Classic, funny and slightly absurd. Adults would do good to read James Marshall every once in a while as reminder not to take life too seriously. 😉
Space Case is published by Puffin Books. Thanks to @teeandpenguin whose Instagram feed we spotted this in last week.
Strunk and White would be fans of Jon Klassen’s hat trilogy. The text presents a narrative that is crisp, tight and to the point, eschewing needless superfluity, with the illustrations telling many more aspects of the story. With Jon’s work, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Kids will recognize the subtle and irreverent humor embedded in the pictures after a few good reads. They’ll also realize how much intention you really can read in someone’s eyes, which is something they might not typically give much thought.
We met Jon yesterday at a bookstore reading and signing. He was incredibly kind, gracious and drew a ton of animals at Avery and Nate’s behest. And yes, he wore a hat.
I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat and We Found A Hat were published by Candlewick Press.
The tables have turned in this unconventionally funny holiday tale. Santa has a sneaking suspicion that Harold the kid isn’t real. He doesn’t believe that Harold is the one who writes him a letter every year, or that he puts out a plate of milk and cookies for him on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, down south, Harold is grappling with a similar quandary. Anxious to put their uncertainties to rest, both Santa and Harold devise plans to discover if the other does indeed exist…and the results are a riot. Don’t miss this one!
The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold was written by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Cale Atkinson and published by Tundra Books.
Every night, mysterious lights appear in Sandy’s room, and she uses them to create magical and otherworldly creatures that romp playfully with her until she nods off. Her dreamy nocturnal world contrasts sharply with the tight-lipped private school she attends during the day, full of unsympathetic classmates and harsh teachers. One day Morfie, a pale-skinned girl with luminous purple hair, appears in the schoolyard. Morfie gushes over Sandy’s art and the two become instant friends, but eventually Sandy realizes that Morfie’s not who she seems.
Creative types will identify with the themes of this story. Influenced by her childhood experiences, Lorena Alvarez’s art brims with incandescence and vibrant color—and they paint a world unlike any you’ve ever imagined. Her color palettes are extremely thoughtful, engaging and part of what makes us keen to linger in the extraordinary worlds she’s crafted. Her art feels so personal. Lorena is one to watch—we’re looking forward to many more works from this amazing talent.
Nightlights is written and illustrated by Lorena Alvarez and published by Flying Eye Books.
This is an incredible one, published a while ago, but worth seeking out: John Coltrane's Giant Steps remixed by Chris Raschka. #kidlitcaturday
"Good evening. And thank you for coming to our book. We have something very special for you tonight. It's John Coltrane's marvelous and tricky composition, 'Giant Steps,' performed for you by a box, a snowflake, some raindrops, and a kitten. Why not stay and see it? While our performers are limbering up, let me say a few words about the composer. John Coltrane played soprano saxophone (little) and tenor saxophone (big) and wrote music which, in his hands, became swirling, leaping, tumbling 'sheets of sound.' That's what he called it. But why tell you when we can show you? Ready, my friends?"
Published by Simon & Schuster.