MONDAY FUNDAY – July 31, 2017

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus. The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. These weekly roundups are a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share some of the titles you’ve been enjoying, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.

It’s been a few weeks since I last did a Monday Funday post, but it hasn’t been for lack of reading. We’re still in the throes of Summer Reading Club madness here in library land, and I’ve been struggling to find the energy to blog. I tend to come home, sit in front of the computer and…..

It has been a very, very exciting week around here, though – I got my first sneaky peak at my completed book!! It still feels a bit surreal to write that phrase – my book. Wow! I couldn’t be happier – the illustrations are absolutely adorable, and I can’t wait to actually have a physical copy in my hands to snuggle and cuddle and never let go.

I did manage to get a few posts up in the past couple of weeks – as always I participated in Poetry Friday last week, sharing a very romantic poem from a new-to-me female poet, shared some thoughts on being a “book blogger”(whatever that means), and shared a wonderful, very important picture book that tackles the reality of child homelessness.

And now, on to a few of the books I read this week!

Hannah and Sugar

Every day after school, Hannah’s school bus is greeted by her classmate’s dog, Sugar. All of the other kids love Sugar, but Hannah just can’t conquer her fear of dogs. Then, one day, Sugar goes missing, so Hannah joins the search with her classmates. Will Hannah find a way to be brave, and make a new friend in the process?

What a sweet, lovely little picture book! The text is simple and gentle, the illustrations are soft and charming, and together they create a wonderful little story about facing your fears in your own way, and at your own pace.

I really appreciated that Hannah’s dad really seems to respect her, and doesn’t pressure her to confront her fears before she’s ready. He allows her to process her fear at her own pace, and doesn’t criticise her or suggest that’s should be “brave”. Sugar is a sweet, friendly, happy dog, and Hannah’s fear of her may not seem rational, but it’s very real to Hannah, and that’s all that matters. A lovely, positive read for children grappling with any fears.

Love

Join little rabbit and her parent as they spend a glorious sunny day together in the meadow. Little rabbit finds love everywhere, but knows that a parent’s love is always the best love of all.

This absolutely adorable celebration of love is the perfect baby shower gift for any expectant parents in your life – it is utterly charming, and very, very sweet, without being cloying.

Love would also make for a delightful babytime read aloud, with its gentle rhyming text, and clear illustrations outlined in bold black lines.

Double Happiness

For their move far away, Gracie and Jake are sad to leave
the golden bridge,
the trolley tracks,
and Nai Nai. But they fill empty boxes with treasures—
a marble, a snake,
a pair of wings.
Tiny reminders of all they love—
so happiness stays close,
no matter where they go.
With grace and warmth, this lyrical picture book speaks to the difficulty of transition, and celebrates the ways in which love and family give us the strength to weather life’s changes.

Double Happiness shares the experiences of two young children as they move with their family from the big city to a rural community, far away from their beloved grandma and other family members. The children are distraught, but their Nai Nai, or grandmother, suggests that they each make a little treasure box and fill it with tiny reminders of their old home to take with them wherever they go. While the text is in English, each poem has a Chinese name, and elements of Chinese culture are woven throughout the story. Alina Chau’s soft, colourful illustrations are lovely, and there’s a gentle hopefulness to the story that might be a great comfort to young readers coping with a big move.

I hope you’ve all been reading some fantastic books – I can’t wait to visit everyone’s blogs and add some new titles to my wishlist!

Have a great week!