Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

via

This book about-yes, microbes- was so beautiful and charming! I didn't think that noun and those adjectives would ever be placed side by side, but Nicola Davies book, Tiny Creatures, is just as fun to look at as informational to read. This non-fiction storybook is playful and colorful, and quite factual with a little bit of witticism thrown in. That's a darn fine combination for a topic that is of the science-y nature (and I have to admit, not my favorite topic to read about). My kids loved this book, and wanted me to read it multiple times. 

via

I do not have the best memory for elementary science, but I am a big enthusiast of well-illustrated and concise children's books on the topic, and this book is just that. The pictures are quite pleasant and are deifnitely cut from a Victorian-yet-folksy stone, which brings out bright yet somewhat muted or matte colors, without drawing away from the well done writing. 

via

Of course the best part about sharing this book with the kids was the learning, of which this picture and words share some of what amazed them--that microbes are on our food, in our stomachs, and in our water all the time. A beautiful book for the science-loving child in your life, and enjoyable for adults, as well. Now, I need to look up what other books this author and also the illustrator, Emily Sutton, have done and put them on hold lickety-split!

Summer Birds The Butterflies of Maria Merian

I loved this picture book that we found at the library, Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle. It is a true story, a picturebook biography about a woman who lived centuries ago and was one of the first true naturalists. She discovered that caterpillars turn into butterflies, as it was common belief at the time that butterflies and caterpillars were two separate types of insects.

The pictures are stunning, and have that a botany-for-kids feel (like if these posters were made for kids), and perfectly align with the narrative. I had never heard of Maria Merien before but when looking her up on Wikipedia, I found that she illustrated her first botany book at age 28; quite impressive for the 17th century and being female.

This is a wonderful companion book for science and nature lovers, studies in female scientists and game-changers, and just an all-around beautiful picture book. I see a butterfly project in your future!

The Loch Mess Monster by Helen Lester

via

Have you ever read the Tacky books? You know, that penguin who marches, 1-2-3-4-2-3-6-0-2 1/2-0? Tacky the Penguin was one of my favorite characters growing up as a child, and I knew the author, Helen Lester, often produced books that were illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Lester's words and Minsinger's pictures blend so well together, that I have rarely seen one without the other (and it is a bit jarring when you see one without the other!), and I like it that way.

Lester's newer book, The Loch Mess Monster, is about a little loch monster who is incredibly messy. His parents have rules about going above the water in the Loch Ness, which parents will find amusing knowing the story behind the original Scottish myth, and children will delight in the hilarious story about the sticky, jammy, messy monster. 

I own several of Lester's hilarious books, and for good reason. She has a way with words that create truth and humor about children without sounding the least bit patronizing. Listen, Buddy! is another family favorite that I have read at least 50 times, probably more. Catch up with this wonderful book and have your children heartily cracking up before bedtime, especially if you have a little messy monster yourself!

The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life by Lois Ehlert

via

This book is new to me, authored by Lois Ehlert, and it is beautiful! I know you know Lois Ehlert's work, because it's everywhere. Leaf Man, Chicka Chicka Boom Bom, and Eating the Alphabet are some of her most well-known books, followed closely by many others (and they're all excellent!) but this book, Scraps, is very different from the rest of her work in that it isn't a picture-book story, but a picture-book autobiography of Ehlert from the time she was a little girl and using all sorts of bits and bobs to create art, to present day as a children's author. 

This book is filled with Ehlert's recognizable collage art, and the 'notions' spill across each page followed by words and sentences all over the place. Since this book is still written for children, the autobiographical part is finely tuned to snippets, much like her pieces of cut paper. 

I thought this book was just lovely, and so interesting, since I didn't know much about one of my children's favorite author/illustrators. I find her collage illustrations to be very inspirational, and I might even buy this book for my kids to use to get their imaginations rolling. It's no secret collage illustration might be my favorite, so I am potentially biased, but I found my kids to be just as interested. Often while reading it aloud, Ani would touch the pieces on the page (from photography, natural and found items, cut or torn paper, etc.) to see if they had an actual texture. Scraps is a great book to introduce to young children who want to know a bit more of the artist behind some of their favorite childhood books!

