picture books

Exclamation mark – Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld

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Let me start with this: my kid loved this book.  It’s a simple story about an exclamation mark trying to fit in and finding his place in the world of punctuation. Once the mark finds his voice, the story becomes delightful and my kid loved the way we read it, really over extended and excited, driving home the exclamations; needless to say it got read over and over at bed time.  I also really enjoyed the shape of this book, long and thin, just like the punctuation it’s about.  If you’ve got a kid who is generally not into stories, but keen on non-fiction, I would give this a go

The Dark – by Lemony Snicket ; illustrated by Jon Klassen

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This book was cute, creepy and charming, with a nice twist; exactly what I would expect from Lemony Snicket.  I’m also becoming a fan of Jon Klassen, his style really speaks to me, and the projects he participates in are quickly becoming favourites and I will be seeking out more of his work in the future. The picture book is about a young boy who is rather afraid of the dark, and bout once happens once the night light in his room goes out. It’s perfect for your little one who might be a bit skittish of the dark, it seems scary in the beginning, and the book exudes a bit of tension but by the end that tension is drained and the reader is no longer so worried about the dark.

The Night Gardener – Terry Fan & Eric Fan

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This one was another hit with the kid, which is surprising as he’s not usually into stories. This book is about a gardener who sneaks out in the night and creates beautiful topiaries on his street in the spring time.  My little one really enjoyed the surprising animal shapes that the trees and shrubs became, he also enjoyed the moon illustrated on the pages as he’s super into space. The gardener eventually gets caught, but the outcome isn’t what my kid expected which kept the story interesting. Wonderfully illustrated with rich dark colours, this soothing tale is a good one to settle down with at bedtime.

Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats – Alicia Potter – Ill: Brigitta Sif

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Just adorable. A great theme of ‘you can overcome your fears’ told with cats, with encouragement from the gentle and understanding Miss Hazeltine.  I really like the messages sent through this story.  Miss Hazeltine has set up a home for cats that don’t seem to fit in due to one fear or another, but through her gentle and un-pushing nature helps them become comfortable and confident that they can do things despite being scared. I would recommend this for the child who is having issues with being worried or anxious about doing something new or scary.

Charming and Cosy

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I found Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett delightful.  It was a book I was happy to read over and over to my three year old, as it was often requested, as it didn’t feel like a chore.  We follow Annabelle, a young girl who lives in a very black and white town.  She finds a box filled with colourful yarn and proceeds to knit sweaters for anything and everyone she can with it. I love that she shares this wonderful magical box of yarn and her talent for knitting with her town.  Jon Klassen’s use of colour is also wonderful, it starts out small, just a sweater for her and her dog Mars, but eventually everything in her town has a sweater, buildings, cars, trees- you name it, it has a cosy made for it!  The whimsy of this book is what makes it a real winner in my eyes.  I also enjoyed the sense of ‘what will be, will be’ and that you can be happy just being yourself despite others trying to bring you down.  It may seem like a heavy message for small children, but I feel it is uplifting and a wonderful thing for kids to hear.