a few reviews about squishes, bees, Mother Earth, a special tree, and an upcoming holiday

 I've been diving into my picture book TBR pile, which is humongous.

Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Alina Chau (Board Book)

I am impressed with how much information Eliot squeezed into such a concise description of the Lunar New Year. Though this is a board book, I think all ages will enjoy the details, traditions, and illustrations. And hopefully, like me, readers will want to know more and check out other books about the holiday.

Begin with a Bee by Liza Ketchum and illustrated by Claudia McGehee (Nonfiction Picture Book)

What a wonderful way to get kids (and adults too) excited about bees! Begin with a Bee is truly a work of art. The illustrations, which use the scratchboard art technique, are phenomenal, radiating an electricity that buzzes. My favorite spread is the transformation of grubs to pupae. I can feel my heart and enthusiasm growing with each little change. There’s so much depth and movement in these pages! The language is equally rich, includes many flower names, and yet it’s not too dense. My favorite line is “Flowers drop seeds, seeds that started when bumble bees buzzed the pollen loose from the flowers…” Spanning the course of an entire year, beginning and ending with a small hole in a ground, and following the life of a queen rust-patched bee, this book is an outstanding journey into the life of bees.

Dear Little One by Nina Laden and illustrated by Melissa Castrillón (Picture Book)

A singsongy letter from Mother Nature that encourages the reader to appreciate the earth. There isn’t a lot of explanation about why we should appreciate the earth, but perhaps this will encourage the reader to dig deeper and ask questions. What really stands out in this book are the illustrations. So much to see on every page, and so much color to get lost in.

Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Nonfiction Picture Book)

Survivor Tree tells the story of a Callery Pear tree, which was the last living thing pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers. Both text and illustrations are simple and haunting, but also comforting. The Callery pear tree needed a lot of help in order to survive. It was moved to a nursery and, once it was strong enough to be transported, back to where the towers once stood. It still bears the scars of 9/11 and visitors can see and touch the line between past and present. Included in this book are notes from both author and illustrator and a little more information about The Survivor Tree, including the seedling program, which is truly a thoughtful program. Colleen writes that by telling the tree’s story, she hopes “readers and their caregivers will find an entry point to a topic that is difficult to comprehend.”

Can I Give You a Squish? by Emily Neilson (Picture Book)

Not everybody likes squishes or hugs! When Kai gives Puffer Fish an unwanted hug he learns about all the ways his friends and family like to be greeted. Octopus likes tentacle shakes, Dolphin likes fin bumps, and his mom likes squishes. This is a great book to use as a platform to talk about tricky topics like touching, consent, and how others like to be greeted and shown affection. My favorite moment happens when puffer fish puffs up “like a water balloon, which is what puffer fish do when they are scared or upset.” This demonstrates social cues in such a simple way and provides space to talk about them. Puffer Fish also lets Kai know that he doesn’t like to be squished, which illustrates that we can politely let others know when something makes us uncomfortable. Neilson beautifully explores some big topics in Can I Give You a Squish, and if I could, I would give her a squish for her beautiful effort. But only if she’s ok with squishes!