MONDAY FUNDAY – June 4, 2018

Happy Monday, friends! It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus. The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. These weekly roundups are a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share some of the titles you’ve been enjoying, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.

While last week’s post was all about new picture books, this week we’re taking a look at new-to-me picture books. Some of these titles are a bit older, while others are fairly recent, but they’re all new discoveries for me, and I just have to share them!

Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding

Jenny’s favorite uncle is getting married, and Jenny is bereft. Who will shoot hoops with her, or get muddy playing outside on a Saturday afternoon with her? She was Uncle Peter’s special girl, but now his new wife is going to steal him away! But new Auntie Stella might just have a trick up her sleeve that will make this special day even more special.

I’ve actually been a bridesmaid twice, and both weddings blended Chinese and Western traditions, so this book was a fun little trip down memory lane! The tea ceremony, the groom challenges (we were definitely nice bridesmaids and went easy on the poor groom!), Uncle Peter’s brought back happy memories of two awesome Chinese weddings.

If you’re unfamiliar with Chinese wedding traditions, Uncle Peter’s Amazing Chinese Wedding offers a fun introduction to some common aspects, though of course no two weddings will ever be exactly the same. Jenny’s fear of change is spot-on, and her voice feels very authentic –  whether it’s a new baby, a marriage, or a move, a big change in a child’s family dynamic can be really stressful! With some reassurance from loving grownups, even the most stressful experiences can sometimes turn into magical ones.

Source: Library

Uncle Jed’s Barbershop

Uncle Jed dreams of opening his own barbershop, with comfy chairs and shining sinks and floors so clean they sparkle. But these are hard times, especially for African-Americans, and money is constantly short. Uncle Jed works hard, and though he is hit with setback after setback, he never gives up on his dream. This is an achingly beautiful tale of strength, perseverance and selflessness – Uncle Jed never lets his dreams stand in the way of doing good, and he always puts the needs of others first, even when it means putting his own desires to the side, at least for a while. Uncle Jed is the ultimate role model, and a moving antidote to a world that sometimes seems to place the needs and desires of the individual above all else. Uncle Jed has a dream, and he follows that dream with every ounce of his being, but never at the expense of others – a deeply, deeply inspiring message that we can all take to heart.

With stunning illustrations by James Ransome, Uncle Jed’s Barbershop is an absolutely must-have title for your library collection.

Source: Library

Flower Garden

Flower Garden blends spare, rhythmic, text with stunning illustrations in celebration of family. A young African-American child and her father plant a beautiful flower garden on the windowsill of their urban apartment as a surprise for the child’s mother. The text is lovely, the illustrations are lovely, the characters are diverse and the urban setting will appeal to many young readers. Being an urbanite myself, I grew up with small but colourful gardens lovingly tended by my parents, much like the one depicted in Flower Garden. The urban jungle is sometimes home to some lush green surprises! It’s also particularly nice to see a little girl and her father spending time together, as fathers still remain underrepresented in picture books. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Source: Library

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful week – it’s almost summer!