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We’ve had more than our share of gloom this winter (though I am grateful we haven’t dealt with some of the super cold temps the rest of the country has faced.) We’ve usually had a few good snowstorms and I’ve been able to get out and use my snowshoes at least a couple of times by now but all we’ve had is a bit of rain and lots of gray skies. So I’m shifting my focus a bit. I’ve got some more winter faves to share with ya’ll but they’re going to be put on hold in favor of something a bit more cheerful. Here are a few bright and sunny covers that caught my eye at the last trip to the library. Maybe they’ll warm up your neck of the woods just a little.
Boo Who
Written and Illustrated by: Ben Clanton
Number of Pages: 32
Age Range: 3 and up
Rating: 4/5
A shy little ghost is new at school and while the other creatures are happy to include him (once they see him) it’s not as easy as they’d all like. He has no arms and things fly right through him so the typical games of catch and tag are out of the question. But eventually they all find a game that works and learn a lesson about friendship and being yourself.
You probably know by now that I love Ben Clanton’s work. He’s got a Mo Willems touch to his books and has a gift for creating simple but utterly charming characters that pack a punch in an equally deceptive story line. This book is no exception. It’s okay to be shy, it’s okay to be different, everyone has something to contribute. Those are lessons we would all do well to remember.
Around America to Win The Vote
Written by: Mara Rockliff
Illustrated by: Hadley Hooper
Number of Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-10
Rating: 4/5
An unknown (to me) story of two brave, bold women who took to the roads in 1916 to raise awareness for the suffrage movement. They loaded up their yellow car with a typewriter to document their story and a kitten to keep them company and drove around the country (literally) encountering blizzards and mobs and mud and more.
Gosh, I loved this! The yellow is predominant in the illustrations as it was used as a symbol of the suffrage movement and besides being the color of their car the women were greeted with banners of yellow and dresses of yellow and entire parties of yellow. The author has included some great back matter about the vote, automobiles, the time period, and the lives of these every day heroes. Hooray for women and all they do to enact change and do good!
My Little Book of Big Freedoms
Illustrated by: Chris Riddell
Number of Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8
Rating: 3.5/5
The hugely abstract concepts identified as Human Rights by Amnesty International are beautifully illustrated by Chris Riddell in this small volume perfect for little hands. There’s a giant dog representing Safety, a polar bear symbolizes Togetherness, and a lion stands for Freedom. The over sized animals loom large but protective of the children sharing the pages. Children will probably still not grasp the full understanding of the concepts but they’ll feel the importance of them and there will definitely be dialogues opened. This is a gem for adults as well.
I’ve got more sunshiney tales to share so tune in later this week for episode two. And until then, stay warm, my friends!