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 titles, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.
So, I’ve been in a bit of a recreational reading slump recently – no reason, really, I just haven’t been able to find the right book to engage me and keep me interested. I have discovered a few new-to-me picture books that I’d love to share, though, so it’s not been a wasted week!
I also got to explore Word Vancouver, “Western Canada’s largest celebration of literacy and reading”, and I had the chance to discover some new-to-me B.C.-based writers, illustrators and publishers, which is always exciting! Maybe there will be a few new Reading Staycation posts coming up in the next few weeks…!!! 😉 So exciting to be able to support local creators and independent businesses – it’s not easy being a smaller fish in the big book ocean.
Mad About Monkeys is a mod new take on a children’s nonfiction text, packed full of swishy, eye-catching illustrations and interesting simian facts, all put together in an incredibly stylish package.
I’m in love with pretty much everything Flying Eye Books produces – they typically manage to create books that are visually stunning, without sacrifices quality for style. Like I mentioned, this is a beautiful book, but it’s doesn’t skimp on the information either, and offers your standard nonfiction text features, including a table of contents and an index. Best of both worlds, really.
On the completely other end of the picture book spectrum, we’ve got All for a Dime, which is so freaking adorable I just want to eat it all up. So cute!!
Bear, Mole and Skunk are ready for the farmer’s market, each laden with wares to sell. Unfortunately, Skunk and Mole have decided to sell products with a rather niche market, and wind up being their own best customers. In the end, Bear is the only one to make a profit at market, and he uses his dimes to buy ice cream to share with his friends. Economics 101 this ‘aint, and none of these characters are great entrepreneurial role models, but the spirit of sharing and caring is strong in this one, making for a sweet story of friendship.
Finally, I faced my fears of creepy crawlies and explored Angela DiTerlizzi’s Some Bugs (be sure to check out The Book Wars in the next few weeks for a more in-depth look).
The gentle rhyming text works beautifully as a read-aloud, and the googly-eyed little insects are just so expressive and adorable. I wish real insects were this cute….not to mention spiders…*shudder*…so not cute….
A wonderful picture book to inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world, and lots of fun to share and explore.
So, hope everyone has a great reading week, and try to stay dry if you’re in a grey, dreary, soggy part of the world like me!
That’s the first time I’ve seen a cute woodlouse.
I know! Not to mention cute spiders.
I don’t know any of these picture books. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful – I love being able to introduce people to new books! 🙂
I love your picture books! All so colorful and happy! Hope you will soon find a book that catches and keeps your attention. Enjoy your week and here’s my It’s Monday: http://marelithalkink.blogspot.co.za/2016/09/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-3.html
Yes – it’s been a great week for picture books. I’m making a trip out to the library today, so hopefully something will catch my eye 🙂
All lovely picture books, Jane, and it was fun to hear about that fabulous-sounding ‘word Vancouver’.
It’s wonderful to celebrate local authors, illustrators, poets, writers, publishers, bookstores and other book lovers!
Some Bugs was cute. I’m thinking of reading Some Pets.
Yes, I’ve been meaning to get my hands on Some Pets, I’m sure it’ll be pretty cute.
Thanks for sharing Mad About Monkeys. New-to-me title, and I loathe monkeys, so I would never pick this book up ordinarily, but the spread you shared is awesome. Looks like a must-have for my collection. And I will gladly send you some of our incessant sun for some of your rain and clouds! I love where I live, but I certainly would appreciate a few more cloudy days!
Yes, Monkey and Me is definitely a stylish take on nonfiction, something a bit out of the ordinary and quite refreshing. Yes, I’ll take some of that sunshine, please! We’ll be dreaming of it here for the next few months, though it does make for good reading weather.
Thanks for sharing these books. I meant to get to Word, but we have had two birthday celebrations in our house this week and I just couldn’t find/make time. Next year for sure!
It actually seemed a bit smaller this year, but still plenty of things to see, and it’s always interesting to get to meet publishers and authors. I’m a big fan of Orca, so it was exciting to meet some of their staff!
I love Some Bugs and the follow up Some Pets. The language begs to be reread!
Yes! Fantastic read-aloud language.
These books are all so beautiful! I miss children’s books… my girls are all in their 20’s now, but maybe some day we will have a new generation of little readers in the family 😉
Mad About Monkeys looks amazing – great layout for my sixth graders to get into and make the most of.
Yes, it really works well for older children because it isn’t at all “babyish”, I think they’ll really enjoy it.
I would have loved Mad About Monkeys and Some bugs when I was a child. All the non-fiction picture books I remember for kids were photo books, and not nearly as exciting as the illustrated fiction ones.
Bibliophile @ Reading in Reykjavik (commenting through my WordPress account).
I’m always happy with the Flying Eye Books, too. And having helped my daughter-in-law many times with the farmer’s markets, I’m afraid the premise of the second book is often true!
Thanks for sharing these.
I know, doesn’t Flying Eye just make the loveliest books?? I’ve always daydreamed about having my own little stall at the market, not that I know what I’d possibly sell!
Despite having lived in western WA for many years, I’ve only been to Vancouver once. I really liked the main downtown library.
The downtown library is pretty spectacular, and I often get to work in the big children’s department in the basement, lucky me! 🙂
I do like the look of all those books! I’m sure many little hands will be grabbing them! Enjoy your week!
They’re definitely all very kid-friendly and eye-catching. 🙂
Ahh! Mad About Monkeys looks delightful! I keep thinking Kellee would really like it. She is most certainly mad about monkeys (and apes and…well all of the related counterparts). Thanks for sharing these great books with us!
Love the illustrations in Some Bugs! Also like the look of Mad About Monkeys – I’ve been getting in to educational children’s books that are really appealing to the eye lately; I read them myself now, and then put them aside for when my toddler is a bit older. I’ll have to look in to this one. Thanks for sharing, I hope your reading week improves, a slump is never fun!
Some Bugs looks adorable and is going on my Wish List for my little girl! I am always on the lookout for good books for her and I hope that one day she loves books just as much as I do!
Thanks for sharing and hope you have a great week and get out of the reading slump!
I super enjoyed Mad About Monkeys. Flying Eye Books makes the best books.
They’re so inspiring – it’s so exciting to find publishers who are willing to take some chances and publish unique and unusual books, not just the same old standards.
Some Bugs looks so fun! I had seen Mad About Monkeys, but not that one. Thanks for sharing.