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.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Over and Under the Pond

Nature is full of miracles, big and small. For me, being out in nature is soothing, healing, and grounding. For this reason I review a lot of books about the natural world, and I was delighted when today's book arrived in the mail. The book takes us on a journey of exploration. Paddling around in a canoe with a boy and his mother, we see the creatures and plants that can be found under and above the water in a pond.

Over and under the pond

Kate Messner

Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Chronicle, 2017, 978-1-4521-4542-6

One day a mother and her son climb into their canoe and paddle out onto the pond. Looking into the water, and seeing something moving beneath the surface, the boy asks his mother “What’s down there?” She tells her son that beneath them is a “whole hidden world” full of creatures of all kinds.

   As they paddle past rushes, whirligig beetles skate across the surface of the water. Below, minnows swim in the grassy forests where brook trout wait for them. The boy and his mother see painted turtles sunning themselves on a log and watch as they drop into the water as the people approach.

   Among the cattails a red-winged blackbird carries grass in her beak to build a nest. Below, on the bottom of the pond, a caddisfly larva builds a nest around herself using sand and little pebbles.

   The visitors see a moose standing in the water munching waterlilies, and beneath the surface a beaver gathers tasty roots to eat. Young animals above and below the surface prepare to take the next step into adulthood: a goldfinch readies itself to fly, and tadpoles transition into becoming frogs.

   All around the boy and his mother, as the day changes from morning to afternoon to evening, above and below the surface of the pond, animals go about their business seeking out food, avoiding predators, caring for the babies, and building their homes.

   This wonderful book takes readers through a day spent paddling across a pond. We get to know the birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, mammals, and fish that call the pond their home, and see how they coexist in their beautiful environment. At the back of the book readers will find further information about pond ecosystems and the animals mentioned in the book.

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Fox Wish

Having our wishes come true is a wonderful thing, especially since our wishes are not granted that often. What many people don't realize is that making other people's wishes come true is pretty wonderful too.

In this incredibly charming picture book, we see how a little girl is able to do something for someone else, and how her act of kindness ends up enriching her life in a very special way.


The Fox Wish

Kimiko Aman

Illustrated by Komako Sakai

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Chronicle Books, 2017, 978-1-4521-5188-5

One day Roxie is having her snack at home when she realizes that she left her jump rope in the park earlier that day. Roxie and her little brother Lukie go back to the park to retrieve the jump rope only to find that it is no longer hanging from the tree branch where Roxie left it.

   They hear the sound of children playing and go to investigate. Instead of finding Thomas and Samantha, who they expect to find, they discover that the children’s voices they heard belong to a group of little foxes who are playing jump rope.

   It is soon clear that the foxes are not very good at jumping rope. They keep tripping on their tails and falling to the ground in a heap. Though the two watching children try not to laugh (it would be impolite to do so), Lukie cannot help himself, and a little laugh escapes from his lips. The children come out from behind the tree where they were hiding and to Roxie’s surprise the foxes are not frightened of them. In fact, one of them asks the little girl if she can teach them “how to jump rope without tripping.”

   What follows is a delightful interaction between the fox children and human children, and out of the blue Roxie has the opportunity to see “wishes come true.”

   Sometimes the best gifts aren’t the ones that we receive. Sometimes giving to others is so rewarding and heart-filling that we feel rich and lucky. This delightful picture book contains a story that will warm hearts and remind readers of how wonderful  it is to grant other people’s wishes.

Picture Book Monday with a review of: The Bear and the Piano

Many of us, when we juggle bills, contemplate a car that needs replacing, work in a job that is often tedious or boring, imagine what it would be like if we could turn what we love doing into a career that would bring us fame and fortune. How grand it would be to be a master gardener who wins huge prizes, or a virtuoso musician who plays in concert halls all over the world. We assume that 'success' will bring us happiness, but what if success and happiness do not necessarily go together?

The bear and the piano

David Litchfield

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Clarion Books, 2016, 978-0-544-67454-7

One day a young bear cub finds a strange object standing in a clearing in the forest. It is made of wood and there are black and white keys running down the length of it. The cub touches the keys with his paws and makes a dreadful sound. The little bear leaves, but he comes back the next day, and the next.

