Ketch Secor, a founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, has penned LORRAINE, a charming picture book about a young girl and her Pa Paw who make music with a pennywhistle and harmonica to lift their spirits - "on good days or bad it was JOYFUL to hear it." All of a sudden, a powerful twister sweeps in and their instruments are nowhere to be found! Can they find a way to set free the music in their hearts and get them through the scary storm? The illustrations, by the wonderfully talented Higgins Bond, are warm, cozy, and colorful. Even the lettering becomes a vibrant voice in the story, using color, size, and a variety of fonts to enhance the story. This book is a winner!
MIRROR PLAY by Monte Shin is a clever, interactive board book that uses a mirror and spinable shapes to turn abstract squiggles into surprising pictures of everyday objects. You can look for the MirrorPlayBook video on You Tube to see how it works or come in, experiment with our sample book and take home your out copy. Your budding creative genius might even try his or her hand at creating unique shapes of their own.
Sharon Creech's latest book, SAVING WINSLOW, is sure to steal your heart. Louie loves animals but doesn't have much luck when he tries to nurture small creatures like lightning bugs, worms, and goldfish. When his dad brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey from Uncle Pete's farm, Louie accepts the mission to save the pitiful, sick motherless creature. Winslow, the goat, helps him fill the empty places left behind when big brother Gus, left to serve in the army. If you love animals, if you love stories about the bond between brothers, between friends, and between children and the natural world, SAVING WINSLOW was written for you.
The story opens with 84-year-old Florence Claybourne lying on the floor in her apartment at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. She fell, she can’t get up, and her ‘panic button’ is on the other side of the room. As she waits for someone to rescue her, she reflects on her life-long best friend Elsie, some mysteries and secrets from their past, and the appearance of a new resident at Cherry Tree who bears a striking resemblance to a young man who supposedly died sixty years ago and is bound to blow the lid off their secrets. Cannon weaves, with subtle hints that lodge in your subconscious and ultimately, a tapestry where every thread is vital to the whole.
Fiona Woodcock's latest book, Look, is a clever trip through the zoo by a brother and sister. Every page has at least one word with a pair of 'o's. Clever illustrations make the text and illustrations an integrated whole. How many oo words can you weave into pictures and a story?
Mixed: A Colorful Story is timely picture book is for all ages. On the surface, a clever introduction to color theory, but in reality, so much more. The loud Reds, bright Yellows, and cool Blues live in harmony until a Red creates a kerfuffle by proclaiming the superiority of Reds. (You just have to love a book that uses the word kerfuffle!) Segregation ensues as the city divides into Redville, Blue Town, and Yellow Heights. Then, one day, a Yellow spots a Blue and something magical happens. Once again, I'm blown away by the ability of a picture book to remind us our diversity is what adds color and spice to our lives.