Picture Books

One World, One Day

| Tasha

One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

When I was a kid, I loved looking through my mother’s new Unicef calendars every year.  Each page featured children who were like me, but different too.  I would pore over the captions, decide where I wanted to travel based on the smiles, clothes and colors.  This book from National Geographic has that same sense of connection but difference for me. Kerley has paired very simple text with amazing photographs, each more evocative and fascinating than the last.  This book is about our global connection, celebrating our world in its entirety and uniqueness. 

Kerley’s text is simple but powerful.  She provides just the right thread to tie the photographs together, yet she manages to allow the photos to speak for themselves too.  For children like I was, there is lots of information in the appendix about each photograph, offering captions and geographical notes.  My only quibble is that the appendix refers to page numbers and the pages are unnumbered.  Luckily there are thumbnail images to help match page to information.

So which areas spoke to me here?  Where do I want to travel based on these photos?  Many of the images of India spoke to me with their deep colors and friendly faces.  From this collection, I would have yearned to travel there.  And as an adult?  I still do.

This book reads aloud well, though children will want to know what country the photos are from and what is happening in them.  I suggest using this with smaller groups or single children so that you can discuss and enjoy it entirely.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Maybelle, Bunny of the North

| Tasha

Maybelle, Bunny of the North by Keith Patterson

Maybelle is a little bunny who lives in Homer, Alaska.  The book follows her through some of the things she does there.  She does many things that most children do: plays in the snow, watches the night sky, plays in the park, takes a bath, and is read to at bedtime.  But some of the things she does are uniquely Alaskan: watching the float planes take off from the lake and looking for moose in the fireweed.  The book illustrations have a hand-painted feel to them and are filled with blue skies, red flowers, and the sheltering mountains.

This is a short, gentle story that allows small children to see that people who live in different parts of the world and even the US itself have both commonalities and differences.  It would be an interesting discussion to talk with children about what makes their area of the world unique.  What do they consider every day things that others may be surprised and delighted by? 

Patterson has created a story with a nice pacing.  It is firmly grounded in Homer, Alaska and it is a pleasure to read a picture book for very young children with such a strong sense of place.  The progression through the day will be very familiar to all children, and the surprises of the uniquely Alaskan moments will be enjoyed by all as well.

Appropriate for ages 2-4, this book is simple and satisfying.

My Japan

| Tasha

My Japan by Etsuko Watanabe

This book provides a fascinating look into the life of a 7-year-old Japanese girl named Yumi.  Readers get to see her house, her room, what school is like, the public bath, and the holidays she celebrates.  There are so many things that are similar to our lives in the United States and so many that differ.  The illustrations are friendly and offer the reader additional information.  Personally, I am intrigued by the trapdoor in the kitchen floor that opens to an extra storage area.  Children will find their own things to be intrigued about, ask questions about and explore.  Most American children will be amazed by the concept of the public bath.

Watanabe does an excellent job of showing how similar we are and yet allowing readers to really see the differences in the societies we live in.  The illustrations are done in a very welcoming style that invites readers to look closely at the details.   This is a very nice introduction to Japan and its modern culture through the eyes of a child.

Recommended for children studying Japan or Japanese as well as children who are interested in other cultures.  With its friendly, inviting style, this book is a welcome addition to any library.

Big Wolf & Little Wolf

| Tasha

Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec

Big Wolf lived all alone at the top of a hill under a tree.  But then one day, Little Wolf came and stayed under Big Wolf’s tree.  The two wolves didn’t talk, but they watched each other.  When night fell, Big Wolf shared a small corner of his leaf blanket with him.  In the morning, Little Wolf climbed the tree following Big Wolf and did exercises together.  Big Wolf shared his meal with Little Wolf but still never talked with him.  Big Wolf headed out for his walk, looking back and seeing Little Wolf get smaller and smaller in the distance.  When he returned to the tree though, Little Wolf was gone.  Big Wolf was shocked, astounded to find that he missed Little Wolf deeply.  So what is a lone wolf to do when he finds himself to be more of a LONELY wolf?

Brun-Cosme has created a picture book with a unique feel. Her wording is simple and almost bare.  It is through that very minimalist writing that the emotions are really clear and powerful.  It is also a format that works well for a lone wolf and his simple life.  Tallec’s art is different here than in some of his other work (like Rita and Whatsit).  He uses paint to create a world of open fields and wide skies, but plays with color to make it a world in a vivid palette of pinks, yellows, blues, and greens.  This depth of color and strong lines make the illustrations a foil for the simple words. 

This book speaks to the lonely of us, the confused, the awkward.  It is a picture book that every child will understand whether they have been Little or Big.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

That’s Papa’s Way

| Tasha

That’s Papa’s Way by Kate Banks, illustrated by Lauren Castillo

A little girl and her father head out fishing together.  They dig worms together, Papa dangling them from his fingers and her touching them only with her shovel.  That’s her way.  Together the two of them launch the boat onto the lake and put their lines in the water.  They wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Each reacting to the waiting in their own way.  The relationship of the two characters allows them each to be individual, each loving the time together and showing it in their own way.  The refrain of “That’s his way” and “That’s my way” are used just often enough for them to impart a rhythm to the book, never becoming overbearing or jarring.

