hopeful feeling to it–suggesting that even tightly controlled, unhappy people can learn to free themselves up and be more creative and expressive, and that people can blossom and grow and create change, even under sometimes oppressive environments.

Miss Hawthorn seems a little over the top–she mutters “horrid little girl” after Willow–but this exaggeration makes her a great antagonist. Because Miss Hawthorn is so oppressive and creates such an unhelpful environment, and because Willow’s classmates tease her for her creative expressions, it makes the reader root all the more for Willow to stay herself and to succeed. When Willow does succeed and Miss Hawthorn is transformed, it brings a wash of good feeling.

I really like that the grumpy, controlling, flattening teacher is softened by Willow’s gift, and learns and changes. I wasn’t sure that i believed such a deep transformation could happen from one simple gift of an art book–but i loved the idea. The story is touching and heartwarming.

Brennan-Nelson uses language beautifully, using strong analogies to show us so much more–”Even on the sunniest days, Miss Hawthorn’s art room was cold and dark…The students sat in their rows, silent and still, like eggs in a carton.” Brennan-Nelson also uses evocative description to flesh out characters, such as Miss Hawthorn’s moods being as dark as her clothes, and her finger long and bony, while Willow has rosy cheeks and daydreams.

Willow shows the transformative power of kindness and gifts from the heart. It reminds us that suppressing ourselves can make us unhappy, while allowing ourselves some freedom and creativity can allow us to flourish. And it encourages creativity. This would be a fantastic gift for anyone who struggles to be themselves, or for anyone wanting to be creative.

Moore’s watercolor illustrations are free, expressive, colorful, and beautiful. Moore uses vibrant colors, which makes the illustrations feel like they’re pulsing with energy and life. Body language is expressive; you know at a glance what the characters are feeling. The illustrations feel freely drawn, with different perspectives, varying sizes, and a gentle wildness about them keeping reader attention. Moore’s illustrations remind me a little of Babette Cole’s; both have that free feeling in their work.

Moore shows characters and their attitudes well, with Miss Hawthorn in dark, body-covering dresses, her hair tightly pinned back, harsh lipstick on her lips, and a scowl on her face, while Willow has bright, playful clothing, wild hair, and a smile on her face. Miss Hawthorn’s transformation is dramatic, with her hair let down and beads ad feathers braided into it, earrings, no harsh lipstick, and bright, hippy-ish clothes. Moore picks up the feeling of Brennan-Nelson’s text perfectly, and greatly adds to the story.

Moore’s free-flowing illustrations and vibrant colors encourage creativity and self expression, as does the story.

Willow is an uplifting and encouraging book with important, subtle messages. Highly recommended.

Willow was nominated for the Cybils awards.

Also, check out willowlovesart.com for all sorts of neat things related to Willow–free printables to color in; art projects; a Willow screensaver; activity guide; and much more.

Want more books?

Go to Encouraging Creativity: Thinking Outside the Box to find another great picture book.


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Emotions are strong things, and they can be hard for adults to sort out, never mind kids. So tools that we can give kids to manage their emotions and to understand the effects of their actions can be positive things. I think that’s especially true with books that entertain and don’t preach, while gently giving them messages. The Day Leo Said I Hate You! is one of those books.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You!


by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Molly Bang

Little, Brown, & Co (Sept 2008)

ISBN-10: 0316065803, ISBN-13: 978-0316065801

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Leo’s having a bad day. He keeps finding all sorts of fun things to do, and his mother keeps telling him no, he can’t do them. Leo hears no after no after no, until finally he goes to his room, where he thinks he can’t be told no. But his mother finds him drawing an angry picture of her on his wall, and yells no at him again. Leo bursts out saying he hates her–and then wants to stuff the words back in, but it’s too late to. His mother lets him know that telling someone you hate them can make them feel bad, that it isn’t the same as saying you hate something like broccoli, and that she still loves him. Leo shows his mother that he still loves her, too, by drawing a nice picture of her.

