In December, people often take inventory of all we’ve lost and found over the past year. In the picture book below, a young girl grapples with a great loss and, with time, finds comfort. 

Ella misses her mom so much she feels like a balloon without air. While others around her laugh and hum, she cries. She tries everything she can think of to find happiness again, from making a magic potion to catching a star. This heartfelt story of grief shows the journey of a young girl who finds comfort in memories of her mom and gradually begins to find happiness after a great loss. Paruzel-Gibson and Catrinella handle a tough topic in a beautiful, child-relatable way that will leave readers with a sense of understanding and hope. 
 
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​Have I got the perfect picture book for this holiday! 

In this book, cleverly written an illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, the reader goes along a journey as a child character searches their house for ghosts. They’ve heard things about ghosts, like some have chains and haunt the halls, but they’ve never seen one. As the child searches, the reader will see ghosts playing tricks and creating mischief on almost every page. The illustrations for this book are brilliant! Jeffers uses a combination of photographs of old houses, furniture, and other architectural elements with illustrated child and ghosts. He includes vellum pages between paper ones that make ghosts “appear” where the child main character can’t see them. Readers will delight in spotting the ghosts when the main character cannot and giggle along with the ghosts as they have their ghostly fun. This book is just delightful!
 
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​I’m not sure “fancy” is the word I’d use to describe the mouse in this book, but let’s celebrate this kind, generous, magical mouse today, shall we?

Oh, how I love Vincent the mouse! Perhaps I have a sweet spot for him because my dad’s middle name was Vincent and he, too, was generous (not to mention able to build a house). But I think it comes down the overall magic of this book. Jonatan Stutzman weaves an endearing tale of a mouse whose home always has room for more, no matter who is in need. Isabelle Arsenault’s engaging gouache, ink, and cut paper illustrations give the reader so much to look at, from the floral endpapers to the expressive critters to the furniture inside the house. She even includes a cute die cut house for a bit of peek-a-boo. This story of kindness, inclusivity, and magic is a must for your bookshelf!
 
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​You’ll find plenty of circles in today’s book, along with squares and triangles and rectangles and berries: 

The text and illustrations in this concept books are deceptively simple, but there’s nothing simple about this book. Carter Higgins’ creation is a multi-layered one full of treasure. It’s fun to read aloud. It’s full of bright, colorful illustrations. It introduces kids to shapes, colors, objects, relative words (over, under, etc.), patterns, perspective, and classification. It encourages the reader to think and play and imagine. Trust me—spend some time with this book and you’ll see just how brilliant it is.
 
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It makes sense that Magic Day is celebrated the same day as Halloween. Halloween is a magical holiday, after all. So today, I’m excited to share a review of a book features a magical witch, Hazel, and her granddaughter, Hilda, that’s a perfect read for this holiday or any day:  

Molly Idle does it again. This story features Hazel, who not only shares her memories with her granddaughter, Hilda, but brings them to life in the way only a witch could—with magic! The book spans the seasons with a gentle story arc that celebrates family, intergenerational connection, memory, and imagination. Idle’s gorgeous illustrations, done in shades of black, gray, and white on a sepia background, are a departure from her brightly colored books, but her art is no less exquisite. The text and art are striking, but subtly hint at what the story is about, leaving room for the reader’s interpretation and imagination to fill in the rest. I can’t say enough about this sweet, heart-warming tale, which is purely magical! 
 
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​Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated in either October or November, and this year (2022) it falls on October 24th. Whether or not you celebrate this holiday, I hope you’ll join me in reading about how one Indian girl celebrates Diwali in her new American home in: 

Priya is new to the United States and misses her Indian traditions, especially when it’s time for her favorite holiday, Diwali. No one around her seems to know about The Festival of Lights. So, at home, she joins her parents to prepare for the festivities. Soon it begins to look, smell, and taste more like the holiday she loves. When her neighbors take notice, they all share in the celebration. Shachi Kaushik’s story relatable and informative and includes back matter with an author’s explanation about Diwali and a glossary of terms used in the book. Aishwarya Tandon’s illustrations are expressive, colorful, and inclusive. This heartwarming story is about cultural and family traditions, overcoming homesickness, community and family connection, and Diwali, of course. 
 
