Sudanese feminist politician Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim: the first female elected to a parliament in the Arab world. Also the first Muslim woman from Africa to be elected President of the Women’s International Democratic Federation. More here: sister-hood
Author/Illustrator: Marika Maijala, translated by Mia Spangenberg
Publisher: Elsewhere Editions, 2023
Age: 3-7
Themes: greyhounds, dogs, freedom
Opening: Rosie races down the track. Her paws hammer the ground.
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Racing greyhound Rosie escapes the confines of the racetrack and bounds towards freedom.
I picked this book because: (from my review in Indie Next Kids!) A captivating tale of freedom for a racing dog named Rosie, told with beautiful rhythm and the perfect sort of pacing to make it a great read aloud for toddlers and early elementary listeners alike. The illustrations are energetic and fluid, with soft hues and bold strokes, inviting the viewer to run right beside the main character. Sure to delight readers of all ages, leaving a taste for freedom on the tongue!
Resources/activities: Discover more about dog racing both HERE and HERE; discuss pros and cons of the treatment of animals; get out your crayons and pastels and make friends for Rosie.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Taghreed Najjar
Illustrator: Maya Fidawi
Publisher: Crackboom! Books, 2018
Age: 3-7
Themes: watermelon, food, eating habits
Opening: Noura is a little girl who loves to eat watermelon.
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Noura is crazy about watermelon. She wants to eat nothing else, every day, at every meal. In fact, Noura thinks there is no such thing as too much watermelon. Until one night, when the watermelon she has hidden in her room to eat all by herself begins to grow and Noura gets taken on a wild watermelon adventure! A story that can be the springboard for a discussion on favorite foods, eating a balanced diet, sharing with others and trying new foods.
I picked this book because: it was enthusiastically recommended by one of my storytime gang kids, and they laughed while telling me about it and we laughed later reading it! I love the illustrations and how much was added in them, allowing the main character’s culture to feel just like mine (love that candle on top of the washing machine in the kitchen), yet different, all wrapped in a story we can all relate to if you’ve ever had a favorite food. Highly recommend it for the layers and the humor!
Resources/activities: Use the book for a plethora of discussion springboards:What is the same and what is different in Noura’s household? What foods do you love? Would your parents react like Noura’s when she wouldn’t finish her dinner? and so on. Draw pictures of your favorite foods, or perhaps prepare them and share!
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author/Illustrator: Bernard Waber
Publisher: Walter Lorraine Books, HM, 1997
Age: 3-7
Themes: bears, sleepovers, cold
Opening: see image below (brilliant!)
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) In a cumulative story, one animal after another asks to come in out of the winter cold to sleep in Bearsie Bear’s big bed.
I picked this book because: my critique partner Lynn Becker recommended it to me, and all I’m wondering is why haven’t I heard of it before? I love it! It’s the perfect sort of storytime readaloud for toddlers (my homies!) with just the right amount of repetition and silly names for the reader, and just the right amount of the same for kids who like something silly but heartwarming. Please find and enjoy!
Resources/activities: if possible, read in a bed or under a big blanket! This would make a great piece to reenact with multiple roles. Talk about sleepovers, why we like them, why we don’t, what we bring to them, and what to do when you are at a sleepover, but would rather go home. A great companion read from thew SAME author is called, IRA SLEEPS OVER.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
And just for fun, a few photos (below) I took of friend’s books while visiting Germany in April…
Author: Kate Banks
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Publisher: Farrar Strauss Giroux, 2017
Age: 3-7
Themes: elephants, instructions, dull days
Opening: The best time to look for an elephant is on a dull day when the clouds hover on the horizon looking like spaceships. And you’re thinking up something to do.
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) A boy provides instructions as he searches high and low for an elephant, which the reader can find in the illustrations..
