![]() ![]() And a mother who once wrote of her son’s autism as a gift allows him to be locked up, shocked, and given “buckets full of dangerous, doping drugs” for fear that he might kill someone.Īnn Bauer uses relentless dissonance to tell her story, which appeared on . Her son has completed pre-calculus, yet the only school available to him teaches him how to count change. An autistic young man who had found his footing collapses into rage and violence. This extraordinary book will make it hard for any child reader to settle for the mundaneness of reality.Our second notable narrative for this month chronicles dual transformations. Sugar cubes, flower petals, sand, paper bags, marbles, sequins, and lots more add to and compose these brilliant, fantasy-sparking illustrations. For instance, an impressively colorful dragon is made up of different leaves that have been photographed in every color phase from green to deep red, including the dragon’s breath (made from the brilliant orange leaves of a Japanese maple) and its nose and scales (created by the fan-shaped, butter-colored leaves of a gingko). While readers will find much to love in the exuberant rhyming verse, attending closely to the illustrations brings its own rewards given the fascinating combinations of mixed media Curato employs. At the story’s climax, her unencumbered imagination explodes beyond the page into a foldout spread, enabling readers both literally and figuratively to see into her fantasy life. She can even craft art with light and darkness or singing and dancing. She can fold paper (origami), carve wood, tear wallpaper to create texture designs, and draw in the dirt. ![]() More gift book than storybook, this is a meaningful addition to nursery bookshelvesĪ testament to the power of an imaginative mind.Ī compulsively creative, unnamed, brown-skinned little girl with purple hair wonders what she would do if the pencil she uses “to create…stories that come from my heart” disappeared. The child, accompanied by an adorable piglet and sporting overalls and a bird-beaked cap made of leaves, presents white. It’s unlikely that members of the intended audience have begun to wonder about their life’s purpose, but this life-affirming mood piece has honorable intentions. This quiet read, with its sophisticated central question, encourages children to reach for their untapped potential while reminding them it won’t be easy-they will make messes and mistakes-but the magic within can help overcome falls and failures. The oversized flora and fauna seem to symbolize the presumptively insurmountable, reinforcing the book’s message that anything is possible. Later, they stand on a ladder to place white spots on tall, red mushrooms. ![]() The precisely inked and colored artwork plays with perspective from the first double-page spread, in which the child contemplates a mountain (or maybe an iceberg) in their hands. The no-frills, unrhymed narrative encourages readers to follow their hearts and tap into their limitless potential to be anything and do anything. Maybe you’re here to make a difference with your uniqueness maybe you will speak for those who can’t or use your gifts to shine a light into the darkness. “Have you ever wondered why you are here?” asks the second-person narration. Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy-a raucous storytime hit.Ī young child explores the unlimited potential inherent in all humans. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope). The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud. ![]()
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