Book Recommendations (June 2021)
I'm very late in posting my book recommendations this month! June is a tough month for me with two significant dates (Father's Day and anniversary of Dad passing). I was so close to giving up and not doing it, but it is the only thing I actually want to do out of everything else on my plate. So I thought, better late than never! I really wanted to include books about fathers to honour father figures this month, so here are a few really beautiful books that gave me so many warm and fuzzy feelings. The other books are pretty special and amazing too and full of wonderful surprises and lessons! Scroll down to read all about them and click on the covers or titles to find them on Amazon!
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Daddy's Little Girl by Michael Gordon
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 5
Who needs a superhero when you have your dad? Written in beautiful rhyme this is an excellent story that honours all fathers in the world. It explores the girls's bond with her dad and his incredible superpowers.
Why I like this book:
This is the cutest and sweetest book about a father and daughter relationship. The rhyming story is well-written and the illustrations are absolutely adorable! Each scene made me smile and warmed my heart. The little girl adores her daddy and sees all his wonderful qualities as superpowers. Dads are heroes for many of us, and this book shows such a beautiful, loving relationship and unbreakable bond between the father and daughter. It is a must have for daughters, and dads would definitely enjoy reading this to their daughters as a bedtime story.
The Night Before Father's Day by Natasha Wing (Author), Amy Wummer (Illustrator)
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 8
It's Father's Day! Celebrate dads everywhere with bike rides, car washes, and more in this best-selling series.
It's the night before Father's Day, and Mom and the kids have a plan to surprise Dad with a special gift. When Dad goes for a bike ride, everyone gets to work. Dad wakes up the next day to find his garage newly organized and his car sparkly clean. So, of course, he celebrates by taking everyone for a spin!
Why I like this book:
This is another very sweet and beautiful rhyming story. I love the way the mother and children surprised the father and prepared for his special gift. It shows how much they all appreciate and adore him and wanted him to wake up to see everything sparkly clean and tidy. One of my love languages is Acts of Service and I really love it when people show their love by doing things to serve and help one another. It's an unspoken kind of love. It's not always easy to express our love verbally to our loved ones and simple acts like cleaning, tidying up a workspace or room for someone when they don't expect it can be a wonderful way to show our love. It's a must-read for any family, especially on Father's Day. I lost my dad a few years ago and I really wish I could have done more things like this to show him how much I love and appreciate him.
Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry (Author), Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 6
It's up to Daddy to give his daughter an extra-special hair style in this ode to self-confidence and the love between fathers and daughters, from Academy-Award winning director and former NFL wide receiver Matthew A. Cherry and New York Times bestselling illustrator Vashti Harrison.
Zuri's hair has a mind of its own. It kinks, coils, and curls every which way. Zuri knows it's beautiful. When Daddy steps in to style it for an extra special occasion, he has a lot to learn. But he LOVES his Zuri, and he'll do anything to make her -- and her hair -- happy.
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair -- and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. A perfect gift for special occasions including Father’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more!
Why I like this book:
I first saw the short film of Hair Love and thought it was so beautifully made. I loved the sweet father-daughter relationship portrayed. The animation and illustrations are a work of art. I wanted to check out the book too. The story itself is very sweet. Though it is a very short story, written in a simple manner, in captures a lot of details and emotions in the scenes through the illustrations. There are certain details and background information that isn't written but shows through the illustrations. I love that it shows the father trying all sorts of things to help Zuri with a special hair style for a special occasion. We are not told what the special occasion is until the end when we see Mom coming home. They hug in the end which beautifully ends the story with an overall message of love. It is also a story about loving oneself, even when your hair has a mind of its own!
Dogs DO Look Like You! by Victoria Smith (Author), Sketchy La Rue (Illustrator)
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 8
The idea that dogs can look like their owners is funny… but could it be true? And who picked who? Help Patch to investigate the owners and dogs of 'Canine Lovers Lane' to solve this mini-me doggy mystery!
