Anatole
The best children’s books are those that are both written and illustrated to communicate a cultural issue that allows children to think about what’s being presented to them. These books often display humor or assign human characteristics to animal characters to make children laugh and encourage communication since kids don’t always know how to verbalize what they are feeling. Read more 
The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy is the heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a young boy named Brian – a talented, creative, and quiet child who is all but invisible to the world around him, to his teacher who is preoccupied with the disruptive children, to his classmates playing kickball, and to the other kids in the lunchroom and classroom. Then, one day a boy named Justin joins Brian’s class. Different from the other children, Justin eats Korean food (prepared by his grandmother) with chopsticks while the other children eat more traditional American lunches with their hands. Read more
Each Kindness
Each Kindness is a beautiful picture book with a powerful message about how we treat people and the regrets we may have. Written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, Each Kindness is told from the perspective of a young girl named Chloe who tells the story of what happened when a new girl named Maya joined her class in primary school (the book does not specify the grade but it appears to be about second or third grade).
Chloe recounts with brutal honesty how she shunned the new girl, made fun of her, and refused all attempts at friendship throughout the school year. When Ms. Albert, their teacher gives a lesson on kindness, Chloe wonders how much better the year could have been if she had shown Maya a little kindness and opened her heart to friendship. Read more
The Most Magnificent Thing
Reading a children’s book can be magical even if you’re reading the book to yourself because the story can take you back to a time when you thought extraordinary things were still possible.
Reading James and The Giant Peach when I was 9 years old filled me with morbid fear of Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge who were terribly cruel to little James. But, the story also filled me with great joy when James prevailed despite the odds. And, who could forget Charlotte’s Web where the love of a little girl and the devotion of a spider saved Wilbur from a terrible fate? Read more
Waiting
Books are often the first exposure to art that children have. Keeping that in mind urges me to make the very best books possible. I know how important the books from my childhood were (and are) to me. Without them, I might not be a writer and artist today. ~Kevin Henkes
There are books that stay with us for a lifetime even if we only had the pleasure of discovering their magic as adults reading to children. If you’re a parent, there is a high probability at least one book written by Kevin Henkes is on your child’s bookshelf. A contemporary writer of children’s books, Henkes is the author of more than a dozen titles including Wemberly Worried, Julius The Baby of the World, Sheila Rae, the Brave, Chester’s Way, A Weekend with Wendell, Owen, Chrysanthemum, Lilly’s Big Day, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, and Waiting, a Caldecott Honor Book published in 2015. Read more
Little Kids And Their Big Dogs
Little Kids And Their Big Dogs is one of the most beautiful heartwarming books you will ever have the pleasure of looking through and reading. Written and illustrated by Andy Seliverstoff, a professional dog photographer, Little Kids And Their Big Dogs is not another coffee table book filled with beautiful photographs (although the images are undeniably stunning) but a book filled with images and words that capture the innocence, purity, and special bond between children and dogs. Read more
Journey
A picture is worth a thousand words.
People often talk about the power of words but consider for a moment the power of pictures. The well-known saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is easily understood when we think of the Mona Lisa or American Gothic but the meaning takes on a whole new dimension when applied to a children’s picture book called Journey by Aaron Becker, a man who has been known to say his favorite destination remains in his imagination. Read more
Finding Winnie
The heart of this story, to me, has always been that you never know the impact one small, loving gesture can have. It is the dedication to my son Cole and it is the one piece I hope all readers will take away from Finding Winnie. ~Lindsay Mattick
Finding Winnie is the true story of a baby bear rescued by a veterinarian in White River, Canada just as World War I was beginning in 1914.
Harry Colebourn was living in Winnipeg when he had to say good-bye to his family and friends before traveling across Canada to reach an oceanliner that would take him to Europe where he would serve as a veterinarian for the Canadian army’s horses. When the train stopped in White River, Canada, Colebourn noticed a man sitting on bench holding on to a rope tied to a baby bear. He offered the man $20 for the baby bear and the rest is history. Read more
The Day the Crayons Quit
The battle lines have been drawn.
Every office in the country should have a copy of The Day the Crayons Quit lying around. People may scoff, roll their eyes, and even think that someone left their kid’s book at the office or the waiting room by mistake, but don’t turn away. Pick up the book and read it. Maybe it’s been a few years since you’ve read a children’s book (if you’re not the proud parental unit of a child under the age of 10, then it’s probably been a while). This one’s worth it. Read more
10 Better Halloween Treats
Halloween is that one day of the year when it’s all about the candy from the moment the kids wake up to that serene moment when you tuck their sugar laden bodies into bed. Although most people have to go with the flow and tolerate their kids bringing bags of sugary candy (is there any other kind?) home, there are ways to work around the system and provide trick or treaters (and your kids) with a delicious treat that isn’t loaded with garbage. Read more
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