picture books

Little Night

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Submitted by sarajean on 2/26/10 9:46pm

This is the most adorable, wonderful children’s story I have come across in 2010 yet! I cannot praise Little Night by Yuri Morales enough. I won’t even proclaim to know anything about Mexican mythology or culture other than minimal aspects, but I do know a magical story when I see one. This may simply be the perfect children’s book.

First off, the basic story is exceedingly simple and utterly beautiful. Mother Sky is getting her little girl, Little Night, ready for her nightly ritual. It’s the exact same ritual that millions of families likely go through every single night with their own children, including a calming bath, getting dressed, having a snack, hair-combing, and the like. And like many children, Little Night is delightfully mischievous, dashing around and delaying the routine by hiding from Mother Sky prior to each individual activity. Read more

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The Snowy Day

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Submitted by sarajean on 1/12/10 8:22am

In the Midwest where I live, it’s a perfect time of year to enjoy Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. Published in 1962, it’s the story of an adorable little boy named Peter who, donned in a gnome-like red snowsuit, embarks on a simple yet lovely adventure into the snow on the first snowy day of the year.

Peter engages in the very same things most preschoolers would find interesting to do in the snow. He admires the highly piled snow, crunches his feet in it satisfyingly, experiments with different ways to walk in the snowy powder, uses a stick to explore the snow, makes a snowman and a snow angel, and other activities. Peter even contemplates joining the “big boys” for a snowball fight but knows that he’s just not old enough—“not yet.” Read more

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Karen Katz: Creatress of Adorable Books for Babies

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Submitted by sarajean on 11/28/09 8:00pm

My daughter’s occupational therapist introduced us to the world of Karen Katz, and we have enjoyed every moment of reading this author’s incredible, memorable works. All of her books share her trademark roly-poly, joyous children exploring the wonders of the world. They encompass many different cultures, activities, and holidays, but one thing they all have in common is their fantastic bright pictures of babies.

Katz cites traditional folk art for her inspiration in much of her art and writing. After a long career in various arts, it was adopting a daughter from Guatemala that inspired Katz to start writing children’s books. Her first book, Over the Moon, was written for her daughter and many more soon followed. Katz says that her teen daughter remains her biggest inspiration, even twenty-two books later. Read more

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I Love the Night

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Submitted by sarajean on 6/20/09 9:18pm

hostahostaAll of Dar Hosta’s books are enchanting, but this one is perhaps my personal favorite. With its soothing nighttime story and stunning graphics, it’s no wonder the book was the winner of the Teacher’s Choice Award in 2004.

The story itself is gorgeous enough for older readers, with or without the images; but Hosta’s art is, as ever, enchanting enough for all ages to fall in love with.

Hosta gives a friendly face and a neighborly voice to animals like crickets, spiders and bats—animals that normally may seem strange and scary to little ones. Hosta gives them a calm sort of beauty, and a definite place in our world that we start to feel a reverence for creatures we may have once feared. Read more

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