Dr. Irvin Kerlan (1912-1963 (Killed at only age 51 in a traffic accident)) was the chief of medical research for the US Food and Drug Administration and an alumni of the University of Minnesota. An avid collector of rare books, he began focussing his collection toward children’s books. Dr. Kerlan …
Not too long after moving to the Midwest 27 years ago, I learned about an amazing place and put it on my “Must Do List”. A mecca for kidlit lovers, The Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature at the University of Minnesota’s Elmer L. Anderson Library, houses one of, if not …
Welcome to Picture Book Builders, author Sarah Nelson. And welcome to the world of readers, A PARK CONNECTS US! Today is publication day for Sarah’s new picture book, illustrated by Ellen Rooney. I love celebrating book birthdays and am so happy that Picture Book Builders gets to toot the party horn today!🎉 …
Need to relax? Unwind? Calm down and breathe? Hello, Moon, by Julie Downing will help you do just that. This is a gorgeously illustrated book written in rhyme. The word selection and alliteration is captivating and whether you are a little one snuggling in for the night, or a grown …
Kafka and the Doll written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Rebecca Green is based on a true happening between the iconic writer, Franz Kafka, and a little girl who lost her doll. In the Fall of 1923, Franz Kafka was walking through a park, when he encountered a little …
I Do Not Like Yolanda By Zoey Abbott Behold the power of a great cover— a mysterious title + a side-eyed glance = is what made me pick up this winner of a picture book. Bianca loves to write letters. On the front end pages we see some of Bianca’s illustrated …
I read this story and was moved by the way James Yang describes a little boy, Isamu, who sees the world a bit differently than other people. He notices the quiet world of nature and deeply appreciates the shapes and textures of rocks, grasses, bamboo. I thought about how this …
Margaret’s Unicorn, by Briony May Smith is a book that I have wanted to wrap my hands around for some time. I just adore Briony May Smith’s captivating illustrations. Look at that unicorn’s curling long tail! The book is exactly what my picture-book-loving soul needed and I’m so happy to …
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess is a fun and fabulous fairytale written and illustrated by Tom Gauld. What an intriguing cover— it feels like a magical seek and find right from the start. Then we move to the incredible end pages and I now have very high …
My librarian friend ran up to me a few weeks ago and excitedly said that she had a book on order that she thinks I would really like. Noah’s Seal, written and captivatingly illustrated by Layn Marlow. I trusted my librarian friend, so I ordered it. I’m going to be …