Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young.

Wabi Sabi is a cat who is doesn’t know what her name means.  When her master is asked by another person about it’s meaning, she replies, "That’s hard to explain."  Wabi Sabi heads out to find out what her name means.  But everyone she asks says that it is hard to explain.  Until she herself begins to experience Wabi Sabi, the beauty in the modest and simple and imperfect, she can’t understand it.

The book begins with the definition of Wabi Sabi and then the entire book is dedicated to exemplifying it.  Each double spread page is matched with a haiku poem that immediately connects the mysterious Wabi Sabi feeling with the reader.  Reibstein has created text that tells a story that lives well next to the tiny haiku treasures throughout the book.  Young’s collage art is the perfect example of humble items being beautiful.  He uses pine boughs, hair, dead leaves, and paper to create a world in this book that is pure Wabi Sabi.  Exquisitely done.

For classes studying Japan or those working on haiku units, this book is a gem.  The fact that it is also a work of art will draw in other readers, who will find themselves experiencing something at the heart of Japanese culture.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley by Aaron Blabey.

Pearl and Charlie are great friends, but they are also almost completely different from one another.  Pearl is loud, vivacious, brave and silly.  Charlie is quiet, shy, reserved and kind.  How can they be friends?  Well, it turns out that they suit each other perfectly.  When one has a need, the other meets it.  Kindly, warmly and in their own unique way. 

All of us have a bit of Pearl and a bit of Charlie in us, so this is a picture book that speaks to everyone.  Blabey’s very short text is perfect to read aloud, often allowing the picture to tell the bulk of the story.  His illustrations are friendly, warm and quite silly at times.  What could have been a saccharine story of perfect friendship is brought to life through humor and the lovely imperfection of the two characters.  The best piece of the book is that these two different individuals did not have to change themselves to be friends, instead they took the parts of themselves that are most special and offer them to the other.  What a great message for children!

Spending time with these two is quite a treat.  Through no lecturing whatsoever, children will see what it is to be a friend without changing yourself at all.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Footprints in the Snow by Mei Matsuoka.

Wolf knows that most books portray wolves to be evil, greedy and cruel. So he sets out to write his own book about a nice wolf.  The book starts with footprints in the freshly-fallen snow that may lead him to a new friend.  Following the trail of footprints, Mr. Nice Wolf discovers that no one trusts him to be a friend, thinking he is tracking breakfast or lunch instead.  When Mr. Nice Wolf reaches the duck who made the tracks he has been following, his natural instincts get the best of him and the duck looks so delicious!  Wolf is torn out of his story as he falls into the bathtub where a rubber ducky is bobbing.  After drying off, Wolf hears a knock on the door and when answering it finds a trail of footprints leading away in the fresh snow.

This book is just as nicely designed as it is written.  Matsuoka has created a book with perfect action and style for children.  His text is light and inviting, though the story is deeply layered, making the book very approachable.  The parts of the book that are Wolf’s story have illustrations that are bordered in wood and often have Wolf’s hand drawing in them.  A delightful and subtle way to keep children understanding that this is a story within a story. 

Matsuoka’s illustrations are filled with small details.  The warmth of Wolf’s house in the beginning of the book is brought to life with the tiny touches of munched cookies, books strewn across the floor, and a roaring fire.  Her illustrations tell the story almost as much as the text does.  The two are inseparable and unite to become a very special picture book.

Capturing the power of imagination, the joy of a hunt across a snowy landscape, the fun of creating your own story, this beautifully designed book is perfect for wolf story times.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Chester’s Back by Melanie Watt.

I was a big fan of the first Chester book.  This sequel keeps the merriment and fun of the first book, and again showcases Chester defying his owner and trying to create HIS book.  In this book, Chester refuses to allow Melanie to write a book putting him in a jester costume in the Middle Ages.  He uses a variety of tactics to ruin her efforts, including wearing the wrong costumes and scribbling all over the pages with his red marker.  But Melanie may just find a clever replacement for Chester and not allow him to gain the upper hand.  Maybe.

What a delight to have a second book that lives up to the first.  Just as she did in her Scaredy Squirrel series, Watt has created a successful sequel to a wonderful book.  Watt has kept the same feel as the first book and the tone is just right.  Children will once again revel in Chester refusing to cooperate with plans.

A great book to share with a group of children.  Make sure you have your Chester voice set to go, full of cat outrage.  Ideal for ages 5-7.

The Blue Stone: a journey through life by Jimmy Liao.

A blue stone is resting for thousands of years in a forest, until humans come and split it in two.  The half that is carried out of the forest longs for its other half.  The stone is made into one sculpture after another.  Each time deep emotion is felt around the stone, it breaks a little, remembering what it has lost.  With every breakage, it becomes smaller and smaller, going from huge sculptures to a small piece of jewelry.  Eventually, the stone becomes small enough to lift into the air and float back to its beloved forest and its other half.

Liao’s illustrations are glowingly colored and deeply felt.  The use of blue for the stone is perfect, especially when it hides below other colors in the sculpture, non the match for the intensity and beauty of the stone itself.  The text is rhythmic and repeating the refrain of breaking and changing and continuing.  The tie to life’s passage and loss is inherent to the book.  Children will understand it immediately even though nothing is firmly stated except in the subtitle.

This is a gentle winner, not to be shared with a rowdy group.  Rather, it is the perfect book for introspective moments.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

In the Night Garden by Barbara Joosse, illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles.

Three girls play in the night garden.  One is a bear, who eats berries from the branches.  Another is a whale cruising slowly through the sea.  The last is a sled dog who howls to the wintry sky.  Until bedtime arrives.  The bear pulls on her fuzzy pajamas, the whale spouts water in the bath and the sled dog pulls her covers up tight.  Their adventures are not finished, continuing in their dreams.

The art and poetry here dance together, as imagery comes to life on the page.  Sayles’ illustrations are deep colored and blissful as the girls play together, fading to an ethereal dreaminess by the end of the book.  Joosse’s poetry is accessible for young readers, but not childlike.  Her words are strong and evocative.

A great introduction to poetry for children, this book captures vivid imagination and the joy of play directly onto the page.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.