Tag Archives: bookseller recommendations

picture book gems a bookseller recommends: bunnie from Brave + Kind

I believe I met Bunnie from Brave + Kind Bookshop through Instagram. She was so generously supportive of my novel and when I found out she was starting her very own independent bookstore in Decatur, Georgia, I wanted to support her wonderful endeavor.

 

 

In addition to books and nooks, the neighborhood shop has really cool camps and workshops for kids (poetry, reading and creative writing, Spanish immersion) as well as a subscription service.

I cannot wait to visit in person someday, and I hope you do too!

Big thanks to Bunnie for sharing six picture book recommendations! Over to her!

 

 

 

 

I was at a point in my life where I wanted to turn a literal next chapter. A fit for my life and family. Something that would leave a lasting impact. I’d like to say I was not heavily influenced by Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail (1995), but it certainly planted a seed all those years ago.

So here am I now with my own little neighborhood shop around the corner. I’m grateful to get to curate a fun selection of kids books that I hope will inspire them to do something Brave, to do something Kind. It certainly makes me feel Brave and Kind to be a part of that.

As I look around the bookshop to finish writing I realize I have almost none of the books from below on the shelves currently because I can’t stop recommending them to our friends at Brave—HA!

 

 

I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn, illustrated by Julia Denos (2011).

“Snip snip, sew sew, new shirt—hello!”

I love this book first because the illustrations are just so darn sweet. And the beautiful chocolate girl on the cover just melts me. My first born (of two) is a girl, Andie and we have had our share of favorite dresses.  It’s a story about a girl who outgrows her favorite dress but finds a way (with the help of her creative and patient mama) to keep wearing it in different iterations. The story is centered and illustrated around days of the week and seasons and its sing-song nature spins a fun and loving tale of getting older, creating memories, and adjusting to change.

 

 

 

 

 

One by Kathryn Otoshi (2008).

“But One stood up straight like an arrow and said, NO.”

 

I read this to my son’s (Avery) 1st grade class and they got so into it. They couldn’t  wait for me to read the next page! Its use of primary and secondary colors and numbers as characters proves a unique and fresh spin in this story about bullies and standing up for yourself and others. Blue is quiet, and Red is a hothead. One is about friendship and bravery and kindness and a staple on the shelves at Brave + Kind.

 

 

 

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López (2018).

“Rigoberto. From Venezuela, your teacher says so soft and beautifully that your name and homeland sound like flowers blooming the first bright notes of a song.”

I’m partial to books that have diverse representation because I believe that everyone deserves (and wants) to see themselves in the stories they read (and watch too).  We want to know that who we are and what we have to share with the world is good and enough. Even though we may look different on the outside with things like skin color, the things we eat or like to play, we are more alike than we know. This book’s cast of children is grappling with too poor, too shy, too different, or are they? The story celebrates bravery and stepping out to share your story even when you feel like an outsider. And what you may pleasantly find  when you do.

 

 

 

How to Be A Lion by Ed Verde (2018).

“They say, a lion can’t be gentle.”

This is an inspiring and courageous story of Leonard (a lion) and his best pal Marianne (a duck) and how these unlikely friends conspire to show those who insist that a lion and a duck should not be friends, that there are many ways to be a lion and many ways to be a friend. Timely and charming, this story will open young readers’ eyes to the importance of trusting their intuition and how choosing kindness in the face of criticism might just change the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Girl by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatam (2017).

“Dear Girl, Keep that arm raised. You have smart things to say.”

 

Oh my gosh I really think all the girls should have a copy of this and women too.  Each page is a manifesto for all young girls as they consider what it means to trust and just be themselves. And that they are beyond amazing, just as they are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself by Matthews Gray Gubler (2019).

“For All the Rumples Everywhere.”

Let me start by saying, I was sobbing by the end of this story. Think, what every single one of us wants is to belong and feel loved and connected. And I believe that our differences are what actually bind us together. Rumple is really weird. One of his eyeballs is literally floating in mid-air the entire book. And his teeth are crooked and skin is green. But if we really think about it, we all have something about ourselves that we feel is weird. (I haven’t always had a gap in my front teeth but I’m starting to like it, I think.) I don’t want to spoil it if you haven’t read it yet, but there’s an imaginary friend made of old candy and spaghetti and at some point Rumple thinks it’s a great idea to wear a banana on his head to blend in. Its beautifully quirky illustrated pages coupled with its inspiring and important message make this the perfect gift for anyone at all including yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

Bunnie Hilliard lives in Decatur, Georgia with her Hubby, Two kids Andie and Avery, and dog Brodie. She’s a stay at home mom (with a few side hustles) turned newest shop girl on the block (7 months and counting). When she grows up she wants to be brave and kind.

