The word "parent" is not just a noun. It's also a verb.
I had a hard time with this picture book; at first. I couldn’t get my head around it. Try as I may, I stumbled over and over its pages. And then I realized what was wrong. As an adult, I was meant to stumble. The book, in its brilliance, gives adults a candid look at how a child feels when she is completely ignored, set aside, and looked over– all in the guise of an innocent picture book. For children, it gives voice to their frustration. It teaches them to nevertheless, persist.
Two great board books for your preschooler! Teach them how to count & strengthen those paternal bonds!
I am Brown is not a political book. Rather, it is a testament to everything Brown is; which is everything. Through simple recitation, it illuminates who a Brown child is, can be, and will be. It tells you that Brown people are everywhere and can do everything, With its gorgeous, rich, vibrant illustrations it is a simple, joyous celebration of being. And, although it is not a political book, it does make a political statement, albeit one that should not be political at all.
Winner of the English Pen Award (New & Exciting Literature into English) and part of Tiny Owl Publishing’s Hope in a Scary World series, Felix After the Rainbow, takes on a tough subject, dealing with the death of a loved one, and distills it to its most basic essence: dealing with the baggage left behind. This achingly beautiful book vividly illustrates how a child doesn’t cope, and does, and succeeds.
Which one is the real mother/father? A question often asked of samesex couples and their children when they are out in public? Sometimes the question is meant to provoke embarrassment; sometimes the question the question comes from curiosity; sometimes the question comes from fear. Regardless of how it arises, it’s a question the couple, and their child(ren) inevitably face.
There are numerous collections of Aesop’s fables on the market. Indeed, the stories are in the public domain, so a collection would have to be pretty special to warrant a good review. It would have to be extra special to warrant a purchase. Well, The Fabled Life of Aesop threads the needle beautifully, and I mean beautifully; using golden thread, illustrations and prose.
Two quick bite-sized reviews featuring books that take your child on different journeys. One’s a “no.” One is a “maybe.” Will you agree?
Jamie, our preschooler, just started a new school, with new friends. At school, Jamie likes to play with cars, dolls, action figures, do somersaults, finish puzzels, dance ballet, and engage in all sorts of activities that have nothing whatsoever to do with gender.
I’ve seen the book advertised as “[a] modern take on Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree that celebrates the friendship between a curious child and her favorite tree.” If that was the aim of the book, I don’t think it quite hits its mark; at least not in this translation.