MONDAY FUNDAY – July 30, 2018

Happy Monday, fellow kidslit lovers! This week I’m loading everyone into my time machine for a quick trip to the future with a bunch of sneak peeks of picture books that aren’t yet released, but which you should already be adding to your TBR lists! A big thanks to the kind people at Raincoast Books for sending me the ARCS for all these delightful books, which will be publishing later this year.

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.

I Love You More Than…

There are plenty of reasons to love I Love You More Than…, but here are a few that immediately jump to mind. This sweet story celebrates the bond between a father and son who do not live together, representing a very common family living situation. The father repeatedly reassures his son that although they aren’t always together, the son is always on his father’s mind, and the father’s love never lessens or wavers with time or distance. It’s a wonderfully positive and deeply reassuring message for young children, delivered in a sweet and gentle way. The book is also a positive portrayal of black fatherhood, showcasing a dedicated, loving, reliable father who stands as sharp contrast to pervasive negative stereotypes. And then there’s the way the book challenges stereotypes of toxic masculinity by showing a father who’s comfortable being emotional, who’s comfortable talking about his feelings, who’s comfortable declaring his love for his child. I’ve read a few picture books recently that have shown hands-on, emotional, loving fathers , and this gradual shift really is a joy to behold. Emotions are as beautiful and powerful and absolutely normal for men as they are for women, and it’s about time that picture books allowed fathers to be just as loving and involved as mothers have been for generations. Shane W. Evans’ colourful illustrations capture the joy in simple every day moments shared between father and son. All in all, a wonderful picture book that’s definitely worth adding to your collection.

Source: Raincoast Books

Crafty Llama

I’m a big fan of process art programs at my library – activities where the point isn’t so much to make a specific thing as to enjoy the experience and the process of making. The adorable title character in Crafty Llama knows exactly what I mean! Llama enjoys making things, even if she doesn’t exactly know what she’s making, or why she’s making it. Her crafting attracts a crowd of likeminded animals who all join in on the crafting fun. All except Beaver, who struggles with the idea of making something that isn’t useful or practical. I have worked with a lot of little kids like Beaver, who find switching from product to process activities intimidating. The idea of making whatever they imagine, just for the fun of it, can feel overwhelming – they crave the structure that comes from working towards a specific goal, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from following a plan to its completion. Crafty Llama suggests that crafters can actually have it all – they can make things purely for the joy of making them, they can make things that have practical merit, they can craft alone and they can craft together – what really matters is the joy and satisfaction that comes from making something with your own hands. A very sweet story of friendship and crafting perfect for budding knitters, crafters and other young makers with adorable illustrations from Renata Liwska.

Source: Raincoast Books

Lucy Fell Down the Mountain

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

Oh my goodness do I ever love this book.

It’s a strange one, to be sure, and younger children might be confused as heck about what’s going on. But for slightly older readers, this hilarious, zany, madcap story works beautifully as a metaphor for life, and all its inevitable calamities. Lucy is falling down a mountain. More accurately, she’s hurtling down a mountain, bashing her head on rocks and freezing her bum in the snow. Lucy calls out to others for help, but no one seems able to stop her descent – in fact, they often just make things worse! Finally, Lucy discovers that she herself has the power, not to stop her fall, but to control it. This story just works on so many levels. It’s hilarious, it’s surreal, and it’s powerful. There are so many things in life we can’t control, all we can control is how we react to them, and try to make the best of this strange and unpredictable journey we call life.

When you’re having a terrible day, and nothing seems to be going right, sometimes the only thing you can do is be like Lucy, and just roll with it.

Source: Raincoast Books

King Alice

Not even a snow day can keep King Alice down! This delightful picture book from Caldecott winner Matthew Cordell is a slice-of-life story that follows an imaginative little girl and her loving if sometimes exasperated family through a typical day of fun, games, misbehaviour and making amends. Alice has declared herself King Alice, and since she’s stuck inside on a snow day, King Alice leads Daddy on an adventure through the house, filled with humour and heart. Anyone who has children or spends time with children will recognize their own charges in Alice, who zooms from idea to idea with breathless energy, sometimes getting a bit too into character, but always having the right idea at heart. Parents in particular will relate with poor old Daddy, who loves his daughter dearly but sometimes just wants a moment of peace and quiet! Alice isn’t always a good girl, and she sometimes makes mistakes (like bonking Daddy on the head with her hobby horse), but with a heartfelt apology, Daddy and his King Alice are right as rain again.

This is a real charmer of a book that is sure to delight parents perhaps even more than children, parents who know and love King Alices of their very own that keep them on their toes every minute of the day, but who they wouldn’t change for the world.

I hope everyone is having a lovely summer, and is as excited about these upcoming new releases as I am! Have a great week, friends!