I’m busy working on the second Moonbow newsletter, but in the meantime, I thought it would be fun for us to get to know each other. I want this newsletter to be a community, and I’m excited to learn and discover things about children’s books from YOU! Let’s start with an easy opener question:
What is your all-time favorite children’s book? (Bonus points if you also tell us why you love it.)
I can’t pick just one! Some of the most important books in my life were picture books: The Snowy Day, Corduroy, Miss Nelson is Missing, Strega Nona. I’ve talked about this before but I have immigrant parents and English isn’t their first language, and they didn’t really know that they should buy us books and read them to us. These were the first books I remember being read to us in school and they completely changed my life and opened up my whole world. My kid is a little scared of Miss Nelson is Missing, ha!
I also talk about this one a lot but one of my favourite contemporary kids’ books is Birdsong by Julie Flett (lovely, contemplative, a reminder of the cycles of life). It’s basically perfect, as far as I’m concerned. I love to think about all the talented Canadian women working in kids’ books these days, ha (Julie Flett, Julie Morstad, Isabelle Arsenault…).
Anabela, you’re so wise and thoughtful about picture books. Everyone should follow @TheGoldenRoom_! "The Snowy Day" has such impact with minimal plot, which is incredible (and often, my favorite adult books act similarly). I also loved “Miss Nelson Is Missing” — I feel like we all have a "Viola Swamp" teacher or coach that those books reminds us of. I agree wholeheartedly about "Birdsong." That is an incredible book. Hear, hear for such talented Canadian children’s authors!
Aw, thank you. Yeah, I think some of the things that captivated me about The Snowy Day and Corduroy was that they lived in apartments, which was fascinating to me! It's funny what details grip your imagination.
I absolutely adore 'Fortunately' by Remi Charlip. The book was published in 1964, and still holds up. I've read it for my nieces and nephews many, many (many) times. There's no great lesson to be learned (or at least that I've been able to unpack) and it's such a simple narrative/concept but its humor has stood the test of time. I have so much fun reading it to them because it always delivers belly laughs.
Kate, that is one of my all-times too! I have a soft spot for Charlip. He's so playful and experimental. It feels like his books are pure works of art. "Fortunately" is such a great book. That cover! That tunnel spread!
I will always be forever in love with Littlest Family’s Big Day and This is Sadie, because those two books were instant favorites and both illustrators Emily Winfield Martin and Julie Morstad can do know wrong and create magical worlds that children want to be in. Chirri and Chirra also achieves creating the perfect magical realm that my child loves to follow along to. Frog and Toad series will also have a special place in my heart because of how much my child loves their dynamic. I am about to write an essay on this because I can’t pick one ha! Other honorable mentions- The Night Kitchen and anything by Sendak, Piggy in the Puddle, I want my Hat Back, Leo a Ghost Story, Strega Nona, Mushroom Fan Club…
Oh, Ginny! Look at all these fantastic recommendations! I am with you on ALL of these. “Littlest Family’s Big Day” is beautiful and a sweet nod to “Little Fur Family.” “This Is Sadie” is so so great. My daughter and I adore reading that one together. I agree; Julie Morstad is one of the very best working in picture books today. Her books were some of the first that I bought when I had my daughter, so they will always have a special place in my heart. We read “Today” weekly. Also, the “Chirri and Chirra” books are so vivid and transporting. I can’t get enough. Thanks for all these great shares.
Me too! I think "Sick" is in that one, right? I remember thinking of that poem often when I wanted to stay home from school. One time, I held a thermometer near a table lamp lightbulb so that it would read hotter. I remember it working, but that seems wild to me now.
