You're All Kinds of Wonderful by Nancy Tillman

It is always lovely to start the new year off with a little encouragement. So here is Nancy Tillman's ode to the marvelousness of you. 

Side note--As the mother of a Down's boy-o, I can't even tell you how close my heart was to bursting when I saw a little girl with Down's Syndrome on the front cover here. SO CLOSE. 

My sister brought this to me because she knows how much I would love this. 

She is wise. 

We're not all the same. Thank goodness we're not. 

Life would be boring, and I mean--a lot.

And so, when we're born, we're supplied at the start

with our own bells and whistles to set us apart. 

Think of your bells as the things you do best.

Things tucked away in your own treasure chest. 

You'll try some things on

that simply don't fit. 

Don't be discouraged

That's all part of it. 

And sometimes a someone will give you the feeling 

that his bells and whistles are much more appealing.

Look this way! Talk this way! Be just like me! 

That's monkey business. Don't eat from that tree. 

THIS BOOK IS SO FABULOUS.

I think everyone would be better off if they read it each week or so. 

I am occasionally on the fence about Nancy Tillman's art work. Some of it is so realistic it looks photographic, and others are impressionistic--it occasionally feels disjointed. But oh! there is such joy and delight in these pictures!!

You REALLY need to read this book. So do yourself a favor and read it RIGHT NOW. 

Big Friends by Linda Sarah & Illus by Benji Davies

This book is the story of a friendship from the point of view of a somewhat shy boy.  

I LOVE THIS BOOK. No really, it is fabulous. Read it now!

Do you remember Storm Whale? I said I loved the art and needed to look into more books by Benji Davies. Well lo and behold, Clover brought one up. 

(Apparently I wouldn't see books if it were not for Clover bringing them to me. At this point, there is truth to this statement...)

These two friends, Birt and Etho were two perfectly happy box carriers.

 And they have good reason to be happy because their world is rather beautiful.

What they did together changed by the day,

But always, always they're Big Friends.

This picture! Seriously. I want a friend to sit on the shed of a roof to watch the sun go down with me. Okay, I am middle age-ish. I would really rather watch the sun from a comfy Adirondack chair. But still. 

 

My heart! 

Birt loved their Etho-Birtness. He loved their two-by-two rhythm.

But.... Shu is on the horizon. 

(By the way,  these names!) 

He descends upon their friendship with his cardboard box.

Birt is pretty hesitant about this interloper.  His hesitancy makes him feel left out in the cold. Or in this case, the rain.

They have fun with Shu,

But Birt feels strange.

This continues until Birt gets upset enough and finally destroys his ticket to this friendship--his cardboard box.  If he can't Etho to himself, he doesn't want him at all. 

Working with a child with autism last year, I can see so much of this inflexibility in him. This is not just a special needs situation though, because I distinctly remember feeling like this when a third wheel came into our protective twosome. Feeling poorly done by and cherishing that perceived hurt until it was intolerable. "Fine! If they don't like me!"

Etho and Shu kept knocking, but Birt pretended not to hear them.  

But he missed Etho. He missed their cardboard castles on Sudden Hill.

One morning, Birt decides to open the door. And...

 

Shu and Etho had built something they called Mr. ClimbFierce.

It's amazing!

An incredible Monster-Box-Creature thing.

 

In his excitement over the possibilities, Birt forgets to feel strange. He finds he is having a lot of fun!

Life is good again. Especially beacause a picnic involving bunting is happening.

Birt liked their Etho-Shu-Birtness. 

Isn't that fabulous? This book understands childhood friendships. 

What do you do with an IDEA? by Kobi Yamada & Illus by Mae Besom

 

Hey there! Listen, I am in the midst of finals week. The struggle is real. Which is why I am being a little slack with blogging. But! the end is in sight. As in next week. One more major (SO MAJOR) paper and I am finis! Woohoo! I already have a long list of fluffy books I am going to devour when I can stop being serious and studious. 

Anyway, this is another lovely book from Clover's Thanksgiving stacks. I have heard great things about this book and it does not disappoint!

 

The illustrations are very effective--monochromatic, with the idea in color. 

 

At first, he wasn't sure what to do with his idea that was following him around.  But then he discovered he liked having it around.

 

But then he discovered he liked having it around. 

 

So he toted it around with him everywhere. It was a happy burden. 

Notice how the color is increasing as his idea gets bigger? Color. We all need color in our life. And ideas give us that color, people!

(Terrible picture!) 

Then people poke fun at his idea. So he abandons it and goes back to monochromatic life.

 

But doggone it! It was his idea. Why couldn't he do what he liked with it? So he did. 

I couldn't imagine my life without it.

 

 And when the idea had free reign, color exploded in his life.  

 

Ideas make us kings and queens of our world!

I think it is interesting that the idea is back to a tiny little thing. What does this mean? Once we act on an idea, do we become the master of it rather than it being the master of us? Or is that another couple ideas I see hiding right behind him? Does embracing one idea lead us to meet other ideas?

This is such a great book for middle elementary kids!

Aren't the watercolor illustrations so delicate and beautiful?! I really love this book!