Submitted by Ms. Tess!
I wanted to share some of my favorite non-fiction picture books of the year so far with you! Here they are:
True Stories
I’m Trying to Love Spiders
Submitted by Mr. Eric!
Spiders have never really bothered me. I’ve always thought of them as our tiny, little, fly-eating friends, but my wife doesn’t exactly see them as our pals. She simply can’t stand them. Every time she sees one creeping across our floor she puts me on “smashing duty” and I am tasked with smashing our little eight legged friends into tiny squishy bits. Exactly where am I going with this meandering thought? Well, I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton, made me instantly think of my wife. Every time I am tasked with smooshing a spider I tell her “but Amanda, without spiders there would be flies swarming all over the place, all over our heads, all of the time! Forever!” Does it work? No way. I’m Trying to Love Spiders is a fun story about how the author of the book tries to talk herself into not hating spiders. She describes some of the cool things that many of them can do, from cartwheeling to building trap doors, but it never really works. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the author exclaims “did you know that spiders produce web from proteins made from their own bodies? That would be like if we built our homes out of our own hair… and then used that hair house to catch our food!” This, of course, is accompanied by an adorable picture of a hair house with slices of pizza stuck in it. Anyone who has ever been afraid of spiders can relate to I’m Trying to Love Spiders. Along the way many spiders are smooshed, but we end up learning some cool things along the way. See this book listed in our catalog
Beautiful Birds
Submitted by Mr. Eric!
What makes Beautiful Birds, by Jean Roussen, illustrated by Emmanuelle Walker, such a special book is its vibrant illustrations. I know that as a librarian I’m probably supposed to judge books by quality of the story, but to be perfectly honest, with this book it’s all about the pictures. The actual text of the book is special too: it is an alphabet book that cleverly uses names of different species of birds for each letter. But it really is the illustrations that make this book something to behold. The style is a mix of art deco and water colors. Every page of the book looks like an old timey post card that you could receive from a relative that is visiting a far off land. It really is gorgeous! Each bird, from albatross to zosteropidae, is beautifully rendered in vibrant colors, so much so that at times it is almost hard to look away. This is certainly one book where is okay to judge a book by its cover! See this book listed in our catalog
This Day In June
Submitted by Ms. Amy!
With short rhyming text, and fun colorful illustrations, This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman PhD gives preschool and early elementary aged children and their favorite grown up a chance to experience an LGBTQ Pride Parade from the comfort of their own couch! Filled with balloons, children, happy marching people, dogs, motorcycles, fancy clothes, rainbows, and confetti, this book is a joyful celebration of a Pride parade, traditionally held during the month of June. Showing children that diversity is cause for celebration is a great way to both prevent bullying and reduce the impact of bullying on your child. I read this one with my 4-year-old, and we enjoyed talking about which fabulous shoes and dresses we liked best, finding the beautiful mermaid, counting doggies and balloons, and sharing hugs and kisses like the people in the parade. Written by a professor of psychology and women’s studies, this book also has carefully researched end pages which explain the history and significance of the words and pictures on each page, as well as recommendations for parents on ways to talk to different ages of children (3-5, 6-12, 13-18) about what it means to be LGBTQ, and how to answer children’s questions in age appropriate ways. See this book listed in our catalog
Construction
Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Construction by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock. The hardworking crew and machines from Roadwork are at it again, and this time they’re building something really special. Bold, rhythmic text, full of rhyming sound effects, and expertly detailed colored ink drawings show every stage as a multi-racial crew of men and women dig the foundations, pour concrete, raise the steel and wooden structure, install the roof and windows, lay the plumbing and electricity, and paint the walls. The final two full color spreads reveal the secret of what they’ve been so hard at work to build, and it’s something wonderful for the whole town to enjoy! The last page shows each piece of heavy equipment and explains its job, along with a diagram of a construction worker’s safety gear. See this book listed in our catalog
Coming Home
Submitted by Ms. Cassie!
In the beautifully illustrated book Coming Home Greg Ruth touches on one of the most difficult and wonderful experiences for many families: the moment when a service member returns home. The nearly wordless story demonstrates through the detailed water color and pencil drawings the intense amount of emotion that both those coming home and those waiting for loved ones may feel in those last few hours and minutes of separation. The joy and relief displayed on the characters’ faces will bring a smile (and maybe a tear) to the face of readers. This would be an especially appropriate and book to read and discuss with a little one getting ready to see mom or dad after a long absence. See this book listed in our catalog