For my post today, I’m going back to a book that came out four years ago. It was a favorite back then and it seems appropriate today. As we get deeper and deeper into this campaign cycle, the volume for “contentiousness” keeps getting cranked up. The vitriol coming out of …
I’ve been a birder since I was 17 and took my first ornithology class. And although I don’t go birding nearly as often as I used to, I am still drawn to most anything to do with birds. So it was only natural to pick up a book called Nerdy …
Arthur Levine’s new picture book, What a Beautiful Morning, illustrated by Katie Kath, launches on August 8. It is a stellar example of treating a story concerning a serious issue with tenderness and joy. Full disclosure; this review may be biased for a couple of reasons. First of all, I consider Arthur a …
Mother Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins, is not just another ‘are you my mother’ books. It is an hilarious story, wonderfully illustrated and with a lovely twist. Bruce is a grumpy bear who has a passion and an appetite for eggs. He searches recipes on the internet to find new …
Liz Wong’s debut picture book, QUACKERS, is 100% charm. It is sweet and funny and very satisfying. I’ve written before about how much I like stories of friendship and this one ranks right up there. It is the tale of Quackers, a cat that lives at a duck pond with a …
At a bookstore this week I stumbled across the rerelease of a book I remember as a child, TIME FOR SPRING, by Crockett Johnson. A title that is particularly fitting for this time of year, and Johnson is a particular favorite of mine. Most everyone loves his books like HAROLD’S PURPLE CRAYON, …
My absolute, by far, unquestionably favorite book of last year was the gorgeous and moving BOATS FOR PAPA by Jessixa Bagley. It touched me. It moved me. It made me question, laughingly, why I think I could/should even be in this business. It had a lot of Caldecott buzz, deservedly. …
A DOG WEARING SHOES is a delightful and moving book. Written and illustrated by Sangmi Ko, it is a somehow familiar story to me regarding a dog or two from my youth. When Mini and her mother rescue a dog in traffic wearing shoes, they can’t find it’s owner right away …
This is a completely self-indulgent post. I apologize. I thought initially I’d post about my participation in PiBoIdMo, but Tammi already did a couple weeks ago with a nice tribute to Tara Lazar, the brains behind it. Then I thought I’d post about some favorite winter holiday books. And I …
When I was about 17 or 18 a teacher introduced me to a book of short stories called Elephant Bangs Train. It was a collection of some of the most unusually written short stories, similar in vein to what Richard Brautigan was producing at the time. The author was William …