July Favorite Reads Part 1

 I read so many amazing books in July I'm not even sure I can remember them all!

The Little Book of Living Small by Laura Fenton (Adult Nonfiction)

I loved the personal stories and all the clever storage solutions! I also enjoyed a lot of the designs and the importance of aesthetics even in small spaces. Dear Treefrog by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Diana Sudyka (Picture Book)

This book has everything I'm looking for in a book of illustrated poems. First, the language is simple and beautiful. The book begins and ends with "a tiny dollop of frog" and the poems are filled with beautiful lines: "the sun blinks open and the birds sing the world back together again." Each poem is also accompanied by a few facts relating to the poem's content, and the information isn't too overwhelming - just a few lines tucked down in the lower right-hand corner. And lastly, the illustrations completely transport me into the treefrog's world. This is one of those rare books I can momentarily leap into and live within while I'm reading it. It's so beautiful! Through the poems and illustrations, both Sidman and the illustrator, Diana Sudyka have created a world "so still the busy jumbled world slows down around you."

Unbound: The Life & Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Nonfiction Picture Book)

A beautifully illustrated and bittersweet story of twins Judith and Joyce Scott and their enduring connection even when physically separated for years. I am not a twin but have a deep connection with my brothers, so I can imagine how awful the separation must have felt when Judith was taken away and put in a home. Though they were separated for many years, I was overjoyed when Joyce and Judith connected again and when Joyce got Judith involved at a local art studio. I loved reading about Judith's story of how passionate she was about her art and how she became a world-renowned fiber artist.

A Piglet Called Truffle by Helen Peters and illustrated by Ellie Snowdon (Juvenile Fiction)

A surprisingly rich and detailed early chapter book with lovable characters, a charming farm setting, and lots of exciting things happening. I am impressed with how immersive this short read is. It felt like I had a new baby piglet while I read this book (Truffle is the exact name I would choose if I ever happen to have a piglet), and I felt like I was a part of Jasmine's challenges and joys of raising Truffle. I think losing her best friend's guinea pigs that she was babysitting (guinea pig sitting?) was a nice touch. It showed off Truffle's amazing search-and-rescue skills and Jasmine's perseverance and patience. I can't wait to read the second book!

Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog by Tom Watson (Juvenile Fiction)

I am a brand new member of the Stick Dog Fan Club, and I am ready to gush about this book with anyone who has thirty or so hours to spare. 

First, this book was SO funny. And not just to kids (my niece laughed most of the way through), but also to adults (I laughed at mostly different things). Just learning the dog's names and their personalities and what kinds of dogs they were was so much fun. Mutt was my favorite dog simply because he always had such silly things stuck in his fur. Also, the illustrations (plus the self-degrading humor about the illustrations) were hilarious. I can't imagine the amount of talent it takes to draw things that look wackadoodle and a little terrible but also completely recognizable at the same time. 

Second, there are SO MANY details. The dogs really want to eat some hot dogs from Peter's frankfurter cart and they all have ridiculous ideas about how to accomplish this goal. It's a lot to keep up with and their ideas are incredibly silly. But somehow both my niece and I were able to keep up with everything that was going on, and I have to say it made me feel pretty good about myself. I usually struggle with books that have more than two main characters. 

Third, this is a well-written book with lots of vocabulary-building potential. It especially stands out as a great read-aloud book. 

And lastly, one of the names of the dogs is Poo Poo, which got a laugh every time we read it out loud. I started noticing my niece looking ahead to see if Poo Poo was mentioned on the following page. If Poo Poo was mentioned, my niece jumped in to read even when it wasn't her turn.