   For weeks, months, and years the bear comes to tap the black and white keys every day. By the time he is a grown up grizzly, the bear can make beautiful music when he plays the piano, for that is what the object in the forest is.

   The bear’s playing attracts the attention of the other bears in the forest, who all come to the clearing every night to listen to him play. Then a father and daughter hear the bear play and they invite him to go to the city with them where he will be able to play pianos for “hundreds of people and hear sounds so beautiful they will make your fur stand on end.”

   The bear goes to the city and it isn’t long before he is the toast of the town. Everyone wants to hear him play, and his concerts are sold out. He records albums, wins awards, and is feted by everyone he meets.

   Though he is a great success in the city, the bear could not help feeling, deep inside, that something is missing in his life.

  This beautiful book, with its gorgeous atmospheric artwork, takes a look at what can happen when you seek out fame and fortune. If you are a successful celebrity does this mean that you have everything you need to be happy? Or is there is something more precious than wealth, recognition, and success?

Picture Book Monday with a review of A Taste of Colored Water

Over the years I have been able to add reviews of many wonderful books to my Black History Month Feature. Many of these books tells the stories of brave and steadfast African-Americans who made the world a better place even though the odds were so strongly against them.  Today a bring you a book that is a little different. It is about two little Caucasian children who know nothing about racism when we first meet them, and who later see the ugliness of bigotry first hand. When we look through the eyes of innocent children we truly see how cruel and unacceptable racism is on so many levels.

A taste of colored water

Matt Faulkner

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2008, 978-1-4169-1629-1

Abbey Finch recently went to the big city with her mama to go shopping, and while she was there she saw a water bubbler that had a sign hanging over it that said “Colored.” She tells the kids back at home about what she saw and they all think she is “crazy.” Why would anyone have colored water coming out of a water fountain?

   The kids are inclined to think that this story is yet another of Abbey’s fibs, but they cannot help thinking how wonderful it would be to see a fountain that spouts forth colored water. Lulu and her cousin Jelly decide that they really have to see this marvel, and by some miracle they soon get the opportunity. Uncle Jack needs to get a part for a tractor he is working on, and the two children pester the man to take them with him until he gives in. Of course, Lulu and Jelly know better than to tell Uncle Jack why they really want to go to the big city so badly.

   Now, Lulu and Jelly have never been to the big city before, and the sight of all those tall buildings, the streets, and the lack of fields and trees is rather overwhelming. Uncle Jack finally gets to his destination, a shop across the street from city hall, and he goes to get the tractor part that he is looking for, telling the children to “Stay put” while he is gone.

   Of course they don’t. The colored water bubbler is right there and so they go and investigate, never expecting that what they will experience on that hill next to the city hall will put a crack in their world view that will change them forever.

   Children are naturally open and accepting of everyone. Until someone teaches them to be fearful of people who are different from them, they more often than not do not really see or care about another child’s skin color, hair color, eye color, or eye shape. For them a kid is just a kid.

   In this thought-provoking book Matt Faulkner gives young readers a story about two children who have no idea that a whole section of their society, African-Americans, are forced to live separately, and are denied rights that white people take for granted. In just a few minutes the children discover that in the adult world there are lines and boundaries that cause anger, pain, and frustration.

   Seeing the world through Jelly and Lulu’s eyes will remind adults of that time when they, like these two children, were free of prejudice. The story will give those adults the means to have an open dialogue with the children in their lives about racism.  

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Typewriter

All of us have dreams that we wish would come true. Some are 'practical' dreams; technically speaking these dreams could come true under the right circumstances. Other dreams are delightfully fantastical and we know that the only place that these dreams can live in is in our imaginations. Today's picture book take us into the lives of three children who, thanks to a magical typewriter, are able to make their wishes come true.

The Typewriter

Bill Thomson

Wordless Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Two Lions, 2016, 978-1477849750

One day three children ride their bikes to the carousel, only to discover that is it closed. Most of the rides on the carousel are the traditional horses that you expect to see, but there is also a bumblebee ride, and on the seat of the bumblebee, right next to the pole that attaches it to the carousel, there is a box. The children lift the box down to the ground, open it, and find out that it contains a typewriter.

