Picture Book Monday with a review of The Fog

What feels like a long time ago I worked for environmental organizations, and environmental causes were dear to my heart. They still are, though these days I find different ways to make a difference where I can. One of the things I do is to seek out books for young people that help them understand that they can do something about the environmental problems that we face. Today's book is just such a title. The message is subtle, but powerful at the same time. It is a book readers of all ages will enjoy.

The Fog

Kyo Maclear

Illustrated by Kenard Pak

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tundra Books, 2017, 978-1-77049-492-3

Far to the north there is an island covered in ice, and its beauty is so remarkable that people from all over the world come to visit it. There is a bird, a little yellow warbler, who lives on the island. Unlike the other birds Warble is very interested in the humans who come and go. In fact, he is a “devoted human watcher” and keeps careful records of all the human types he sees.

   Then one day a warm fog rolls in and by evening the fog is so thick that no one can really see anything. Warble waits and waits for the fog to lift. He talks to the other birds about the problem, but none of them, except the ducks, seem to care. In fact, many of the birds forget that there was a time when the island wasn’t wrapped in fog all day long.

   Warble does not forget about the pre-fog days, and he also notices that the ice on the island is melting. Something is really wrong. Feeling alarmed, Warble does his best to talk to the other birds about his concerns. However, none of them want to listen to him and the fog spreads further.

   Then one day Warble sees a small human, a “red-hooded spectacled female (juvenile)” to be exact. Warble and the human meet and then they discover something remarkable; they can understand one another. Perhaps together they can figure out what to do about the fog.

   All too often, when something is wrong, people try to ignore it, or pretend that it isn’t there. Solving a problem takes work and effort and they can’t be bothered. This book is a tribute to all those wonderful people (and birds) who are bothered, and who understand that it is important to see, and confront, the problems that face us all.

   With its subtle environmental message and its charming characters, this picture book will charm adults and children alike.

Picture Book Monday with a review of A Good Story

There are some people in this world who think that books have no value; that they are even irrelevant in today's world. Stories, both true ones and fictional ones, have no place in their lives it would seem. The very idea of not having books in my life makes me feel sick to my stomach and cold all over. I have always loved books, and I have always wanted to have books around me.

In today's picture book you will meet a pig who lives in a world where words are not valued at all. Numbers rule, and everyone is expected to follow the rules and behave in a predictable and logical way. The pig does his best to live by the rules, but it turns out that he just isn't cut out for a humdrum life.


A Good Story

Zack Rock

Picture Book

For ages 6 and up

Creative Editions, 2017, 978-1-56846-280-6

Assistant Bean Counter No. 1138 is a numbers pig. He wrangles numbers all day, and in the world he belongs to “something only matters if it can be counted.” Though his co-workers seem to thrive on this life, Assistant Bean Counter No. 1138 does not feel as if he fits in. In fact, he has never felt like he belongs. In his world everyone is expected to toe the line “without question,” to follow the “old story” that controls everything. However, try as he might to be happy with what is “orderly and ordinary,” this pig cannot help giving in to his impulses to do things that are out of the ordinary.

   One rainy day the assistant takes refuge in a strange shop that is full of books. There are no numbers in the place. Only words. He is astonished when he discovers that the books contain the most remarkable stories, and through the stories he is transported to incredible worlds where anything can happen.

   While he is perusing one of the volumes the pig encounters something that captures his interest. He reads about an acrobat. The description of what an acrobat is tugs at him, but the old story that dictates that he must avoid anything out of the ordinary pulls him in the opposite direction.

   It is not easy to follow your own path in life, and to find the courage to turn away from what is expected of you so that you can follow your heart. This powerful book explores how one little pig discovers that he does not have to follow the crowd if he does not want to. Other options are out there, if he is willing to step off the beaten path.

   Readers of all ages will connect with this tale as it explores a timeless, ageless, and universal theme.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Stay: A girl, a dog, a bucket list

A little over fourteen years ago I brought home a sick, miserable little bundle of fur. Pippin was a puppy mill rescue and he became one of my best friends. He went where I went, and loved me unconditionally, even when I was not at my best. He put up with sharing his home with a young child, a pig, and numerous cats and dogs. He even had to contend with grumpy docks patrolling his garden. He was love personified and his friendship mean a great deal to me. Knowing how precious such a friendship is, I decided to share this review with you. It perfectly captures how powerful the bond between a human and a dog can be.

Stay: A girl, a dog, a bucket list

Kate Klise

Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Feiwel and Friends, 2017, 978-1-250-10714-5

From the moment Astrid was born Eli was a part of her life. He was her first friend and he went on to become her bodyguard, her favorite pillow, and her roommate. It did not matter in the least that Astrid was a little girl and that Eli was a boy dog. They were besties.

