I thought I would share a couple good picture books that we found at the library. I would like to do a post like this on a somewhat regular basis, but I’m not making any promises that I will be able to. But regardless, I loved the following books and I just want to share them with whoever may be interested.

The first  book is Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes:  A Very Silly Alphabet Book by Brian B. Cleary and illustrated by Betsy E. Snyder. The rhymes in this book are so cute and original: “K starts karate and kangaroos kissing, and kilt-wearing kittens whose kickstands are missing.” The illustrations are collage-type and are very bright, colorful and creative. Each page has a hidden letter and several objects on the page that start with the given letter. The end pages of the book list the different objects for each letter. I think even elementary aged kids would be amused with this book.

The second book I would like to mention is one that I found while looking for Dahlia ,written and illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Dahlia was recommended by Hope is the Word and is a wonderfully illustrated book about a tomboy-type girl who receives a frilly doll as a gift. I found another book by McClintock called Adèle & Simon that is absolutely beautiful. The story is very simple. Set in early twentieth-century Paris, Adèle walks her little brother Simon home from school, stopping and visiting various places along the way. Simon loses things at each stop, and Adèle is rather impatient and irritated with him. The illustrations are very detailed and are of real places in Paris, including the natural history museum and the Louvre.  The back of the book has notes describing each location. As an extra, Simon’s lost items can be found (sometimes with difficulty) in the illustrations, which helps children really study the pictures. This book is truly a delight!