   The little girl puts some paper in the typewriter and then she types the word Beach. In a moment the children are transported from their snowy home to a beach, complete with sun, sand, and a blue sky. While his friends are playing in the surf, one of the boys types the word Ball on the paper, and just like that a large beach ball appears. The third child types the word Ice Cream and a huge plastic pail, full of ice cream, turns up. Then it is the girl’s turn again. She types the word Crab on the paper and sure enough a crab materializes on the sand. The problem is that this crab, like the ball and the pail of ice cream, is huge!

   This gorgeous wordless picture book serves as a tribute to the imagination, and it will take readers into that wonderful world of what if. What would they type on a typewriter that could make dreams come true? What would they do if they were confronted by a huge crab? Children will see, through the magic typewriter, that words have enormous power, and perhaps they will wonder if words in the real world are just as remarkable, though in a different way.

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Friend Ship

Finding friends isn't always easy, and the search for people to connect with can be a lonely one. In today's picture book you are going to meet an incredibly sweet little hedgehog who learns that she needs to find friendship, and who goes on an incredible journey to find it.

The Friend Ship

Kat Yeh

Illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Disney Hyperion, 2016, 978-148470726-5

One day Hedgehog is lying curled up in a ball in “the lonely little nook of a lonely little tree” when she hears two animals taking about her. One animal tells the other that Hedgehog seems lonely, and then the other animal says that things will be better when Hedgehog finds friendship. All she has to do is to go and look for it.

   Hedgehog is inspired by this overheard conversation. The “Friend Ship” is out there waiting for her and now she has to find it. Hedgehog quickly gets to work and builds a boat. A beaver comes a long and asks her what she is doing. Hedgehog explains that she will soon be setting off to find The Friend Ship. The beaver, who wants a friend, asks if he can join Hedgehog in her quest, and she happily agrees.

   The two travelers don’t travel far in their boat when they come across four deer. Hedgehog asks the deer if they have seen The Friend Ship. The deer like the idea of being on such a vessel; they would like to have friends too, and so they ask if they can join Hedgehog and the beaver, who are happy to welcome the deer on board.

   Hedgehog and her companions sail north and south. The head east as well, and every time they ask someone if they have seen The Friend Ship the answer is no. Every time Hedgehog is asked if an animal can join her quest she (and everyone else) always says yes.

   After a few days of searching and asking, Hedgehog begins to lose hope, but the animals on the ship with her don’t let her give up. They support and comfort her, telling her that they will “stick with you till the end.”

   This wonderful picture book shows readers, in a sweet and gentle way, how sometimes the one thing that we want the most in life can sometimes be found right under our noses. In company with Hedgehog and her fellow travelers, we go on a wonderful voyage of discovery and hope.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Gary

Twenty years ago I got a chronic illness that changed my life. I had to adjust my expectations, learn to live within my limits, and most importantly learn to enjoy and love the new life that I had built for myself. It was not easy. At all. It still isn't.

What I loved about today's picture book was the fact that it is about a character, Gary, who cannot do what his friends and relatives do, but he still manages to have a full life, one that offers him a unique perspective. In fact he is able to share what he learns with others, which is wonderful.

Gary

Leila Rudge

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2016, 978-0-7636-8954-4

Most of the time Gary is just like the other racing pigeons that he lives with. He eats what they eat, lives in a loft, and dreams of going on adventures. However, when the other pigeons leave in the travel basket to attend races, Gary stays home and works on his scrapbook. Gary cannot fly, and so he cannot join the other racing pigeons on race days. Instead, he lives vicariously through his friends, recording their race experiences in his scrapbook.

   One night Gary leans over from his perch so far that he loses his balance. Gary and his scrapbook fall into the travel basket, and the next day he, still in the basket, is taken far from home. When he arrives at his destination the basket is opened and the sky is “full of feathers and flapping wings.” The racing pigeons are off, but Gary, who cannot fly back home like the other pigeons, is stuck, lost in a city that he does not know at all.

   Needing cheering up, Gary looks at his scrapbook, and little by little the cityscape around him starts to look “a little more familiar.”

   This wonderful picture book tells the story of a bird who cannot fly and who therefore cannot see the world. Except through the pages of his scrapbook. Then life presents Gary with a situation that could turn out to be a disaster and he has to figure out a solution.

   What is perhaps the best part of this delightful story is the way in which it ends. It turns out that Gary, the pigeon who cannot fly, has something to offer the pigeons who can fly.