   Then Astrid began to notice that she was getting bigger than her large furry friend. As she was getting taller Eli was getting older, and by the time Astrid was six Eli was an old dog who walked more slowly than he used to.

   One day, when they were in the park, Astrid shared her popcorn with Eli and then she took him on the slide with her so that he could try it. When they got home she put together a bucket list of all the things Eli should do before he was too old to do them. She and Eli would go through the list.

   Together the two friends rode on a bike, they went to the library where they borrowed lots of books that were about dogs, they went to a movie theatre, they slept outside, and Astrid let Eli sleep under the covers in bed with her. Astrid even gave Eli a bubble bath and brushed him for a whole hour afterwards. Astrid then added one more thing to the list because she knew that her dear friend was slowing down.

   Best friends are precious things, and in this special book Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise give us a story that is a celebration of friendship. Their tale also serves as a reminder that we should enjoy our time with loved ones to the fullest. As the story unfolds, we get to see how the relationship between the child and the dog changes over time. The child who was cared for is now the caregiver.

   

Picture Book Monday with a review of Professional Crocodile

I have a special place in my heart for wordless books. I am attracted to them in part because they are such a pure form of storytelling through art. I am also love the fact that anyone can enjoy 'reading' them. Readers of all ages and all nationalities can follow the narrative and interprate it in their own way.

Today I bring you a wordless picture book that has such a beautifully paced narrative, and such a clever ending, that I smile every time I think about it. I also happen to really like the main character. There is a sweetness about him that is irresistible.

Professional Crocodile

Giovanna Zoboli

Illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

Wordless Picture Book

For ages for ages 4 to 7

Chronicle Books, 2017, 978-1-4521-6506-6

Crocodile is woken up when his alarm goes off. Bleary eyed he gets out of bed, opens the curtains, gets dressed, has breakfast, and then heads out to work. Through the busy streets he walks, stopping to look in a shop window or two. He buys a newspaper before he heads down to the subway.

   Crocodile patiently waits for his train, and then he gets on board. For a while he reads his newspaper, but then more people get on board and he is wedged in so tight that reading the paper is just not possible.

   Finally crocodile gets to his destination. He quickly trots up the steps to the street, buys some flowers, buys a roasted chicken, greets a shopkeeper, and then delivers the flowers to a friend. It is time for crocodile to go to work.

   In this intriguing book readers will thoroughly enjoy sharing Crocodile’s commute, during which they get to see the interesting people that he encounters along the way. Many of the people are quite ordinary looking —though of course who can never tell what a person is like from their outward appearance— but some of them are decidedly different. Best of all, young readers will be quite surprised when they find out what line of work Crocodile is in. Perhaps he is a dentist? Maybe he is a roast chicken connoisseur?

Picture Book Monday with a review of Books do not have wings

I freely admit that I enjoy watching films and programs on the television and on my ipad. I have a Kindle, and I use it all the time. However, I am still a devotee of books. I buy them regularly, and there are books in practically every room in my home. I know that books can offer me things that I cannot get from a screen, and I relish my reading time. Books educate, they comfort, and they entertain. They open doors to different worlds, and show us that there are so many possible paths to take in life.

Today I bring you a  picture book that celebrates all the things books give us.

Books do not have wings

Brynne Barnes

Illustrated by Rogerio Coelho

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Sleeping Bear Press, 2017, 978-1-58536-964-5

When you pick up a book what do you see? You see something that has a cover, a spine, and pages. You know that the book has a writer and perhaps an illustrator as well, and that it has readers “like you.” Perhaps you think that this is ‘just’ a book, but you would be wrong. There is nothing ‘just’ about a book, because a book “can do anything / that you want it to do.” 

   Though a book technically does not have wings and does not have an engine or other remarkable moving parts, it still is a marvelous “work of art” that “plumps up your thinker / and fills up your heart.” It is more than a cover, a spine, and pages. It is “more than a book.”

   Through its words a book can become a ship that takes you on a grand adventure with pirates. It can dip under the ocean waves and we can take a journey in a submarine, exploring fascinating undersea worlds that are full of extraordinary sea creatures.

   With a book for company we can watch a witch stirring her brew, and gaze upon a dragon that is resting on a cloud deep in slumber. We can marvel as flocks of fairies dance around the leaves of trees in a forest.

