Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
It’s always fun when picture books play on words to get your attention. When my son (age 5) first started reading Pig and Small by Alex Latimer (Peachtree, August 2014), he commented, “The author should have called this book Big and Small because Pig is big and the bug is small! They are opposites.” He
A History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Brotton (Viking, November 2013)Â is not truly a world history story. It is, however, a look at how maps and history are intricately related. Each map throughout history tells what is important to the learned in the era in which it has been created. Likewise, each
What is better than a fun story about hundreds of little animals (like 999 Tadpoles)? What is better than a Where’s Waldo search? Try 100 Hungry Monkeys by Masayuki Sebe (Kids Can Press, 2014)! In this story, 100 hungry monkeys need something to eat, so they start looking for it and they end up having an adventure.
One delightful aspect of children’s picture books is that the impossibilities become possible. In If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Colin Jack (Tundra Books, May 2014), the illustrator and author create a number of what-ifs out of the impossibility of actually having a dinosaur as a pet. It is
I never used to use parenting books as a go-to when I struggled with an issue with my kids, but I’m finding that reading parenting books gives me nice reminders that I need. Mindful Discipline:A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by Shauna Shapiro and Chris White (New Harbinger Publications, June 2014)
50 Body Questions by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Ross Kinniard (Annick Press, February 2014) is a visually appealing book about the human body. As the title indicates, 50 questions take readers on a journey through the body, covering concepts about the digestive system, blood, muscles and bones, germs, the brain, and the nervous
I love the complexities of the English language! I find it lots of fun to play with words and see where the meanings take me. I love the sounds of poetry and the silliness that comes when words are placed in different orders in sentences. A few books from VanitaBooks provide a humorous look at idioms,
Beautiful illustrations tell the story of a creative flying mouse in Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse by Torbin Kuhlmann (North South books, 2013). When new mouse traps and an abundance of cats overrun the city where a clever (unnamed) mouse is living, he decides he must go to America for freedom. His creativity
Before the World Was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Science by Claire Eamer; art by Sa Boothroyd (Annick Press, 2013) tells the stories of a few scientists who had ideas that were not accepted. These scientists were correct, but the world did not accept their writing or the scientists lived before technology had been invented that
 Everyone Prays: Celebrating Faith Around the World by Alex York Lumbard and illustrated by Alireza Sadeghian (Wisdom Tales, 2014) shows people from religions around the world praying. Simple drawings are accompanied by a very basic text that describes how people from different religions pray: heads covered or not, singing and dancing or not, with water or
The Pullman Porter: An American Journey by Vanita Oelschlager and illustrated by Mike Blanc (Vanita Books, May 2014) captures the history of the former slaves who became the porters on the Pullman train cars. Rich acrylic paintings add a sense of awe to the text. The book shares the duties of a Pullman porter, as well as
Who Was Here?: Discovering Animal Tracks by Mia Posada (Millbrook Press, October 2014) has rich illustrations of animal footprints, coupled with delightful rhymes. Each of these animal track pages ends with the question: “Who Was Here?” The answer is only told on the next page, which also has a paragraph about the tracked animal. To
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