Celebrate the weird, embrace the relentlessly happy and color outside of the lines. That sounds like an alternate catchphrase from The Magic School Bus. In reality, it’s a phrase that perfectly embodies When Pencil Met The Markers. When Pencil Met The Markers manages to hit all of these hallmarks in an illustrated book that could’ve been as effective as a peach marker trying to write on a polyurethaned table. Instead, the book delivers a joyous story that any kid will enjoy.
Do Not Go In There! is an illustrated book that looks at the two types of people. Some see the glass half full and those who see it as half empty. It’s a world made up of people who see possibilities and others who see reasons why something shouldn’t be done. Morton and Bogart are the two creatures that toss about the pros and cons in the book. They’re best friends, but like most best friends they don’t see eye to eye on everything.
If Our Favorite Day of the Year were an advertisement it was be from Benetton circa 1985. Their ads were culturally inclusive far ahead of today’s standard. I remember their ads from that time period as really breaking the barrier in that they reflected numerous skin tones in them. The clothes were standard and not really something that I wore, but the ads grabbed your attention from the get go. Our Favorite Day of the Year has that same vibe, but looks at a modern-day classroom and how this kid’s favorite day will be different than that kid’s.
Less is more. A children’s book that capture that essence is truly the stuff of good-night book legend. Hurry Up! By kate Dopirak with illustrations by Christopher Silas Neal is one of those books. It’s the perfect pairing of illustrations, words and message that allow for the book to be read once a night or re-read a couple of times in one sitting. This is a great good-night book that audiences one through seven will enjoy.
The cover and thickness of Exquisite might turn off some audiences. The subtitle of the book is The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. Many elementary aged kids we know don’t like poetry. This is also a thick illustrated book, implying that there’s a lot to read about poetry and an author that they might not have heard of. It’s worth having young audiences hang in there for Exquisite. While it is a book about a poet, Gwendolyn Brooks, the text in it doesn’t rhyme and isn’t boring. The book is thick, but the pages use the words sparingly on some of them. The result is a gorgeous book that will entertain readers aged five an up.
Somewhere between reality competition shows, Marvel movies and the love of books lies Willow the Armadillo. She’s an armadillo who wants to be a hero. She also loves picture books. A way to engage both of her passions is to become a hero in a picture book. The result is a cute book that never quite boils over with interest, but will entertain kids four through six who are looking for animal fun.
Alien Tomato is the kind of simple children’s illustrated book that gives a loving wink and nudge to the early adopters while playfully teasing those who are slow to accept. What’s great about the book is that its story is as equally entertaining for anyone on any side of the argument. Perhaps it’s best if we explain the plot of the book, then that description might be easier to draw parallels to children or even adults in your respective circles.
The Word For Friend has an inspiring message that is impossible to disagree with. The lead character is an anthropomorphic pangolin. To us, a pangolin is a dog-sized version of a roly poly with a long tail. Kemala has just moved to a new place and she doesn’t know the language. The kids in her class don’t speak what she speaks, everything sounds funny and it’s weird to hear the strange new sounds coming from her mouth.
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