Diverse New Picture Books Sharing Fun and Lessons

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Once again life and school have gotten in the way of my posts. As a result, I am going to share three new picture books with you today. Each is unique and has its own purpose. The first is I Want to Read All the Books by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

From the Publisher:

An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.

Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big mission: she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction.

But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes there are a lot more books than she thought…way more. Maybe she can’t really read all the books—now what?

From Me:

In this sweet book Hana's mother does what I did when Hazel was young. Hana asks a question about the world so Hana's mom hands her a book about the topic (I read them to Hazel as we started at a young age). Hana became hooked and wanted to read all of the books she could. She read every book on her shelves and then started on the ones on her brother's. Next, she read her friends books' and neighbors' books. Her mother takes her to the local library, and she keeps reading. She loves it. Then her mother takes her to the big public library and Hana becomes overwhelmed by the number of books there actually are. A friendly librarian explains no one can read all the books but the best part of a book is sharing it with someone. Hana has a whole new outlook on books and enjoys sharing things she learns as well as recommendations with her family and friends.

I love that at first Hanna enjoys the books on her own. Then she asks her brother for more books and next her diverse group of friends. Everyone is supporting Hana's love for books. I also love that Hanna begins reading books to answer a question she has about the world. She has a very long list of questions, and it keeps growing the more she reads. The book is sweet and fun and shows kids that it is not just about reading the book but sharing the information, the story or recommending it to a friend. It also introduces the idea of book clubs. 

Our next book is a bit sillier and fun. It has a message about fitting in and finding one's place. It is We Don't Eat Our Neighbors by Daniel J. Mahoney. It is recommended for ages 4 to 7.

From the Publisher: 

In this laugh-out-loud picture book perfect for fans of Lyle the Crocodile and Dragons Love Tacos, an alligator family runs into trouble when their son can’t seem to curb his appetite for their new human neighbors.

“A fun and surprising classic picture book appeal threaded with a subversive and sometimes macabre laugh-out-loud text. It’s James Marshall meets Edward Gorey!” ―Matthew Cordell, Caldecott Medalist

After Libby and Herbert Alligator’s mom lands her dream job as a pastry chef, the family is moving on up out of the slimy swamp and into a bustling town filled with houses, restaurants, schools . . . and people. Libby can’t wait to meet the new neighbors. Herbert can’t wait to eat them.

And that’s not okay with the folks in the neighborhood, who most certainly do not want to become alligator food. Is there a way for Herbert to fit in while remaining true to who he really is? With a little help from his mom, maybe he can have his friends . . . and eat them, too.

From author-illustrator Daniel J. Mahoney, We Don’t Eat Our Neighbors is a witty, heartfelt story about family, fitting in, and finding happiness in a new community.

From Me:

Herbert is excited to move to the suburbs and away from the slimy swamp. There is just one problem. People are his favorite snack. After trying to gnaw on a few, he is having trouble fitting in. He doesn't understand why he can't just snack on some of the kids at school or in the neighborhood. Then he begins to realize how important this move is to his mother. She is living her dream with the dream job and if he tries to eat one more person she will lose it. His sister, Libby, keeps giving him advice but he doesn't always follow it. Once he sees why he can't keep trying to eat the kids, the kids want nothing to do with him. Who would? Can he find a way to fit in like Libby has? 

This book is fun and will have kids laughing. As you can see from the sample pages the children in the book are diverse. It is a wonderful story to talk about trying to fit in and how moving to a new place can be hard. This book is perfect to share when someone has moved or just for a fun read aloud. It is sure to be a book picked for story time as it will have everyone laughing. I love that there are things to discuss from it as well and can be worked into a classroom as well as a discussion at home about finding friends and fitting in. After all we all just want to feel like we belong.

 Our final book for today is nonfiction. It shares the interesting life of Edward Gorey. It is As Edward Imagined: A Storey of Edward Gorey in Three Acts by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Marc Majewski. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

From the Publisher: 

From an acclaimed author and illustrator team, here is a definitive picture book biography about a true original and creative genius: Edward Gorey.

Discover the unique childhood and life of the enigmatic and eccentric Edward Gorey whose artwork and books had a profound impact on creators such as Neil Gaiman, Lemony Snicket, and Tim Burton.

Even as a young boy, readers learn that Edward constantly forged his own path, passions, and pursuits never forsaking his individuality for fame. This brilliant picture book biography is paired with a whimsical art style that captures the unrelenting creativity Edward brought to his playfully macabre creations.

From Me:

I will be honest. I didn't know anything about Edward Gorey or who he was. I have not seen his work. The book shares the fascinating person he was. Act One is his childhood. It shares how much he loved books as a child and finished Dracula by the time he was six. He was definitely a unique individual. Act Two takes us to the city where Edward enjoyed the New York City Ballet. He apparently went to every performance for twenty years. He was an illustrator and even wrote some books, but they were not popular. However, he did have a following and it kept growing with each book! Then he got hired to design the sets and costumes for the Broadway Show, Dracula. Although he was nominated and won awards, he often watched the award ceremonies from home with his cats. Act Three brings us to Cape Cod. This is where he went to have some peace. He did his illustrations and lived his life with his cats. He even worked with some of the local theaters. He basically found a way to live his life how he wanted to and enjoyed it.

The book is very interesting, and it seems as if Edward Gorey lived a very interesting life. At the end of the book is the Author's Note about his own journey discovering Edward Gorey's work and then about him. There are also resources to learn more about him as well as quotation citations and a timeline of Edward's life. After reading this book I am thinking it would be a fun adventure when I'm at the Cape to visit his house which is now a museum. This book truly shares the unique life of a person who often shared his dark side with the world, but it sounds like in real life he was quite the opposite. I am sure it will make young readers want to check out some of Edward Gorey's works.