Duchesne masterfully weaves a simple tale that elicits questions and provides few answers thereby creating necessary discussion. Death, after all, is a subject that is worthy of discussion and necessary to understand.
Tag: Age 4-8
Review: My Ocean is Blue
An exuberant little girl takes readers on an ocean adventure using her senses to describe her ocean. Through her journey, we not only see what the ocean is, we also feel the sensory experience she feels. Our little girl, dependent on braces while on land, weaves a subtle but transformative narrative as she describes not only what her ocean is, but also what it represents.
Review: Margot and the Moon Landing
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.
Review: I Am Brown
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.
Review: Felix After the Rain
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.
Review: Who’s Your Real Mom?
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.
Review: The Fabled Life of Aesop
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.
Review: Jamie is Jamie-A Book About Being Yourself and Playing Your Way
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.
Review: Under My Tree
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.