   Perhaps the most amazing thing of all about a book is the fact that if you have the wish to explore the book with an open heart and mind, and have eyes that are eager to discover what comes next, a book can be just about anything,

   In the glorious picture book a lyrical rhyming text is paired with rich and magical illustrations to take readers on a journey that shows them that books are extraordinary things. They should not be taken for granted, nor should we ever think that they are ‘just’ a book. Once we open them up and start to read, the stories and narratives in books can take us into marvelous worlds that are ruled by the imagination, or knowledge, or both.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Here Comes Teacher Cat

In many places the new school year has started. Lazy summer days are over and it is time to begin a new chapter. Today I bring you a book about Cat, a character who is funny and sometimes rather opinionated. In the story Cat is asked to stand in for a teacher who has to go to a doctor's office, and he discovers that being a teacher is both challenging and rewarding.

Here comes Teacher Cat

Deborah Underwood

Illustrated by Claudia Rueda

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Penguin, 2014, 978-0-399-53905-3

Cat is fast asleep and when the narrator wakes him up Cat is not pleased. The narrator insists that “this is an emergency,” which it surely is. Ms. Melba, the teacher at Kitty School, had to go to the doctor and Cat is going to have to step up and help out. Cat is not keen on the idea at all. In fact, he tries to sneak away, but then the narrator reminds Cat about all the nice things Ms. Melba has done for him.

   Very reluctantly Cat goes to Kitty Elementary. He actually tries to hide under the teacher’s desk, but the narrator finds him out. Cat is going to have to do something to engage his eager little students and he decides to start with a music lesson. He gives his students drums, a horn, a sax, an electric guitar, a bass, and a keyboard to play. The music is great and they are all having fun but - there always is a but - it is too loud. Cat is going to have to find something else to do.

   Next Cat and his little charges build something, and then they create some art. Both activities are a great success except for the fact that Cat gets a little carried away. Actually, he gets very carried away and the result is a terrible mess in Ms. Melba’s classroom. What is she going to think when she gets back from the doctor’s office?

   Cat is never one to do things in moderation. When he gets involved in a project he jumps in with all four paws. Children are going to love seeing how he copes with being a temporary teacher, and how his day actually turns out to be quite enjoyable, all in all.

   This is the fifth Cat adventure, and once again Cat and the narrator have a wonderful relationship that readers will find amusing and entertaining. You can always trust that Cat will get up to something when you meet him. That’s just how he is, and we love him for it.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Also An Octopus

I love to review books that contain stories that celebrate books and storytelling. Today I bring you a picture book that appealed to me on so many levels. It is about how stories are crafted, it features a ukulele playing octopus ( I play the ukulele so I am drawn to stories that feature ukuleles), and it also looks at how dreams can come true. What more could one ask for.

Also an Octopus

Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Illustrated by Benji Davies

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2017, 978-0-7636-7084-9

You may imagine that stories come into this world half or even fully formed, but this is not the case. All stories start the same way, with a blank page that has nothing on it. So, you have a whole load of nothing to begin with.

   You begin building a story by finding a character; one that will excite you, and one that will encourage you to develop your story. You could chose to write about a little girl or a cute little white rabbit, but an octopus who plays the ukulele would be even better.

   Now, the next thing that you will need to do is to figure out what your main character wants. The octopus could want a sandwich or a friend; these are perfectly reasonable things to want. Or it could want a “shining purple spaceship capable of intergalactic travel.” That would be a great thing to want, because a spaceship isn’t the kind of thing that you can just pick up in a local shop. The octopus is going to have to build the spaceship. The problem is that this particular octopus, though it is can play the ukulele, is not skilled when it comes to building a spaceship. Perhaps what the octopus need is the help of a friend. Let’s bring that cute little white rabbit into the tale to see what he can do.

   It turns out that whereas sweet white bunnies do indeed make excellent friends, it does not follow that they are rocket scientists.

   Not surprisingly the ukulele playing octopus is now feeling very down and one could even say it is “despondent.” At this rate it is never going to be able to travel to distant galaxies in a shiny, purple spaceship.

   The wonderful tale in this book is a joy to read. At first it seems to be about how stories are created from nothing, but then you realize that it is also about how dreams can come true, even when ones dream seems to be hopelessly unattainable. In the story there are delightful touches of humor, a narrative that is full of surprises, and a loveable main character - an octopus who plays the ukulele is irresistible.

   This book celebrates the creative process and the hopes that make dreams come true.

Picture Book Monday with a review of There, There

I am very lucky because I have wonderful friends and family members who are kind and patient, and who support me when I am feeling sorry for myself because of my health issues. I mostly manage to stay cheerful, but sometimes I get crabby and fussy and that's the truth. In today's book you are going to meet a hare who is being whiny. There really is not other way to describe his behavior. Luckily, the hare has a wonderful friend who puts up with his annoying behavior. Up to a point.

