Babymoon

Title: Babymoon

Author: Hayley Barrett (check out the interview at Children’s Book Podcast)
Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
Publisher: Candlewick, 2019
Book Type: Love, New Baby
Ages: 3-6

Opening Lines:

The house is hushed. The lights are low.
We’re basking in a newborn glow.
The note we post says SEE YOU SOON.

Synopsis (from Amazon’s website):

Inside the cozy house, a baby has arrived! The world is eager to meet the newcomer, but there will be time enough for that later. Right now, the family is on its babymoon: cocooning, connecting, learning, and muddling through each new concern. While the term “babymoon” is often used to refer to a parents’ getaway before the birth of a child, it was originally coined by midwives to describe days like these: at home with a newborn, with the world held at bay and the wonder of a new family constellation unfolding.

Activities:

• If you have baby books for your children, sit down together and peruse through those treasured times. Or go through old baby pictures and home videos together. (Using iMovie my husband takes snippets of home movies and makes a 3-6 minute “baby movie”. My junior high kids still love them to this day.) 
• Tell a child the story of the day they were born and what their first days/months were like.

Why I Like This Book:

A perfect reminder for any parent-to-be to stop and take stock in those early precious bonding moments. For parents whose kids are older, it’s a trip down memory lane. The book feels true to the new parent experience. While the joyous text doesn’t directly mention new parent fatigue, you can see the loving tiredness in the art. Ms. Barret has a way with words. They are lush, soothing, cozy like a warm blanket. Ms. Martinez-Neal’s warm, soft illustrations cast a tender glow on the new parents as they bond with their baby. A beautiful combination. See for yourself.

Find Babymoon at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Goodreads
ISBN-10: 0763688523
ISBN-13: 978-0763688523

This review is part of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

BABYMOON. Text copyright © 2019 by Hayley Barrett. Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Juana Martinez-Neal. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher. This review nevertheless reflects my own and honest opinion about the book.

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Return (Journey Trilogy #3)

If you haven’t already head over to the Journey & Quest Giveaway for a chance to win the first two books in the Journey trilogy.

Title: Return

Author/Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Publisher: Candlewick Books, 2016
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Fantasy, Adventure

Synopsis (from Amazon’s website):

Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.

Activities:

• Check out this activity kit containing drawing prompts, coloring sheet, and tips for adults on how “to read” a wordless picture book aloud to kids.

Why I Like This Book:

It’s like watching a silent action-adventure movie. Who knew a wordless book could be filled with such tension. I love that it’s high-fantasy in a picture book format. The art is gorgeous and it is interesting to see the evolution of Mr. Becker’s art from the first book to the last. I do like how the series starts and ends with family.

A timeless trilogy for all.

Enjoy the magical trailer and RETURN to wonder.

Find Return at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads
ISBN-10: 1452138168
ISBN-13: 978-1452138169

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher. This review nevertheless reflects my own and honest opinion about the book.

Journey and Quest Giveaway!

In honor of the release RETURN, the final installment in the Journey trilogy, I’m helping run a giveaway of Books 1 & 2. These books are gorgeous. Fantasy storytelling in a picture book format. I highly encourage you to watch the trailers for each.

To enter leave a comment below. The giveaway is open to the US and Canada only, and ends on Monday, August 22, 2016 at 9pm PST.

Here is my review of RETURN.

Journey

Book #1 in the Journey trilogy

by Aaron Becker

A 2014 Caldecott Honor Book

Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship.

A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all.

Interview video with Aaron Becker
Journey Book Trailer
Q&A with Illustrator
Journey Trilogy Activity Kit

 

Quest

Book #2 in the Journey Trilogy

by Aaron Becker

Aaron Becker, creator of Journey, a Caldecott Honor book, presents the next chapter in his stunning wordless fantasy.

A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two children sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend. Journey lovers will be thrilled to follow its characters on a new adventure threaded with familiar elements, while new fans will be swept into a visually captivating story that is even richer and more exhilarating than the first.

Quest Book Trailer
Q&A with Illustrator
Guide to reading a Wordless Book

Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco

Title: Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco
Author: Judith Robbins Rose
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2015
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary, Multicultural
Themes: Immigrant Experience, Mentorship
Ages: 10 and up

Synopsis (Amazon website):

“Miss, will you be my Amiga?”
Amiga means “friend” in Spanish, but at the youth center, it meant a lady to take you places.
I never asked myself if two people as different as Miss and me could ever really be amigas.