   

Picture Book Monday with a review of First Snow

There is something wonderful about waking up in the early hours of the morning to discover that snow has fallen in the night. Everything is quiet, muffled by the snowfall, and there is a feeling of excitement that is intoxicating to the spirit. In today's picture book a little child ventures out into the night after the first snowfall and she has a magical adventure in the woods.

First Snow

Bomi Park

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Chronicle Books, 2016, 978-1-4521-5472-5

It is nighttime and a little child, snuggled up in bed with her teddy bear, hears a noise. Something is gently tapping on her bedroom window. She crawls out from under the covers to take a look and sees that it is snowing. Quickly she puts on her snow clothes and goes outside. One of the puppies is awake too and it leaves the warmth of the dog house to see the little girl. It watches as the little girl creates a ball of snow and then it follows as she rolls it across the ground, out of the garden, past the houses, and “Beneath the lights.”

   Across the fields the companions go, along the railroad tracks, and into the woods, where animals watch their progress. The little girl’s ball of snow is quite big now and rolling it along is hard work. Then, there in the dark woods, the little girl sees a glowing gateway to somewhere else, and through it she goes rolling her ball of snow.

   In this wonderful book a simple nocturnal adventure unfolds to become something altogether bigger; something magical happens and we are transported to a wonderful place to celebrate the joy of a first snowfall. 

Picture Book Monday with a review of A Warm Winter

I love seasonal picture books, because I love the way they connect us with what is going on outside at this particular moment. They connect us to a rhythm that is bigger than the one that many of humans seem to follow. Today's picture book takes us into a snowy, wintry landscape that is beautiful and stark. On the pages we meet a determined little mouse who is trying to collect firewood so that he can keep his family warm.

A warm winter

Feridun Oral

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Minedition, 2015, 978-988-8341-29-0

One cold winter’s day Little Mouse leaves the comfort of his nest to go out into the snow to find some firewood. Trailing his red scarf, which is very long indeed for such a small animal, Little Mouse finds twigs, pinecones and sticks until he has a huge pile.

   Little Mouse ties up the pile with his scarf, rests a little and then he tries to pull his load across the snow. There is no way the pile is going to budge. Little Mouse is just too small to pull so much weight.

   Little Mouse asks his friend Rabbit for her help. Even when they “join forces” they cannot move the massive pile of firewood. The animals then ask Fox if they can borrow his sled, which he is quite happy to lend them. The firewood is piled on the sled and they all start pulling, but “the pile simply would not budge.”

   There is only one thing left to do; the animals are going to have to wake up Bear to ask for his help. The weather is getting bad and if they don’t get indoors soon everything will soon be buried.

   Bear, being a good fellow, is happy to help his friends, even though they woke him up. Together the four animals pull and pull until something very unexpected happens.

   This wonderful snowy picture book celebrates friendship, and shows to great effect how wonderful it is when people (or animals) work together to help one another.

Picture Book Monday with a review of The Christmas Eve Tree

Christmas is less than a week away, and people all over the world are putting up and decorating their Christmas trees. There is something magical about seeing a tree, decorated with tinsel and ornaments, its lights shining in the darkness. Today's picture book is about a Christmas tree that ends up lightning up Christmas for those who need the light the most.

The Christmas Eve Tree

Delia Huddy

Illustrated by Emily Sutton

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2015, 978-0-7636-7917-0

Years ago a grove of Christmas trees was planted. One of the little fir trees was blown sideways into its neighbor by the wind and did not grow properly. When the trees were harvested the little fir tree, which was “stunted” and “tangled with its neighbor” was taken to the big city. The other trees were bought and placed in a cathedral, in the middle of a square, on the stage “at a grand Christmas ball,” and in private homes where children and their families decorated them for the festive season. The little fir tree and its bigger partner ended up in a store. On Christmas Eve the big tree was bought and taken away and the little fir tree was now all alone.

   A poor boy came into the shop to warm up and he asked a store clerk, who was about to throw away the little tree, if he could have it. The clerk “handed it over,” and some time later the boy, with the tree ‘planted’ in a cardboard box full of beach mud, was sitting under the arch of a railway bridge, in the large cardboard box that served as his home. With a coin that a passerby dropped in his hat the boy bought some candles and matches and he decorated the little tree with the candles, creating a little pool of Christmas spirit in a rather bleak place.