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​Leif Erikson was a famous Norse explorer, so some who celebrate this day do so by embarking on a new adventure. Today I recommend a picture book about a Viking who does just that, despite a crippling fear: 

A Viking with a fear of the sea? That’s unusual, and a bit of a problem. For Stig it becomes even more of a problem when he meets Ingrid, the most fearless Viking he’s ever seen. He wants to tell her how he feels, but how can he when she spends her life at sea? This heart-warming tale had all the things I love and more: humor with heart, a main character you want to cheer for, a love story, a sea adventure, laugh-out-loud page turns, illustrated end papers (check out the difference between the front and back pages), a surprise under the book jacket, adorable illustrations, and even kittens. I urge you to join Viking Stig on his adventure to love!
 
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This holiday honors fire department dogs. What do dogs and fire departments have in common? Fire hydrants! That’s why today’s book review is on:

Lou thinks he’s a toilet because all day, every day, dogs use him to…well, you know. He knows he’s useful, but deep down he feels like he has something more inside him. Spoiler alert—Lou does figure out his true purpose as a fire hydrant, but you’ll have to read (and look at the illustrations) to find out how. Breanna Carzoo cleverly and humorously uses a fire hydrant to tell a story about self-worth, living up to your potential, and finding your true purpose. Her bold, colorful illustrations are expressive, cheerful, and essential to telling the story that is not shown in the text. She depicts a diverse cast of humans and canines, as well as a rascal cat (be sure to look carefully to see the cat’s crucial role in the story). Really fun read!
 
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When you start school, it’s important to be prepared: Pencils, pens, notebooks, calculators, and something to put it all in—a backpack! Did you know that today’s holiday strives to make sure students wear their backpacks safely? I’m sure Milly, the star of the following picture book, wears her backpack proudly for her…

Milly is so excited to finally be accepted to Unicorn School! There’s only one problem. She’s NOT a unicorn. That won’t stop Milly. She puts on a disguise that she’s sure will fool everyone. But will it? This book is adorable and perfect for unicorn lovers, back-to-school jitters, and those who just want to be accepted. Fun concept, engaging writing, colorful illustrations, and unicorns (or not)!
 
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For this day, I hope you buy any book that you connect with, but if you need a recommendation, I have one. It’s unfortunate, but I think this story is needed in U.S. classrooms, libraries, and homes. School lock-down drills are a serious topic that could be tricky to approach in a picture book, but the author-illustrator does a beautiful job in:

ONE THURSDAY AFTERNOON tells the story of Ava who, while with her Granddad in the park, shares how scared she was during a lockdown drill at school. Granddad patiently waits until Ava is ready to talk. When she is, he listens and acknowledges Ava’s feelings, and encourages her to spend time in nature and to paint using all her senses. What I liked about this book is how it tackles a heavy subject (that is, unfortunately, all too relevant today) in a direct manner. The grownup doesn’t solve the child’s problem or tell her that everything is okay. Instead, he provides a safe space for the child to sit in silence and then listens when the child is ready to share. He validates her feelings, offers comfort and support, and suggests a creative outlet. The story’s gentle arc resolves in a heartfelt, hopeful ending, followed by an author’s note that includes the inspiration behind the story and suggestions of what readers can do when fear creeps in our lives. What I love even more about the book is the art. Barbara DiLorenzo’s watercolor illustrations are dreamy. The soft color palette of golds, oranges, greens, and blues capture the calmness of a fall day in the park and match the serious nature of the text without being drab or depressing. I think this book is a must for classrooms, libraries, and homes, especially in today’s climate. 
 
Thank you to Flyaway Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review (which was voluntary)!
 
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Additional Resource: 
I think ONE THURSDAY AFTERNOON could be a great resource to support both children and grownups when dealing with the scary topic of school lockdowns. If you’re interested in an additional resource for an older child (preteen/teen), Worth Noting – A Kids Podcast About Current Events recently produced the episode “On the Topic of Mass Shootings.” The kid-appropriate episode shares information about the topic and how, “no matter how sad and scary they are to talk about, these mass shootings are Worth Noting.” Here is the link if you’d like to take a listen:
 https://worth-noting.simplecast.com/episodes/on-the-topic-of-mass-shooting