Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark & Illus by Madeline Kloepper

This book is everything I want in a picture book.

A focus on nature

Finding the magical in the ordinary

Inter-generational bonding

Taking walks

Cozy homes

Friendly world

I am not going to tell you how long I have had this book  checked out from the library. Suffice it to say it has been a while. A few weeks. Or months..... 

We moved a few months ago and I discovered a box of library books under my bed last week. Ooops. 

I have been putting off taking pictures for this book because I wanted to go out in the woods and find some tiny perfect things to take pictures with. Teeny flowers, emerging buds, perfectly red leaves, etc. 

The tiny, perfect things of winter melt too quickly for photographing with books. 

But today, I challenged myself to find some tiny, perfect things in the wintery woods while walking the dogs. It was a cold and windy day, but the sun made a brief appearance this afternoon. And there were so many tiny, perfect things in that magic time just before sunset--the way the lowering sun shines over a windswept field of snow, how the sun shines around bare trees, the little funnels of snow the wind whips up.... 

And so on the way back, I looked more closely for things that are perfect. The teeniest of buds on the trees that are there as soon as the leaves fall off in the fall. The dried seed heads of last summer's flowers. A spray of pine needles. 

There is magic and beauty all around us.

But back to the story!

A little girl and her grandfather head out for a walk, keeping their eyes open for tiny, perfect things. 

Windblown leaves

Spiderwebs

Bottle caps, sidewalk flowers, beautiful dogs.

I love this grandfather and little girl who are such friends!

Neighborly waves!

Red apples

And then, as the moon is rising, they head home.

There are things to tell Mommy!

(While Daddy cooks yummy food in a darling kitchen.)

And then, while everyone is cozying up, the little girl starts making plans for the walks they will take the next day. 

I love this inter-generational household! 

At the end of the book, there is a fold out section where readers can look for the pictured tiny, perfect things...

...in a picture of their neighborhood.

And then, I saw my paperwhites popping up. And if there is anything more perfect than emerging bulbs, I just don't know what is. 

Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin & Illus by Samantha Cotterill

This is one of those books that I had to read because... well, cute red plaid and a beret. AND she has a rock? With a matching beret?! Why? I needed to find out. 

Stuffed rabbits are disappointing pets.

Pet hopes and dreams!

And pet hopes and dreams crushed. 

The rock wasn't a very satisfactory pet, but it had it's good points.

I love the ridiculousness of this book!

Further disappointments.

But you can do anything if you set your mind to it! Including enjoying a pet rock! 

I want their blankets.

But all those pet hopes and dreams were about to come true...

Much to the surprise of her family!

I didn't tell you want Dennis the rock turned into! Aren't I being restrained and mysterious?! 

Ha!

The Very Little Girl by Phyllis Krasilovsky & Illus by Ninnon

This book is an adorable older book I found at a local library. For some reason, this particular library has a good collection of older books. I understand the principle behind removing older books (that generally aren't circulated) from the library, but I do love discovering older books like this! 

This one has sweet little illustrations with two-tone coloring. 

Once there was a very, very, very little girl. 

And we explore exactly how little she is. Smaller than her mother's workbasket!

Being little in an adult sized world!

The special accommodations little people need. Their own table, bed, and chair.

When I first read this, I wasn't sure if she was some magical miniature creature, all these special things she needs. Then I realized that little people do actually come with their own everything. As a mother, I can testify to the great quantity of stuff babies need because they are so little.

She was even smaller than other small people. 

But one day, she wasn't so small! She could do things all by herself.

And she kept getting bigger!

Let's discuss the color scheme--I adore green and pink together. All watermelon-y. 

These illustrations just kill me. So delicately adorable! 

Hello bedroom from my childhood dreams.

And we even have a winter scene. 

All this bigness got her ready for being a big sister to a baby brother who was very, very, very small. 

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.