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| The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates with Juniper BatesWhat it is: a sweet story about a rainy day and a smiling red umbrella that offers limitless shelter to anyone and everyone who needs it.
Who it's for: With gentle watercolor art and a "boundlessly inclusive spirit" (Booklist), The Big Umbrella is for everyone.
Author alert: Illustrator Amy June Bates makes her writing debut alongside her 11-year-old daughter, Juniper. |
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Gary
by Leila Rudge
A grounded racing pigeon dreams of exploring the world in spite of his inability to fly, a wish that transforms his humdrum life when one day he falls into a travel basket and finds himself far from home and navigating his way through unexpected adventures. By the creator of A Perfect Place for Ted.
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Baabwaa & Wooliam
by David Elliott
A pair of sheep share quiet times marked by their respective love of knitting and reading before a bedraggled third sheep with suspicious teeth and a tattered wool coat enters their circle, causing one of the friends to reflect on what he has read about a wolf in sheep's clothing.
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The gold leaf
by Kirsten Hall
When the forest animals find a gold leaf, they fight about who gets to have it
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Ally-saurus & the very bossy monster
by Rich Torrey
When their games of pretend are disrupted by a newcomer who wants everyone to play by rules declaring that monsters cannot participate and that one of the children cannot bring his teddy bear, Ally-saurus gently helps her new friend understand that bossiness is no fun.
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How does your garden grow?
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| The Night Gardener by The Fan BrothersWhat it's about: William's life is glum and gray until the morning he awakes to discover a tree trimmed into the shape of a majestic owl. It's the first of many enchanting animal topiaries to appear in the night, leaving William to wonder: who's behind this arboreal art?
Why kids might like it: Muted twilight colors and intricate illustrations add to the air of mystery in this quiet, inspiring picture book.
Kids might also like: Peter Brown's The Curious Garden. |
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| Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas NealWhat it is: an attention-grabbing, earth-toned look at a single growing season with a girl and her grandmother, offering cutaway views to show not only the surface ecosystem of their garden, but also the teeming plant and animal life within the soil itself.
Series alert: For more nature nonfiction with a similar perspective, try Over and Under the Pond and Over and Under the Snow, also from author Kate Messner and illustrator Christopher Silas Neal. |
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| Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root; illustrated by G. Brian KarasWhat it's about: Soil, sunshine, water, and a seed -- that's all you need to start a farm or a garden. An urban alley provides a venue for the diverse community gardeners in this picture book, which also contains facts about gardening, suggestions for alternative containers (how about a bucket, a shoe, or a pot?), and an upbeat, empowering tone.
Kids might also like: Michael Foreman's The Seeds of Friendship or Anna Walker's Florette. |
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| Grandpa Green by Lane SmithWhat it's about: A boy gives a tour of his great-grandfather's topiary garden, which tells the story of the old man's life and, now that he's losing his memory, reminds him of its important events.
Who it's for: Elegant and understated, Grandpa Green is "a wonderful bridge to exploring family history with the very young" (Kirkus Reviews).
Further reading: For another tender ode to a grandparent whose memory is slipping, check out Reeve Lindbergh's My Little Grandmother Often Forgets. |
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And then it's spring
by Julie Fogliano
Simple text reveals the anticipation of a boy who, having planted seeds while everything around is brown, fears that something has gone wrong until, at last, the world turns green. By the Caldecott-winning artist of A Sick Day for Amos McGee.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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San Mateo Public Library 55 West 3rd Avenue San Mateo, California 94402 (650) 522-7802www.smplibrary.org |
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