   The boy was joined by other homeless people and a tree performer and soon they were all sharing Christmas songs, which drew more and more people to the little tree. Though the tree’s surroundings were very humble, it felt as if it would “burst with happiness” because for a while the hard circumstances of the boy’s life did not matter. For a while the tree gave the boy and many other people joy.

   In this beautiful picture book readers will find a story that is sure to become a firm favorite with readers of all ages. This is the kind of book that families will keep on their shelf and bring out every holiday season to share and enjoy.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Sleep Tight Farm

This morning I woke up to find that it had snowed in the night. The trees and shrubs in our garden, and the grape vines in the vineyard looked as if they had been tucked up under a cozy, fluffy eiderdown. I was grateful that I had managed to get everything ready for the colder months in time, though the baby olive trees in their pots still need to be put under cover so that they don't freeze.

Getting a farm ready for the winter is not an easy task, and in today's picture book you will get to spend some time with a family who spend many busy days putting their farm to bed for the cold season.


Sleep tight farm: A farm prepares for winter

Eugenie Doyle

Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Chronicle Books, 2016, 978-1-4521-2901-3

It is December and the days are getting shorter and darker. The big hay and corn fields are empty, the trees are bare, and all is quiet, but at the farm the people are busy; it is time to put the farm “to bed” for the winter.

   Out into the cold morning they go to cover the strawberry plants with hay so that they will be protected from “winter’s frosty bite.”  Raspberry plants are also prepared for the winter, their canes cut back so they cannot be cracked by wind and snow.

   The last of the fall vegetable crops, kale, carrots, beets and potatoes, are harvested and stored in the barn. The hay was brought in weeks ago and now Dad goes out into the field to plant a cover crop so that the fields are replenished before the next season.

   Wood is chopped so that the house will be kept warm through the winter months, and the chicken coop and bee hives are winterized so that the chickens and bees will be warm and safe. This is much to do before the farm and it people can take a well-earned rest.

   In this wonderful picture book we see how the members of a family work together to get their farm ready for winter. There is a lot of work to be done, and at the same time there is a lot of gratitude to offer up for all that the farm has given the family in the spring, summer, and fall. The farm has been good to them and they have not forgotten this.

  

                                              

Picture Book Monday with a review of Pond

Children often feel very overwhelmed when they see all the problems in their world. Stories about wars, environmental disasters, famines, political conflicts, and social upheavals fill newspapers, news broadcasts, and social media. There is so much wrong out there that they often think that there is nothing that they can do that will have an impact on so much chaos. The truth of the matter is that every little effort that makes the world safer, kinder, and cleaner is a step in the right direction.

Today's picture book shows how some children bring about change for the better in their own little world, and that change, though its impact is not global, is still vital and precious.


Pond

Jim La Marche

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2016, 978-1-4814-4735-5

One cold winter day Matt is out walking when he comes to a place that he and his friends call “the Pit.” It is usually just an open space in the woods that is full of trash, but on this day he sees that a stream of water is bubbling its way out of the ground. Matt looks around and realizes that this neglected place was once a pond and he makes a decision. He is going to bring the pond back.

   Matt tells his sister Katie and his best friend Pablo about his discovery, and asks them if they are willing to help him clean the place up. Both agree and the very next weekend the three young people get to work. They pick up all the junk and trash and, with Pablo’s father’s help, take it all to the dump. Then they move rocks to create a dam.

   As the days go by and winter softens into spring, the pond starts to fill up. In the summer the children spend time by the water until they are driven off my biting insects and summer storms. Then Matt’s dad decides to help the children work on an old row boat so that it is seaworthy once again. Together they work at patching holes, sanding rough wood, and nailing down boards. The boat is named Dragonfly, and when the children take it out on the water it floats.

   As the months go by the pond offers Matt and his friends and family members all kinds of seasonal joys, and it also gives animals a place to call home.

   This wonderful book takes us through the seasons with a boy who, thanks to his imagination and hard work, is able to bring back a gift of nature that was lost. A neighborhood pond might seem like a small thing, but the special moments it gives Matt and his friends are precious. As they watch the pond grow and flourish, the children in the story grow to appreciate that sometimes the little things can become big things.

