Tops & Bottoms is a charming and unique picture book written and illustrated by Janet Stevens. You will need to turn the book sideways to view the illustrations. As a bonus, it’s a great introduction into how vegetables grow and a vote for working hard. The book draws on the traditions of trickster and Brer Rabbit tales as well as European folk tales. In the story, we meet a lazy land-owning bear. He’s so lazy that he sleeps through growing seasons. We also meet the rabbit family who are not doing well. The rabbit father, Hare, lost a bet with … Continue reading →

Danny’s Duck by June Crebbin is one of the sweetest stories for children. Every time I read it I think that we should all wish for such a perceptive and kind teacher for our young children. Clara Vulliamy’s watercolor illustrations are a perfect background for this gentle story and show a group of cute and ethnically diverse preschoolers at play. At the start of the book a duck flies over a neighborhood looking for a “good woody place”. She flies down to a pile of brushwood at the edge of a playground. Inside the preschool, the children are busy with … Continue reading →

The writing/illustration team of Jessica Harper and her sister Lindsay Harper duPont brings us “Lizzy’s Do’s and Don’ts,” a cute story about a girl named Lizzie who is a little frustrated. She feels like all her mother ever says is “Don’t.” Don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t do this other thing, and above all else, don’t argue. It’s hard to keep track of all those don’ts. She’s not allowed to stack all the kitchen chairs on top of each other so she can reach the top shelf. She’s not supposed to bring home containers of sand from the beach. … Continue reading →