My Father Knows the Names of Things by Jane Yolen

It's no secret that author-extrodinaire Jane Yolen is one of the most prolific children's authors in the world. Her book My Father Knows the Names of Things is one of my favorites as of recent. I am just kicking myself that although I had it planned out, I forgot to post this one before Father's Day, when it could have been a sweet read between dads and kids. 

This sweet picture book is a book about a dad telling his child everything he knows, while they explore the world together. The names of fish, clouds, bugs and all other things, he shares with his son. The story is a great reminder that children are looking to us, always, to impart knowledge, character, actions and behavior.

The relationship between these two is positive--they are sharing quality time, conversation, and the father imparting 'everyday knowledge' to his son, who finds the world at large curious, and fascinating. 

This story has really soft and gentle illustrations as well, which goes together  well with Yolen's rhyming story. They paint the bonding between the two as child-like, with scribbles coming out of the lines and soft splots of color. This gives the book a feeling of fun, adventure, yet tenderness and care. This book is a reminder of the love between a father and their child.

Home by Carson Ellis

The book Home by Carson Ellis, is a beautifully illustrated picture book on realistic and imaginative types of homes for everyone and everything, all over the world. I saw the cover and my first thought was, "I want that as a print on my wall", though as far as I know, it is not currently being sold in that form. Study that front cover for awhile, and you're guaranteed to smile at the least, or like me, want it for your own space. I thought I recognized the style and when I went to her website I realized that she was also the illustrator for the covers of the infamous young adult novels The Mysterious Benedict Society, and also Wildwood.  Home is her first authored book. 

This is a view of a home above ground, and below. "Some are palaces. Or underground lairs." Some of the more imaginative illustrations and descriptions of homes were the Japanese businessman, the Moonian, the family in the shoe, and others. Ellis uses very muted undertones on her palette, giving this book an earthy feel and a great way to represent many types of homes throughout history and present day dwellings. 

I am being a little tricky with this book in showing you some of the beautiful illustrations, but there are so many creative spreads in this picture book, and I want you to explore them with your own family yourself. I can't give away all the goodies here!
"Clean houses. Messy houses. Tall houses. Short houses." We really are all different, and our homes are some of the best representations for what we value and enjoy. Home is a gem and I hope it expands your imagination about what home is, and what it can be.

The High Street by Alice Melvin

One of the wonderful things about living in a different country is getting to explore all the multicultural treasures found in the library. This author, Alice Melvin, is English. I have noticed a significant increase in European, Oceanic, and Asian books that have been coming home with us from our library trips, which was something I often had to scout out on my own and pray the library would accept my book-buying requests in the midwest. 

Canada is a commonwealth country, so the obvious ties with Australia and England are apparent. There are a lot of Chinese and Japanese people living in Canada, especially on the Pacific Coast where I'm at, and I see a lot of books coming from those two countries within the children's stacks. I love that! So many of the treasures I've found over the last 8 months of living 'abroad' (my American friends might laugh at that), is that the culture is very different--even down to which types of picture books get front and center in the local libraries. Books create and enhance a culture, and here it is markedly different than my American, midwestern experience. 

I picked this book up for two reasons. The first, being that I loved the modern-victorian(ish) illustrations throughout, and the second, because my daughter loves flap books. I figured even if the words weren't great, we'd still enjoy the book. I found upon our first read that yes, the story is lovely as well! It's a great book all-around. Both my children enjoyed this story and I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures of the outside of each building, along with the 'dollhouse-view' of the inside of each store. 

This story is about a little girl fetching different necessities for her basket on High Street, a main street where each little shop has what she needs...except when one doesn't!

This book is more in line with a repetitive poem, which can sometimes get unbearable to read aloud, though most children seem to like them. It's not quite the same, as the words of each item she buys are subtracted on each page until she comes to her last item. Do you know what I mean? It's not agonizing like reading aloud "We're Going on a Bear Hunt!", but there is some repetition throughout. 

