Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins My rating: 5 of 5 stars I rarely claim that anything is “the best” because I know that while there can be many exceptional things, there is rarely ever “a best.” I just may break my rule with Mother Bruce. And maybe it won’t go down in history as The Best Ever picture book (reviews and people are too subjective for that!), the book
Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow. It's been a long time since I've been blown away by a beauty like Bees: A Honeyed History. When I came upon the book at BN, I was breathless. Its massive size, gorgeous, vibrant illustrations and content that celebrates our helpful little friends are pure delight. I couldn't help but pick it up! In fact, I
Pug Man's 3 Wishes by Sebastian Meschenmoser My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'd hesitate to share this book with a little one. Pug Man's 3 Wishes is snarky, cynical, odd, and wonderfully irreverent. It is the perfect gift for the lovable "big kid" curmudgeon in your life. I laughed out loud at the Pug Man illustrations—the sour face, crepey skin, "grandpa" bathrobe and hopeless attitude are classic and capture
The Littlest Family's Big Day by Emily Winfield Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Let's cut to the chase: the illustrations in this book are so precious, so charming, and so incredibly delightful they deserve a much larger canvas. Emily, please launch a line of baby nursery/kids room decor--bedding, wallpaper/decals, accessories--the works. Little ones (and big ones) everywhere will thank you. #EmilyWinfieldMartin #WakeUpToJoy View all my reviews
Motor Miles by John Burningham My rating: 4 of 5 stars Just the THOUGHT of a car-driving dog is smile-worthy. What child (or adult, for that matter) wouldn't love to be dropped off at school (work) with their beloved pet behind the wheel for all to see? And a road trip to the seaside, a journey through the leaves in the autumn, and a drive out to play in the
The Night Gardener by Terry Fan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Magical. The story and imagery in this tale are simply magical. To wake up each morning to the sight of neighborhood trees transformed overnight to beautiful, magnificent topiaries? This is the stuff of sweet dreams! An enchanting bedtime story. And a lovely gift for anyone who sees beauty everywhere and wishes to create their own in this world.
Born from the Heart by Berta Serrano My rating: 4 of 5 stars A bursting heart. Isn't that what love so fierce can feel like? And the imagery of the mother's protruding heart from her chest in this beautiful love story visually depicts what crazy-intense love does to the human heart--blows it up HUGE, defining us and emanating from us. If the imagery in this book is odd, it's powerful.
If I Had a Little Dream by Nina Laden My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a thing of beauty. The limited orange and navy color palette is stunning--inventive, joyous, and unexpected in a children's picture book. There's a decidedly French feel to the imagery--ornate, delicate, lovely, high style. The book is a collection of lyrical observations about our world and its goodness. Sweet, tender, rhyming statements of
Chee-Kee: A Panda in Bearland by Sujean Rim My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a straight-out story of immigration about a bear family that traveled far to start a new life by a woman who came to the U.S. from Singapore as a child. Imagine being asked this question by your classmates as a little one: "What are you?" (Cringe) Rim was again and again. The pain and
I'll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony My rating: 4 of 5 stars I'm a sucker for fat 'n fluffy animal illustrations and Mr. Panda delivers them in spades. Just looking at the chubbers brings a smile. But there's also an important lesson here--one of manners. Of patience and gratitude. None of Mr. Panda's animal friends have the resolve to wait around and see what he's cooking up in the
