crickets of doom, henna, favorite things, maps, pinging, & big words

Ode to a Bad Day by Chelsea Lin Wallace and illustrated by Hyewon Yum (Picture Book)

Everything wears a frown during this girl's bad day, including her food! This girl's ode to a bad day is poetry at its best and her emotions light up the phenomenal illustrations. The wild blasts of color, especially the colors of today on one side and the colors of tomorrow on the other side, were so powerful I was almost wearing a frown! Though her bad day carries on a little bit too long for me and her dreams of a better day tomorrow are slightly obnoxious, I was in love with her bad mood and her little cricket of doom from the very first page. The poem at the very end, "An Ode to an Ode," was the icing on the bad day cake!

A Garden in My Hands by Meera Sriram and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Picture Book)

A mom grows a garden of family stories and memories through the henna she draws on her daughter's hands. The reader is invited into their ritual and feels all the anticipation, love, and warmth the daughter feels. The illustrations are radiant, exuberant, and spellbinding. This is one of those gardens you won't want to leave! Included in the back of the book is more information about henna and a touching author's note.

Oskar Loves by Britta Teckentrup (Picture Book) 

A simple exploration of some of Oskar's favorite things. Oskar encourages his readers to think about their favorite things and talk about them with others. Maybe like me, you will find yourself agreeing with Oskar as he lists his favorite things. The simple text and illustrations explore all the senses and radiate wonder, joy, and contentment.

Papa Brings Me the World by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw (Picture Book)

This is one of those books that needs your undivided attention. It's a bit too wordy for me but worth it for the spectacular illustrations and stories Lulu's papa brings back from his world travels. The Author's Note and map of where Lulu's treasures come from are the best part of this book, so be sure to check those out at the end!

Ping by Ani Castillo (Picture Book)

A philosophical look at reciprocation and the ins and outs of putting yourself out there with the expectation of getting nothing back but recognizing this is everything. It will make you pause and wonder many things. Am I pinging even when it's scary? Are they good pings? How about pongs? Do I pong to the best of my character? How about my intentions when it comes to both?!? When do I need to pause when pinging and ponging? What if I wait too long?!? How do others ping/pong? This book will have you thinking for days and potentially creating a small ping pong tournament inside your head.

Little Geniuses series by Susan and James Patterson and illustrated by Hsinping Pan (Picture Book)

Fun!  You won't be able to resist saying each of these words out loud and having a nice chuckle as you make multiple attempts with your favorite words.  My favorite words included, "gnashnab," which is a person who complains a lot (sometimes me) and "quaquaversal," which is a shape that "starts at the center and spreads out everywhere beautifully."  Though these were my favorite words, the one I couldn't resist saying over and over again was, "fünfundfünfzig," which is pronounced like this: foon-foond-FOONF-zig.  I also can't forget to give a nod to the illustrations.  Bright and exuberant with color combinations that create instant happiness when your eyes absorb them.