There, There
Tim Beiser
Illustrated by Bill Slavin
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Tundra, 2017, 978-1-77049-752-8
It is a summer, the season for outdoor games, frolics, and picnics, and yet on this summer day it is pouring with rain and the hare is very upset that he is forced to bide indoors. “Rain is boring” he says to his friend and den mate, the bear. The bear, being a good friend, comforts the hare by saying “Poor thing! There, there!”
   The hare, unlike his friend who is doing his best to keep busy by baking some muffins, goes on to whine and fuss about the rain. He even goes so far as to kick a chair in a fit of pique, which of course hurts his toe and makes him cry. Then the hare goes too far. He accuses his friend of not caring, which is clearly not the case. The bear has been very sympathetic and patient, but now his patience has reached a breaking point. Soon the hare finds himself out in the rain where he is introduced to a creature whose life is considerably less pleasant than his own.
   It is all too easy, when things are not going our way, to become ungrateful and grumpy. In this book readers will meet a hare who takes his rainy day frustration a little too far. Children will laugh as the narrative in verse unfolds, and they will appreciate the comical ending.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Dance is for Everyone

A few years ago I joined a hula dance school and I love being a part of this unique community. One of the many wonderful things about this school is that everyone is welcome. We are young and not so young, tall and small, slender and curvy. Some of us have health issues, but we dance anyway. We help each other out, and accept everyone into our ohana, our family.

Today I bring your the story of another dance school where all are welcome. In this particular case the newest student is rather unusual, and she also presents the teacher with some unexpected problems to solve.
 

Dance is for Everyone
Andrea Zuill
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Sterling, 2017, 978-1-4549-2114-1
One day a rather unusual new student comes to Mrs. Iraina’s ballet class. The student is a very large and very green 450-pound alligator. Not surprisingly no one makes a fuss when the alligator starts working at the barre with the other students. Although the alligator does not understand human speech, she is very good at following along and so that is what she does.
   The students get used to having the alligator in the class and they even decide to give her a name. They call her Tanya because she looks rather like a famous prima ballerina called Tanya Prefontaine. The problem with Tanya is that she is too strong, and her tail has a habit of getting in the way. She really is too big for Mrs. Iraina’s human-sized dance studio.
     In short, Mrs. Iraina and her students have a problem and they have no idea what to do about it. They don’t want to hurt Tanya’s feelings because this might make her “grumpy or bitey.” And even if they did try to talk to Tanya about her wayward tail and supersized strength, there is no way to convey what they want to say because none of them speak alligator.
   Mrs. Iraina and her students are going to have to come up come up with a solution that will work for everyone.
   Sometimes someone joins a group who is a little different and who perhaps does not quite fit in. All too often this person is made to feel that they don’t belong and cannot be a part of the group. In this delightful picture book a ballet teacher and her students find a creative way to make an alligator feel welcome in their dance class. They choose the path of inclusion rather than exclusion. Of course, they also show very good sense because we are, after all, talking about an alligator, and upsetting an alligator is probably not a good idea!

Picture Book Monday with a review of Around the World Right Now

When I was little calling up someone who lived on the other side of the world was a big deal. I remember how we carefully kept track of how long we stayed on the line because international calls were so expensive. These days we think nothing of connecting with someone who lives far away because there are new technologies at our disposal that make communication so easy. The world has grown smaller, and yet it is still a big place. A place so big that there are twelve time zones spanning our planet.

Today's picture book takes children on a journey through these time zones, and we see how alike, and also how different the people in distant parts of the world are. We get a sense of how big and varied our world is; and how marvelous and beautiful it is.

Around the world right now
Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard
Illustrated by Olivia Beckman
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Sleeping Bear Press, 2017, 978-1-58536-976-8
Many of us have family members and friends who live in other states and countries, and we understand that this means that we do not share the same time zone. What we frequently don’t fully understand is that there are twenty-four times zones around the world, and “each and every one of them is happening right now.” What an extraordinary idea!
   In this clever picture book the author takes us on a trip around the world, one time zone at a time, beginning in San Francisco and going west from there. It is six o’clock in the morning when we begin in California. The cable car is going by with a “clickety-clack” as it makes its way to Fisherman’s Wharf.
   When we travel west we come to Santa Fe where it is seven o’clock in the morning. Here the sun is higher in the sky, shining down on an artist who is painting in the Plaza.
   While he is painting his masterpiece, it is eight o’clock in New Orleans, and people are sitting in the Café Du Monde sipping coffee and eating beignets. Jazz musicians are playing nearby. At exactly the same time, in New York City, people are busily crossing the streets in throngs, heading to work.
   On we go around the world, visiting people in Canada and Brazil. We land on an island in the Atlantic, stop in Greenland, and then go on to London, Rome, and Cape Town. We see people playing, working, eating, and exploring their worlds.
   With every step west that we go, we encounter a new culture in a new time zone, and we get to see how varied these places are. We also get to appreciate that a thread of commonality connects us all, no matter where we live. We may be getting up in the morning while someone in India is going to sleep, but we all have hopes and dreams, and we all love our friends and family members.
   The authors and illustrator of this book have found a creative way to explore time zones, while at the same time celebrating the beauty and diversity of our world.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Away

