All in Dr.Bookworm Book Rec
One book I came across was Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen written by Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Qin Leng. It's no secret that I'm an Austenite. I even endured that film about her with Anne Hathaway (Becoming Jane). And I took a course on Austen as a grad student that was purely for the delight of discussing all of her works.
So I've always known that Jane Austen was extraordinary.
I thought Love was a beautiful and inclusive ode to the many ways that we see love in our every day. What I loved most was how tactile everything felt in the story. De La Pena spun his words so I could see every image in my mind--besides what was on the page--and what's more I could feel the scent in the air, hear the music notes being played.
There have been two school shootings since I started reading this book. Two.
And Long Way Down is a quick and easy read. However....I put it down after the first school shooting which was by a 12-year-old. Someone pretty much the same age as my Mini Me.
And then there was an even bigger shooting, more lives lost senselessly.
In Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds tackles gun violence in a different way—from the point of view of a teenage boy who feels as if he has no other choice but to avenge his brother's senseless death. It makes sense....and it doesn't.
Confession: I have a bit of a book crush. No, not a crush on a boy in a book. But a book crush, or an author-illustrator crush because I'm absolutely, positively IN LOVE with all of Ben Clanton's books. Today I'll share just three of them.
Pattan's Pumpkin tells a similar story as Noah's ark, though the setting is in a valley below the Sahyadri Mountains in Southern India. Pattan and his wife live in harmony with the animals and people around them, and Pattan shares his food with everyone in his village. When great rains start, he looks out to an ever-enlarging pumpkin in his field for a solution. As a community, the animals help to hollow out the pumpkin so they can use it to survive the flood.
As a pediatrician, I talk about sleep habits every day. And I admit to my patient families that my girls weren't the best sleepers. Despite that, we still tried to establish a routine early on: after Mini Me started solids at six months of age, Mr. Bookworm would feed her a rice cereal snack and read her books.
One way to re-focus on bedtime is to have the last book of the night be something about bedtime. We have some all-time faves, including The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. And now, Laurie Berkner has teamed up with Camille Garoche to translate her "Pillowland" song into the picture book market.
It's the time of gift giving and somehow, even though I'm somewhat prepared, the holiday season always runs away from me. Even though I've done most of my shopping (Yay for online shopping!), I know there are some last minute consumers out there.
Here is my list of the BEST GIFT IDEAS FOR BILBIOPHILES....so far.
Last year I posted a 12 Must-Have Picture Books for the 12 Days of Christmas. The list contains some classics and some newer ones, but they are all picture book 'must-haves' for any young bibliophile (or older ones too). My friend suggested that I make a list for older kids that other people could reference for great gifts for different age groups.
Well, I don't feel exactly qualified to do so. Why? Because while I have read thousands of picture books, I am not as well read in early chapter books, middle grade books, or YA books. So I may curate a list with some input from some other knowledgeable friends, but in the meantime, I thought I'd place all my First Lines novels in one place along with book summaries in case you might want to gift one to a friend or family member this holiday season.
Every so often, Mini Me will check out a cookbook. For a very long time. We're terrible about hoarding our books and keeping them too long. This time around we've been hoarding Let's Cook a Treat: A Step by Step Guide, which is from the DK family of books.
I don't normally post our crafting or cooking processes because I don't come up with new recipes or craft ideas. I tend to do a mish-mash of craft ideas I've heard of, unless I'm problem-solving a costume. But since the holiday season is coming up, I'll tell you that this book was great for baking with a 7 year old!
I'm keeping with the unicorn theme for the next few book recommendations, thus locking in my other moniker as Dr. Unicorn/the Unicorn doctor. :D This time we're talking about Bob Shea's Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great in which a unicorn takes on a goat in a fight. Sort of.
I had NO idea that there was going to be a sequel to Uni the Unicorn, especially as Amy Krouse Rosenthal passed away last Spring. However, I do know that the picture book publishing process is a long one and she likely finished this book several years ago. Having said that, I can't help but think that this is Rosenthal's swan song, and what a beautiful one it is.
It's the time of ghost and goblins and ghouls. And it's also the perfect time for me to recommend Leo: A Ghost Story to you all. Currently I've been fangirling (Is fanboying a saying too?) over picture books that have a very specific monochromatic color scheme. And picture books that are more than what they seem. Leo: A Ghost Story encompasses both of those things!
One of my patients calls me 'the unicorn doctor'. It's true. And, it's oh so flattering.
In honor of my little patient, I'm going to do a review recommendation of Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Uni the Unicorn
What Do You Love About You? by Karen Lechelt starts off with a little girl and her kitten next to a pile of stuffed animals. (And the author's dedication "To My Moon" stole my heart from the very beginning.) The girl then asks each animal friend in turn what they love about themselves. Each animal then answers, and in doing so shows us what diversity can bring into our lives, but also teaches about loving ourselves too. Such a simple yet heartfelt message that isn't too didactic or over-the-top.
As you may know, dragons are very popular here in the Bookworm house. And, true to form, Steve Light's follow-up, Have You Seen My Monster? is just as delightful as the first book. Whereas the dragon book follows a dragon and his boy around the city, the monster edition is set at an idyllic county fair.
At the heart of Triangle is a story about one friend playing a prank on another and having it backfire on him. But, are Triangle and Square friends?
Dr. Bookworm talks about her love for Ducks AND Bears, especially in picture books. And even more so in interactive ones like The Bear Who Wasn't There, written and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
Suffice it to say that I like palindromes. What's a palindrome? Something that reads the same forward and backward. Like xo, ox by Adam Rex and illustrated by Scott Campbell, my current favorite picture book. xo, ox is a perfect little unexpected love story that made me laugh out loud again and again.
Dr. Bookworm writes a letter to the past ten-year-old Shannon Hale in her review of Real Friends, a graphic novel written by present-day Shannon Hale and illustrated by LeUyen Pham.
