Picture books for everyone - Big Bertha

 

Big Bertha by Amanda Abler

If you are dealing with a kid who loves big machines, this is a unique story to read them. Instead of the standard dump trucks and excavators, this is the story of a boring machine. Presented in a narrative style we follow the impetus for the tunnel, the engineer behind the project, the problems that arose, and the public sentiment for the project. It's an easy to follow narrative that uses accessible vocabulary. Heavily illustrated it includes back matter for more in depth information and a few photos.

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Picture books for everyone - Barefoot Skateboarders

 

Barefoot Skateboarders by Rina Singh

At face value this is a very simple story of kids learning to skateboard and a sport opening up opportunities for a disadvantaged community. That is certainly an element at play here. An older child could read this book and prompt a discussion about cultural barriers and children leading the way for change. Or about not letting pride get in the way of a good experience. Being open to learning from others. The art and vocabulary are simple enough to be understood by young readers with little help and for older readers it may prompt some deeper exploration of topics.

More information: Barefoot Skateboarders releases September 17
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Picture books for everyone - Swinging Into History

 

Swinging Into History by Karen L Swanson

Not quite a biography, this book walks us through the professional journey of an unfamiliar figure in sports history. It uses a narrative style to tell us the basics about who Toni Stone was, the challenges she faced, and how she went about achieving her dream. Through the story young readers will be introduced to the Negro Leagues and the challenges for women in sports. While not an in depth exploration, it is very readable and well put together.

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Picture books for everyone - Every Here Has a There

 

Every Here Has a There by Margo Linn

For a non-fiction picture book to be appreciated by multiple age groups it has to serve a couple of functions. This book achieves that aim well. For small kids it functions as an opposite book. Up and Down. Empty and Full. Here and There. These concepts are stated plainly and well supported by simple illustrations. At the same time, the main body of the text walks us through the production and shipping of products internationally. It's a solid way to help kids question and understand where products in a store come from. A great way to help young readers understand a concept that we don't think much about.

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Picture books for everyone

 

The Reindeer Remainders by Katey Howes

 There has been an increase in books about math for kids in recent years, all attempting to make math fun and help kids engage with the topic. This book does a solid job of integrating simple division into a narrative as the reindeer attempt to divide their numbers into equal groups. It introduces the ideas of remainders in division and prime numbers while encouraging empathy and inclusivity. With charming illustrations and an easy to follow plot, this is a solid object lesson in division.

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Picture books for everyone - A Wild Windy Night

 

A Wild Windy Night by Yui Abe

Starting with a conversation between a child and mother, this is a wild adventure as the protagonist is blown about through imaginative landscapes. While he travels far, he returns to the safety of home and there is never any true sense of danger. Instead, with a plot reminiscent of In the Night Kitchen and illustrations not unlike the work of Tommie DePaola, this is a gentle adventure that will be soothing to the young and encourage creativity in older kids. 

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Picture books for everyone - The Little Regent

 

The Little Regent by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade

This is a situation that we see sometimes in fiction - a child or someone else unexpected and atypical suddenly thrown into a leadership position. Usually it's played for laughs but ultimately comes to the conclusion that the unconventional leadership style is to everyone's benefit. That is somewhat the situation here, but in larger part our protagonist is following the example of her father. She leads with compassion, recognizing problems and finding practical ways to help. That's the strongest benefit of this book. It teaches children how to lead by example, how to affect practical change. With charming, dynamic illustrations that use rich colors this is a book worth reading.

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Picture books for everyone

 

This Book is Banned by Raj Haldar

If you're looking for a way to discuss book banning with kids, this fun picture book is a solid starting point. The reasons for banning content explored in this book are silly, of course. Elementary aged kids will giggle along as the book bans all sorts of innocuous things, leaving very little to talk about. This allows you to talk about access to information and who gets to decide what's allowed in books in a relaxed and playful manner. While the messaging won't land with very small children, they'll still enjoy the playful illustrations and interactions with the text.

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Picture books for everyone - Rumi Poet of Joy and Love

 

Rumi Poet of Joy and Love by Rashin Kheiriyeh

Rumi is a relatively new figure to me. While I was familiar with the name and could perhaps have told you he was a poet, I didn't know much beyond that so this was an excellent introduction. While the text is aimed at a young audience, it remains informative. With charming illustrations reflecting the text, filled with patterns and details, its as lovely to look at as it is to read. It stands well on it's own but could also be used as a lead-in to reading some of the poetry in a group setting.

More information: Rumi Poet of Joy and Love releases March 5.

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Picture books for everyone

 

Not My Circus by Janet Sumner Johnson

A picture book is a great way to explore the meaning of an idiom with a group of kids, especially when you can do so with humor. While this book is built on a phrase that is a bit less common, it serves it's purpose well. Not to mention, it's quite entertaining. The tone falls somewhere between Imogene's Antlers and Click Clack Moo. Of course the scenario is silly (a little girl buys a collection of circus animals) and chaos ensues. But Olivia's systematic approach to problem solving serves as a good example to young readers. The messaging will work better with older kids than the very young.

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Picture books for everyone

 

How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias

Much has been written about the importance of seeing yourself in books but this is the first time I've seen that idea as the premise of a picture book. And it does more than point out the importance - it offers a solution. The plot is simple. Books about pandas only ever talk about Giant Pandas, so Red Panda sets out to write her own. The plot takes us through the whole author journey: initial excitement for the project, frustrations and set backs, even fear that no one will care about your book. The final pages emphasize the importance of encouragement as well as diversity in books. This is a sweet story that encourages children to seek out different narratives and to contribute to change in the world.

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Picture books for everyone - Kaboom!