Apr 10, 2022·edited Apr 10, 2022Liked by Taylor Sterling
Where the Sidewalk Ends was delightful to me as a kid and made a lasting impression on me. The poems were so funny and fantastical! I know it sparked my love of poetry. Dogger by Shirley Hughes is my favorite children's story, being able to relate to the main character losing his favorite toy, it was really touching and heartwarming to me. (And on the topic of Shirley Hughes, Out & About is one I discovered as an adult and really love). Best of all I love Hunger Valley by Edward S. Fox, published in 1965. It's best for older children/very young teen. Unfortunately it's out of print, very likely due to the content, but it's a badass, dark, gritty survival story that takes place in Donner Pass. My mother in law has her copy from her childhood, but I've never been able to find a copy of my own. Still holding hope that I get ahold of one someday!
My son is one, this is a board book biased answer... The one from my childhood collection I'm reading him most is The Snowy Day (but only on snowy days). We also read a lot of Hungry caterpillar and brown bear. Newly discovered favorites are The Little Blue Truck and Feast for Ten. Feast for Ten had a sureal nostalgia during of 2020-2021, but I love how subtle it is for a counting book.
I loved Dr Seuss as a kid, but I find I do not like reading all those tongue twisters out loud as an adult. :-/
Melissa, I love these board books too. My son is 5 (almost 6), and he still loves to grab a board book every once and a while. Eric Carle is usually his go-to. This isn't a board book, but my son still grabs "Dear Zoo" by Rob Campbell all the time. He can't read yet, but he's memorized that book, and he likes to pretend that he is reading it. If you haven't read that one, I recommend it — great surprise flaps, animals, nice typography, and repetition. It's clean and effective. “Feast for Ten” is so great! I have to admit something: I don’t really like Dr. Seuss books for that same reason. I find them exhausting. There are a few I don’t mind, but most of them I usually kick far under the bed so my kids don’t ask for them. Whoops!
I have two favorites that have stuck with me since childhood. 1)Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. I think initially I was fascinated by this lifestyle of traveling and seeing far off lands but then ending up living on a cliff overlooking the sea amongst oodles of flowers. I think it planted the seed for loving moody beaches, and we now live in Portland ;). As I’ve grown older I always search for books illustrated by her because I think they’re so beautiful. I’ve even found a signed one at a second hand shop! 2) The Napping House by Audrey Wood. This one I fell for because I think it always gave me a sense of peace and security in the simplicity of a quiet home with a grandmother and pets that (obviously) loved the child. I still have copies of both these from when I was young, and this one you can tell got me through adolescence because there’s a smear of purple sparkly nail polish on the front. I also loved that this one took place in a rainy pastel blue world, so again, no wonder I ended up in the PNW! But both of these came with me to college for whenever things felt too overwhelming or scary and now I have them for my girls :).
Annie, I feel like we must be similar in age. Both those books were popular during my childhood. I don't have the best memory — so I don't remember reading "Miss Rumphius," but surely I did. I bet we read it in pre-school and kindergarten. However, I do remember "The Napping House.” Like "Goodnight Moon," I think of that book more for its color than its story — that purply-blue hue throughout most of the book really evokes the feeling of a sleepy, rainy day. So it seems fitting that there is a sparkly purple smear of nail polish on your copy. I also love that you took those books with you to college. That's amazing!
Taylor, I think we are close in age too! I just turned 39 end of last month so I’m in the last year of my 30s which is crazy! And I also think you’re right about the colors. Purple has always been my favorite color, so perhaps that’s why I was drawn to it even more. And yes, total nerd for bringing childrens books to college, but they are still a source of peace and innocence and wonder that I return to :).
Also, Annie: There is an event in Portland this weekend with picture book authors/illustrators Jon Klassen and Carson Ellis at the new Merci Milo shop. If you love kids' books, it's probably something you'd enjoy attending. You may know about it already, but just in case. :)
Yes! I saw the event in Ginny Branch’s stories yesterday and you helped me with book recommendations on Instagram yesterday as well! I think I’m more excited about it than my kids are ;).
As an elementary & middle school Librarian, it is soooooo hard to choose!! The ones from my childhood are constants -- A Chair For My Mother, The Jolly Postman, Brambly Hedge, Frog & Toad, In the Night Kitchen, any illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman or Steven Kellogg, Outside Over There...I love that I get to share them with more kids!
