Friday Favorites- Stories with Heart

There are so many books that touch the heart. Here are a couple of my current favorites. 

 

In Drawn Together by Minh Le a grandson finds a way to connect with his grandfather.

Iver and Ellsworth is a sweet friendship story by Casey Robinson

 

  This beautifully done story is a great one to share with anyone dealing with dementia in their family. Have your tissues handy for The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros 

Friday Favorites- Voice

 I've been reading and reading and reading. Here are some 2019 favorites (so far) for voice...

We are Grateful Otsaliheliga, by Traci Sorell is a look at gratefulness through the seasons.

 

Lesa Cline-Ransome has written such a lyrical, unconventional biography in Before She was Harriet.

Friday Favorites-Metafiction

In meta-fiction, the book talks about itself. There are many wonderfully funny picture books being published that use meta-fiction well.

 

In Papa Bear's Page Fright by Wade Bradford, Papa gets nervous when he realizes he is in a book.

In Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman we see what happens when a well-meaning chicken runs amok in an illustrator's workspace.

Throughout Where Is Bear? by Jonathan Bentley, the reader helps search for a very visible bear.

Friday Favorites- Tender Topics

Picture books offer wonderful opportunities to address tender topics in age appropriate ways. Here are a few of my newest favorites:

Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings is a touching story about a relationship with a Grandpa who doesn't remember.

A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts is about starting a new life in a strange land.

The Rabbit Listened by Cora Doerrfeld is a tender look at loss and comforting others.

Friday Favorites- Mentor Texts- Cumulative Format

These are one of my favorite formats. The repetition makes it great for early readers, or even non-readers will learn the sequence. God examples are There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly and The House that Jack Built. The texts "accumulate" as the build toward the end.

 Full Moon at Napping House by Audrey Wood, Illus. by Don Wood

This is a lovely sequel to Napping House.

 

In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, Illus. by April Chu

This quiet, stunningly illustrated book is more of a circular text, building on itself and making it predictable for young listeners.

Mixed Messages

After reading The Language of Flowers,  I'm curious about the meanings of blooms. I guess the hydrangea sends mixed messages, anything from vanity and boastfulness to expressing the giver's gratefulness for the recipient's understanding.  It also suggests a feeling that is sincerely heartfelt.

Friday Favorites- Nonfiction

Non-fiction I Love

Many of my picture book ideas involve nature and they often have non-fiction notes at the end. I find reviewing the newest in NF books to be helpful, especially those geared toward the very young. There are some beauties out there. Here are a few of my latest favorites.

An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston, Illust. by Sylvia Long

This book reads on several levels, the reader can go in to depth or read this simpler lyrical text accompanied by stellar pictures.

Plants Can't Sit Still by Rebecca Hirsch, Illus. by Mia Posada

A beautifully illustrated book that looks at plants from a different viewpoint with a narrow focus on how they and their seeds move.

 

A Rock Can Be... by Laurie Purdie Salas, Illus. by Violeta Dabija. 

There are several "...can be..." books. They are all stunningly poetic and wonderfully illustrated and look at the world sideways.

Best in Snow by April Pulley Sayre.

 This book celebrates snow with lovely photographs and science. All of her books are worth checking out when reviewing NF for young readers.