 

Kaboom! A Volcano Erupts by Jessica Kulekjan

This is one of those books that you can appreciate on two levels. The primary text is narrated by the volcano itself. These are simple, declarative statements. "I am a volcano" "Something is stirring", that sort of thing. Each page also has commentary by a small bird. This bird provides more detailed, scientific explanations. Read the volcano's narration to very young children. It's an explanation of volcanoes that even small children can understand. The bird's text is the level of detail older kids are looking for when they look for a book about volcanoes. With cartoon style illustrations it's visually appealing too.

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Picture books for everyone

 

The Incredible Hotel by Kate Davies

At heart, this book tells a fairly standard story of a young person being undervalued because of their youth. It carries, then, messaging about how every person contributes to the whole and the importance of treating people with respect. The details won't be familiar to most. The average child has no experience with the inner working of a fancy hotel so it gives us a sense of peeking behind the curtain. The individual details are unique and the illustrations are wonderful, expressive and dynamic.

More information: The Incredible Hotel releases September 5.

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Picture books for everyone

 

What if I'm Not a Cat by Kari-Lynn Winters

This simple story follows a standard premise - a character hears an off-hand comment by an adult and takes it literally. In this case, a donkey hears the farmer make a joke about how much time it spends with the barn cats and assumes it is true. It acts like a cat, therefore it must be a cat. When the other cats point out all of the ways that it is different it begins to feel lost and isolated. With charming illustrations, an easily grasped message about identity and belonging, and a solid dose of humor as the donkey engages in cat behaviors this will be entertaining for most young audiences. The illustrations are well designed and engaging for even a non-reader to follow.

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Picture books for everyone

 

Unicorn Not Wanted by Fred Blunt

We're seeing this construct more often now in picture books: the text starts with the narrator telling us explicitly what we won't find within the pages. Almost immediately the book is interrupted by a cheeky character determined to disrupt the plan. Of course, if the narrator tells us there are too many unicorn books and thus our book will have only cowboys, we're bound to have a unicorn intruding. The rest of the book follows a predictable pattern, with the unicorn and it's pug friend trying to sneak into the story and the narrator becoming increasingly frustrated. We know what's going to happen but it doesn't really matter. This style of narrative can be very appealing to a kid's sense of humor as it relies on disguises and wild excuses. The illustrations are exaggerated and expressive, making it a lot of fun to look at. This book would make an excellent read aloud for a mixed audience primed for a laugh.

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Picture books for everyone

 

I Like This Color by Liz Goulet Dubois

This book is a bit more simple than I typically feature in this segment but frankly, I like this book. The plot is quite simple - Duck and Cluck disagree about what color they should paint a wall. They express their opinions loudly and increasingly aggressively, ultimately resulting in the colors combining into a swirl that neither one expected. The writing is simple and easy to follow. The art is also fairly simple though the characters are quite expressive. And best of all, we have an excellent use of sound effects. Some of the best sound words I've seen used in a picture book in a while. It's not a deep story but it is a lot of fun and would make an excellent read-aloud. 

More information: I Like This Color releases May 1.

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Picture books for everyone

 

Beware the Blue Bagoo by Karl Newson

The first thing I have to note about this book is that it rhymes. If you've followed my blog for very long you know that I have a fraught relationship with rhyming picture books. They tend to be awkward to read. But Newson handles the structure well. There is no labored text, no lines that sacrifice understanding for the sake of a rhyme. The plot is pretty straightforward, our protagonist searching for the Blue Bagoo in order to prove how dangerous it is since there are warnings about it all over town. Of course, we discover that the Blue Bagoo is nothing like the rumors, proving that assumptions are harmful. The highlight is the illustrations. They remind me somewhat of the Moomin characters. They're a bit odd but in a good way. I could see this one going over well with a wide range of kids.

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Picture books for everyone

 

Waiting on Mr. Sloth by Katy Hudson

No one likes waiting. And most children will relate to the idea of waiting for someone who seems to be taking an exceptionally long time. The text is straightforward and easy to follow. More than that, the illustrations deftly depict Sasha's growing frustration until she looses her cool. What follows is not only a lesson in patience but also an introduction to mindfulness as Mr. Sloth appreciates everything that is going on around him and Sasha acknowledges how much better experiences are when she is in the moment and with a friend. This book would work well one-on-one or in a larger group setting, especially if you followed it up with a little mindfulness practice of your own. 

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Picture books for everyone

 

When the Storks Came Home by Isabella Tree

This story is a prime example of how small actions can have a noticeable impact on an environmental issue. In an easy to follow narrative, Tree tells the tale of a small group reintroducing storks to an area, bringing them back from the brink of extinction. It's a tale of people and nature finding a way to live in balance. While it is a fictionalized account of real events, the message is clear. And the afterward lays out how general thrust of the story is true. It's only details that have been changed. Small children will appreciate the simple triumph of the story. For older kids it will encourage thought/conversation about ecology and the preservation of species and habitats.

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Picture books for everyone

I Cannot Draw a Horse by Charise Mericle Harper

This book is a part of a growing trend of stories where the author/narrator talks directly to the reader or a character in a way that suggests interaction. We are not simply hearing a story, we're engaging in a conversation. In this case, the narrator interacts with a simply drawn cat, the cat demanding a horse and the narrator suggesting other additions to the story. Horses, we are told, are hard to draw so here is a different thing. The scene becomes increasingly silly, the cat's demands for a horse increasingly strong. It's bound to elicit giggles from a young audience. And because the illustrations are quite simple, based on easily replicated shapes, it encourages slightly older kids to draw their own versions of the illustrations, to take more chances with their drawing.

More information: I Cannot Draw a Horse releases October 11.

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