Librarians are heroes! I also love many of those. I didn’t read “In the Night Kitchen” until I was older, and it’s now become a staple. My kids like it too, but if I asked them why I don't think they could really answer (I'm going to ask them tonight). But that book and “Goodnight Moon” really get to me. Their poetic strangeness speak to the child in me (actually the adult too). Also, my husband and I fight over who reads “In the Night Kitchen” out loud better. It's me, of course ;)
The Giving Tree. As a kindergarten teacher this is a must when talking about friendships and boundaries…. And I always warn the kids that I may cry at the end, which I often do. And honestly everything by Shel Silverstein is geared towards relationships; e.g. The Missing Piece
Michelle, I love “The Giving Tree” too (such a divisive book). There may be some problematic things within the book, but most of us have experienced that type of relationship or witnessed it. Why not share a book that shows real life, even if it makes us sad or mad. The book makes me cry too, but I like that about it. It’s one of my favorite books because of its visceral impact.
Anything by James Marshall!!! His stories are so full of imagination and life. Any of the early Mercer Mayer books….his hand drawn art is so intricate. My favorites are One Monster After Another and Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp. William Steig is another great favorite, particularly Solomon the Rusty Nail. I love how he doesn’t shy away from danger!
Such great books! I'm a big James Marshall fan too. I think he was so funny and such a gifted artist. He really had a style. Steig is one of my very favorites too. I also love "Solomon the Rusty Nail." You're right, there is a TON of danger in his books, yet it doesn't feel reckless. I'm having a moment with "Amos & Boris" — his is writing in that one is breathtaking.
My favorite *right now* is Welcome to The Bunny Planet by Rosemary Wells. It's kind of a funny book because it's fairly long AND mixes bunnies/fantasy with real quotes from real people about rabbits. I love it because in Summer of 2019, we listened to the audio recording a lot. I was pregnant at the time and the book (and particularly the audio) takes me back to that time in the most lovely and nostalgic way. It was something I put on when the kids needed to sleep but I was too tired to read - I still find it calming and comforting.
"Far beneath the moon and stars, twenty light years south of Mars, spins the gentle bunny planet. And the Bunny Queen is Janet..." <3
I've never read that one, Anne. What a quote! I adore Rosemary Wells. “Noisy Nora” is a favorite in our house. I love what you said about how the audio recordings bring you back to that time in the most lovely and nostalgic way. I love imagining how these moments will live inside kids when they're older. Even if they don't remember the books, I think they will remember the feelings/moods they felt when reading (and hearing) these stories. So cool! I’ve been looking for some fun audiobooks for the kids — I will give this one a listen. Thanks!
This is a tough question! There are so many books that are neatly tuck away into different categories of my brain: beloved when I was a kid, beautiful text, inspiring illustration, books I've fell in love with as an adult, books that my kids and I both adore ... The categories are endless.
I'll go with one that one is living in my brain a lot lately: The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard. For the first two-thirds of the book it feels very a rather straightforward story about life on a little island. Then there's this page turn where things go off the rails when this kitten shows up. There's this illustration of the kitten leaping and looks bigger than the island that just melts my mind. It's so weird, the scale is so off, and it works perfectly. Then the island and the kitten are talking to one another ... and it just lasts for a few spreads. It's this strange hiccup in this story that is so magical and on point. I feel like so many people would edit that out, or be tempted to change the story to center around the kitten ... or have all the animals talking or something. I just love it so much.
What I would give to have a conversation with MWB about this story! And Leonard Weisgard too!
I'm with you on ALL of this! I said this was an "easy" opener, but picking a favorite is not easy if you’re a lover of children’s books. I adore "The Little Island" too. That strange hiccup in the middle makes so many people angry, but I love it (I also love how angry it makes people)! Without it, the book would be (as you said) straightforward and nice but not as memorable as it is with it. Picture books are so wonderful for those page-turning surprises. I also wish I could have a conversation with MWB or simply hear her speak at all. I’m not sure there is any audio that exists for the general public. If I’m wrong, someone, please share it with me!
