I can’t believe it’s already 2020; a new decade, new goals, new dreams, and the best part of all is all the new books available! I have two beautiful girls, the oldest one is 7 years old and the youngest is 6. I’m very proud of them. They both love books so I get very excited to bring them home new ones that I get to review. I can’t wait to buy them every single book in this list!
The Hunter and His Dog
Ages 5 to 9
Spotting a bird in the distance, the hunter and his dog begin a madcap chase across the world of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. They stumble into some of the artist’s most famous scenes: wedding dances, snowy villages, even the winding stairs of the Tower of Babel. Will they ever find the place where they belong?
This wordless book introduces young readers to the Flemish Renaissance artist and his most beloved works, including The Hunters in the Snow and Children’s Games. Includes informational endnote on Bruegel and an index of the paintings that inspired each illustration.
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Purchase The Hunter and His Dog at Amazon,Christianbook.com,Eerdmans, or your local bookstore.
As It Is In Heaven
All Ages
Éric Puybaret’s atmospheric paintings illuminate classic Christian prayers, drawn from over two thousand years of faith. Selections include the Apostles’ Creed, the Magnificat, and the Lord’s Prayer, as well as prayers from St. Francis, St. Augustine, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Each contemplative pairing of text and art invites readers to find new meaning in familiar words.
This book is an opportunity to introduce—or rediscover—words that have been prayed by people around the world for centuries.
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Letters from Bear
Ages: 5 to 9
Bear can’t imagine a whole winter without her friend, so when Bird migrates south, Bear decides to follow. She’s never left the forest before, but that won’t stop her from crossing oceans and mountains—and sending letters along the way. But a surprise is waiting for Bear on the beach…
Richly told in amusing letters and lush illustrations, this adventurous story invites readers to consider just how far they’d go for their friends.
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What a Masterpiece!
Ages 5 to 9
In this wordless picture book, the Western world’s greatest art is closer than you expect. A boy’s daily routines bring him face-to-face with Escher’s winding stairs, Banksy’s balloon girl, Picasso’s dancing fauns, and many more familiar sights. Maybe the boy’s bedroom looks a little like Van Gogh’s. Maybe that apple looks a bit like Magritte’s. And maybe another masterpiece is on its way…
A celebration of creativity across the centuries, What a Masterpiece! will inspire young artists to find wonder in their everyday lives. An art index after the story helps readers identify the cultural treasures behind the illustrations.
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Me and My Sister
Ages 3 to 7
Getting along with your sister is never easy—especially if your brains work in different ways! Based on the author’s childhood, Me and My Sister is a gentle exploration of growing up with an autistic sibling.
Life in a neurodiverse home isn’t straightforward: these siblings communicate and behave in different ways. They’re also unique people with different likes and dislikes. Misunderstandings are bound to happen! But despite the occasional bickering and confusion, maybe this brother and sister can discover new ways to love and help one another.
Siblings of all backgrounds will connect to this playfully illustrated story about embracing difference.
Vote for Me!
Ages 4 to 8
The lion loves elections—he wins every time. But when the mouse decides to run for president, other animals offer up their own candidates. Each one has a cause to champion: the ant wants a busier schedule, the German shepherd wants more law and order, and the wildebeest just wants everyone to live in peace. With so many options, how can the animals ever decide?
Amusingly told through vibrantly colored illustrations, Vote for Me! introduces readers to the wild process of selecting a good leader.
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Mom’s Sweater
Ages 4 to 8
What does it look like to live on, even when Mom is gone? In this grounded, sensitive story, a young girl looks for ways of dealing with the anger, loneliness, and jealousy that death can create. Finding comfort in her mother’s old sweater, she discovers that grief doesn’t necessarily grow smaller over time—but little by little, day by day, we can grow into grief.
With striking, bold illustrations and evocative text, this story will be a gentle companion for young readers who are experiencing loss.
The Chickens Build a Wall
Ages 4—8
Lexile: AD850L
The chickens at the farm are building a wall, and no one is quite sure why. But they know one thing: the hedgehog that wandered in must be trouble. So all winter they build and build, until they have a wall that towers over the barn. When spring comes, though, they find that everything hasn’t gone quite according to plan . . .
A fable for the modern day, The Chickens Build a Wall invites readers to examine the power of prejudice in their own communities.
Kids can add their own personal touch with a coloring page. Crayons not included.
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Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation
Ages 8-12
Full-color Illustrations Throughout
Lexile: 670L
Ben, a young slave, uses every chance he gets to teach himself to read, practicing with the words he sees on street signs and in shop windows and even in cast-off newspapers he finds in the gutter.
But after the Civil War breaks out, his master leaves town and Ben finds himself in a slave prison. One night, the prisoners bribe a guard to get their hands on a newspaper, and to the applause of his fellow slaves, Ben reads aloud the momentous news of Mr. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation — surely one of the most remarkable readings of that document ever.
Based on the true story of Benjamin Holmes, Pat Sherman’s stirring text and the memorable illustrations of Coretta Scott King medalist Floyd Cooper pay tribute to the power of freedom — and to the power of the written word.
Read more about this book on Eerdlings.
Order the audiobook, produced by Spoken Arts and read by LeVar Burton.
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Purchase Ben and the Emancipation Proclamation at Amazon, Christianbook.com, Eerdmans, or your local bookstore.
P.S. Those splits, again, were, white – 44%, animal/fantasy – 44%, and Diversity (typically of African American situated in slavery) – 11%. This unchanging mix needs to be addressed, as discussed at http://www.ValorenaOnline.com
You may also want to check out this book about kindness and diversity: https://www.amazon.com/Its-OK-Different-Childrens-Diversity/dp/0973410450/ It a perfect rhyming picture book for kids 2-8.