Find Brave + Kind on Instagram and Facebook. Check out their cute t-shirts for kids too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

picture book gems a bookseller recommends—translations edition

Hannah is a children’s bookseller who once stopped by to give us 5 elements of a successful storytime, evidenced by 5 picture books. Now she’s back as part of my picture book gems a bookseller/librarian recommends series! And this is a treat because she’s chosen international picture book translations.

Over to Hannah!

 

I have always loved learning languages. As a kid, I studied Spanish in school, and as an international affairs major in college, I studied Arabic, Hindi, and Farsi. Each language has a particular nuance, reflecting unique cultures and histories–when translated, the best stories do not lose any of that uniqueness. I’m drawn to translated children’s books in particular because I believe they offer a window to the world to kids that an atlas or a nonfiction book cannot–reading a translated book gives a child a bridge across the globe, connecting the reader to a different way of thinking and imagining. The following are six of my current translated favorites from around the world.

 

 

Seven Pablos by Jorge Luján, translated from the Spanish by Mara Lethem, illustrated by Chiara Carrer.

“There are many Pablos in the world, yet they are all one. Inside each of them is a heart that beats to the same rhythm as the ocean’s waves and the rotations of the planet.”

I wish that line from Seven Pablos could be written everywhere and understood by those at the highest levels of power. This is a book that meditates on the universal human experiences of children around the world, touching on issues like migration, poverty, and bullying. It is a necessary book for the time we live in–one of those Pablos could very well be one of the 12,800 detained children at the United States border.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Valley by Claude Ponti, translated from the French by Alyson Waters.

I’m a huge fan of weird, cozy, imagined worlds–the Moomin series is my absolute favorite–so this one appealed to me right off the bat. Its giant trim size is difficult to shelve, but it’s so necessary for spying all the minute details of the Twims’ world. These cute, squirrel-like beings live in trees with rooms that have specific purposes: a room to be born in, a room to read in, a room to swim in. With notes on their history, their mythology, and their daily lives, Ponti builds an immersive experience akin to reading a fantasy novel–making this book a delight to pore over and get lost within.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs, translated into Arabic by Falah Raheem, art by Nizar Ali Badr.

There have been many picture book explorations of the Syrian refugee experience, but this one is my absolute favorite. A true collaboration between author and artist, this bilingual story is a resonant, lyrical tale of one family’s life before and during the war and their hard journey out of Syria and into a hopeful future. Though Badr’s images are composed only from sea-smoothed stone, they are full of life and poignancy.

 

 

 

 

 

Chirri & Chirra by Kaya Doi, translated from the Japanese by Yuki Kaneko.

Never have I wanted to hug a book so much. This is a delicious and delightful ride of a book–one of those you want to step right inside and live within, featuring two adorable girls who ride their bikes through a magical world where friendly animals serve them jam sandwiches and clover blossom tea and other delicious treats. Though this book was published in 2016, its comforting, cheery atmosphere gives it the feel of a bygone classic.

 

 

 

 

Feather by Cao Wenxuan, translated from the Chinese by Chloe Garcia-Roberts, illustrated by Roger Mello.

Feather is a unique, beautiful take on the “Are You My Mother” story structure as a lost feather floats along, trying to find the bird it belongs to. Paired with Mello’s spare yet rich and dynamic illustrations, this hopeful story of searching for belonging soars above the rest. I highly recommend this one for fans of birds, folktales, and accessibly philosophical kids’ books.

