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.

So...it's been rainy this week. So, unfortunately, I didn't take as many walks. But I did finally clean and organize the desk drawers in my kitchen. I've been threatening to do that for 18 years! Now that I know where everything is, I can relax and turn my attention to reading. At least until the weather gets better. Ohio is working to get things back open. But the government is going about it carefully, and I'm glad. I've had announcements from our library. While they aren't ready to open yet, they are definitely working on it. So, I'll continue to savor my pile of picture books. Here's what I've been reading this past week:

Honey, the Dog Who Saved Abe Lincoln by Shari Swanson, Chuck Groenink (Illustrations)

Sharing the story of a stray dog that young Abraham Lincoln adopted, many young readers will be able to relate to our nation's sixteenth president and this biographical picture book. Youngsters often are fascinated by animals and stories of pets, and this book uses engaging narrative and colorful illustrations to tell the story. This might encourage young readers to research further to find out more about the pets of famous people from history. It also might make them appreciate their own pets just a little bit more.

Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon, Kaylani Juanita (Illustrations)

This gorgeous picture book poem is a wonderful celebration of all that makes us special. The little girl in this poem has a splendid time with her family enjoying the change of seasons. With lyrical, sensory text and beautiful illustrations, this book is a book in which everyone can see and hear their story told with pride and joy.

The Reader by Luciana De Luca, Cynthia Alonso (Illustrator)

This awesome picture book celebrates the joys of books and reading with a story about a young girl who wakes up early in the morning to spend the whole day reading books. With this coronavirus pandemic requiring social distancing, young readers who must have their schooling and their friendships through online means will appreciate the freedom and fun that awaits between the pages of books - or their e-readers!

Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela, Daniel Hahn (Translation)

As young readers grapple with the Stay Home orders of the coronavirus pandemic, stories that help them travel to faraway places will definitely help them step away from the familiar. The children in this story live in a river community in the Amazon rainforest. They take a boat to school. When the rainy season begins, all the residents of the community pack everything up onto boats and head for higher ground. The process is a long journey and a lot of work to build new houses and furnish them for the season. But when the children realize that they left behind their beloved pet tortoise, they undertake a perilous trip to go back and get it. This book definitely is a look at a culture that is very different from our own, but at the same time, we get to see children that are displaced from their school building for a different reason. Their school closure is a regular occurrence and the learn to make the best of it with their families. This might be a good opportunity to get out a globe, map, or online resources to learn more about Brazil and the rainforest communities. The narrative is engaging and the woodcut illustrations are beautiful.

Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest by Kate Prendergast 

This book is a good one to inspire a nap or a good night's sleep. This nonfiction book uses gentle informational text along with lovely mixed media illustrations to describe the different ways that different animals sleep. It could be a fun way to compare and contrast different animal species, but I have to admit, all of the sleepy information and illustrations made me decide to go hit the couch for a snooze!

Old Man of the Sea by Stella Elia, Weberson Santiago (Illustrations)

Children and their grandparents share special relationships, and often these bonds are strengthened through the sharing of stories. The older generation has much to share with young people, and it's important to keep these important stories alive. This lovely picture book tells the story of a grandfather sharing the stories of his seafaring days with his grandson: "tales of love and adventure and danger on the ocean waves. And that's when I learned who my grandpa really was." This book made me think of the stories that have been in the news of grandparents connecting with loved ones through FaceTime and other technological means due to the social distancing requirements of the coronavirus pandemic. This book could be a great way to talk with young readers about the importance of strengthening relationships with our elder relatives and learning their stories, especially now that in-person get-togethers aren't safe. The technology might even make it easier to record some of these stories, so that they won't be lost.