Oh man this is such a tough question but I love anything by Shirley Hughes (beautiful depiction of simple childhood) , Alexandra day (Carl can teach us all a lot) , Nikki McClure (illustrations and also enforces simple relationships with the nature and world around us), and new author Emily Winfield Martin (illustrations are beyond and taps into a magical sensibility) .. if I had to pick a favorite right this minute though, it might be my friends Frog and Toad. They are funny, depict friendship in the best and sweetest of ways, and tackle issues we could all use a little help figuring out like using willpower to stop eating cookies (or not). ❤️
Meg, I love that I'm not that familiar with many of these! Emily Winfield Martin is lovely and whimsical. Frog & Toad are a favorite of mine too. So simple and yet so complex. Such beautiful stories that feel fun and explore the complicated dynamics of relationships. Also, I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to eating cookies.
Rachael, that’s the best! How special that he saved them. I've thought about starting a children's book delivery service so many times. The idea of curating books and then sending them to families sounds awesome, but the actual business/logistics of it doesn’t seem fun. So instead, I recommend them online (less pressure). Maybe one day.
I’ve wanted to read “Moomin, Mymble and Little My” for a while now. It’s on my list! I love that you included a Tove Jansson book. When we spoke about her books the other week, you mentioned which character reminds you of your daughter, but which character are YOU?
Thanks, R! You can be my first customer if, one day, I do it! Ha! And I can totally see you as Moominmama. She's the best! I like to think I'm Snufkin but I'm probably Moominpappa: he likes hats, and smokes a pipe (I've never smoked a pipe in my life, but I feel like I would like it, lol). He's a restless adventurer but he's chosen to stay put and try to be a good father for his family. xx
I can’t pick just one! Some of the most important books in my life were picture books: The Snowy Day, Corduroy, Miss Nelson is Missing, Strega Nona. I’ve talked about this before but I have immigrant parents and English isn’t their first language, and they didn’t really know that they should buy us books and read them to us. These were the first books I remember being read to us in school and they completely changed my life and opened up my whole world. My kid is a little scared of Miss Nelson is Missing, ha!
I also talk about this one a lot but one of my favourite contemporary kids’ books is Birdsong by Julie Flett (lovely, contemplative, a reminder of the cycles of life). It’s basically perfect, as far as I’m concerned. I love to think about all the talented Canadian women working in kids’ books these days, ha (Julie Flett, Julie Morstad, Isabelle Arsenault…).
Anabela, you’re so wise and thoughtful about picture books. Everyone should follow @TheGoldenRoom_! "The Snowy Day" has such impact with minimal plot, which is incredible (and often, my favorite adult books act similarly). I also loved “Miss Nelson Is Missing” — I feel like we all have a "Viola Swamp" teacher or coach that those books reminds us of. I agree wholeheartedly about "Birdsong." That is an incredible book. Hear, hear for such talented Canadian children’s authors!
Aw, thank you. Yeah, I think some of the things that captivated me about The Snowy Day and Corduroy was that they lived in apartments, which was fascinating to me! It's funny what details grip your imagination.
I absolutely adore 'Fortunately' by Remi Charlip. The book was published in 1964, and still holds up. I've read it for my nieces and nephews many, many (many) times. There's no great lesson to be learned (or at least that I've been able to unpack) and it's such a simple narrative/concept but its humor has stood the test of time. I have so much fun reading it to them because it always delivers belly laughs.
Kate, that is one of my all-times too! I have a soft spot for Charlip. He's so playful and experimental. It feels like his books are pure works of art. "Fortunately" is such a great book. That cover! That tunnel spread!