Leaving your family for the first time to have a sleepover, or to go to summer camp, can be a little frightening for a child. Even though you are told what to expect, you still cannot be sure what awaits you. In today's picture book you will meet a mother and child who have a unique, and often amusing, way of coping with an upcoming separation.

Away

Emil Sher

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Groundwood, 2017, 978-1-55498-483-1

Summer vacation is just around the corner and soon a little girl will be heading off to summer camp for the first time. She does not want to go. At all. She and her mother are both busy people, and so they leave sticky notes for each other around the house. In her notes the little girl makes it clear that she is not going to camp, “Not EVER!”

   Back and forth the notes between the two go. Mom tells her daughter that she has got her bug spray, which everyone knows is a necessity at camp. Her daughter, in response, tells her mother that she cannot leave Lester, the family cat, because he needs her too much. On the family calendar Mom adds a sticky note indicating that she and Lester will have a “movie night” while the little girl is gone.

   Then Mimsy, Mom’s mother, comes to visit, and the little girl finds out that when Mom left for camp she cried. Mom explains that her tears “didn’t last” and her memories of sleepover camp are still “as warm as biscuits.”

   Going away from home to attend summer camp for the first time can be hard at first. This wonderful story shows us how a mother reassures her little girl about the upcoming adventure. We also see how the two of them have a warm and loving relationship that is full of humor, patience, and good times. Children will enjoy seeing how Lester the cat manages to get himself included in most of the scenes in the story. 

Picture Book Monday with a review of The mermaid's Purse

One of my favorite things in this world is a room full of wonderful books. My office has shelves from floor to ceiling on most of the walls for my work books, and one day soon (I hope) I will have a family library as well for all my non-work books. The books we have cover a wide range of topics. Of course there are novels in abundance, but there are also nonfiction titles about gardening, oriental rugs, Siamese cats, biographies, histories, and atlases. There are books about trees, birds and flowers, and titles about trains, wine, food, and so much more. My books make me feel rich and I love them.

Today's picture book title is about a girl's love of books, which she shares with the people around her. The interesting thing to see is how her love of books spreads as people learn to appreciate what books can do for them.


The mermaid’s purse

Patricia Polacco

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Penguin, 2016, 978-0-399-16692-1

In 1883, during a fierce storm, a baby girl was born just as a clap of thunder shook the air. The baby was still in the birth membrane when she came into the world, which many people considered to be a sign that the baby was blessed. The baby was named Estella and it soon became clear that she was indeed a blessed child. She walked and talked sooner than most children did, and she taught herself to read at a very young age.

   Estella’s love for the written word was a powerful thing. Every penny she earned she used to buy books. Often she traded paintings she created for books as well. Soon Estella’s book collection filled the upper floor of the farmhouse that she lived in. Her father thought he would soon have to “build you your own library for all these books!” and one day this is exactly what he did. With the help of friends, Estella’s father built his daughter a little building where she could house her book collection.

   Some of the men who helped build the library “scoffed” at Estella’s books, which troubled her a great deal. How could anyone not like books? Estella’s father explained that many of the men who had helped with the library project had probably never even read a book. Being a very determined young girl, Estella decided that she would take books to the neighboring farms, and so she loaded up some of her books into her goat cart and went from farm to farm. Though the local children seemed eager to enjoy her books and her storytelling times, the farmers simply did not accept that Estella’s books were relevant to them. Until she proved how wrong they were.

   This delightful and powerful tale is based on the true story of the author’s grandmother, Estella Barber, who built a library, shared her love of books with others, and taught hundreds of children. Readers will discover, through the story, how valuable book knowledge can be both in good times, and during emergencies.

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits

The summer solstice, midsummer, is only a few days away and in honor of this day I bring you this delightful picture book in which we meet a grumpy tomte. Tomtes are little gnome-like people who are often found living in human homes and on farms. If their human hosts give them a little kind consideration, the tomte will become attached to their people and take care of them in their own small way. The tomte in this story does not have a family anymore, until something happens that turns his life upside down.

