children’s illustrated book

The Fort, an elusive children’s book that perfectly captures their id

A great children’s illustrated book has a way of channeling into the way that kids think. It’s those centricities or absurd things that children think to themselves that make perfect sense to them, but no one else. This is the art of pretend play and the book is The Fort by Laura Pewdew with illustrations by Adelina Lirius. It manages to perfectly capture how the playground or rogue fort in the woods can dramatically change from one person to the next. It’s a book that exists in every child’s imagination, but is rarely seen in public.

The Fort, it gets children and captures their imagination

Nothing Wee About Me!, imagination play that’s just OK

The title of the book flows off the tongue. On the cover we see a young girl who we’ll come to know at Liesel, she’s taunting a dragon ten times bigger than her with a ladle. Once we open the book we’ll also meet her younger brother and her grandmother. They all go into her seaside cottager where the kids set upon playing with their imagination as they visit a castle, volcano and meeting all manner of friendly animals. But whatever you do, don’t accuse Liesel of being a wee girl. Grandma does and her response becomes the rallying cry for her as she fights down pirates or anything else that seems impossible.

The art is great, but the text is too long for a good-night book

I’m Gonna Push Through!, inspirational and divisive

How can something be inspirational and divisive? Before we dive into that, I’m Gonna Push Through! is not meant as a threat. It’s meant as a way for kids to become empowered. This is something that they can think or say to themselves when things get challenging. You can do it! I’m gonna push through, who doesn’t want their child-or themselves to have that can-do attitude?

Great message, preachy book

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao, family, cuisine, and culture

Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao is not a book about babies. My very limited Chinese knowledge knew that bao bao means baby. Thus, this is obviously a book about Amy and her search for the perfect baby. I was wrong. Had I thought about it for a moment the very large dumpling on the cover should’ve pointed me in the correct direction. Instead, Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao is about a young girl in search of the perfect dumpling. It’s a book about family traditions, good food, not getting discouraged and learning how to do things by yourself.

Bao, family, dealing with frustration and joy make up this breezy illustrated book