Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
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
The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit (published 1907) is a tale of modern magical enchantments. Three children, Gerald (Jerry), Jimmy, and Kathleen (Cathy), stumble upon a large estate that reminds them of a castle; in their play-acting, they stumble upon a sleeping girl they decide must be a princess. Despite her later declaration that she
The Simples Love a Picnic by J.C. Phillips (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2014) is so much fun! It is a story of a family going on a picnic in the park. But of course, parks have lots of undesirables…squirrels, ants, and too many people playing sports. This was a picnic trip that I could relate to:
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
A 1959 Newbery Honor book, Along Came a Dog by Meindert DeJong is a simple story of an unlikely friendship. Most of the action is between animals; therefore, there is little dialog. But despite the slower pace of the story, the author creates a moving tale of friendship and support that I really enjoyed reading.
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
Some Bugs by Andrea DiTerlizzi and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel (Beach Lane Books, 2014) is a simple rhyme for young kids about different kinds of bugs. Paired with the rhyme are collage-like illustrations created with “everything imaginable.” (See the note on the last page.) Crayon, pencils, watercolor, and collage make our backyard world in to a multi-colored
This picture book is non-fiction (or nearly that)! Sometimes the best ways to learn about something are through a fun story. This certainly fills that need. Daisylocks by Marianne Berkes and illustrated by Cathy Morrison (Sylvan Dell, 2014) is a beautifully illustrated book about a daisy seed trying to find a place to grow that is “just
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