The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits 

Ulf Stark

Illustrated by Eva Eriksson

Translated by Susan Beard

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Floris Books, 2016, 978-178250-244-9

Early summer has arrived and change is in the air. Grump the house tomte cleans the farm cottage, just as he does every year, even though the family has not lived there in a long time. He scrubs the floors, shakes out the linens, and polishes the gong in the hall. When he bangs the gong, memories of what the house was like when the family lived there wash over him, and he feels their loss.

   Grump’s mood does not improve when his friend the bee announces that it is time for him to leave. Grump tries to persuade the bee to stay but the bee is eager to be off and he flies away, leaving Grump all on his own. Grump feels that making friends with the bee in the first place was a mistake because it meant that he became attached to the little animal. He has been too friendly and not grumpy enough, he decides. Something has to change.

   Not far away the rabbit family members are busy doing chores and learning about plants. The rabbit children are reminded of the wonderful Christmas celebration that they shared with the tomte and they wish that they could have another festive gathering. Mother Rabbit explains that Christmas will not come around for many months, which is when Uncle Nubbin tells the little rabbits about Midsummer.

   Eager to find out what a Midsummer celebration is, the rabbits go to visit Owl. Owl tells them that Midsummer is a time for wearing hats, dancing, playing, and kissing. It is also “full of magic and love and mystery.”

   Then a summer storm hits and even the rabbits’ safe home under the big oak tree is flooded. Dozens of animals are homeless, drenched, and miserable, and there is no safe place for them to shelter. Then the younger rabbits suggest that they take refuge in Grump’s cottage, and off they go. Soon they are joined by Grump’s bee friend, who also needs a safe and dry place to rest. Grump, who does not want to form attachments, suddenly finds himself surrounded by friends.

   Midsummer is only a few days away and some of the animals think about celebrating. Then they discover that one of their own is dangerously sick. No one can think about having a party when Rory’s life hangs in a balance. Even Grump, who tries not to feel things, is sad and upset.

   This wonderful picture book takes readers into a delightful woodland world where the rabbits and their friends, and a grumpy house tomte, live. Divided into short chapters, the story takes us into the lives of the characters, and we get to watch as they discover new things about love, magic, and friendship.

                                                                                                                                                                                    

Picture Book Monday with a review of Niko Draws a Feeling

I once had a teacher who thought that his interpretation of a poem, play, or novel was the only interpretation that was worth anything. When I tried to offer up my ideas about what I thought the writer was saying, I was firmly shot down. I found this very annoying. Everyone brings their own perspective to the table when it comes to interpreting a piece of writing, a piece of music, or a work of art. Similarly, writers, musicians, and artists perceive the world in different ways.

In this picture book readers will meet a little boy who loves to draw feelings, and unfortunately no one really understands his art. His friends and family members think he should be drawing things rather than emotions, and they are confused by his creations. They do not understand that Niko has a different way of seeing and interacting with his world.

Niko Draws a Feeling

Bob Raczka

Illustrations by Simone Shin

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Carolrhoda, 2017, 978-1-4677-9843-3

Niko loves to draw pictures and he is constantly being inspired by the things that he sees around him. The thing about Niko is that he likes to draw feelings, sounds, and sensations rather than things. Instead of drawing the ice cream truck, he draws the ‘ring-a-ling’ sound that the ice cream truck bell makes. Instead of drawing the autumn sun, he draws the sensation of the sun’s warmth on his face. Instead of drawing a mother robin that is hard at work building her nest he draws her work, her labors as she builds her nest.

   Niko loves his unique creative process and the way in which inspiration comes to him, but he cannot help feeling a little sad that his friends, parents, and teacher don’t understand his art. Not being able to share what he is doing with others is hard, and life is a little lonely for the boy. One day he draws a self-portrait of his feelings and he puts this portrait behind a door. No one will understand it anyway.

   Then, one day a girl called Iris moves in next door, and something truly remarkable happens.

   This wonderful book celebrates the creative process and explores the idea that people see and experience the world in different ways. The important thing to remember is to be open to those differences, because you never know what new wonders you will discover if you do.

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Darkest Dark

Facing your fears is never easy to do. Imagine what it would be like to be a chef who is afraid of knives, or a doctor who has a fear of needles. In this clever picture book biography you will meet a little boy who loves to pretend that he is an astronaut and who is fascinated by space. Perhaps he even dreams of going up into space one day. There is a problem though; the little boy is afraid of the dark.

The Darkest Dark

Chris Hadfield

Illustrated by the Fan Brothers

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tundra Books, 2017, 978-1-101-91862-3

Chris loves pretending that he is an astronaut. In fact, he is often so busy flying around in his cardboard rocket, saving the planet from aliens or visiting Mars, that he has a hard time making time for baths and bedtime. After all “An astronaut’s work is never done,” and they don’t like wasting time on sleep. The problem is that Chris’ parents do like to sleep and so they are not best pleased when Chris climbs into bed with them. Nor are they too thrilled when he tells them that the darkness in his room is the kind that “attracts the worst sorts of aliens.”

