30 Days of Diverse Picture Books - Tiger in My Soup by Kashmira Sheth

It's Day 17 in our 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books. This morning I read a terrific post by Angie at Fat Girl Reading, on Librarians and the #WeNeedDiverseBooks initiative. Bottom line: if you want diverse books, and your library doesn't have them, ASK! (Angie says it much better.)

And now on to tonight's pick, Tiger in My Soup by the ever-terrific Kashmira Sheth. I love this one because it illustrates just how fun diverse books can be - they need not be heavy and lesson-oriented, though those titles have their place, but can be imaginative and full of fancy. And Tiger in My Soup definitely fits that description!

The story revolves around a young boy whose sister is in charge of him. Sis is preoccupied and won't read the book our hero wants, though she will microwave him some soup. And that's where the trouble begins, for out of the steam of the boy's lunch comes one big hungry tiger! Naturally the story spins off from there, and it's a whole lot of crazy adventure that will keep your kiddos scrambling to turn the page. Jeffrey Ebbeler did the illustrations for Tiger in My Soup, and he manages to perfectly capture not only the bored vibe of the older sister, but also the frenetic energy of the boy (and, of course, the tiger!).

Tiger in My Soup is terrific to show kids how exciting reading can be - but don't be surprised if they're looking carefully at the next book you read, to see if the characters are literally leaping off the page!

Tiger in My Soup by Kashmira Sheth, published by Peachtree Publishers

30 Days of Diverse Picture Books - Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

It's Day 7 of 30 Days of Diverse Picture Books. The cool thing about reading lots of picture books is that you begin to narrow down your favorite authors and illustrators. Even Sprout has quite a list going by now, and loves to look for them whenever we go to the library.

Tonight's pick is by an author and illustrator team that Sprout and I both adore. Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn is the latest entry in the series featuring Lola and her family, including brother Leo. We have loved every single book in this series, and I'm happy to report that this latest is just as awesome as all the rest!

One thing I love about Lola Plants a Garden is that it teaches kids how to work through a project from beginning to end. Lola gets the idea for a garden from reading a poem; she tells her mom and they work on the project together, from designing to planting to decorating the garden and then throwing a party to show it off. Winsome illustrations by Rosalind Beardshaw are the perfect touch to complement McQuinn's storytelling.

Add Lola Plants a Garden to your list -- this is a sweet celebration of flowers, friends and books, and what could be better than that?

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn, published by Charlesbridge

Picture Book Review - Books Always Everywhere by Jane Blatt

Sprout had his first class library visit today. He couldn't wait to come home and tell me about it, and show me the two books he checked out to bring home (one on dinosaurs and one on bones - no big surprise from this aspiring paleontologist!). He was surprised that the library was kind of small, but still had lots of cool science books, and also that he didn't need his regular library card to check books out. Got this kiddo trained right, evidently!

By the way, in case you hadn't heard, September is National Library Card Month. This is a great time to visit your library, especially if you haven't been in a while - you might be surprised at all the cool things your library card entitles you to explore. It's also the perfect opportunity to sign your kiddos up for their own cards. Sprout got his card this spring and he is crazy proud of it. Every time we go to the desk to check something out, he has to tell the librarian he can use his own card now, not mommy's. :)

So, onto today's pick, which is a perfect choice for National Library Card Month if I do say so myself, since it's all about books. Jane Blatt's Books Always Everywhere is a lovely piece of poetry all oriented around babies and toddlers who are exploring books of all sorts. It's simple enough to read with the smallest kids - in fact this would be a great introduction to books for a baby storytime or one-on-one session. The large spreads feature just a few pages each, and gorgeous pictures for kids to focus on. I wasn't familiar with Sarah Massini's illustrations before, but I'll be keeping my eyes out for more from her - these pictures are just fantastic!

Of course you know I always look for diversity in books like these, and I'm pleased to say that there's plenty here. Best of all, it feels organic and not forced, adding to the title's overall charm. The other thing I especially love is how joyful the text and illustrations are. Books Always Everywhere is a celebration of books, and as such is as light and effervescent as can be. The kiddos and animals cavorting on the pages are having loads of fun experiencing books -- reading, creating with and sharing them. What better way to send kids the message that books are fun?!

Books Always Everywhere would make a terrific storytime pairing with Lola Reads to Leo or Wild About Books. But you needn't wait til you have all those titles at hand - grab yourself a copy and read it to your little one no matter where you are!

Books Always Everywhere by Jane Blatt, published by Random House Children's Books

Ages 1-4

Source: Library

Sample: "Book build / Book mat / Book chair / Book hat"

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Picture Book Review - The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

One thing that I think is often overlooked in the discussion about diverse books for kids is that we need to be reading books by diverse authors. Of course kids need to see a wide representation of individuals as characters in books, but they also need to know that children's book creators themselves come in a wide variety of shades, genders, abilities and so forth.

It's especially great when you can flip to an author photo and show your child someone who looks like them, or read about someone who was born in another country like they were. This might require us as parents and educators to look beyond our familiar stable of authors and illustrators, but I promise you, the results are worth it.

Get a load of that cover! Tonight's pick, The Midnight Library, is written and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara, a very talented author/illustrator who just happens to be from Japan. Sprout has a soft spot for the country since one of his favorite adults, Miss Yuki, is also from Japan -- in fact, for a while he was telling us he wanted to be an astronaut and live in Japan when he's a grown-up. (Not sure how active the Japanese space program is, but he likes sushi so I think he'd be happy there!).

Sprout loved the other Kohara book we read (Ghosts in the House!), and naturally I wanted to read The Midnight Library because, hello, library. I'm pleased to report that our expectations for this one were met and even exceeded. Kohara's managed to create a book with a very classic feel but that's also got modern sensibilities. The story centers around a little girl who runs, with the help of three owl assistants, a library that opens at midnight. Why midnight? Who knows, who cares - it's charming enough of an idea that it doesn't need explaining.

The patrons in The Midnight Library  have various issues, all of which the little librarian and her assistants handle ably and efficiently. Book too sad? They all read the book together to get past the sad part. Can't leave the book behind when it's time to go? Sign up for a library card. No matter the problem, the librarian has an answer -- reinforcing all the myriad ways that libraries can meet people's needs. That's a message I never get tired of hearing, and I love that Kohara has reinforced it in such a sweet title. And those illustrations. . . the woodblock technique coupled with the retro color palette makes for a real winner in our book.

Check out The Midnight Library for a title bursting with whimsy and sly bookishness - it's a great way to end any evening storytime!

The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara, published by Roaring Brook Press
Ages 3-5
Source: Library
First lines: "Once there was a library that opened only at night. / A little librarian worked there with her three assistant owls."
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