New Books About the Importance of Family

 

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

Family is important. Each family is unique. Each family has its own traditions. And each has its own problems. Family can be blood relatives or ones we pick. Families can be human families or animal families. Today we are sharing a roundup of new picture books about families. These books are for the range of 4- to 8-year-olds. Each has powerful messages and each is very different. We will begin with Fierce Aunties! by Laurel Goodluck and illustrated by Steph Littlebird. 

From the Publisher:

A joyful and vibrant celebration of what makes aunties so special, from Indigenous author and illustrator team Laurel Goodluck and Steph Littlebird inviting all kids to connect with the fierce aunties in their lives.

Who do you go to for advice and support? Or when you want an adventure and a little extra courage? Or when you need to find that warrior spirit inside you? Fierce aunties!

Aunties come in different shapes, sizes, and ages. They all have different laughs, skills, and stories. They might be your parents’ sisters, your older cousins, or even family friends. But there’s something they all have in common: They’re fierce, they love you, and they’ll help make everything better.

From Me:

I love how this book shares the relationship between "kids" and their aunts--blood relatives or nonblood relatives. It is a Native American cultural thing that exists for many other cultures as well. The fierce aunties are the women in your life who show up and fight for you. They are there to support you when you need it. They cheer you on and give you a shoulder to cry on. They are always there for you and this book celebrates them!

This book is a glimpse into indigenous cultures but also reminds us that there are adults besides our parents who support us. When I read this book, I thought about who Hazel's fierce aunties are. My sisters are her aunts and definitely fit into this category but so do so many of my close friends and some of her teachers. At the beginning of last summer, she told me she would like to visit my childhood friend because she was missing her. I love how comfortable she is around my friends. This book is perfect to remind kids of their aunties or to gift to their fierce aunties to thank them for their support. It also is perfect for looking into different cultures.

Our next book shares a Vietnamese family tradition. The book is The Jade Bracelet by Hà Dinh and illustrated by Yong Ling Kang. 

From the Publisher:

When the girls at school show off their shiny new bracelets, newly arrived immigrant Tien is embarrassed by the plain jade bracelet she wears as a symbol of her Vietnamese heritage.

Although Tien loves the Vietnamese traditions her family celebrates, more than anything she wants to fit in at school and be just like her classmates. So, when all the girls start wearing brand-new sparkly bracelets, Tien tries to hide the simple jade bangle her mother gave her in memory of her grandmother. Now her bracelet looks like an old green thing and an embarrassed Tien runs home crying, flinging it on the floor. Her sympathetic mama understands and takes Tien to the shop to buy the popular bracelet. But at the last minute, Tien remembers her grandmother’s love and decides to wear her jade bracelet proudly.

The Jade Bracelet is based on the author’s own experience of being the new kid at school and wanting to blend in. Now an elementary teacher, Hà Dinh encourages her immigrant students to share and honor their family’s traditions.

From Me:

On Tien's eighth birthday her mother is excited to share a family tradition. The gift of a jade bracelet. Tien is excited at first but when she is at school, she notices how all the other girls have shiny and sparkly bracelets. Her bracelet is just green. She doesn't understand how special it really is. Her mother says they can go pick out another bracelet and takes her shopping. However, when they find the one she would love, Tien realizes it is a mistake.  

I love how this book shares a story of a family tradition. It shares the fact that sometimes we are not happy with the tradition because we don't understand it. However, when we accept it as being important and a way to feel close to our ancestors and family, it becomes something so much more. I love that Hà Dinh shares her story with us. She wrote the book for her own daughter, Tien, to know the tradition and family history. 

Our next book follows a young boy and his mother as well as a young humpback whale and its mother. It is a celebration of family as well as the celebration of the return of the humpback whales to New York harbor. I recently shared another book about this return. The book is We Leap Together by Christopher Silas Neal. 

From the Publisher:

An awe-inspiring nonfiction picture book, perfect for animal lovers, that reveals how a mama whale and a mama person care for their young in remarkably similar ways, from the illustrator of Over and Under the Snow.

A little boy and his mother set off on a day trip, meanwhile, a mama whale and her calf swim towards the bay. On the way, both sing, blow bubbles, get lost--and found! Through it all, mama always stays close. The human pair board a sightseeing boat, and as the whales reach the harbor, they all converge in one spectacular scene! With lyrical text and absolutely magnificent art, here's a book that celebrates our connection to animals, and to each other.

From Me:

This book is fun because it shows the similarities between us and the humpback whales. Both mother and child are doing similar things. They stay close, support and travel together. It is a wonderful book that celebrates the return of the humpback whales to New York City and celebrates the love between mother and child. 

This book is perfect for Earth Day and Mother's Day. Both the human mother and whale mother find the lost child and care for their respective child. It is perfect for a class studying whales as well as just to read about a mother's care. The illustrations are fun and I love the comparison between whale and human. 

Our next book looks at animal families. It is Family: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup. 

From the Publisher:

Fans of the bestselling series that began with Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book can take an up-close look at animal families in this beautiful book with peek-through holes.

Young children will enjoy peering through holes and seeing animal parents and their babies in global scenes of security and love. Featuring elephants in their herd, polar bear cubs safe in their cave, otters snuggling as they drift in the ocean, and many other animal families, each page in this engaging and educational nonfiction book celebrates the bonds of parent and child.

It's a perfect way for families to share a love of science and nature together. And it's an ideal gift for Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Look for all the books in the Peek-Through series: Tree, Bee, Ocean, Moon, Home, Bugs, and Family.

From Me:

This sweet book shares various animal families and the tasks they do together. The book has peek-through windows that form a rainbow. The book takes us around the world to various environments to learn about different animals and how they are with their families. 

This book is a fun read that kids will love and works great for Earth Day and a unit on family and/or animals. I love how it shares the various things like elephants walking together or the father penguin protecting the egg. Each animal is unique, and the family of each animal has different traditions of their own. The illustrations are fun and show much detail to go with the rhyming words.

Our final book is about a multiracial family that is dealing with difficult circumstances. The mother suffers from bipolar. The book is Mama Moon: A Story About Love and Mental Health by Noah Grigni.

From the Publisher:

Deeply felt and beautifully told, Mama Moon is the story of a child who muses that their mother is like the moon—ever changing, sometimes blue, sometimes bright.

Mama loves warm summers, and eating cherries while stargazing with Baba and Kiddo. But on her bluest of days, she can’t do the things that other mamas do.

Persevering with love, no matter what phase Mama is in, this family weathers the ups and downs of a loved one's illness.

From Me:

This is a powerful book. The mother is bipolar and the daughter has to figure out what it all means. There are days when the mother is fun to be with and other days when she can't get out of bed. The daughter has trouble at times understanding why and begins to think the mother doesn't love her. She doesn't show up for the important moments in the daughter's life and isn't like her friends' moms. Yet the young girl begins to see her mother like the phases of the moon. It is such a powerful analogy to describe mental health. 

This book is a wonderful read for anyone but especially for a child whose parent has mental health issues. The author shares some of his own childhood experiences in the story. It also can help have a discussion with kids about mental health and what it means. I can see it shared at home as well as by a therapist and even in a classroom to discuss mental health or the phases of the moon. Let's face it we all feel the phases of the moon and see our behavior and moods change with them.