   Some parents might give in at this point and let their son sleep with them, but Chris’ parents are putting their feet down. Chris will get over his fear of the dark and he will sleep in his own bed. They check to make sure that his room is “100 percent alien free,” they turn on his night light, and they even give him a bell to ring if he gets nervous. Then they take the bell away.

   Chris is then told that he needs to stop his fooling around because if he doesn’t he will not be able to attend the special event that is going to take place at their neighbor’s house the next day. Being able to go next door the next day is so important to Chris that he stays in his bed, and after a long time he falls asleep. What Chris does not know yet is that his experiences the next day will change how he feels about the dark, and it will influence the choices that he makes in his life in the future.

   Written by the first Canadian astronaut to walk in space, this wonderful picture book shows young readers how a single event can change ones perspective and even change one’s life. In Chris’ case what he saw that on that special night at his neighbor’s house planted the seed of a dream in his heart, and it was a dream that he never gave up on. He worked hard until the day came when he finally got his chance to go into space.

   At the back of the book young readers will find further information about Chris Hadfield. They can also read a message from Chris, and see photos of him when he was a little boy and when he was an adult working in space at the International Space Station.

Picture Book Monday with a review of How the Queen found the perfect cup of tea

For many people a cup of tea offers comfort in times of stress and tribulation, and the making of a pot of tea gives others something to do at such times. People all over the world begin or end their day with a cup of tea, and in some places the making of tea is a ritual that is treasured.

Today's picture book introduces us to a queen who decides that she needs to find someone who can make her the perfect cup of tea. In the process, she discovers something that brings about a big change in her life.

How the Queen found the perfect Cup of tea

Kate Hosford

Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Carolrhoda, 2017, 978-1-4677-3904-7

Every morning the queen gets up and her maids dress her and do her hair. Her butler makes her tea, which she drinks alone. Over time the queen’s morning tea ceases to give her any joy or pleasure. In fact, with every passing day it tastes worse and worse until she decides that she simply cannot drink the tea any longer. She “must find the perfect cup of tea,” and soon enough the queen and her long-suffering butler, James, are floating across lands and seas in a hot-air balloon.

   The queen decides when they have gone far enough and James brings the hot-air balloon down. The queen then meets a little girl called Noriko who announces that the queen is just in time because her cats would like to be snuggled. The queen instructs James to tell Noriko that she does not snuggle anything. Most people would back down at this point, but Noriko does not. She feels that this is the perfect time for the queen to try snuggling.

   Before the queen quite knows what is what she is snuggling, and being snuggled, by Noriko’s cat. The queen finds the whole experience “rather strenuous,” and she asks Noriko if she might have some tea. Noriko is happy to make some tea, though she expects the queen to help, which the monarch, who has never even made the effort to help in the tea making process, manages to do.

   Noriko makes the tea, using the methods favored in her native land of Japan, and then the little girl and the queen partake of their refreshment, talking all the while.

   The queen then says her goodbyes and she and James sail off in their balloon. Though Noriko’s tea was delicious, it was not the perfect cup of tea and so the quest must continue.

   All too often, when something is not quite right we blame something or someone else for the problem. We never consider that maybe, just maybe, the problem lies with us. In this delightful picture book we meet a cold, rather stuck up queen who takes a journey and discovers that sometimes what we are looking for is right under our noses.

   What is charming about this book is that in addition to the engaging story we also get to learn about the tea traditions in three countries. At the back of the book the author also offers us an author’s note in which she tells us about tea, and about the journey that she took as she wrote this book.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Reach for the Moon, Little Lion

Sometimes being different from everyone else is just plain miserable. For some reason other people like to make fun of those of us who are smaller, bigger, and smarter. They like to pick on people who they feel are more imaginative, more emotional, and more original than is 'normal.' In today's picture book you will meet a lion who is really small and who is teased because of his diminutive size. We also meet an animal who finds a way to give the lion just what he needs to feel better about himself.

Reach for the moon, Little Lion

Hildegard Muller

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Holiday House, 2016, 978-0-8234-3777-1

There once was a lion who was smaller than all the other lions. In fact he was so much smaller that the other animals teased him, calling out “Are you a lion or a mouse?” when we was nearby. The crocodile went so far as to say that the little lion was too small to be a lion at all. Lions are “very big,” so big in fact that they can “touch the moon with a paw.”

   That night the little lion sat on a hill and looked up at the moon, which was so far above his head. What would it be like to touch the moon, he wondered? One thing that he was sure of was that touching the moon was not something he would ever be able to do.