Why I like this book:
This book is so much fun to read! I love the concept of the book and how it's told in rhyme. The illustrations by Sketchy La Rue are wonderful too! The amount of detail on each page is something to admire. Readers can learn about all kinds of dog breeds, and counting odd and even numbers while enjoying the humorous rhyming story and studying the features of each dog and its owner to see just how much they look alike. There are some fun facts and activities at the end of the book as well. It also features the cute dog Little h, from Victoria's first book Big H and Little h Dog, which readers can have fun spotting on all the pages. (If you haven't read that book yet, you should!) So much is packed into one book, kids will want to read it again and again! I had the pleasure of beta-reading this in the early stages and thought it's such a cleverly written and brilliant book! I highly recommend it and dog lovers everywhere need to check out this book. You won't be disappointed!
A Pocket Full of Cheer by Joe Starling (Author, Illustrator)
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 10
He couldn’t remember who, but someone once told him that you never stop learning. This was definitely true for Sam and the colourful creatures living in his top pocket.
A Pocket Full of Cheer follows Sam, from A Pocket Full of Colours, as he learns even more about the emotional creatures living in his top pocket and how he can manage these pesky feelings.
In this story, Sam meets Grey, a new creature who is really making Sam feel insecure. Cheer him on as he learns how he can live with Grey by using just a little bit of positivity. Sam also learns the valuable lesson that everyone has their own colourful creatures and, if you work hard enough, you can create new ones too!
Why I like this book:
I enjoyed the first book and was excited to see the second book come out! I had the privilege and honour of reading the draft and helping with the editing of this book, so I'm definitely a little biased! But here's why it's a great book:
As a follow-up to the first book, it introduces two new colours and emotions Grey and Orange. Throughout the story, we see Sam develop his confidence and courage with the help of his friend, Ryan, to overcome the negative voices in his head - Grey, who always bring a dark raincloud with him.
The illustrations are very unique and really capture the emotions described, with just enough detail for each scene. My favourite illustration is where little Orange is pushing Sam's leg and the other two are cheering him on, one in front and one behind him.
It's difficult to explain the different feelings and emotions to a child and they may not always understand why they feel the way they do or how to manage their changing emotions, especially the negative ones. This book is a great tool to help open up conversations about those emotions and provide scenarios and examples for children to understand and work through them. It also shows that it's okay to talk to someone about them, and that there are other people who may be going through similar kinds of emotions. I like that it ends with Sam noticing a girl on a park bench looking rather grey and offering to help her. I highly recommend it for kids of all ages and it would make a great addition to their home or school library. There are also activities and resources that go with the book. Get a copy to find out where you can get them!
Tiny Tinkles Town (English Spanish Edition) by Debra Krol (Author), Corinne Orazietti (Illustrator), Natalia Sepúlveda (Translator)
Book Description:
Ages: 3 to 8
SING your own SONG!
Join Bobby Bass, Tina Treble and all of their animal friends on a musical adventure in Tiny Tinkles Town. The Tiny Tinkles Little Musicians series takes a playful approach to learning music. Each book includes a story, songs to sing & play, and engaging activities to reinforce learning. This is an English and Spanish Bilingual book. There are videos, worksheets and other resources available on their website.
Why I like this book:
I really loved this book! It has so much packed into one book! It teaches simple musical concepts along with English and Spanish phrases to teach common expressions like "hello..." and animals names and sounds. It also links to a video on YouTube that teaches a song that goes with the book. Each spread uses a different animal which starts with the letter of the key on a piano (C for Cat, D for Dog etc.). And the piano keyboard is shown at the bottom of each page, with the animal sitting on the key. It's a fun and interactive way to learn, not just the musical notes and keys, but also letters, animals, and the sounds that they make! This book is excellent for young readers and music lovers. Highly recommended!
The author, Debra, has a YouTube channel full of fun interactive videos, bringing books to life through songs, games and activities as well, and it's such a fun way to learn, without realising you are learning! Click the link to check it out!
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Well, that wraps up this month's book recommendations! I hope you enjoyed reading about these awesome books and find something you like to check out! If you have a good book to recommend, submit it to the Kids' Corner page to be considered in next month's list of recommendations. They can be books you have written, or books you have enjoyed. Happy reading!
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