   Children who think that they are too small or too young to make a difference in the world will surely be empowered by this tale. They will see that they, like Matt, can bring about change for the better if they really want to.

Picture Book Monday with a review of We found a hat

Learning to be unselfish is one of life's hardest lessons. For most of us remembering to think of others before ourselves is a daily battle, one that we sometimes lose. We know what we are supposed to do. We know that we are supposed to share with others and sometimes give up things we want for their sake, but doing so is just so hard.
   In this wonderful picture book we see what happens when a pair of friends find something that they both want. How will they resolve a tricky situation? Will they put friendship first?

We found a hat

Jon Klassen

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2016, 978-0-7636-5600-3

One day two turtles are walking in a desert together and they find a wonderful hat, a tall, elegant Stetson. They both try the hat on and compliment each other on how “good” the hat looks. The hat “looks good on both of us,” they say but the problem is that there is only one hat and it would not be fair if one of the turtles had the hat and the other did not. There is only one thing to do. They are going to have to leave the hat where it is and “forget that we found it.”

   The two turtles walk to a nearby rock and settle down to watch the sunset. One of the turtles says that he is thinking about the sunset, the other says that he is thinking about nothing but we know that he is thinking about the hat, and looking back to where it lies on the ground. The pull of the hat is strong and the turtle is having a hard time staying true to his friend.

   Life is full of difficult choices and often the most hard-to-make ones are those that require that we make a sacrifice. In this wonderful picture book we meet a turtle who really wants something and he is forced to consider if the hat is worth more than the relationship that he shares with his best friend. Thankfully there is someone around who sets an example for him that helps him understand what true friendship is worth.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Du Iz Tak?

Many people are convinced that the best stories are ones that are packed with a huge cast of characters, a constantly changing backdrop, a busy back story, and a great deal of drama. To be sure such stories are gratifying and engaging, but smaller, quieter tales can be incredibly rich and rewarding as well. Today's picture book story is just such a tale. The characters are insects, the setting never changes, and the events that unfold are not packed with grandiose spectacles. Instead, we are given a gem of a story that takes us into a small world where powerful and meaningful things happen on a small scale.

Du Iz Tak?

Carson Ellis

Picture Book

For ages 5 and up

Candlewick Press, 2016, 978-0-7636-6530-2

One day two elegant insects see that a green plant is growing out of the ground and they wonder what it is. A while later three young beetles turn up and the green thing has grown. They too would like to know what the plant is. The beetles climb to the first layer of leaves and they want to go higher to the second set but they cannot reach. They decide to go and ask Icky the caterpillar if they can borrow a ladder. The kindly fellow goes and gets his very long ladder and he props it up against the plant.

  With the ladder in place, the three beetles can now climb as high as they like, and when they get up into the higher branches of the plant– which is quite a way up now because the plant is still growing - they decide to build a tree house. Actually they build three tree houses at different levels, and life is wonderful. Then a huge spider builds a web around the houses and the plant, and the beetles can do nothing about the invader who has taken over their home.

   In this wonderful picture book, several backyard stories featuring insect characters unfold before our eyes. The insects speak their own language, which is not surprising when you think about it, but luckily we can figure out much of what they are saying and we have no trouble understanding what is going on. What is delightful about this story is that though the main characters are insects, and though the setting in the book is the same one throughout the tale, the story we witness is rich, charming, and satisfying.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Penguin Problems

Like it or not, we all are, on occasion, prone to being a little self-centered. When the world does not give us what we want we whine and wail about how terrible our life is and how the system is out to get us. In today's book you will meet a penguin who is convinced that every aspect of his life is a disaster, a nightmare. And then someone comes along who helps him gain a little perspective.

This is a deliciously funny book, and it is also one that gives is a gentle, thoughtful reminder that we should take the time to look around so that we see what we are perhaps missing.

Penguin Problems

Jory John

Illustrated by Lane Smith

Picture Book

For ages 5 and up

Random House, 2016, 978-0-553-51337-0

One morning Penguin wakes up “way too early” and immediately he starts to complain. His beak is cold, the other penguins are making too much noise, and it snowed again the night before and he does not really like snow. Or the sun, which is too bright.