   A raven saw how sad the little lion was and asked him what was the matter. The little lion explain that he was sad because he wanted to be big, big enough to touch the moon. If he could do such a thing the other animals wouldn’t laugh at him anymore. Was there a way to make the lion’s wish come true?

   This charming little story introduces young children to the idea that anything is impossible, if you believe in yourself and use your creativity to find a solution to your problem. Children will be delighted when they see how the raven helps the lion. Perhaps they too can touch the moon if they want to.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Love is

Many of us have a very one dimensional idea of what love is. We take cues from films we see and from songs we listen to. In actual fact love is quite a complicated emotion, and when it is real it is incredibly powerful. In today's picture book readers will meet a little girl who grows to love a little duck that she cares for. We get to see how her love for the little duck comes in many forms and how, ultimately, this love gives her the strength to do something wonderful for someone else.

Love is

Diane Adams

Illustrated by Claire Keane

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Chronicle, 2017, 978-1-4521-3997-5

One spring day a little duckling in a park pursues a butterfly and ends up wandering away from its family and its home to chase the enticing insect. Luckily the duckling is found by a little girl who falls in love with the fragile baby, with its “tiny wings and downy head.” She takes the duckling home and becomes its mother, which turns out to be quite challenging.

   In spite of interrupted nights, splashy bath times, messes, and the general upheavals that taking care of a baby involves, the girl loves the duckling. Somehow even when it is being annoying love prevails.

   Then fall comes around and there is a change in the air. The little girl and the duck look out of the window and she knows that the time has come. She is going to love her duckling harder than ever so that she can do what it right.

   This wonderful picture book explores how love comes in many forms. It gives birth to patience, flexibility, and a willingness to accept a painful loss. It also gives us hope.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Toot and Puddle: You are my Sunshine

Good friends help one another out in good times and bad. They are there for us not matter what happens, ready to cheer us up when we feel down, and ready to encourage us when we need a little support. In today's charming picture book you will meet a little pig called Puddle whose best friend has a terrible case of the blues.

Toot and Puddle: You Are My Sunshine
Holly Hobbie
Picture Book  Series
For ages 4 to 6
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010, 978-0316167031
It is a beautiful day and yet Toot is very blue indeed, bluer than ever before in fact. Puddle and Tulip the parrot are worried about their friend, and yet they cannot undo Toot's glum mood and his case of the mopes. The try everything that they can think of to cheer up Toot. They arrange adventures, throw him a party, and bake a berry cobbler, and yet nothing seems to work. Then something very simple comes along and solves the problem for them.
   What is especially touching about this Toot and Puddle tale is that we can see very clearly how good friends can help one another in times of trouble. We can also appreciate that sometimes it takes something outside the friendship to fix things.
   You are my Sunshine is a thoughtful story which, like the earlier Toot and Puddle Books, shows us how enriching and precious a good friendship can be.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Not Quite Narwhal

One of the things that many children struggle with is finding out where they belong in the complex society that often dominates their social life. When I was young I certainly had a hard time figuring out where I fit in. The story in this beautiful picture book describes the journey that a young narwhal makes. Through him we get to see that sometimes the best way to solve the "where do I belong" problem is to follow your heart.

Not Quite Narwhal

Jessie Sima

For ages 5 to 7

Picture Book

Simon and Schuster, 2017, 978-1-4814-6909-8

Kelp was born in the ocean and it soon became clear that he wasn’t quite like the other narwhals. His horn was short, he did not like eating squid, and his swimming skills were not of the best. This was not really surprising when you consider that he did not have fins and a big flat tail suitable for swimming. Instead, Kelp had a flowing tail and legs, which was rather odd. Thankfully, none of Kelp’s narwhal friends minded that he different, and so “Kelp decided he wouldn’t either.”

   One day Kelp was swept away by a current and was carried to the surface. When we poked his head out of the water he saw that he was very close to the land, and standing on a headland, illuminated by the moon, was an animal that looked just like him.

  Kelp overcame his fear of the land, figured out how to walk on it, and then began to explore, hoping to find the creature that he had seen on the headland. Eventually, after walking through a forest, he found the creature and many others like it. Kelp thought that the animals with manes, tails, and legs were land narwhals, but it turned out that they were unicorns. And he was one too!

   Kelp was delighted to get to know the unicorns and to find out things about himself that he did not know, but there was a problem. He missed his home in the sea and the friends that he had there.

   In this incredibly sweet and heartwarming picture book story, we watch as a little animal struggles to figure out where he belongs. Many people face this very same problem, and seeing how Kelp finds a solution is uplifting. This story is a celebration of acceptance and inclusivity.