It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun and restful holiday season. My husband and I traveled to Iowa to visit my family. We were blessed with decent weather both going there and returning home. We spent the time catching up on family news, watching Christmas movies, eating way too much, and just rejoicing in the time together. Between movies, meals, and naps I did have some time to read. Here's what I've been enjoying the past few weeks:

Advent/Christmas Devotional Books

Low: An Honest Advent Devotional by John Pavlovitz 

Because of Bethlehem: Every Day a Christmas, Every Heart a Manger by Max Lucado 

Both of these books are terrific for quiet, reflective times leading up to and during the Advent and Christmas season. When everything is feeling very stressful and hurried, it is so nice to stop and remember the meaning of the season and the joy of the birth of Jesus. There's lots to think about in these books and I'm pretty sure I'll be looking back to them during the rest of the year as well!

Picture Books

Pluto Gets the Call by Adam Rex, Laurie Keller (Illustrations)

I grew up during the time that Pluto was known as the ninth planet in our solar system. In this fun picture book, however, Pluto gets a call from some mean scientist's on Earth letting him know that he is no longer considered a planet, but an ice dwarf. Pluto is so extremely upset, but still takes readers on a tour of the solar system to meet the other planets and the sun. Fun interplay between Pluto and the other planets as he processes this news. Readers also get to learn some amazing facts about Pluto and the rest of the solar system. This book is definitely a fun one to have on the shelf.

Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship by Marie Kondō, Salina Yoon (co-writer and illustrator)

It seems like our homes are filled to the rafters with too much stuff. Many people have organizing and cleaning their homes as an important goal for the new year. This book is a great way to get children involved in the effort to eliminate the items that are getting in the way of peace and happiness in our lives. The two friends in the story are very different: one is very neat and organized and the other has so much stuff, it gets in the way of their fun times. The neat and tidy friend helps the other. The book includes great tips for young readers who would like to bring a little more order to their homes.

Roly Poly by Mem Fox, Jane Dyer (Illustrations)

Accepting a new sibling into the family can be tough, especially if you've been an only child for a long time. Roly Poly was used to having his parents and his home to himself. But one day, there was Monty, and he seemed to be everywhere. Roly Poly was certain that he didn't want to have this new brother, until suddenly Monty needed his help. This is a sweet picture book and would be great to share with young children with new siblings in the family.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper, Carson Ellis (Illustrator)

This poem was written for John Langstaff's Christmas Revels where it is performed annually across the country, according to the jacket information for this lovely picture book. This book uses the text of the poem along with beautiful illustrations to share with young readers how people from different cultures celebrate the change of seasons.

The Little Snowplow Wishes for Snow by Lora Koehler, Jake Parker (Illustrations)

This cute picture book is great for all of the young fans of big trucks and other vehicles. The Little Snowplow in the story does all sorts of road work, but his favorite thing to do is plow snow. He wishes for snowy winters every year. One winter, however, it starts to look like it might not ever snow. Young readers who long for snowy weather will be able to relate to this story.

Snow Leopard: Ghost of the Mountains by Justin Anderson, Patrick Benson (Illustrations)

This fascinating nonfiction picture book takes young readers on a trip to the Himalayas along with a zoologist who is tracking the elusive snow leopard. Easy to understand narrative text along with gorgeous watercolor illustrations make this a terrific resource to have on the bookshelf. The end note includes a note about conservation efforts and resources for further research.

I Wonder by Kari Anne Holt, Kenard Pak (Illustrations)

Young children are often full of questions and this clever picture book celebrates the inquisitive nature of kids by posing a series of thoughtful questions. The pages are filled with art created with watercolor, pencil, collage, ink, and digital media and questions such as: What do stars do during the day? I wonder how tomorrow knows how to get here. Do my toys miss me when I'm gone? It would be fun to have kids come up with their own book of questions along with illustrations. It also might a neat writing activity to have children write their own answers to the questions in this book. It seems like there are lots of ways this book could be used to help spark creativity!

Listen by Holly M. McGhee (Illustrations), Pascal Lemaître (Illustrations)

This uplifting picture books invites young readers to celebrate the joy and wonder in the natural world through mindfulness and being present with all of one's senses in play. The child in this book is in awe of listening to the sound of her feet, looking at the sun and the stars, breathing in the air that we all share, and digging in the dirt. The simple, comforting illustrations and the poetic text would start a great conversation about appreciating the blessings around us and being good stewards of those gifts and working together so everyone can continue to enjoy the world around us.

The Grand Mosque of Paris: A Story of How Muslims Rescued Jews During the Holocaust by Karen Gray Ruelle, Deborah Durland DeSaix

This fascinating and inspiring nonfiction picture book shares with reads the help given to French Jews by Muslims during the Second World War. During the Nazi occupation of Paris, the Muslims of the Grand Mosque risked their lives to shelter Jews and escaped prisoners of war. The gorgeous illustrations along with the detailed story help readers learn about a time when people of different religions and cultures worked together to fight against injustice.