 

 

 

 

 

On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna, translated from the French by Jill Davis

Nature can awaken even the most stodgy of imaginations. In On a Magical Do-Nothing Day, Alemagna’s bespectacled, bored child (gender is never addressed, which I LOVE) finds theirs jump-started after they drop their video game in a pond and begin to notice the wonder of the woods around them. Alemagna’s prose and illustrations sing with delicious metaphor, and her magical, mystical forest is rich in texture and detail. I dare you to read this book and not want to immediately go traipsing through the woods, finding your own magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hannah lives in Athens, GA, where she works as the manager of children’s books at Avid Bookshop. She often daydreams about living a calm and peaceful life in Moominvalley or traipsing the Maine coast with Miss Rumphius. A librarian at heart (and in training), Hannah loves the look on a kid’s face when they find a book they truly love.

 

10 picture book gems a bookseller recommends: jen from vroman’s

I have a treat for you today. Jen Pino from Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California has ten picture book gems she recommends! Jen is a passionate bookseller and a delightful person, and I thought it would be neat to find out what picture books are on her radar right now, and have her pass them along to you!

 

Over to Jen!

 

The World of Work by Silvie Sanža, illustrated by Milan Stary (2017).

 

I love that this book features ALL TYPES of jobs. When you are little, I feel like you only get exposed to the jobs your parents do, firefighters, doctors, police, and teachers. This book has so many more. This includes working for the Mountain Rescue Service, being an Operational Planner or even….a Bookseller!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Things Are Made by Olderich Reueziecka, illustrated by Alexandra Hetmerovaa (2016).

This is another amazing non-fiction title! Each page features a different way an object is made. Some examples are: a spoon, bread, and a t-shirt! The pages have basic summaries at first, then you can lift the flaps to get even more details!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Word From Sophia by Jim Averbeck and Yasmeed Ismail (2015).

This book is charming. I instantly fell in love with Sophia and her quest to own a giraffe. Several family members stand in the way of her desire, but Sophia, not one to be easily dissuaded, provides multiple arguments, complete with presentations, pie charts and stellar vocabulary, as she makes her case. Colorful, engaging pictures enhance the book’s delight. Additionally, this book serves as a tremendous resource of SAT worthy vocabulary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares (2017).

Daniel Miyares has been one of my favorite illustrators for a while. Whenever he has something new coming out, I am eager to see what it’s going to be. In this, budding curiosity turns into a beautiful friendship. When the colors on the page go from black and white to warm shades, I get chills. So so good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet by Liz Climo (2016).

This is seriously the sweetest book and Rory is endearing as he searches for a pet to love. Liz Climo causes your heart to soar as you witness childhood imagination and innocence in its purest form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dylan the Villain by K.G. Campbell (2016).

This is a super funny book for all the little super villains in your life. Dylan strives to be the “very best and cleverest super-villain in the whole wide world.” But will Addison Van Malice and some purple parsnip preserves stand in the way of that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jackie Saved Grand Central by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger (2017).

This is another book that gives me chills each time I read it. I never knew what Grand Central had to go through to be the station it is today. Furthermore, I had no idea how much work Jackie Kennedy did, over the course of 3 years, in order to save it from being demolished. I loved learning about how much Americans cared about Grand Central and how it started a movement to save other landmarks across the states.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panda Pants by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Sydney Hanson ( 2016).

Baby Panda wants pants. When his father doesn’t understand why a Panda would need pants, baby Panda illustrates exactly why they would come in handy. However, even if on the surface this could be a book about choosing an outfit for the day, it’s underlying themes could be used to go even deeper. I could see Teachers and Parents using this book as a way to help children own who they are and who they want to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Airport Book by Lisa Brown (2016).

I was thrilled to see that this book features characters as diverse as an airport actually is. In calm, but informative text, this book narrates exactly the kinds of things a child might face when traveling to, entering an airport, or boarding a plane. Everything that a child might have a question about (regarding airports), is in this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon Was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio, pictures by Greg Pizzoli (2016).

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kelly DiPucchio. I think everything she touches turns to gold. This book is about a terrible dragon who cannot be tamed. However, turns out our dragon has a soft side for stories! Dragon’s face cracks me up as he “pretends not to listen” to the hero and friend he could be. This is for troublemakers and softies alike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jen Pino works at the oldest and largest independent bookstore in Southern California, Vroman’s Bookstore. She’s worked there for almost 7 years and loves all things related to children’s books. Check out her blog: Confessions of a Starstruck Bookseller, where she shares what’s new at Vroman’s Bookstore, reviews books, features gift guides, and showcases booksellers!

 

 

 

Thank you, Jen, for sharing these picture book gems with us! 

 

 

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