   Feeling hungry, Penguin heads to the ocean. He finds the water too salty and he does not think he floats enough. In short he sinks “like a dumb rock.” When he dives under water to look for fish he encounters a hungry orca, and a hungry seal, and a hungry shark.

   Though he is still hungry himself, Penguin gets out of the water because his flippers are tired from all the hard swimming he has had to do to avoid being eaten. It is hard work swimming when you are a penguin. It’s also hard work walking, or rather waddling, on land. If only Penguin could fly, but he can’t. If only Penguin could figure out which of the many penguins around him is his mother or father but he can’t because all the penguins look alike. If only….

   Then a walrus comes over to a now thoroughly upset Penguin and offers him a few sage words of advice.

   It is all too easy to get disgruntled about one’s life, to spend one’s days complaining about all the things that are not perfect, and to feel much put upon by one’s circumstances. However, behaving in this manner does not really make anything better. In fact, griping and grumbling more often than not just makes us feel worse.

   In this clever picture book we meet a very disgruntled penguin who is so busy being upset with his lot in life that he forgets to notice that there are many wonderful things around him, things that should be giving him joy. If only he would bother to notice them.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Shy

For many of us, talking to people we do not know is a very hard thing to do. Even when we really want to make friends, taking that step to connect with someone new seems almost insurmountable, especially if it takes us out of comfort zone and forces us to go somewhere that we are not familiar with.

Today's picture book beautifully captures the journey that a character takes when he has to leave the place he knows, to seek out something that he desperately needs.

Shy

Deborah Freedman

Picture Book

For ages

Penguin Random House, 2016, 978-0-451-47496-4

Shy is happiest when he is “between the pages of a book,” when he can go to “a land far away” and experience “once upon a time.” Shy particularly loves books about birds, where he happily reads about their beauty and their songs. The sad thing is that Shy has never heard real bird song because the birds in books cannot sing.

   Then one day a little yellow bird flies by, a real bird that sings. Shy is delighted, and overwhelmed. He would love to talk to the bird but has no idea how to do so. What if he makes a mess of things, what if he makes a fool of himself, what if…

   And then the bird is gone.

   Shy so wants to follow the bird, but he has never left his safe little hiding place within the pages of books. He has never ventured out into the world. Though he is afraid, Shy leaves his home for the first time in his life and what he sees as he seeks out the bird amazes him. There are all kinds of animals, and there are birds, lots of birds. Shy hears the song of his bird and follows, and then comes that moment when he needs to speak, to connect with the bird, but Shy cannot get the words out and then…

   The bird is gone again and Shy is alone once more.

   Many of us find it very hard to venture away from the places that make us feel safe, the places that we are used to. If we are lucky, something comes along that pulls us out of our safe areas, and we enter a world full of marvels and possibilities, the most precious of these being friendships and connections with others. This remarkable picture book explores the journey a very shy character makes when something from the outside world touches him so such a degree that he has to follow; he has to leave the safety of his book for the sake of something wonderful.

Picture Book Monday with a review of They all saw a cat

So many of the world's problems arise because we think everyone thinks and sees things the way we do. We dare to think that they if they don't see things our way, then they are in the wrong. We forget that who we are - our life experiences and our background - hugely affect our perceptions.

This amazing picture book shows us how different characters all see the same thing in very different ways. Their viewpoints are startling, visually, and give us cause to pause. As we look at the artwork we are gently reminded to think about how we perceive our world.

They all saw a cat

Brendan Wenzel

Picture Book

For ages 5 and up

Chronicle Books, 2016, 978-1-4521-5013-0

A cat, wearing a red collar that has a little yellow bell attached to it, goes out into the world with its whiskers ready and its tail in the air. The cat is seen by a child, a dog, a fox, a goldfish, a mouse, a bee, a bird, a flea, a snake, a skunk, a worm, and bat. One would think that they would all see the cat in the same way, but this is not the case.

   To the child the cat is a smiling, benign animal that is there to be patted. The dog sees the cat as a lean, mean looking creature. The goldfish, from its watery home in a fish bowl, sees a blurry shape with enormous yellow eyes. For the poor mouse the cat is a monstrous beast with yellow, slit eyes, huge claws, and sharp fangs. The bee, with its compound eyes, sees a pointillist cat, a vague figure made up of lots of colors. The bat, flying in the night sky, also sees a shape made up of dots, but the dots it sees are white in color.

