The Littlest Family's Big Day by Emily Winfield Martin

Do you remember the Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams? Well this is a redo of the classic. I am always nervous about redos from authors/illustrators I love. Because there is no way you can improve upon some things and then I have to feel awkward because I really love the work of the person behind the travesty. 

However, this is adorably adorable! It doesn't feel like a copy, so I am not endlessly comparing it and finding it wanting. It is just revisiting some old friends.  

Aren't these animals delightful?

We see this family moving into their forest home, complete with a red door. Red doors make tree trunk homes more marvelous. 

I kind of want their little things. 

Then they set out on a wander 

to see what they would find. 

A wander!!! I love this family already. 

A cute little butterfly/moth watching progress. 

Woodland neighbors. Pretty much my favorite pages in the entire book. 

A snail with mail! Gnomes and their home! 

Squirrels with banjos!

Rabbits with lattice topped pies! 

And that is just the one page. 

Cuteness overload!

They found the wind.

Of course they did. 

Arching cattails. 

They wander on water in leaf boats.  

And all this cuteness is followed by a storm. Which is equally delightful in it's own way. 

They shelter under a toadstool, because where else would cute people shelter?!

But when you are Lost, 

it is the best time to be Found.

So poetical and wise. 

And if I was so cute and little, I think I would be a little more worried about the owl.  

When their wander was done--

after hello and goodbye.

and the breeze and the wind,

and the river and the wild,

and the rain and the warm, 

and after Lost--

they found they were....

Home. 

And just in case we hadn't had enough cuteness, we get a bedtime picture. This picture makes me wonder about the baby. It is a baby or is it a pet? I think baby, but why is it sleeping in a bowl in the middle of the floor? 

Interesting....

But isn't this book marvelously adorable? 

Brave Like Me by Barbara Kerley

Remember how I once said I didn't like books with photograph illustrations? Well I lied. I LOVE THIS BOOK. I seriously can't get through it without tearing up.  

This book is a collection of photographs about children who have to be brave when their parent(s) go off to fight war or are stationed overseas. 

When someone is serving their country

 far from home, they have to brave. 

Their families have to be brave.

Even their kids have to be brave.

Like me. 

Before leaving, they spend a lot of time together. 

And then they say goodbye. 

Seriously, how can you not be a little weepy at these pictures? 

And then they're gone.

The house is too empty.

Who is going to take care of me? 

Yep. Teary. 

Sometimes I'm scared Mom will get hurt.

But I know she's really careful. 

Letters, skype, calls. 

At least we live in the age of Skype.

Doing their best so their parents can be proud. 

Aaagh! Writing to his kids. 

And this one. Gets. Me. Every. Time. 

Partly because I know a girl with that same dress. Which makes it that much more real. 

The homecoming. 

And then, at the back of the book, we see a little map of all the people in the pictures and where they lived and where their parents went on duty around the world. I love that they used real kids and tell their real story.

I love that this book exists. 

The happiness of life by Coleridge and Tasha Tudor

The happiness of life is made up of minute 

fractions--the little soon forgotten charities

of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt 

compliment, and the countless infinetesimals

of pleasurable and genial feeling. 

                                                                          --Samuel Taylor Coleridge

                                                                 The Improvisatore

From Tasha Tudor's Springs of Joy

This Is My Book by Mark Pett

This book speaks to the inner control freak in me. 

This is my book. I get to make the rules!!

Mark Pett describes what he does as the author and illustrator of the book. 

I am the author, 

and that means I get to write

all of the words.

I am also the illustrator,

so I get to make all of the pictures, too.

Here, I'll draw something. 

The panda he draws takes on a life of his own. 

Mark Pett gets a little short with the reader for scribbling on the pages. Although we know who is doing the scribbling. 

Little kids love knowing something the author doesn't. 

Finally he figures out what his creation is up to

Pett starts making rules to keep everything shipshape.

As quickly as he makes the rules, this unruly panda breaks them. 

Kids love misbehaving characters. 

Optimistically, he keeps making rules. 

Obstinately, the panda keeps breaking them. 

He adds some characters.

Book flaps!!

We love pull tabs!!

I feel like this when I am trying to get kids to clean their rooms. 

Pop-ups!

Finally everyone stops to listen. 

Which is boring. 

And finally he concedes that the characters are allowed to help. 

One of my favorite parts of this book is that it includes a little blank book for the reader to make their own book. What kid wouldn't love to have a little blank book?!

This part of the book is lost a little in a library, since not every kid that checks out the book can have a little blank book. But this is a fun book to discuss author/illustrator with young kids. And little blank books are easy enough to make.