This year especially we are looking to center in our gratitude, so we picked up some amazing new reads from our library. I’m hoping to help my kids be grateful for the every day things and people that help us and that we love.
James Otis and his mother have experienced more than their share of hardship in the last year after James Otis’ father passed, they lost their farm and their dog ran away. Even so, when James’ mother hears that another family’s home burned down in a fire, she decides that they will help. James things long and hard about what he might be able to give to the kid in the family. He decides to write her a story all about her, and she is stunned by his generosity. Patricia C McKissack and April Harrison gave us a gift in What is Given From the Heart, friends.
¡Un libro bilingüe! I love to read bilingual Spanish/English texts- Spanish was my minor in college, my mom speaks fluent Spanish after many many years as a Spanish and French teacher, and reading in Spanish helps me retain some of my abilities. Gracias, Thanks by Pat Mora and John Parra is a beautifully written and illustrated telling of the many things that a kid is thankful for, from the sun rising, to a story they loved sharing with a friend, to the cricket chirping as they fall asleep. The end ins a note from Pat Mora to the readers asking them to share what they are thankful for. I am so tempted to frame the first page- I love every word and the whole illustration there.
Around the Table that Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill and illustrated by Jaime Kim is a circular text, each time adding a new element and deeper context to this family’s Thanksgiving table. My kids love being able to recite the repeated parts, and the image of the diverse family lead to a conversation about how families can look different. My three year old especially likes this one.
We featured Todd Parr’s The Thankful Book last Thanksgiving, but it’s so good I had to add it again. The text is simple, sweet, and direct. The images are fun and bright. The final page is a sweet message from author / illustrator to readers. Win, win, win.
Little Bird by Germano Zullo and illustrated by Albertine is one of the sweetest books I’ve read in a while. The message is subtle and the words are minimal, but the beautiful images really make the story as well as leaving room for imagination. A man drives a big truck full of birds to a cliff so they can fly away. One bird doesn’t leave the truck until it has had a snack and a (hilariously illustrated) flying lesson from the man. For some unknown reason, the bird gets all the other birds to fly back to the man and bring him with them. Readers are left to imagine where they are going and for how long and why. The end text does remind us, though, that “there are no greater treasures than the little things.”
Mary Lyn Ray and Stephanie Graegin’s The Thank You Book may be the sweetest we’ve read this fall. Characters say thank you for the many things they appreciate, from a lovely fall day, to a parade, to those who help them feel better when something is wrong. Did you see the parade image in the middle above? Could it be any cuter? I just love it!
The book links go to my bookshop store, bookshop.org/shop/littlelitlove. If you buy any of these books from there, I’ll make a small commission. Thanks in advance!