I will always be forever in love with Littlest Family’s Big Day and This is Sadie, because those two books were instant favorites and both illustrators Emily Winfield Martin and Julie Morstad can do know wrong and create magical worlds that children want to be in. Chirri and Chirra also achieves creating the perfect magical realm that my child loves to follow along to. Frog and Toad series will also have a special place in my heart because of how much my child loves their dynamic. I am about to write an essay on this because I can’t pick one ha! Other honorable mentions- The Night Kitchen and anything by Sendak, Piggy in the Puddle, I want my Hat Back, Leo a Ghost Story, Strega Nona, Mushroom Fan Club…
Oh, Ginny! Look at all these fantastic recommendations! I am with you on ALL of these. “Littlest Family’s Big Day” is beautiful and a sweet nod to “Little Fur Family.” “This Is Sadie” is so so great. My daughter and I adore reading that one together. I agree; Julie Morstad is one of the very best working in picture books today. Her books were some of the first that I bought when I had my daughter, so they will always have a special place in my heart. We read “Today” weekly. Also, the “Chirri and Chirra” books are so vivid and transporting. I can’t get enough. Thanks for all these great shares.
Gonna have to go with a classic - Where the sidewalk ends by Shel Silverstein. Loved it as a kid, still love it as a grown up kid.
Also: "Invitation" feels like a nice sentiment for this newsletter. :)
It is perfect !!!! i had to memorize a poem in school and i chose “Smart”
Me too! I think "Sick" is in that one, right? I remember thinking of that poem often when I wanted to stay home from school. One time, I held a thermometer near a table lamp lightbulb so that it would read hotter. I remember it working, but that seems wild to me now.
Where the Sidewalk Ends was delightful to me as a kid and made a lasting impression on me. The poems were so funny and fantastical! I know it sparked my love of poetry. Dogger by Shirley Hughes is my favorite children's story, being able to relate to the main character losing his favorite toy, it was really touching and heartwarming to me. (And on the topic of Shirley Hughes, Out & About is one I discovered as an adult and really love). Best of all I love Hunger Valley by Edward S. Fox, published in 1965. It's best for older children/very young teen. Unfortunately it's out of print, very likely due to the content, but it's a badass, dark, gritty survival story that takes place in Donner Pass. My mother in law has her copy from her childhood, but I've never been able to find a copy of my own. Still holding hope that I get ahold of one someday!
My son is one, this is a board book biased answer... The one from my childhood collection I'm reading him most is The Snowy Day (but only on snowy days). We also read a lot of Hungry caterpillar and brown bear. Newly discovered favorites are The Little Blue Truck and Feast for Ten. Feast for Ten had a sureal nostalgia during of 2020-2021, but I love how subtle it is for a counting book.
I loved Dr Seuss as a kid, but I find I do not like reading all those tongue twisters out loud as an adult. :-/
Melissa, I love these board books too. My son is 5 (almost 6), and he still loves to grab a board book every once and a while. Eric Carle is usually his go-to. This isn't a board book, but my son still grabs "Dear Zoo" by Rob Campbell all the time. He can't read yet, but he's memorized that book, and he likes to pretend that he is reading it. If you haven't read that one, I recommend it — great surprise flaps, animals, nice typography, and repetition. It's clean and effective. “Feast for Ten” is so great! I have to admit something: I don’t really like Dr. Seuss books for that same reason. I find them exhausting. There are a few I don’t mind, but most of them I usually kick far under the bed so my kids don’t ask for them. Whoops!
I have two favorites that have stuck with me since childhood. 1)Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. I think initially I was fascinated by this lifestyle of traveling and seeing far off lands but then ending up living on a cliff overlooking the sea amongst oodles of flowers. I think it planted the seed for loving moody beaches, and we now live in Portland ;). As I’ve grown older I always search for books illustrated by her because I think they’re so beautiful. I’ve even found a signed one at a second hand shop! 2) The Napping House by Audrey Wood. This one I fell for because I think it always gave me a sense of peace and security in the simplicity of a quiet home with a grandmother and pets that (obviously) loved the child. I still have copies of both these from when I was young, and this one you can tell got me through adolescence because there’s a smear of purple sparkly nail polish on the front. I also loved that this one took place in a rainy pastel blue world, so again, no wonder I ended up in the PNW! But both of these came with me to college for whenever things felt too overwhelming or scary and now I have them for my girls :).