When Jacinta Juarez is paired with a rich, famous mentor, she is swept away from the diapers and dishes of her own daily life into a world of new experiences. But crossing la linea into Miss’s world is scary. Half of Jacinta aches for the comfort of Mamá and the familiar safety of the barrio, while the other half longs to embrace a future that offers more than cleaning stuff for white people. When her family is torn apart, Jacinta needs to bring the two halves of herself together to win back everything she’s lost. Can she channel the power she’s gained from her mentor and the strength she’s inherited from Mamá to save her shattered home life?

Why I Like This Book:

A richly detailed story giving readers a glimpse of life in the barrio. The plot centers around 12-yr old Jacinta who has one foot in barrio world and one foot in Miss’s (mentor) world which offers new experiences likes gymnastics, swimming pools and French classes. The reader sees Jacinta being torn between doing the things she wants to do with Miss and her responsibilities to the family. The author has done a wonderful job of showing the raw, honest truth about the views of the people and the trials they face. I did enjoy the misconceptions that Jacinta had about Miss, they did add to lighten the story. While their mentorship-mentee relationship was filled with ups and downs, it was a richer experience in the end.

Not just a multi-cultural book but one about socio-economic diversity as well. The book moves along at a good clip with obstacles and conflict around every corner, though at times it did seem a bit much. I enjoyed this book serving as a window into another cultural society however I would’ve liked a little bit more something to help me understand the decisions the parents made for their family. Why did they choose to live in America if it meant living in fear of the police and barely making ends meet? At times the existence of Jacinta’s family seemed so dismal and bleak, I just wanted to see the warmness of the familial bonds instead of what just appeared to be obligations. There is a very nice line near the end of the story which did give me some closure on this aspect.

It’s what families do. And it’s not because we have to. It’s because we choose to do.

The author does a nice job in tying up the story and giving the reader hope that Jacinta has gotten strong from having one foot in each world and is better because of it.

This book has sparked my curiosity about the immigrant experience. Here are some other titles in this genre:
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
La Línea by Ann Jaramillo
Star in the Forest by Laura Resau
For additional books checkout the wonderful list at Pragmatic Mom website.

Find Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Goodreads
ISBN-10: 0763672351
ISBN-13: 978-0763672355

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher Candlewick Press. This review nevertheless reflects my own and honest opinion about the book.

Candlewick Press – Best of Picture Books Giveaway (US & Canada)

TIME Magazine recently published their 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time and 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time lists. Candlewick Press is offering a chance to win four of their titles which appeared on the Children’s Book list!

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Told completely in dialogue, this delicious take on the classic repetitive tale plays out in sly illustrations laced with visual humor– and winks at the reader with a wry irreverence that will have kids of all ages thrilled to be in on the joke.

$15.99 U.S./$18.00 CAN – ISBN: 9780763655983

 

Journey by Aaron Becker

Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship.

A Caldecott Honor Book (2014)

$15.99 U.S./$18.00 CAN – ISBN: 9780763660536

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Michelle Knudsen’s disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers. An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.

$$16.99 U.S./$20.00 CAN Hardcover – ISBN: 9780763622626
$6.99 U.S. /8.00 CAN Pbk – ISBN: 9780763637842

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Imagine the fun of going on a bear hunt-through tall, wavy grass (SWISHY SWISHY!); swampy mud (SQUELCH SQUELCH!); and a swirling whirling snowstorm (HOOOO WOOOO!) – only to find a “real” bear waiting at the end of the trail! For brave hunters and bear lovers, a classic chant-aloud.

Puzzle Book: $19.99 U.S./$23.00 CAN * ISBN: 9780763670733
Board & Plush Boxed Set: $11.99 U.S. /$13.00 CAN * ISBN: 9780763619794
Sound Novelty Book: $19.99 * ISBN: 9780763677022

Thanks to Candlewick, you can enter to win all 4 books! To enter leave a comment below telling us your favorite Candlewick picture book!

The giveaway is open to the US and Canada only, and ends Friday, January 30, 2015 at 9pm PST.

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