The first thing I noticed about this book was the stand-out illustrations by Molly Bang (When Sophie Gets Angry — Really, Really Angry; Ten, Nine, Eight). Bang captures emotion incredibly well, through body language, use of color, some comic-book styles (red steam rising out of Leo’s head, fire spouting out of his mouth), and exaggeration (such as Leo’s head being huge and red in contrast to a very small body when he’s yelling). The illustrations that she’s drawn have a vividness and power; I really like them. Bang also makes some of the dialogue stand out emotionally, through color, size, and layout.

Some things didn’t work as well for me in the illustrations. I’m not a fan of digital art work, and on some pages the use of a computer is especially noticeable. Many of the objects within the illustrations are from photographs, and at times I found that disconcerting. Sometimes the objects seemed to almost float above where they were supposed to be, because of the lack of shadow, or to pop out of the illustration too much, more than the rest of the illustration, creating a strange unbalanced look (such as the stuffed animals on Leo’s bed). At other times, the cut-out photos blended fairly well into the illustrations, and much better than other digital work I’ve seen.

The backgrounds are mostly one solid color, and while bright, they have that digital, lack-of-paintbrush feeling. Still, their vibrancy often makes Leo and his mother stand out and become the visual focus. Bang’s vibrant use of color makes the book seem alive, and adds to the emotion and the story. I love her choices of color: a lime green shirt and purple pants for Leo, with brightly striped socks, and a striped pink, purple, turquoise, and green shirt for his mom, with blue jeans and fluffy pink slippers that pick up the pink in her shirt. The yellow-green walls often pick up on the lime green of Leo’s shirt and in his socks, which make Leo seem to belong. The walls change color as Leo’s anger increases, from yellow-green to vibrant orange and yellow, then deep purple, and then, when things are okay again, a sunny yellow. The color changes match Leo’s emotions and enhance them. Bang has an eye for color.

Bang also makes Leo’s exploits look fun; I especially enjoyed the tomato he rolled across the floor exploding onto the wall.

Robie Harris’ (It’s So Amazing; Mail Harry to the Moon) text makes the story entertaining. Readers will likely giggle as they hear what Leo’s mom stops him from doing–rolling tomatoes across the floor; squeezing toothpaste down the toilet; dancing on the table. These fun things help bring a lighter tone to the opening of the story. Dialogue helps the story move quickly. And the actions Harris chose reveal Leo’s emotion without telling us that he’s angry–drawing his mother with her mouth turned down and hair sticking up; throwing his crayons on the floor, etc. This works well.

When Leo’s mother explains why no’s are important in an even, reasonable manner, child readers may be able to hear this explanation a little easier, and some parents may learn from example. Leo’s angry response to repeatedly being told no is also understandable, though it’s hard to believe that he wouldn’t know that some of the things he’s doing won’t be allowed, such as drawing on the wall. Yet this fits with children testing boundaries.

I love Leo’s sense of entitlement–that he has a right to not be told “No” in his own bedroom, and that as a result his mother should go to her room and stay there for a hundred days. It’s a kind of child-like thinking mixed with boundary setting. Harris captures this child-thinking beautifully for most of the book.

When Leo is told no, his outburst feels believable, child-like, and real, and many readers will be able to relate. Leo’s yelling that he hates his mother also feels like a child. But from there, the story gets progressively less child-like, and begins to feel slightly teachery to me. It also feels less story-like and entertaining, and though there’s some lightness brought in through the two characters naming things they hate, like smelly cheese, it feels slightly forced.

The ending is happy; Leo finds a way to show his mother he cares, by drawing a beautiful picture of her, and Leo and his mother both feel loved and appreciated again. I felt like I was missing something in the text, though, to bring a bit more of an emotional response, especially in the last few pages. There is so much momentum created through dialogue from the very beginning until this section, and then we’re told what happens instead of hearing the two characters talk it out. This change didn’t quite work for me. However, the last few lines bring a satisfying feeling and a sense of closure.