Banks writing is just as gentle and patient as sitting in a boat with waves lapping.  She doesn’t hurry the story and feels no need to create excitement or danger in this gentle tale.  It is lovely in its sense of family, honor of individuality, and overall peacefulness.  Castillo’s illustrations reflect that same gentle style with their rich colors and thick lines.  She captures the feel of a day on the lake in her images.

Highly recommended, this gentle book will be enjoyed by youngster who enjoy fishing and is perfect for a Father’s Day story time or any time that a gentle read is needed.  Let’s hope that this peace and grace floods into the parents who come to our libraries too.

All of Baby Nose to Toes

| Tasha

All of Baby, Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

This delightful little picture book combines charming art work with an engaging rhyme.  From eyes to toes, this book moves from one body part to the next, stopping for giggles at the tummy.  Each body part is given its own little rhyme that moves to a chorus of “Who loves baby’s ears?  Me! I do.” 

Adler has a knack for simple rhymes, a bouncy rhythm and sweetness that is not saccharine.  Nakata’s watercolor and gouache artwork is also sweet.  It features a rosy-cheeked baby with just the right amount of plumpness who goes through life with great glee. 

Perfect for babies and toddlers, this book’s rhyme and art will have everyone enjoying it.  Expect to read it time and again once the bouncy rhythm is in your ears and toes.

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor

| Tasha

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor by Samantha R. Vamos, illustrated by Santiago Cohen.

A familia is expecting a baby and there is lots of excitement and preparation.  Mami is eating healthy foods.  Papi is building a rocking chair. Everyone helps pick out a name.  A tree is planted.  The walls of the nursery are painted.  A mobile is built.  And the older siblings offer their books and stuffed animals.  The book shines with love and anticipation, from the words on the page that offer a wonderful mixture of Spanish and English to the illustrations bright with color.  This book truly captures the wonder of a new baby for an entire extended family.

Vamos’ text effortlessly blends Spanish words with English, creating a mix that reads naturally.  Unlike some books where the Spanish can feel extraneous to the story, here it is an innate part of the book.  Cohen’s illustrations are bold and bright.  They exude a warmth and joy that is a perfect match for the subject and the text.

Highly recommended for all families, this book is appropriate for ages 3-6.

My Uncle Emily

| Tasha

My Uncle Emily by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Emily Dickinson has a special connection with her young nephew Gilbert.  They spend a lot of time together laughing.  One day Uncle Emily gives him a dead bee and a poem to share with his class.  Gilbert is hesitant to take it to his class, afraid the other boys will laugh and mock him.  But his mother insists so he takes it and shares it with his teacher and class.  One boy mocks his Uncle Emily on the playground, so Gilbert stands up to him and bops him on the nose.  The two boys have to spend the rest of class in the corner wearing dunce caps.  Back at home, Gilbert doesn’t quite tell the truth about the incident and Uncle Emily notices.  After sharing a poem about truth, Gilbert finds a way to tell the truth but do it gently too.

Yolen is at the top of her game here.  Her verse is free, flowing and perfectly suited to the subject.  She manages to offer a glimpse of a famous poet through the eyes of a child, making Emily accessible, humorous and caring.  It is a lovely portrait of a poet too often seen only as a recluse. Carpenter’s illustrations evoke the time period with real grace.  Her use of lines is deft and really works to create a sense of period illustrations. 

Highly recommended, this picture book on Dickinson is a real winner.  The poetry of hers in the book are nice choices that will have children of today reacting as the children in the book do.  What a great chance to talk about poetry with children and pull out that volume of Dickinson to read a few.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Cromwell Dixon’s Sky-Cycle

| Tasha

Cromwell Dixon’s Sky Cycle by John Abbott Nez

In the years following the Wright Brothers’ historic flight, the world of flying machines took off.  Literally.  A fourteen-year-old boy named Cromwell Dixon loved to invent things and flying caught his attention. So he built, with the help of his mother, a Sky-cycle using a mix of a bicycle and helium balloon.  By pedaling, he could turn the propellers made of wood and silk.  It wasn’t easy.  When the varnish on the balloon was drying it caught on fire and he had to start again.  But on August 9, 1907, Cromwell took to the skies.  He reached an amazing 2500 feet before returning to earth. 

The picture book has a real period feel with the author throwing in turn-of-the-century terms to evoke the time.  The illustrations too offer a sense of history.  I especially enjoyed that it is not until the afterword that you discover that this is a true story.  The imagination and vision that this feat took is amazing and to do it at such a young age is inspiring.  Children will be drawn to this contraption that looks like a bicycle but flies.  Nez’s illustrations and prose will keep children’s interest easily. 

This one is sure to fly off the shelves especially into the hands of young pilots.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.