Talk Like a Pirate Day is the perfect excuse to read Goodnight Pirate to your little one. Michelle Robinson uses rhymes and lots of fun pirate words in this book. With its bright illustrations by Nick East, this book is sure to become a bedtime treasure for adventurous, word-loving children.
The U.S. Air Force celebrates it’s birthday today, September 18. The U. S. first military aircraft was purchased in 1909, but the Air Force wasn’t designated as a separate branch of the military until 1947. Ever since the Wright Brothers took flight, children, and adults, have been fascinated with flying. The Big Book of Airplanes is written and published by an illustrated reference publisher in London called DK. It’s a wonderful guide to all kinds of aircraft, including an unusual and colorful stunt flying Gee Bee, Chinook Helicopter, seaplane, jumbo jet, agricultural planes, experimental planes, and more. Each airplane is given a full spread with illustrations of the airplane and its parts, facts, and details about the plane. It’s a wonderful reference and inspiration to flight, whether you plan to join the Air Force or fly a commercial jet or just appreciate the amazing and innovative world of airplanes.
For International Country Music Day, a book by Dolly Parton may intrigue young readers who love music. Coat of Many Colors tells the story of a coat Dolly’s mother made for her with scraps of material of many colors. Dolly’s school friends made fun of it, but Dolly loved the coat and knew it was made with love. The muted colors in the illustrations by Brooke Boynton-Hughes add to the mood of the story. And, of course, Dolly also wrote a song about her “Coat of Many Colors” that young readers can hear.
The Boy Who Fell off the Mayflower or John Howland’s Good Fortune is a book for ages 7 and up. It’s based on historical facts and the story of one of the founding fathers, John Howland. As a young boy, Howland is sent to the New World on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Pilgrim John Carver. The book does not explain what an indentured servant is, and there is limited background information on why these people felt compelled to leave England for an unknown land. Author/illustrator P.J. Lynch has created magnificent illustrations for the book that capture the look and feel of London in the 1700s and the New World across the sea. The story is told in first person, giving readers a first hand account of the feelings, anticipations, and expectations of a young boy leaving his family and home to embark on such a historic adventure. It’s a paperback book published in picture book format, which showcases the art, and the art is integral to the book. The story is fascinating, and it’s an intriguing, thought provoking tale of our founding fathers, mothers, and children.
Today is National Cheese Toast Day. Since both cheese and toast have multiple meanings, Nancy Loewen’s You’re Toast and Other Metaphors We Adore seems a logical choice for today’s kidlit book. (And I love metaphors, puns, and idioms, so the words cheese and toast gave me a reason to choose this book.) The book tells a short story using metaphors, similes, idioms, slang, and other oddities of language. Many of the uses are accompanied by an explanation. I don’t see using this as a book to teach metaphors, as much as using it to explore the varieties of word usage in our language. The back of the book has a suggestion for an activity to integrate art and language and extend language learning. Donald Wu’s cute, colorful illustrations add to the fun of the book. Terry Flaherty, PhD, is listed as the consultant editor.
Lenny & Lucy is a delightful book about how imagination helps kids work through problems. Children use their imagination and creativity in all aspects of live, not just in art class. A day set aside to live creatively is a good time to consider how our creativity and imagination are helpful in so many ways and in so many circumstances. In this story, Peter and his father are moving with their dog Harold to a house beyond the woods. Peter is not happy about the move, and he is afraid of the woods. “Harold was a good dog.” Harold wags his tail and stays awake all night with Peter watching the woods, but it is Peter who comes up with a better idea. He stacks pillows and ties them and then dresses them to create Lenny, a giant who will sit and guard the house. But then, Peter and Harold worry that Lenny is lonely, so Peter uses straw to create Lucy, a friend for Lenny. Lenny and Lucy is written and illustrated by husband and wife team Philip C Stead and Erin E. Stead–the words and illustrations are magical. The story shows us how imagination and creativity can help us cross bridges and get through forests.
Roald Dahl is a British novelist who wrote many children’s books and stories. He often has wicked adults in his children’s books, and Matilda is no exception. Matilda, who is extraordinarily intelligent, has mean parents who are cruel to her, but she learns how to read on her own and finds ways to play pranks on them. When she goes to school, she meets another wicked adult – the headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Matilda is finally able to best Miss Trunchbull with a newly found superpower. As in most Dahl books, kindness wins, and Matilda finds a happy ending. Many young readers will love reading the unusual depiction of cruel adults and will cheer when the wicked adults meet their comeuppance.
The Bear and the Piano is a beautiful story of persistence, friendship, encouragement, and loyalty. Written and illustrated by David Litchfield, the book has won awards for it’s lovely story and lush illustrations. Bear lives in a forest. When he is just a cub, he discovers a strange object–it makes a terrible noise when he presses the keys. But bear keeps returning to the piano and eventually learns to play. He is encouraged by other bears in the forest who gather to hear him make beautiful music. One day a girl and her father hear him. They encourage him to go to the big city to play where he is an instant sensation. But after a time of experiencing fame and fortune, he longs to return to the forest. Bear wonders if his friends have forgotten him or if they are angry with him for leaving. The story ends with him playing another beautiful concert for his friends in the forest. It’s a timeless, beautiful story; a 40 page picture book recommended for ages 3 on up.
For children who have heard of 9/11, I can think of no better introduction than Sean Rubin’s This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth. September 11, 2001, and the following days and years are told through the eyes of the ornamental pear tree, also known as the Survivor Tree. The tree was in the middle of all the trauma and saw much of it but had little understanding of the actual events or of what had caused the pain and suffering, much like children who are thrust into traumatic events. The tree tells of its life before, and a series of pictures without words show its life during the traumatic events. The pictures allow children to ask questions and adults to answer them in ways appropriate to the child’s age and ability to understand. The story is beautifully and sensitively told, and the illustrations are wonderful. The story shows us that we can come back from traumatic events, even if we are scared and scarred. The end of book has a personal explanation by the author.
Emily’s Idea by Christine Evans is the story of a little girl with an idea and how sharing our ideas can make them grow. Emily starts small with her idea, folding, cutting, and pasting. Then she shares her idea with her class, and from there it grows into something larger than she ever imagined. Her idea is one of love and acceptance, and it spreads around the world. As with any good idea, she also finds that some don’t agree, but most do. This book was published in 2020, so it’s a current take on how we share through the internet and social media. The illustrations by Marta Alvarez Miguéns are beautiful and fanciful and enhance the story of creativity and sharing.
Today's Kidlit Book 