I picked this book because: This book had me with the opening line! Maybe because we’ve had a lot of cloud hovering days lately, but mainly for the juxtaposition within that sentence alone! It’s a fun read aloud for storytime too, and let’s us linger on each page to enjoy the sumptuous illustrations. Perfect for sunny days too!
Resources/activities: Play follow the leader in a circle with elephant steps, on tippy toes, on flat feet, swinging trunks, etc; read books about or with elephants, like The Elephant and the Bad Baby, by John Burningham. Make elephants from TP rolls!
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Didier Lévy
Illustrator: Fred Benaglia
Publisher: Thames & Hudson, 2019; orig. 2016
Age: 3-7
Themes: dragons, health, human-animal relationships
Opening: Can’t breathe fire? not even the tiniest flicker of flame? Has your pet dragon’s fire gone out? Don’t worry. There must be a way to relight him!
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Has your dragon forgotten how to breathe fire? Have no fear. This imaginative story follows the exploits of one frustrated dragon owner as she tries increasingly hilarious tricks to rekindle her dragon’s flame. Covering everything from the simplest tactics (tickling the dragon), to the sneakiest ones (surprising it with unlit birthday candles), this book is perfect for children who love to guess what’s going to happen next. Readers will learn that in the end, the most important thing is loving the dragon unconditionally. If a person can do that, and if they mean it from the bottom of their heart, then they might discover a truly magical result.
I picked this book because: it’s so sweet AND funny! The writing as well as the illustrations done in a bright but limited palette. I love the voice of the dragon’s human and their heart!
Resources/activities: can you think of other ways to help a friend get their spark back – after giving them the time and space to just be with their predicament, of course! A nice companion book could be The Rabbit Listened, written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld. Great launch for a discussion about respecting space and knowing when to give a friend some help.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author/Illustrator: James Marshall
Publisher: Dial Books, 1988
Age: 3-7
Themes: bears, folklore, classic tales
Opening: see image above
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Three bears return home from a walk to find a little girl asleep in baby bear’s bed.
I picked this book because: I enjoyed reading it agin, for the gazillionth time! the image above, of Goldilocks sinking into an oversized, overstuffed chair, or the perspective of Pap Bear’s eyes in the image below speaks volumes about what makes Marshall illustrations so irresistible to me – concept, placement, seemingly minor details. The lampshade repeating the shape of papa Bear’s left paw… I melt every time! And his tale-telling style and sense of humor – like the last line from the neighbor on the first page/opening above. You just KNOW it’s going to be a great story! Sigh!
Resources/activities: enjoy reading anything by James Marshall! Rewrite or act out a classic tale and try to give it your own flavor.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Simon Philip
Illustrator: Lucia Gaggiotti
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2020
Age: 2-6
Themes: cake, girls, self-control
Opening: “There’s a smell I can’t ignore. It’s wafting through the kitchen door. It’s time for me to find out more.”
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) How on earth do you resist the most amazing cake? One little girl is about to find out just how hard it can be…
I picked this book because: it’s pure fun to watch someone else with the same weakness for cake try as hard as this adorable main character to be good. Spoiler alert: the writing is so delicious it allows the reader feel like they have just tasted the cake themselves. And it’s a rhyming read aloud that will make you want to bake – so be ready! And I love the little tiger feel to her character design too!
Resources/activities: read companion titles like Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton, or Where is the Cake, by T.T. Khing; Bake a cake! Bake enough cake to share with friends or neighbors (I once baked a cake sooo lemony-sweet I apologized to each neighbor I gave a slice to before they could eat it, but they all LOVED it! Ha!)
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Jutta Bauer
Translator: Matthias Wieland
Publisher: Red Comet Press, 2022; orig.: Kibitz Verlag, 2021
Age: 3-7
Themes: mice, contentment, happiness
Opening: I am Albie. “Albieee! The king is asking for you!”