On Alice's website you can peek inside and see quite a few more of the whimsical illustrations that grace the pages. This storybook is a feast for the eyes, and a fun book to read if you're a treasure-hunter, because there is so much going on visually. I've found there's even a fun paper-doll-like kit of the Emporium and a few of the characters for sale on her site. 

We had fun enjoying Melvin's story and already have a few more of her titles on hold at our local library. Cheers!

"Charlie & Lola" Picture Books by Lauren Child

via

The first time I came in contact with the author/illustrator Lauren Child, my gut reaction said, "now this is someone who knows kids". Her illustrations of Charlie & Lola books, along with other stand-alone stories are perfectly scruffy, collaged pictures and spiral writing mixed together to form a child-like representation. I truly mean that in the best way. They are chalk full of whimsy.

You may recognize the video above as the popular British children's TV show, but let me tell you, they're books, too, with just as much charm, if not more. (I'll let you in on a little secret, too: if you read them with a British cockney accent, they are "terribly funner to read", as Lola might say.) 

Lauren child has plenty of books (even a Pippi Longstocking take!), but my favorites are the Charlie and Lola series. Charlie is usually seen figuring out a problem (or phobia) of Lola's, his little sister, and then near the end, her finding her confidence. That may be going to school for the first time, or trying to never eat a tomato. The way Lola speaks, and her cheeky invisible friend, Soren Lorensen, are quite a pair for patient Charlie. 

Here are the Charlie & Lola bunch: 

*I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato

*I Am Absolutely Too Small for School

*I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed

Of course, there are loads of episodes of Charlie & Lola cartoons that can be found at the library, on youtube, etc. I find the cartoons quite good, too. Although they are very colorful and bright, they aren't overly stimulating, fast, or obnoxious, and I find the relationship between Charlie and his little sister, Lola, sweet.

I Wish I Had A Pet by Maggie Rudy

I just found the sweetest gem of a stop-animation picture book! What a treasure of photos, and a great message to boot about selecting and caring for the right pet. 

Maggie Rudy's I Wish I Had A Pet follows a mouse family (community?) caring for various pets of shapes and sizes, and dreaming of the perfect one. Rudy's picture book has lots of tips for keeping your pet comfortable, fed, tidied, and loved. 

It's a sweet book for kids as young as 2 years old, up to ages 8 or 9. My son thought it was really cute, and my daughter loved looking into the small mouse scenes, each so very different and creative in their own right. 

I found out that Rudy's blog is a collection of wonderful little mouseling 'shorts' (or gifs), or photos of her Mouse Land. It's really quite adorable if you like the 'dollhouse' feel of textured layers for picture book illustrations. The reader gets to view the little mouse houses from inside the living room, along with the inhabitants. 

This book is very minimalist and has a lot of white space, too, which I enjoy. It's easy on the eyes, and it really lets the words of the story and the lovely stop-animation 'scenes' shine as the brightest star of the show. I'm already looking for my library to get the next one, The House that Mouse Built.  What a sweet book to encourage new pet owners, both big and small!

The Tooth Mouse by Susan Hood

The Tooth Mouse by Susan Hood was one of my favorite picture-book finds recently. I loved the watercolors by Janice Nadeau and the muted color palette of the book was so quaint, like a Parisian macaroon shop. I noticed that first, and second, found out once reading, that the story actually takes place in Paris! Well, they nailed that aesthetic.

This story is a very different take on the tooth fairy, and quite frankly, one I liked better than our American fairy tale. This story is about an aging 'tooth mouse', and a little mousling who is very determined to fill the important shoes as next in line for the job. She, with a few others, have to fulfill challenges that the Tooth Mouse provides, testing her skills in ingenuity, character, and wit.

I'll let you find out what happens to the main character, la petite souris, Sophie. Pick up this gorgeous and interesting book and you will enjoy it as much as your kids will, learning a few lessons about how children see 'the tooth fairy' around the world. Be prepared for the tooth scene above, which took me aback (I'm sorry, I have a thing with teeth, and that watercolor is well-done, but abrupt), and laugh along with Sophie and the other mice as they finish their challenges to see who will become the next Tooth Mouse!

