These books are great to read aloud to a younger reader, and is an especially fun time for grandparents. It’s never too early to start!
Published: 2009 Theme: Community Best for: 4 to 7 "Night after night/Fox walked alone,/came home to a bed made of feathers and stone/" A very sweet and simple illustrated children's book, blending independence with sharing with others. Nicely told in rhyme.
Published: English: 2018 (original: 1945) Theme: Imaginative Tale Best for: 6 to 9 "At first Moominmamma was frightened too, but then she said soothingly: "It's really a very little creature. Wait, and I'll shine a light on it. Everything looks worse in the dark, you know." This is wonderful way to be introduced to the family of Moomintrolls, since it is the story where they first came to life...
Published: 2019 Theme: Mindfulness Best for: 5 to 8 Laying down before I sleep / I visit every part /Of my soft animal body... What a wonderful way to go to sleep - thanking every part of our body. This is the beginning of a mindful practice of gratitude...
Published in English: 2003 Theme: Courage and Loyalty Best for: 8 to 10 "Do the stars care if you play for them?" I wondered. I asked Nonno and he said he believed they did. So we sat around the fire, took out our flutes and played a little song for the stars." This is a classic fantasy children's book, one that easily transcends time and place.
Published: 2018 Theme: Animal Kindness Best for: 7 to 9 "When you are expecting the moon, it can be hard to know what to say to a small red squirrel. But still, the little cat gathered herself quickly. She was a polite cat." In this poetic prose children's book, we see the world through the eyes of a little cat looking for its own nesting place.
Published: 2018 Theme: Humor Best for: 6 and up "Now, under normal circumstances, Poo-Poo's request to lick Karen's nose would be quite bizarre. But these were not normal circumstances..." Humor is humor, silliness is silliness, and Tom Watson delivers both, regardless of whether it's about dogs or cats...
Published: 2016 Theme: Community Activism Best for: 7 to 9 "I know, I know. I'm giving away the ending. But here's the thing. The point of a story is not the ending. The point is, What does it mean?" It's time to educate the young people about the power of community activism, in a gentle way. This book does that...
Published: 2017 Theme: Cats and Kindness Best for: 7 and up "Edith sat back on her hind legs and licked her front left paw as she continued to speak. She stopped to examine the placement of each strand of fur every now and then." A hilarious and profound look at cats, personalities, patience, and courage.
Published: 1977 Theme: Creating Home Best for: 6 and up "The cave was full of chattering animals who'd been lucky enough to find this haven. There were several mice that Abel and Amanda knew, and a family of toads they had once met at a carnival." In this classic Steig children's book, we meet a mouse who learns the value of home while being stranded on an island, and surviving very well.
Published: 2000 Theme: Women Heroines Best for: 5 to 10 "In the dark time of the year, when the days are short and a cold wind blows from the north, a serpent came to live in an old cave on the mountain of Yung Ling..." From time to time, it's great to read about a young girl who takes on the challenge of slaying the perennial serpent. This children's book is a lovely collection of such stories.
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