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Albie is on a mission! The king has commanded him to deliver an important message to the neighboring castle. Dutifully he dashes away. But once on his way, something comes up . . . and then another thing, and then another! What is one to do when a squirrel, a tired mother and her many children, and an old animal need Albie’s help, just has much as his king? Told with clever parallel storytelling, Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Jutta Bauer, relays a charming tale about the importance of kindness and being true to oneself–even when you are on an important errand for the king.
I picked this book because: of the old fashioned feel of a tall tale, but with a short main character! Actually, I am a fan of Jutta Bauer’s work and was going to read it no matter what! But I loved the gentle and humorous form of storytelling and the double visual narrative of the king’s journey while he waits for Albie. So sweet. I hope you feel the same.
Resources/activities: read more companion titles involving a king’s assignment or a journey to the castle story, like this one from Klaas Verplancke; take notes on all the people you meet one day all along the way; discuss why the king acts the way he does when Albie returns, what happened?
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Jairo Buitrago; transl.: Elisa Amado
Illustrator: Mariana Ruiz Johnson
Publisher: Greystone Kids, 2022; orig.: Leetra Final, 2021
Age: 3-6
Themes: friendship, social interaction, toads
Opening: To make friends you should sit under a huge tree.
Summary: (from my library’s catalog) A quirky and uplifting guide to making new friends for kids 4 to 7 from a beloved, internationally renowned author. What’s the best way to make friends? Toad has the most magnificent ideas! Sometimes they don’t go according to plan… but that’s okay. Eventually Toad tires of making new friends, but comes to a marvelous conclusion: sometimes being with yourself is a good way to pass the time too. A hilarious and heartfelt read for kids who are starting school or experiencing other unfamiliar social situations, Ways to Make Friends will give them the courage to stand on their own–and maybe try one of Toad’s unconventional methods to make a friend for themselves.
I picked this book because: Sold by the cover again! I like to point that out, but also admit that more often than I’d like the story doesn’t necessarily meet the expectations I form based on cover art – and vice versa. I guess I am trying to say there is no shame in judging the cover! I just love the quirky ideas this toad has and think this will have kids giggling and wondering what works and what doesn’t. The best books make us think a lot after reading!
Resources/activities: This is a great text for discussion: each of Toad’s suggestions could be contemplated and chewed over – some seem simple, but are they really good ideas to try when we want to make friends? Read companion books on making friends; share stories of how we made friends; share some ideas that didn’t go as planned and how we might try better next time. And don’t forget to ask, what does being a friend mean and how many friends does one need to get by?
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
views from the artist's studio.
Printmaking, Poetry, and Bookmaking.
Children's author
The Real Estate market in Northern Colorado
“Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky, My pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.” - Arnold Lobel
podcast & video host | writer | journalist
A blog by Ashleigh Young
Knowledge Is A Weapon - Arm Yourself
spreading the word on delightful children's literature
Ain't nothing but a party!
and beyond
one librarian's journey into storytimeland
Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. -- Margaret Mead
A KidLit Journey...
Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children
THAT BANNER MOUNTAIN GIRL
Mais plus tant que ça maintenant !
illustrated miscellany
Children's book reviews and my musings on diversity
Children's Author
a resource for kindergarten teachers, parents and students to ask questions and share ideas.
Children's Book Review Site
2016 Picture Book Debuts
Children's Picture Book Lover and Illustrator
A Splash of the unusual through textiles, photography and illustration.
"When you love what you do you’ll never have to work a day in your life."
Highly illustrated books for all ages
coffee
Inspiring Discussions on Art, Film and Animation.
Reader, Writer, Miner of Moments
...as we write, draw, and blog.
Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
a vegan couple: eating; running; living–minimally.
The Official Blog of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of SCBWI
A place for Quattrones, Betteridges, and Praticos to share our family stories, history, and heritage.
Children's books, kid's apps...
Artist, Illustrator, & Writer of Nature, Critters, Children's Illustration, & the Human Condition
Literary musings from the champion of the odd little book
julie rowan-zoch 