One of the ways I find out about new books in children's literature is by perusing the shelves of a library. Librarians are priceless gems and chances are, if the book is on display, I'm going to snag it. As a mom who is also a children's literature nerd, I tend to have an idea what I am looking for on the shelves. However, I know that not all moms have spent the majority of their adult life following authors, book bloggers, etc.
I've decided to start a new feature called Library Hauls! (Note, a quick google search shows a lot of bloggers do this same kind of post. Bonus points to anyone who can come up with a clever name for the same idea.) Most of my posts center around a theme or particular author. When I get books from the library, they tend to be more random because I see something that catches my eye. This week's haul is from the Central Library, one of many in the Buffalo and Erie County Public libraries.
Alma and How She Got Her Name written and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
This first book is one I have read before. September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month so when I saw the display at the library, I headed right there. Pro-tip - the displays are a great way to expose your kiddos to new books. Oscar has recently been obsessed with names, asking every person and animal we see what their name is. (Shout out to our local barista, Josh, for playing along so well!) I thought this would be a fun book to read with Oscar.
In this book, Alma asks her dad how she got her name - Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela. He goes through each part of her name, telling the story of the family member who was the inspiration. The illustrations bring to life each story and it feels like a movie with flashbacks. Beautifully done in both words and illustrations.
Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler, pictures by R. Gregory Christie
This next book happened to be one that was forward facing, as opposed to its spine. Oscar
loves music so reading a book with a musical theme seemed like something he could easily get into. This was a new book to me and also new author and illustrator. Oscar often walks around the house pretending to be a trombone player so he particularly loved the illustrations of the grandpa pretending to play the trumpet. The rhyme scheme worked really well too. The whole story is about a family - immediate, extended, and neighborhood, who bring jazz into this little baby's life. They scat, scoot, tap, and dance their way around, eventually rocking the baby to sleep. Oscar loved this one but it was more a favorite of mine than his.
As I mentioned earlier, Oscar is a fan of music. I happen to be a fan of Donald Crews. After showing Oscar some marching band videos a few weeks ago, we got the idea to dress up as a marching band this Halloween. So that's the plan - even if we only wear our costumes to walk down the street. (Covid be damned!) I wasn't looking for this book when I went to the library but as soon as I saw it I knew we had to have it. I believe in the two weeks we had the book, Oscar read it 25 times. This was his favorite of the bunch. The simple illustrations and short sentences were perfect for his toddler brain. He just wanted to get to the marching band as quickly as possible and it was easy to do with this book. Donald Crews - nailed it!
Michelle Obama by Alison Oliver
This book was also new to me. Apparently there is a "Be Bold, Baby!" series. Oscar snagged this book out of the board book bin at the library and I was, obviously, on board. (no pun intended.) While the ideas of what he could "be" were a little abstract, they were a great starting point for some conversations. Be an ally was my favorite because it was an easy opportunity to talk about what it means to not only be kind, but to change lives. Although, Oscar's favorite part was the last page that had a mirror. I mean, he is two after all.
Hair by Leslie Patricelli
We are big Leslie Patricelli fans here in our house. Toot is still a family favorite and when Oscar started potty training we were quick to pick up Potty as well. Oscar spotted the same main character on this book and he gave it to me to read to him at the library. This would be a great book to read to a young one on the verge of their first haircut. As usual, the last page was our favorite with pictures of all the different kinds of hair. Patricelli always ends her books with a montage of different images that go with the theme. Toot has different sounds you can make with your body, Potty has different kinds of undies. Hair, obviously, has different kinds of hair. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of that last page. I'll do better next time.
So there you have it - my first Library Haul!
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