No Such Things by Bill Peet

 I picked up Bill Peet's goofy rhyming story book, No Such Things, on a lark at the library because it looked like there were horses on the front cover. My daughter loves horses and a new horse book is always a welcome addition to the weekly book bag. What I found, instead, delighted me. I've found a new author/illustrator that I love, and that I can't wait to explore more of.

Peet's hilarious book is a large poem broken up into two-page spreads. On each spread there is a new animal that is wacky and hilarious, and a small story about each nonsensical creation. All of them are clever and unique, which makes this book such a fun and easy read-aloud. My kids love books like this: ones that have a really great cadence, descriptive pictures, and plenty of nonsense. That seems to be a formula for great children's books, at least with my two monkeys.

There are so many Bill Peet books to read, some are offshoots of this book No Such Things, like, Buford the Little Bighorn. Now that I've searched his Amazon author page to see all his books, I recognize two books (not quite as nonsensical) that I've already read to the kids: The Gnats of Knotty Pine, and Merle the High-Flying Squirrel. I'm definitely going to be putting a couple of his on hold from our local library until we've read all they can offer. Try them out and tell me you don't have the kids bobbing up and down in merriment and good, fun rhythm!

Vintage Book: The Maggie B. by Irene Haas

 I loved this sweet little vintage book from 1975. The Maggie B. by Irene Haas is a quirky little tale about a girl and her younger brother and their day on the ship named after the main character, Maggie B. Maggie has a dream that she could be a captain of a ship--just for a day--and the next day she woke up to quite a surprise!

The story is a little bit longer than a normal bedtime story (think Berenstain Bears length), but the pictures make it worth it even if you're eyes are heavy. Maggie is as sweet as pie to her little brother, who happened to come along for the boat ride by surprise. 

Something I enjoyed about this vintage book is that throughout the entire day aboard the Maggie B., the girl Maggie was able to completely care for her brother, look after their needs like food and drink, naps, and other chores that make up daily rhythm in a home. I appreciate any type of book that shows that kids are capable in many capacities, even at young ages. Hey Ho on the Maggie B.!

The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson and Dusan Petricic

Perhaps some of you might remember when a very famous violinist participated in a social study for the Washington Post? Joshua Bell, one of the best violinists in the world performed one of the hardest violin pieces ever in a DC transit system entryway for a day, and barely anyone stopped to listen, except a handful of people. Most of them were kids! This picture book is a retelling of that story. 

A very short youtube clip can be seen HERE of Bell and his violin piece. Something fun to do after you read The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson and Dusan Petricic would be to listen to the piece and see how the illustrator interpreted the scratchy scales and melodramatic, flowing parts of the song. The illustrations caught my eye as I was browsing through this book at the library, and I didn't even know it was a true story until we read it in full.

I remember reading about this years ago in the news, and thought what a fun tribute to the sweet children who wanted to listen to this beautiful art coming from Bell's bow. The theme being that children, although can not articulately tell high art from play doh, they do know when art is inspiring them to keep looking, keep listening, or keep 'figuring'. This is a great title and one I think can be used well in the class or at home for exploring how art makes more art!

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This book is quintessential holiday cheer and festivities, with nursery rhyme references thrown in to boot. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg is an interactive Christmas story about a postman who goes about his day delivering Christmas letters, packages, and cheer to all his magical and legendary neighborhood friends. 

On the back of every page is an envelope that has a goodie inside for kids to take out, unfold, read, play with (!) or chuckle at. Adults will enjoy the satire and the irony of how some of these tales have played out in the Ahlberg's imagination. It's a delightful read and a fun book to look through. I remember reading this with my friend when she had it about 15 years ago, and being mesmerized by all the little pieces to the story that can be taken apart and manipulated. 

This book includes Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus, the Gingerbread Man, Wolfe & Little Red Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty, and Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears. Let's not forget the Dish & the Spoon as well. I don't often encourage people to buy books, but rather to peruse your local thrift stores, garage sales, and heavily use the library, but this book is worth the price tag. Go new, too, because you don't want ripped letters and lost puzzle pieces, either. It's a sweet little book that I imagine my kids, when in their teenage years, will want me to save for their future children, because they have happy memories of looking through it every December. 

