November Reads Part 1

November was another great month for reading, so this will be a two-part post.

Here are my November favorites:

The Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (juvenile fiction)

This is a sweet and charming series about a variety of animals who run a hotel inside a tree. The characters are surprisingly multi-dimensional, the language is beautiful and complex for an early chapter book, and the story is engaging and has some surprising twists. This series also has lovely illustrations, which is a total bonus because the hotel and characters are vividly described and do not need the illustrations. I think this would make an excellent read-aloud book and I will be enthusiastically recommending it to animal lovers, people who love sweet stories about animals caring for each other, and anyone who wishes to be immersed in a magical world. Here is a favorite quote of mine: "'But remember, everyone's heart has hurts. Some more than others.' Did a hurt allow you to hurt others, though? Mona didn't think so. Still, she wondered exactly what hurts Tilly had." And Mona continues on, thinking about her new friends and whether they have hurts or not. It's such a beautiful display of empathy and so easy to understand, it nearly makes me weep with joy.

Be sure to take a look at the Heartwood Hotel website, where you can see a bigger picture of the tree and the different levels where each type of animal stays. You can also take a quiz to see which room would suit you best! 

A Couch for Llama by Leah Gilbert (picture book)

What a lovable llama!! And what a ridiculous story, but so funny and compelling you have no choice but to believe it. I have been looking for llamas and couches in fields since reading this, and I know that someday I'm going to get lucky and see such a thing. The llama's expressions are comparable to those of a beloved pet (his face goes from flummoxed to annoyed to complete adoration), the attention to detail is perfect (look for the spot on the couch that the llama chewed on), and the language is unbeatable. For example, "smooshy-mooshy, fluffy-puffy cushions."

Breathe and Be - A Book of Mindfulness Poems by Kate Coombs and illustrated by Anna Emilia Laitinen (easy nonfiction)

This is one of those rare books that checks all the boxes for me - beautiful language, stunning illustrations, and it's just as helpful as can be. I particularly like the poem, "When days crash thunder and throw lightning around I am still, watching. I am a calm umbrella inside the blue and gray storm." I think it's helpful to think of an image of something sturdy that protects us from the hurtful things around us and also from our own emotions, which can rain down on us just as much as the emotions of others. Before reading Breathe and Be, I can honestly say I never pretended to be an umbrella, but now I've been an umbrella a few times and it's fabulous. When it rains I pop open my canopy and can't help but giggle. Thankfully, laughter keeps the umbrella open.