Annie, I feel like we must be similar in age. Both those books were popular during my childhood. I don't have the best memory — so I don't remember reading "Miss Rumphius," but surely I did. I bet we read it in pre-school and kindergarten. However, I do remember "The Napping House.” Like "Goodnight Moon," I think of that book more for its color than its story — that purply-blue hue throughout most of the book really evokes the feeling of a sleepy, rainy day. So it seems fitting that there is a sparkly purple smear of nail polish on your copy. I also love that you took those books with you to college. That's amazing!
Taylor, I think we are close in age too! I just turned 39 end of last month so I’m in the last year of my 30s which is crazy! And I also think you’re right about the colors. Purple has always been my favorite color, so perhaps that’s why I was drawn to it even more. And yes, total nerd for bringing childrens books to college, but they are still a source of peace and innocence and wonder that I return to :).
Also, Annie: There is an event in Portland this weekend with picture book authors/illustrators Jon Klassen and Carson Ellis at the new Merci Milo shop. If you love kids' books, it's probably something you'd enjoy attending. You may know about it already, but just in case. :)
Yes! I saw the event in Ginny Branch’s stories yesterday and you helped me with book recommendations on Instagram yesterday as well! I think I’m more excited about it than my kids are ;).
Ha! Annie, I didn't realize that you were that Annie! HAVE SO MUCH FUN!
As an elementary & middle school Librarian, it is soooooo hard to choose!! The ones from my childhood are constants -- A Chair For My Mother, The Jolly Postman, Brambly Hedge, Frog & Toad, In the Night Kitchen, any illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman or Steven Kellogg, Outside Over There...I love that I get to share them with more kids!
Librarians are heroes! I also love many of those. I didn’t read “In the Night Kitchen” until I was older, and it’s now become a staple. My kids like it too, but if I asked them why I don't think they could really answer (I'm going to ask them tonight). But that book and “Goodnight Moon” really get to me. Their poetic strangeness speak to the child in me (actually the adult too). Also, my husband and I fight over who reads “In the Night Kitchen” out loud better. It's me, of course ;)
The Giving Tree. As a kindergarten teacher this is a must when talking about friendships and boundaries…. And I always warn the kids that I may cry at the end, which I often do. And honestly everything by Shel Silverstein is geared towards relationships; e.g. The Missing Piece
Michelle, I love “The Giving Tree” too (such a divisive book). There may be some problematic things within the book, but most of us have experienced that type of relationship or witnessed it. Why not share a book that shows real life, even if it makes us sad or mad. The book makes me cry too, but I like that about it. It’s one of my favorite books because of its visceral impact.
Anything by James Marshall!!! His stories are so full of imagination and life. Any of the early Mercer Mayer books….his hand drawn art is so intricate. My favorites are One Monster After Another and Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp. William Steig is another great favorite, particularly Solomon the Rusty Nail. I love how he doesn’t shy away from danger!
Such great books! I'm a big James Marshall fan too. I think he was so funny and such a gifted artist. He really had a style. Steig is one of my very favorites too. I also love "Solomon the Rusty Nail." You're right, there is a TON of danger in his books, yet it doesn't feel reckless. I'm having a moment with "Amos & Boris" — his is writing in that one is breathtaking.
My favorite *right now* is Welcome to The Bunny Planet by Rosemary Wells. It's kind of a funny book because it's fairly long AND mixes bunnies/fantasy with real quotes from real people about rabbits. I love it because in Summer of 2019, we listened to the audio recording a lot. I was pregnant at the time and the book (and particularly the audio) takes me back to that time in the most lovely and nostalgic way. It was something I put on when the kids needed to sleep but I was too tired to read - I still find it calming and comforting.