December Special: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

For the month of December, I'll focus on mostly Christmas books to share since our family is entrenched in celebrating, decorating, and doing all things holiday. The first book I'm going to write about was actually a book first showed to me by The Well-Read Sleepyhead's own Maria! I had never heard of this book before perusing it at her house while our kids played, and I've loved it ever since. I need to get my own copy for our Christmas book collection, and this edition from our local library actually has an audio cd with it. 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski is a beautiful story of a young family and a heartbroken man, coming together to share gifts, hospitality, and the joy of the Christmas season. Jonathan Toomey is a cranky woodcarver and has been commissioned by the widow McDowell and her son, Thomas, to create a nativity scene by Christmas Day. 

With painful memories barely held at bay, Jonathan works diligently on the items, with the young boy sneaking in to sit by him, even though he makes it clear he likes to be alone. Soon a friendship forges between the two, and Jonathan softens as he is touched by Thomas' and the widow's kindness. 

Without giving too much of this story away, I will say it's a story that if read aloud, will need a couple tissues handy. The pictures are gorgeous and are done in watercolor, though they resemble painted portraits with oil because of the thickness of the features. 

The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco

via

Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers! Today, instead of sharing a story about the Pilgrims, Native North Americans, or the very first Thanksgiving, I wanted to review a story that is all about gratitude. That's what this lovely holiday celebrates--thankfulness. The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco is the perfect picture book in the gratitude department. 

This book is the true story of the author's grandma Anna, when she was a little girl living in a Jewish community in Russia. Her family is content; money is tight but they have each other, and they have their community. Anna's mother's prized possession is a beautiful tea set that is worth a small fortune, given to her as a wedding gift. A prayerful tradition of thankfulness to God, and to each other for their simple life is offered up each night when the family shares tea together. 

When the Jews are expelled from Russia, Anna and her family must find refuge elsewhere, her father becomes sick. They find a doctor who is kind to them, lets the family stay in his house and nurses the father back to health. That's all I can tell you about this children's picture-book memoir without giving  the ending away. It's a beautiful story, both in illustration with black and white pencil drawings with small wisps of color, and in words.

 This book will give you a heaping dose of gratitude, and perhaps a lump in your throat towards the end. I highly recommend reading The Blessing Cup over Thanksgiving weekend, counting your own blessings, and being with those you love. 

Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

via

When reading Allen Say's beautiful books, you can usually expect a historical and cultural lesson, and Kamishibai Man is no exception. I first caught wind of Say's work when I picked up The Bicycle Man at a library book sale, and found the book written like a child's memory from decades ago. I've been a fan of his ever since and have picked up a few more here and there, and tried to read all of his books through the library system to my kids. My two, even though they are too young to know author names, and historical nuance, are always quiet and still when listening to a Say book. It's like they sense the importance and the historical tone of the story. 

Kamishiabi Man is a story about a man who is remembering his job of Kamishibai, or the tradition of  Japanese storytelling with picture cards for emphasis. It originated before television, and was a popular way to be entertained (and perhaps then to make money by selling candy to children). The Kamishibai man takes a large wooden cupboard on his bike, stocked with the painted cards correlating to different stories, and drawers full of homemade candy. It reminded me of a theater, but instead of puppets, placards. 

A lot of Allen Say's books use very muted colors, to emphasize the story as a memory, or to put it in historical context, often dating to the second World War. Many of his stories are about Japanese traditions, folklore, or cultural references, and I love that about his books. 

*If you are interested in learning more about Kamishibai, this website might be helpful.*

I Am Blop! by Herve Tullet

one of my favorite spreads

I knew from the font and the unique color and shape of the book I saw on the rack that it was Herve Tullet's newest book. The French author has such a recognizable artistic style and his books are ultra colorful, and quite clever. His last book "Press Here" was a huge hit with many kids, including my own. Needless to say, I'm a big fan. 

