The end of school, advancing grades, or changing schools is a rite of passage. I have gathered some of the best new books to help celebrate your child or young adult. They are perfect for all ages unless otherwise indicated. All are picture books except for the last book which is appropriate for ages seven through adult.
Piece Out, by Alex Willan, is a clever story that deals with a boardgame and a missing red play piece that gets left out of the box. How he finds his way back using his perseverance and inventiveness is theme of the story. His only desire is to get back before the next family game night! Bright illustrations are on each open page. Best for ages three to eight.
Pete the Cat’s Groovy Guide to Love: Tips from a Cool Cat on how to spread the Love, by Kimberly and James Dean, is a smallish size book filled with encouraging quotes from famous people on love. Here’s one from Oliver Wendell Holmes: Love is the master key which opens the gates of happiness. The vibrant trademark illustrations were made with pen, ink watercolor and acrylic paint.
Rory the Remarkable Dragon, by Kathryn Rammell, is a laugh-out-loud story that celebrates our uniqueness. Rory looks like a chicken but she is accepted by her Dragon Academy as a dragon. This hilarious twist on the ugly duckling story is great fun to read! The pictures were created digitally and check out the clever end-pages. Good for ages three to eight.
The Idea in You, by Questlove and nicely illustrated with every picture displayed on the open page by Sean Qualls, encourages you to believe in your dreams and ideas and build on them. Don’t let them go! This book truly motivates you to believe in your ideas and the creativity inside of you! An idea can come from anywhere. Now, where will it go?
Hope in a Jar, by Deborah Marcero, stars Llewellyn, a bunny, and his friends who collect hopes and dreams to place in jars. Some dreams are small like placing a caterpillar in a jar hoping it will turn into a butterfly. Some are big like going to the moon. When a storm breaks the jars, they learn that working together they can make their jars whole again. The adorable bunnies and illustrations were done with watercolor, pencil, colored pencils, ink and digital media.
This is the Moment, by Micah Player, celebrates the big and small moments that make up our lives. There are so many moments that can be important in one day. There are fast moments, brave moments, crowded moments, peaceful moments. What a perfect book to discuss shared experiences and to anticipate what is yet to come! The artwork was created digitally.
Work: Interviews with People Doing Jobs They Love, by Shaina Feinberg and wonderfully illustrated with mixed media by Julia Rothman, has a composite of different people expressing why they love their job. This book gives an inside look at different types of jobs and why specific people enjoy them. There are twenty-eight different jobs listed and each job is introduced briefly on just the open page along with pertinent illustrations. Some of these jobs include: wildlife veterinarian, radio host, prosthetic maker and flower farmer. There are also tips on how to interview. This could open horizons of possibilities.
Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge, by Elizabeth Partridge and gorgeously illustrated using mixed media over red-orange paper by Ellen Heck, tells briefly how engineers and builders set out to do what we thought to be impossible. During the Great Depression, building this suspension bridge over treacherous waters became a huge achievement and ultimately the Gateway to San Francisco. This book is an inspiration!
A Little Sluggers Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life, by Patrick Renna and brightly illustrated by Tommy Parker, is a wonderful way to teach and inspire kids to become better. This inspirational instruction book is filled with ways for kids to easily relate to setting goals and being prepared for their future! Rule #6: Keep your eye on the ball. If you’re at the plate or setting a goal, keep your eye on the ball! If a curve ball is thrown your way, keep trying!
Close Up & Far Out: Seeing the World Differently, by Mary Auld and beautifully illustrated by Adria Meserve, is a very creative and clever look into two very different scientists: Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek and Galileo Galilei. On an open page, there is Antoine working on inventing a microscope. On the opposite page, there is Galileo creating his telescope. Both had curiosity and persistence which could inspire all to strive for excellence.
The Five sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape, by Amy Alznauer and perfectly illustrated digitally by Anna Bron, is an amazing biography about a very smart woman who had no mathematical training and went on to discover pentagonal tilings. Through Marjorie’s persistence and constant curiosity, especially in nature while observing spider webs, she was able to approach geometry through art. Be sure to check out the back matter found at the back of the book.
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The Next Scientist: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of the World’s Great Scientists, by Kate Messner and brightly illustrated digitally across the open page by Julia Kuo, is a wonderful and inspirational look at how childhood interests of some great scientists ignited them to pursue great discoveries and incredible inventions. The book is cleverly written to engage the reader and possibly motivate them to pursue their own area of science innovations. More resources and information is found in the back.
The Startup Squad: You’re the Boss: A Kid’s Ultimate Guide to Starting your Own Business, by Brian Weisfeld and Bonnie Bader, is a hands-on easy to read guide to encourage you to start your own business! This guide is an accessible approach that could ignite ideas to start your own business. There are success stories found throughout that encourage and help motivate the young entrepreneur. This book is a must for any aspiring business owner.