"Far beneath the moon and stars, twenty light years south of Mars, spins the gentle bunny planet. And the Bunny Queen is Janet..." <3
I've never read that one, Anne. What a quote! I adore Rosemary Wells. “Noisy Nora” is a favorite in our house. I love what you said about how the audio recordings bring you back to that time in the most lovely and nostalgic way. I love imagining how these moments will live inside kids when they're older. Even if they don't remember the books, I think they will remember the feelings/moods they felt when reading (and hearing) these stories. So cool! I’ve been looking for some fun audiobooks for the kids — I will give this one a listen. Thanks!
I think that the narrator of the version we listen to is Maggie Gyllenthal. Let me know what you think!
Also! We are just listening to it now. It's Voyage to the Bunny Planet - Rosemary Wells. I always have it wrong in my head.
This is a tough question! There are so many books that are neatly tuck away into different categories of my brain: beloved when I was a kid, beautiful text, inspiring illustration, books I've fell in love with as an adult, books that my kids and I both adore ... The categories are endless.
I'll go with one that one is living in my brain a lot lately: The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard. For the first two-thirds of the book it feels very a rather straightforward story about life on a little island. Then there's this page turn where things go off the rails when this kitten shows up. There's this illustration of the kitten leaping and looks bigger than the island that just melts my mind. It's so weird, the scale is so off, and it works perfectly. Then the island and the kitten are talking to one another ... and it just lasts for a few spreads. It's this strange hiccup in this story that is so magical and on point. I feel like so many people would edit that out, or be tempted to change the story to center around the kitten ... or have all the animals talking or something. I just love it so much.
What I would give to have a conversation with MWB about this story! And Leonard Weisgard too!
I'm with you on ALL of this! I said this was an "easy" opener, but picking a favorite is not easy if you’re a lover of children’s books. I adore "The Little Island" too. That strange hiccup in the middle makes so many people angry, but I love it (I also love how angry it makes people)! Without it, the book would be (as you said) straightforward and nice but not as memorable as it is with it. Picture books are so wonderful for those page-turning surprises. I also wish I could have a conversation with MWB or simply hear her speak at all. I’m not sure there is any audio that exists for the general public. If I’m wrong, someone, please share it with me!
Oh man this is such a tough question but I love anything by Shirley Hughes (beautiful depiction of simple childhood) , Alexandra day (Carl can teach us all a lot) , Nikki McClure (illustrations and also enforces simple relationships with the nature and world around us), and new author Emily Winfield Martin (illustrations are beyond and taps into a magical sensibility) .. if I had to pick a favorite right this minute though, it might be my friends Frog and Toad. They are funny, depict friendship in the best and sweetest of ways, and tackle issues we could all use a little help figuring out like using willpower to stop eating cookies (or not). ❤️
Meg, I love that I'm not that familiar with many of these! Emily Winfield Martin is lovely and whimsical. Frog & Toad are a favorite of mine too. So simple and yet so complex. Such beautiful stories that feel fun and explore the complicated dynamics of relationships. Also, I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to eating cookies.
Rachael, that’s the best! How special that he saved them. I've thought about starting a children's book delivery service so many times. The idea of curating books and then sending them to families sounds awesome, but the actual business/logistics of it doesn’t seem fun. So instead, I recommend them online (less pressure). Maybe one day.
I’ve wanted to read “Moomin, Mymble and Little My” for a while now. It’s on my list! I love that you included a Tove Jansson book. When we spoke about her books the other week, you mentioned which character reminds you of your daughter, but which character are YOU?
Thanks, R! You can be my first customer if, one day, I do it! Ha! And I can totally see you as Moominmama. She's the best! I like to think I'm Snufkin but I'm probably Moominpappa: he likes hats, and smokes a pipe (I've never smoked a pipe in my life, but I feel like I would like it, lol). He's a restless adventurer but he's chosen to stay put and try to be a good father for his family. xx