This is a book that many children will relate to, with all the “no’s” and boundary setting that they receive. It may also help children understand that it’s not okay to say “I hate you” to someone–or to be told that someone hates you. It also reassures children that their parent will still love them.

Recommended.

Chicken, Pig, Cow is a warm, sweet story with great humor that captures a child’s imagination.

Chicken, Pig, Cow

by Ruth Ohi

Annick Press (September 2008)

ISBN-10: 1554511569, ISBN-13: 978-1554511563

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

–Chicken, Pig, Cow by Ruth Ohi, p. 2-4.

Chicken, Pig, and Cow are toys that live in a Popsicle-stick barn a young girl created. They love it there, and think it’s perfect–aside from the dog that drips drool on them. But one day when the girl’s gone out, Chicken and Pig climb out, leaving Cow who can’t–and then Dog comes to play. At first Cow’s afraid of Dog, but in the end they all become friends.

I love the way Ohi writes as if the toys are alive and can do things on their own–the way young children imagine they might. Chicken, Pig, Cow has a playful child-like quality and innocence. There’s also a great warmth and a soothing quality about the story, which comes through Ohi’s word choices (”warm and cozy an smelled just right”) and voice, as well as through her sweet illustrations.

Ohi weaves humor throughout the story. The humor feels fresh and young, the way a child might think (though adults may read some of the humor as dry humor) “‘I thought it didn’t rain indoors,’ said Chicken”, when the dog was drooling on them. Ohi also uses exaggeration as humor “Cow fainted” (in response to seeing dog). The humor works beautifully, and adds to the good feeling. I loved the humor.

Young children may enjoy knowing that there is no threat to Cow, even though Cow thinks there is. It will be clear to the child from the text that Dog is friendly and wants to play, from his wagging tail, his lying down, and his wrapping his body around cow. Ohi’s illustrations also reflect this.

The dialogue is short, interesting, and helps move the story forward quickly. The story moves nicely from cozy situation, to problem, to solving the problem. Characters are simply called by what they are (the cow is Cow, the girl is Girl) and this may help readers to more easily relate to the characters and identify them.

One thing that didn’t work for me was suddenly being told close to the end that Dog had made a door in the barn. I wanted to see the door being made–the Popsicle sticks flying off, hear about cow’s reaction. Surely cow would have noticed. The absence of the mention when it happened took away, for me, some of the satisfaction of the ending, since the new door was part of that ending.

I also would have liked to see a sentence or two more that showed us the friendship that developed between Cow, Pig, and Chicken, and Dog, and how it came about, instead of just being told that they became friends. (I didn’t think they were becoming friends, exactly, when they were trying to save Cow.) But the book still left me with good feeling.

Overall, the story is pleasing, warming, and sweet. It’s a book I’d give any child, and especially one needing comfort or uplifting.

Ohi’s gentle illustrations build on and enhance the text. The soft watercolor feels warm and soothing, and the rounded curves of the characters add to this feeling. The characters are sweetly colored, and stand out on the page; Cow is white with purple spots and has a pink snout, pig is pink, and chicken is yellow with orange feet, beak, and comb. The browns–found in the Popsicle-stick barn and Dog, feel warm.

The characters don’t just look like toys, they look like little animated creatures. They remind me a bit of Sandra Boyton’s illustrations. They’re cute and appealing to look at.

The illustrations feel light and airy, which is increased by the amount of white space on each page, and the lack of backgrounds. Characters appear with a few necessary setting details or with a small bit of shadow to ground them on the page; this ensures that the focus is on them. The shadows are a light purple, which reminds the reader of Cow, who is an important character.

There is a bonus illustration in the front matter shows the girl creating the animals out of modeling clay, revealing that the girl brought them to life in more ways than one. This adds to the story, and is fun for the reader to discover.

