Book Talk

Hello,  Thanks checking out my blog :)  I absolutely love picture books!   I am so excited to embark on this new journey of writing and illustrating for kids.  Here are some of my favorite picture books that I read this year.  Look out for my special blog post on my favorite illustrated picture books at a later time.

 
My brother Charlie : a sister's story of autism / by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete ; illustrated by Shane Evans.

A girl tells what it is like living with her twin brother who has autism and sometimes finds it hard to communicate with words, but  in most ways, is just like any other boy.

 
Spork/ by Kyo Maclear; Illustratd by Isabelle Arenault

His mum is a spoon. His dad is a fork. And he's a bit of both. He's Spork! Spork sticks out in the regimented world of the cutlery drawer.



My feet are laughing / Lissette Norman ; pictures by Frank Morrison.
Sadie, an imaginative young Dominican American, relates her experiences growing up in her grandmother's brownstone house in Harlem.


 
Sometime My Mommy Gets Angry / by Bebe Moore Campbell; Illustrated by E.B lewis
A little girl copes with her mother's mental illness, with the help of her grandmother and friends.


Please, Louise / Toni Morrison ; Slade Morrison ; illustrated by Shadra Strickland.
On a gray, rainy day, everything seems particularly frightening and bad to Louise until she enters a library and finds books that help her to know and imagine the beauty and wonder that have been there all along.



Erik the red sees green / by Julie Anderson; illustrated by David Lopez.
When Erik begins having problems in school and on the soccer field, he discovers that he's color blind.


 
Some monsters are different / David Milgrim
Monsters celebrate their individuality.


 
It's okay to be different / by Todd Parr.
Illustrations and brief text describe all kinds of differences that are "okay," such as "It's Okay to be a different color," "It's Okay to need some help," "It's Okay to be adopted," and "It's Okay to have a Different nose."



Same, same, but different / Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw.
Pen pals Elliott and Kailash discover that even though they live in different countries--America and India--they both love to climb trees, own pets, and ride school buses.

 
A funny little bird/ by Jennifer Yerkes
A lonely, invisible bird adorns himself with brightly-colored feathers and flowers hoping to attract friends, but after catching the eye of a fox he runs so fast he loses his treasures and learns a lesson about friendship.

 
Spike the Mixed-up Monster/ by Susan Hood; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
While Spike, a tiny axolotl salamander, practices being the monster he believes he is, other animals call him cute and funny but when a gila monster arrives and the other creatures hide, Spike shows his true nature.

 
The Curious Garden /by Peter Brown
Liam discovers a hidden garden and with careful tending spreads color throughout the gray city.

 
Buzz /by Eileen Spinelli; Illustated by Vincent Nguyen
After learning that a bee's body is too chunky for flight, Buzz the bumblebee defies the laws of aerodynamics to save a friend in need.

 
A  bad case of stripes/ by David Shannon
In order to ensure her popularity, Camilla Cream always does what is expected, until the day arrives when she no longer recognizes herself.


Cuckoo!/ By Fiona Roberton
When Cuckoo hatches and does not speak the same language as the rest of his family, he bravely sets out to find someone who can understand him.

 
Pecan Baby/ by Jacqueline Woodson; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall
When Mama's pregnancy draws attention away from Gia, she worries that the special bond they share will disappear forever once the baby is born.

 

Ron’s big mission /by Rose Blue & Corinne J. Naden; Illustrated by Don Tate
The story of how nine-year-old Ron McNair, later a real-life scientist and Challenger astronaut, desegregated his Lake City, South Carolina, public library in the 1950s through peaceful resistance.