Anne Arrives by Kallie George and Illus by Abigail Halpin

I was a little skeptical of this book. I mean how can you distill LM Montgomery into a short little picture book? 

BUT it really only handles a chapter or two per book (because other books are in the works!), so it isn't wildly condensed.

And it is illustrated by Abigail Halpin who happens to be a favorite of mine.

End papers

Floral borders are the best.

Wild roses and Mrs. Lynde puzzling over Matthews unprecedented trip to Carmondy in the middle of the day. 

Rachel Lynde going over to grill Marilla about circumstances. 

Anne waiting patiently.

The thing about favorite books being turned into illustrated versions is things do not always look exactly how they look in your head. The White Way of Delight looked differently. And it wasn't sunset yet. 

I feel like I need to reread this just so I can see if I was missing some details. Because that is entirely possible. 

Discussing the burden of red hair.

Disappointment.

Communing with the Snow Queen outside her window.

Anne determined to be happy even though she was being sent back.

The red roads of Prince Edward Island

And then the delight of staying and getting to name the geranium on the window sill.

Mrs. Lynde receiving mortal offense. 

Anne in high dudgeon. 

Anne, crowned and boqueted with wildflowers. 

Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel by Kimberly Willis Holt

I admit it--I bought this for the cover. Flowers, long hair in the wind, and the phrase "Texas Sunrise Motel." A bit of a trifecta really. 

And it was SO GOOD.

Stevie is the beloved daughter of two flower/fruit farmers New Mexico . Life is good. Until some careless driver. runs into her parents roadside stand, killing both of them. That part is not good. 

When we meet Stevie, she is heading to her Grandfather and his Texas Sunrise Motel in Texas. She doesn't know her grandfather because her mother refused to speak of him. But since he is closest relative, off she goes. 

My mother and her brother were sent away from the family farm in Quebec to friends in Pennsylvania after her parent's death which made this book that much more interesting to me--I have always thought how devastating it must have been for my mother to lose her family, her farm, and her country. Stevie is much the same, minus the losing the country part.  

How do you recover from the total upset of your life?

Stevie isn't sure. But she is pretty sure that to continue life, she needs to be back on their farm. It is the only place that makes sense. But the adults in her life seem to have different ideas for her. As Stevie gets to know her gruff grandfather, the interesting residents of his motel, and the family she didn't even know she had, she begins to understand her mother and father better and learn a little of her own life story. When tough choices arise, Stevie has to think carefully about the new life she is building and what is most important to her. 

 And then, no matter where you are, there can always be flowers. Always.

This is a light book--we don't have any raw emotional scenes. But it feels authentic. Stevie is a girl I could relate to--her love of flowers! Her love of the family farm! There is a touch of friendship, a little bit of romance, family dynamics, and optimism to round it all out for a completely satisfying middle grade read. 

Icicles by Anonymous From Sing a Song of Seasons by Nosy Crow

Icicles

We are little icicles

Melting in the sun

Can  you see our tiny teardrops

Falling one by one? 

                                   --Annoymous

Fairy Poems by Laura Ingalls Wilder & Illus by Richard Hul

Did you know Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Fairy Poems? She did! While she was out in San Francisco seeing Rose, Rose got her a job writing poems for a children's paper. 

I don't often associate LIW with fairies. I mean so much of her life was so practical and no-nonsense, where would fairies fit in? 

But then, if someone loves flowers and nature as much as Laura did, fairies are not far behind. 

I found this little gem on the shelf in my library one day and was completely delighted. 

The illustrations are SO NOT Laura Ingalls Wilder--okay, Laura Ingalls Wilder is really just Garth Williams, but I love them anyway. 

The Fairy Dew Drop

Down by the spring one morning

Where the shadows still lay deep, 

I found in the heart of a flwoer

A tiny fairy asleep.

Her flower couch was perfumed,

Leaf curtains drawn with care,

And there she sweetly slumbered

With a jewel in her hair...

...But a sunbeam entered softly

And touched her, as she lay.

Whispering that 'twas morning 

And fairies must away. 

The fairies in the Sunshine

Painting flower and baby faces.

...They color all the apples

And work for days and weeks

To make the grapes bloom purple

And paint the peaches' cheeks.

Ah! There's a tiny fairy!

She's in the garden bed!

It's little Ray O'Sunshine

Who makes the roses red. 

The Naughty Four O'Clocks

This is a sweet little book of fairy poems--just a dozen or so, but so darling! 

A Perfect Day by Lane Smith

What is a perfect day? Does everyone think one particular kind of day is perfect? 

This is a great one for teaching perspective .

The sun figures in a lot of perfect day scenarios.

Cat loves to be in the daffodil bed with the sun. 

That is a perfect day for Cat.

Dog likes sun and water.

Chickadee likes sun and food.

For squirrel, a perfect day involves a corn cob all to herself. 

But a bear!!! That was not in the perfect day plan!

Bear eats the corn and ruins squirrel's perfect day. 

He ruins Dog's day. 

He ruins the flowers AND Cat's day at the same time. 

Bear is making this a terrible day for EVERYone. 

But wait a minute... is this Bear's perfect day?!

I think so. 

Why is the Snow White? Heinz Janisch & Silke Lefler

The other day, I was walking through our local Dollar General (you may laugh, but to those of us in Podunk, America DG is pretty fabulous!) and this book caught my eye. Who knew Dollar General had interesting books? 

This was originally published in Switzerland, which might be why I have never heard of it.

Snowdrops and Father Winter

The book opens with a father and daughter snuggled in a window seat discussing why the snow is white. 

When snow was being made, it went around to all the various flowers to ask them for a little of their color for the snow. 

Each flower agreed, but once they had given their color, they jealously demanded it back. 

Aren't these fanciful pictures? I love these flower people!

Even the grass was jealously guarding his color. 

Finally Father Snow asked the snowdrop flower to share her color and the snowdrop agreed. 

Snow became white and covered up the world. 

All the flowers who refused to share their color were mercilessly killed as soon as the snow touched each one. 

Only the little snowdrop was allowed to touch the snow and live. 

And that, is why the snow is white, my friend. 

Isn't that whimsical and gorgeous? I feel justified in break my buy nothing resolution to spend $3 on this one! 

Just so you know, my buy nothing resolution has been modified to have a small monthly budget for books. Because, lets get serious--I am a librarian. Books are what I do for a living. I will need to buy them here and there. 

Or at least that is what I say.