I Am Blop! is a picture book that is more art and action than traditional story. This shape called Blop takes on colors, ideas, changes, and even osmosis within the book and becomes a funny and smart peek at the acts of creativity, repetition, and boundaries. Alright, so that sounds a bit academic, but this few-worded book is so inventive that both my kids wanted to keep it in their bedrooms for going through night after night.

Blop is just an ordinary, four-sided shape that becomes special with each new idea layer. For example, what if Blop had dots? What if Blop was scribbled? Unfinished? 3-Dimensional and made of clay? It's the same shape, but it's different every time. Tullet has such a gift with his kid inspired art books because of the playful spirit his non-human art forms take on. This book is an excellent art and conversation starter, perfect for any age, old or young. 

The Mermaid's Shoes by Sanne te Loo

I can not for the life of me place the website where I found out about this beautiful book, but I'm so glad I quickly got on my library's website to see if they had it. I noticed the pictures, first, which really are the prize of this children's book. The Mermaid's Shoes is written and illustrated by Sanne te Loo, and is as I noted on instagram earlier in the week, possibly the most beautiful book I've seen of 2014.  

My photos don't do the book justice, and you really should just buy it. With a price tag like this one for a large (nearly oversize) hardback children's book, it's worth the real estate. I was so glad my library offered to buy this book once I put in a request.

The story is about a little girl named Mia who finds a pair of unclaimed flippers on her last day of her family's vacation by the sea. She recognizes them immediately as mermaid shoes. After that day she is only seen with her mermaid shoes, traipsing through town, creating fins and a mermaid's tale, and exploring the sea in other ways through play and place.

 She even inspires a couple other international friends to join her.

Although I do find the illustrations to be stronger than the story, it's a very sweet and quiet tale (see what I did there) about play, imagination, and ultimately, creativity and resourcefulness. I hope to see more books by Sanne te Loo in the future.

Perfect Summer Read: Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

photo credit

As lovers of children's literature, we all have our favorite authors, and our favorite illustrators. I happen to love Kate DiCamillo and will read anything she writes. I will also beg the library to get any book Melissa Sweet 'decorates' the pages of. My all time favorite illustrator, though, is Barbara Cooney.

I'm not much of a collector. Sure I have a stash of yarn, and a large glass jar of washi tape, but aside from those two collections, I mostly just amass classic children's picture books. In recent years I've slowed that down, because I have a bookshelf full (and once something comes in, something else has to go out!), but have really just started honing in on a few of my very favorites. Barbara Cooney's books have found that precious real estate, and I try to collect a few every year. If I find one at the thrift store I don't currently own, I feel like I've struck gold. If, over the past year I didn't really find any, I'll order a few off amazon. Usually they're a penny a piece plus shipping, but if I can't find any for a reasonable price, I'll just buy them on prime for regular price. I think I've only had to do that once.

Roxaboxen might just be my favorite Cooney work. I think this is because not only do her illustrations shine, reflecting the simple nostalgia that a well-worn childhood exudes, but because the story that Alice McLerran wrote feels so personal and universal, and it matches the author's story so well.

The story of Roxaboxen is based on a true place. A dusty corner in the South West, it was a mound of dirt just waiting to be explored by the local children of the small town. At all different ages, the children played together to create a world that they dominated in the form of a town, a jail, a backdrop for large weeks-long games, stores, and homes. A place where children could be children, unfettered by rules, they created their own devices from the objects found in 'Roxaboxen', like old wooden crates, broken glass, stones, sticks, and spindly bushes.

It reminds me of my own childhood 'hideout'. My neighbor friends and I had a magical childhood filled with freedom, bikes roaming the neighborhood, and sack lunches; hours spent outside playing. The setting of Roxaboxen is perhaps 50 years before that, based on how the children are dressing, and the outline of faint houses found within the illustrations, but the story is nonetheless relevant to now. Kids need places where they can play, make up their own rules, create their own toys, and figure out how life works with one another, manipulating a place all for themselves.

It's such a beautiful story of childhood. It's perfect summer reading. Once you're done, go out and play!