   Every animal sees the cat differently depending on its perspective and its place in the food chain. The kinds of eyes and senses they have also determine what the cat looks like to them. How does that cat see itself?

   This wonderful picture book takes children on a journey into the imagination. It also presents them with the idea that different characters will see the same thing in widely different ways. We all view the world through eyes that are touched by our biases, interests, and backgrounds, and therefore we have to be sensitive to the fact that other people’s perceptions are not like our own.

Picture Book Monday with a review of Imagine a City

The imagination is a powerful thing. Indeed, if people did not have an imagination many books, pieces of music, and art would never be created. Today's picture book celebrates the imagination in a unique and exciting way. Readers of all ages may find themsleves wishing that they too could create a city, through their imagination, that is like the one that they visit in this title.

Imagine A City

Elise Hurst

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Random House, 2016, 978-1-101-93457-9

Imagine if you can what it would be like to get on a train, a train that is going to take you to the city so that you have a special outing. It is an ordinary train that stops at an ordinary train platform. You get on board and off you go. It is not long before a waiter comes around and serves you a luscious tea. You sit on the comfortable seats sipping hot tea and eating delicious little cakes and treats. Perhaps you notice that one of the passengers in the car has rather long ears, and paws instead of hands. Or perhaps you don’t.

   When you get to the city ordinariness disappears. Here humans and animals live side by side, and there are many strange and wondrous things going on. The pictures in a gallery that you visit refuse to be contained by their frames. Here the buses are fish instead of machines and they swim through the sky above the streets. Here the stories in books, like the pictures at the gallery, will not lie down quietly on the paper. Instead they hop off the pages and sometimes you get quite a shock!

   When you stop for a bite in a little restaurant you find that the tables and chairs are little trees. In addition to the now no longer unusual assortment of animals, there are gargoyles partaking of drinks and snacks.  It is important to remember that when you can imagine a city there is no accounting for what might happen.

   In this visually stunning picture book, the author takes us on a journey full of wonderful impossibles and glorious imaginings. A minimal, lyrical text accompanies the art, and together they capture the sense of a place where adventures lie around every corner and where “The World is your teacher.”

   This celebration of the imagination will delight readers of all ages, many of whom will wish that they could jump into the pages and visit the land that lies therein.

   

Picture Book Monday with a review of Madeline Finn and the library dog

When I was a child I struggled to understand mathematics. Numbers became my worst enemy and it did not help that I was often ridiculed by my peers when I made mistakes. I even had a teacher who made fun of my struggles, which was terrible. If only I had had the kind of help the little girl in today's book gets when she is trying to learn how to read. Kind, non-judgmental support goes a long way when it comes to learning how to do something that is difficult.

Madeline Finn and the library dog

Lisa Papp

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Peachtree Publishers, 2016, 978-1-56145-910-0

Madeline Finn does not like to read. At all. Anything with words, including the menu of the ice cream truck, is to be avoided. Reading out loud is the worst because then people can hear how she sometimes struggles to make sense of the words, and on occasion they “giggle” when they hear her mistakes. No matter how hard she tries, Madeline Finn’s teacher never gives her a star sticker. Instead, she gets a heart-shaped “Keep Trying” sticker, which is so frustrating.

   Madeline Finn wishes very hard that she will get a star of her own, but day after day her reading efforts just aren’t good enough. On Saturday Madeline Finn and her mother go to the library. Madeline Finn reminds the librarian that she does not like to read, which is when the librarian, Mrs. Dimple, shows her a surprise.

   The children’s reading area is full of dogs. Real live dogs, and apparently they are there to be read to. Mrs. Dimple introduces Madeline Finn to Bonnie, a beautiful, big, white dog who is apparently a “great listener,” and in spite of herself Madeline Finn decides that she would like to try reading to the dog. She never imagines that Bonnie is going to be more than a good listener.

   This wonderful, heartwarming picture book explores one little girl’s reading journey. It is a journey that is full of struggles, frustration, and heartache, but it turns out that a patient and accepting dog is just want the little girl needs.

   With an authentic first person narrative and wonderful illustrations, Lisa Papp tells a story that will resonate with everyone who has struggled to learn how to do something new.