This Beautiful Day by Richard Jackson & Illus by Suzy Lee

The contrast between the cover illustration and the title grabbed me as soon as I saw this book. 

The illustrations start out as black and white. 

Kids sitting at home being somewhat bored on a rainy day. 

Then the boy turns on the radio and music pours out.

Suddenly there is a little wisp of blue in the illustration and much more movement.

When their dancing gets to big to be contained inside, they venture outside with a parade of umbrellas

all of us skipping and singing and calling aloud

As the rain lets up, the colors pour into the illustrations

high-fiving

 and yes, 

we're alive-ing

Love the music and bounce of the text!

Such color and joy!

And finally they are back in the garden for a popsicle snack with their mother

all together, oh yes

I love how this book demonstrates the beauty to be had in every day/situation. 

Big Bear Ball by JoAnne Ryder & Illus by Steven Kellogg

This book is a riot of color and exuberance. 

I am sure I have already discussed my childhood obsession with Steven Kellogg. But if I haven't, he was a rockstar in my little kid library. Pinkerton! That wild sea monster! The tadpole that got too big! Paul Bunyan! Johnny Appleseed! 

He was kind of a big deal to us.

Those colors though!

This book is rhyming and lilting, one of those books that is sort of like a song without a tune.

Mostly, this book has a lot of bears getting together for a shin-dig.

And these bears do not stint on enthusiasm.

So much enthusiasm they get the other animals involved.

They even take on Gator.

And with the sunrise, they are away.

Until next time!

Seriously. Even though a lot of my favorite illustrators today use a muted palette and folk-arty style, Steven Kellogg will always have a place in my heart. 

My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith & Illus by Julie Flett

This book was sitting at our school bookfair, in among all the Shopkins, unicorn journals, and Disney character easy readers. 

I am not generally a huge fan of Scholastic bookfairs. BUT. This book. 

The dedication immediately piqued my interest. 

This book is dedicated to the former Indian Residential School students and their families--may you find what you seek...

Indian Residential Schools always interest me--such a devastating part of American history that is so under the radar. 

This book is full of reasons our hearts fill with happiness. 

The illustrations by Julie Flett are gorgeous. I love that they feature Native people. 

This page right here sold me on the whole book. Heart eyes! 

oh the delight

Love, love, love!

Grandmothers are the best

And at the end, we get a chance to think about what makes us happiest. 

A narwhal mommy and baby and a grandfather and grandbaby. 

Pass it On by Sophy Henn

Here is a bright burst of color on a grey, winter day! 

Except, I took these pictures in low light, so they aren't as BRIGHT as I would like. 

Pretty much any book with balloons on the cover is going to make me look at it. One of those psychological idiosyncrasies. 

I love the message of this book as well.

If something delights you, you can let it change your attitude and allow others to be made happier just because you are happy. 

I love spotting things of wonder and this book totally justifies me gushing about them to anyone who will listen. 

Things that justify me, delight me. 

Aren't they adorable? 

Even when things are grey and gloomy, things can always be made better with a big orange elephant. 

Pretty sure that is a fact of life. 

I love, love, love this book. 

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. 

In the Heart by Ann Turner & Illus by Salley Mavor

It seems a bit... pointless to be writing blog posts about children's books when there is so much turmoil and upheaval. (Las Vegas and Puerto Rico break my heart!) But there is a measure of comfort in the simplistic view of the world held in children's books--a reminder of a time when all the havoc of grown ups was something for them to deal with while I just got on being a kid. 

Sometime in the past few decades, the grown up has turned into me. And all the havoc of the world seems somehow my responsibility--something I should be doing something about. Yet, there is so very, very little we can do. 

So I continue to write blog posts about kids books. I rhapsodize about coziness, beautiful illustrations, lovely words, and tiny books. 

It may be like an ostrich, but we all have to make the world bearable for ourselves and those around us. So I continue to take pictures of books and talk about how delightful they are. Because that is what makes me happy. And if you are here, reading this post, kids books must make you happy in some shape or form. I like to think this is my way of making the world more beautiful. But whether it is or not, I do know that writing about kids books makes life more bearable for me. 

And now, back to this lovely fall book--

This book is so cozy! I mean it features felt characters after all... 

Isn't this tiny woolen world charming? I love how textural felt is as a medium! 

Salley Mavor is an incredible woolen artist. I sometimes think crafted and then photographed illustrations are hokey, but these illustrations are marvelous!

The heart of the day is the sun:

a warm blanket on my eyes and nose and feet,

a gold hat for my head.

This book explores all the different "hearts" there are in this child's world. 

The heart of the house is my kitchen:

orange cat by my seat, 

a muffin warms my hand, 

talk like clouds of steam. 

I want to be in that kitchen right now. Do you see the woolen plates?! Must. Have. 

The heart of the yard.

The heart of the town is my school. 

The heart of bedtime is my story:

your knees my chair,

your words in my hair,

pictures for dreams. 

Oh the security and warmth of these words and this scene! 

The pictures themselves are worth staring at for hours, but the words are so lovely and warm that they work together seamlessly to make this a treasure of a book!