Children’s picture books

THE SKELETON AND THE CAT

Book Reviews /

THE SKELETON AND THE CAT is a gentle, humorous story of friendship between two very unlikely characters.

Skeleton lives loves her quiet life of gardening, reading, and drinking tea. Then one day Cat knocks at her door and asks if she would like to have a friend, to which she answers, “No.”

Cat is not deterred. He persists and by telling a ridiculously funny knock-knock joke, he gains entrance into Skeleton’s world.

The book is divided into five short stories, the Knock, the Sandwich, the Garden, the Book, and the Night Sky. As the story progresses through each of these short vignettes, Skeleton and Cat gradually develop a sweet friendship.

Brimming with color and sprinkled throughout with perfectly timed dry humor, THE SKELETON AND THE CAT is delightful exploration of friendship.

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THE WANTING MONSTER

Book Reviews, Emotional Intelligence /

The Wanting Monster by Martine Murray, illustrated by Anna Read, is a modern fable illustrating the disastrous consequences of unchecked wanting.

The Wanting Monster is furious that he is initially ignored by everyone in the village he has approached. He devises a clever plan to plant ideas of wanting more and more in the minds of the adults in the village.

His plan succeeds, resulting in a devastation of the village by unchecked appropriation of resources by the villagers. The villagers must now leave their uninhabitable home.

As they are leaving, the Wanting Monster is laughing and exulting in his success. Everyone can hear him, but only Billie Ray, the youngest child in the village, can see him.

“It’s a wanting monster”, she announces. Then Billy Ray proceeds to brilliantly expose what has been needed all along to heal the Wanting Monster and the village, love and kindness.

A highly recommended journey toward greater emotional intelligence.

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STEP RIGHT UP

Animal Stories, Book Reviews, Book Reviews, History /

STEP RIGHT UP: HOW DOC AND JIM KEY TAUGHT THE WORLD ABOUT KINDNESS is a deeply inspiring book about a brilliant horse and his kind trainer. Together they taught the American people that animals have feelings, a sense of humor, and the ability to reason just as humans do.

The astonishing abilities of Beautiful Jim Key to spell, do mathematical calculations, answer random questions from his audiences, and thoroughly charm the millions of people who came to his performances were nothing short of astonishing.

Doc Key emphasized over and over that all of Beautiful Jim Key’s training had been done with kindness. Doc and Jim became part of the growing movement in the early 1900s to treat animals humanely. Over two million children “stepped right up” to sign the official Jim Key Pledge: “I promise always to be kind to animals.”

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THE GARDENER

Book Reviews, History /

Set in the mid 1930s depression era America, THE GARDENER is a tale of optimism and seeing the glass half full.

Young Lydia Grace Finch must go to live with her Uncle Jim in the city while her Papa looks for a job. Lydia Grace takes her love of plants and flowers to Uncle Jim’s somewhat dilapidated bakery and crafts a transformation of the bakery and curmudgeonly, unsmiling Uncle Jim.

This is a tale of steady optimism that will warm your heart, especially if you love the magic of flowers.

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A BUS CALLED HEAVEN

Book Reviews /

A Bus Called Heaven by Australian author/illustrator Bob Graham is a story of community, hope, and the power of one small individual to make a difference.
Young Stella sees the potential of the abandoned bus that appears one day in front of her house with a destination placard that says “heaven”. Neighbors rally and transform the bus into a vibrant community center.
When the bus is towed away to the local junkyard, Stella challenges the junkyard boss to a game a table soccer. Stella wins the bus which continues to be a haven (heaven) for her neighborhood.

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It’s a Terrible Day (Not Really) Let’s Count by Twos

Book Reviews, Math skills /

IT’S A TERRIBLE DAY (NOT REALLY): LET’S COUNT BY TWOS is a beautifully illustrated, valuable introduction to the math skill of counting by twos.

The main characters, Lisa and Charlie, romp through their neighborhood, helping neighbors by supplying two, four, six, up to ten things that each neighbor needs.

At the end of the book, Lisa and Charlie, declare that it has not been a terrible day at all because “We can fix our problems. We can help each other. Welcome to this great day, kids!”

Highly recommended book for teaching math skills to young children in an accessible and enjoyable way.

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Millie Fleur Saves the Night

Book Reviews, Dark Sky Preservation, Stargazing /

MILLIE FLEUR SAVES THE NIGHT by Christy Mandin is a delightful, beautifully illustrated story teaching the importance of the dark night.

Millie Fleur loves the Dark. She is upset that the citizens of Garden Glen where she lives are afraid of the dark. Town lights are blazing from dusk to dawn.

Milly sets about to help people understand at the dark is not dangerous. “you just need to get to know her,” Millie says.

Millie introduces the children of Garden Glen to her gorgeous, perfumed night garden, urging them to be brave and turn off their lanterns.

The children get to know many night, creatures and learn that “…there were things dark could share that couldn’t be found in the light”.

This is a wonderful book to teach children about the importance of eliminating light pollution and enjoying the wondrous dark night.

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The Widow’s Broom

Book Reviews, Book Reviews /

The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg is a story of kindness, courage and choosing love over fear and suspicion.
A lonely widow, Mina Shaw, through her kindness to an injured witch, comes into possession of a magical broom. Minna’s neighbors regard the broom as evil and destroy it, or they think they have.
When the ghost of the broom appears, ghostly white and flourishing and axe, the neighbors flee.
Minna stays on her farm, dwelling happily with her magical broom which she had painted white to make it appear to be a ghost.

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FORTS

Book Reviews, General /

FORTS by Katie Venit is a lyrical exploration of finding a fort – a safe and comfortable place. The illustrations by Kenard Pak create inviting and magical scenes as a little girl explores the possibility of forts that are wild and forts that can be found in her own house and yard.
FORTS is comforting while inspiring imagination and the possibility of finding ones own fort.

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Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

Animal Stories, Book Reviews, History /

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, is an inspiring and engaging account of the real world events that led to Winnie’s good home in the London Zoo and the subsequent stories of Winnie-the-Pooh.

In a time of great global stress during World War I, kindness and love between a very special bear and the humans she encountered prevailed and rippled out across the world through A. A. Milne’s tales of Winnie-the-Pooh and her friends.

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