This is a light-hearted, warm, feel-good book. Highly recommended!

I love books that make me feel good while entertaining me–and this book does that and more.

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley

by Aaron Blabey

Front Street/Boyds Mills Press (September 2008)

ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-596-6
Ages: 4-8 (and up)

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

–Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey, p. 3-7.

Can two people be friends if they’re very different? Pearl and Charlie can, and they show you how in this sweet, heartwarming book about appreciating differences and friendship. Pearl and Charlie are very different, and people wonder why they’re friends. Their differences make them seem like opposites–yet those opposites complement each other, and allow them to be there for each other. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley tells readers, in a subtle way, that it’s okay to be yourself, however you are–and that it’s okay for others to be different from you.

Blabey’s text is well written, moving immediately into a “problem” that will interest the reader and make them turn the page–why are Pearl and Charlie friends when they’re so different? Blabey then illustrates those differences in fun ways before coming to a warming resolution. The sentences vary in length, which helps with the story flow, and the examples are specific and interesting.

Blabey shows the great differences in the personalities of the two friends, with many qualities that readers will likely identify with, whether they are outgoing or more introverted. Blabey has an opposites thing going in the text, comparing and contrasting the qualities of the two characters, which is fun to read, and the qualities fit each character. Even the sentence lengths seem to fit the characters, with boisterous Pearl’s sentences often being longer, and shy Charlie’s shorter. Specific details help the story become stronger and more palatable, such as Charlie bringing Pearl a mug of warm milk, and Pearl forgetting her mittens on cold winter days.

I love how both the shy, introverted character (Charlie) and the loud, outgoing character (Pearl) are heroes or get chances to help each other, in a way that fits their personalities (Charlie tucks Pearl into bed when she’s tired herself out with her antics, and Pearl helps Charlie feel brave when he’s feeling scared). This is a nice balance, showing that both kinds of people can be heroes in their own way–and that each type of personality is perfect for coming to the rescue in certain situations. It’s also nice that the girl isn’t necessarily the shy, timid one.

Blabey’s acrylic-and-mixed-media illustrations are cheerful and cartoon-like, and have the feeling of a young child drawing them (yet in a more sophisticated way), with a single line for a smile or mouth, and an almost doll-like appearance to the characters.

The characters really stand out in Blabey’s illustrations, and are meant to; the characters are drawn on a color-tinged grey backgrounds, so they pop to the forefront, with no distracting background. The colored backgrounds alternate on many pages. Some setting details are brought into individual illustrations to illustrate the story. In some books, this might feel empty, but it works extraordinarily well here, underscoring the importance of the characters and their personalities. I love, too, how the illustrations again go against stereotypes, with Charlie knitting while Pearl rides a motorcycle over a cliff while balancing tea cups and a fish bowl, and Pearl being the pirate while Charlie rides on her back. This reversal of the usual roles seen in society is shown in the story in fun ways, and is a great way to subtly let readers know that girls can be brave and adverturous, and boys can be creative and homey.

Blabey’s illustrations show and build on the characters’ personalities beautifully; Pearl, who is loud, boisterous, and talkative, wears bright clothes, has bright red hair, large eyes, and a wide, often open mouth, while Charlie, who is quiet, shy, and more reserved, wears drab grey or dull colors, has dark hair, small eyes, and a smaller smile. Every illustration shows their character, and is creatively depicted; when Charlie is shy, he’s shown only with his head and shoulders on the page, as if he’s walking off the page.

I also love the humor in the illustrations, such as when Charlie Parsley is shown as being quiet, we see him reading a book titled “The Benefits of Wearing Felt.” That humor tickled me just the right way.

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley is a warming, uplifting book about friendship, and the fact that it’s okay–even good–to be different, to be yourself–and to value differences in everyone. It’s also a fantastic book for showing that girls can be strong and brave, and for reversing gender stereotypes. This has quickly become one of my new favorite picture books. Highly recommended!