Tag: booklists

Other alphabet booklists: “A” Books, “B” Books, “C” Books, “D” and “E” Books.

This is a long one, I had no idea how many “F” books I’ve read and loved! Thought this was a good “F” is for “Friday” kind of post.

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau by Dan Yaccarino.

This is an absolutely gorgeous children’s biography of the famed undersea explorer. Dan Yaccarino’s whimsical style of illustration suits the story of this oceanographer and inventor perfectly. It’s a fanciful book, with just enough of a taste of Cousteau’s life to have kids asking for more books about him and the sea. This is a great one for any little person obsessed with underwater creatures and exploration.

Farm by Elisha Cooper.

I like quiet, pastoral stories, and this one is as quiet and pastoral as they come. Cooper’s books are always beautiful, and I love that he takes everyday things and elevates them to full-on experiences with his art. Instead of focusing on the farm’s animals, which children’s books about farm life often do, this one focuses on the family that actually runs the farm. And the hard work that’s involved, the much-appreciated time relaxing, the real animals that live and work there. It’s a slice-of-life, and it’s beautiful.

Farmer Duck, written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.

Here is another book about farm life, this one centered on a duck. A put-upon saint of a duck that does all the work while the lazy farmer sits around eating and relaxing. The duck never complains, just quacks when the farmer asks him if all the chores are finished. And then the other farm animals decide enough is enough, they are going to help their hard-working friend Duck once and for all. And they kick the lazy farmer off the farm and live happily ever after. Shades of “The Little Red Hen” make this a great story to pair with it and talk about the importance of sharing the workload.

Read more on “F” Books…

Other alphabet booklists: “A” Books, “B” Books, “C” Books.

It’s time for the 4th installment of my Alphabet Booklists. These are really forcing me to look back at the books I’ve read and loved but never shared. I should probably say again that the books on this list don’t include every book I’ve ever read starting with this letter. If I’ve already blogged about it, it’s also not on here.

Read more on “D” and “E” Books…

Other alphabet booklists: “A” Books, “B” Books.

Getting sick set me behind on my planned schedule for alphabet booklists, so I’m just now getting to the “C”s. Agh!

Cake Girl by David Lucas.

Read more on “C” Books…

One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to post about more books. I feel like I didn’t do enough of that last year. So I’ve decided to post some alphabet booklists throughout the year, focusing on the first letter in the title rather than subject. I won’t hit every book in every letter, but I’ll pick my favorites.

Read more on “A” Books…

I think I’m due for another Halloween booklist. This is such a great time of year for picture books, it’s definitely worth rounding up a few more since last year.

Zen Ghosts by Jon J. Muth (2010).

As far as I’m concerned, Stillwater the panda can do no wrong. Jon J. Moth’s Zen Shorts (2005) and Zen Ties (2008) are some of the most soothing, gentle, genius children’s books of the last five years. And now he’s written a Halloween story that sidesteps a lot of the gimmicks holiday stories fall into with a Stillwater ghost tale that is far more thoughtful than books for this age group tend to get.

After the trick or treating is finished, a mysterious storyteller arrives (is it Stillwater?) to tell Michael, Karl, and Addie a ghost story that we don’t realize is a ghost story until the last breath. And it succeeds in being beautiful and touching rather than scary, I think. A love story about a woman in 2 places at once. I think it’s every bit as strong a book as the first two Stillwater adventures, and I was surprised by how much the story of Senjo moved me. A standout, and not just in Halloween stories.

Read more on Halloween Books Vol. II…

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