Blog Posts - READING STYLE GUIDE

Mi Papi y yo

5/3/2019

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero ill bi Zeke Peña

The powerhouse duo that created the 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Award winning Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide, are back. Quintero and Peña capture the wonder of childhood, family, and community with this picture book.

Beginning with the cover, readers come along on this joyful ride. Eyes closed, wind-whipped ponytail, hands securely grasping her strong Papi, little unicorn-helmeted Daisy exudes the exhilarating thrill of motorcycle travel. Papi gives his daughter a tender glance as they ride together.

After a long day, Daisy's papi comes home, ready for a sweet daddy/daughter tradition: a trip around the city.
With a loud "vrooooomm" spanning the two-page spread, the twosome is off. Dodging packs of cats and dogs, vooming past markets and churches, they motor past gorgeous murals revealing the city's history and culture. There are echoes of the century-old road races on the Grand Boulevard. Daisy is also living the present: waving to neighbors, family and friends. A stop at her father's construction site, where new homes are replacing citrus groves looks to the future.

Here it is, all of our beautiful city.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle is awash with tender moments and heartfelt nostalgia.

Sensory imagery is an integral part of the narrative. Papi smells like " a hard day at work." His hands feel like "all the love he has the trouble saying."

There are visual treasures to be discovered and savored on each page. The title page features Daisy, holding a unicorn aloft on a toy motorcycle, dreams soaring. Our little protagonist whiles away the hours until her father returns with a Lowriders book. An apt nod to the lowrider culture and specifically the Cathy Camper Raul III series.

I feel Papi's smile as I squeeze my arms tighter around him.

Like Daisy's arms lovingly wrapped around her father, this book is un abrazo fuerte that will linger long after the final page is turned. A book to read, share, and treasure.
Available in Spanish and English language editions. Order both!

More Latino Book Love

Explore more family and culture with these outstanding books by Latinx authors and illustrators.

Lowriders

If you haven't been following the Lowrider series. Get on it!

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: May 14, 2019 Publisher: Kokila ISBN: 978-0525553410

Fractured Fairy Tale

4/30/2019

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

What if the end of the story is only the beginning?

What happens after Cinderella slips her dainty foot into the glass slipper and is whisked away by the prince?
What will become of the step mother and her two daughters?

Donnelly begins this fractured fairy tale with the scene in which each stepsister cuts off a part of her foot in an attempt to fit into the crystal shoe. Each fails and is left with a maimed foot, a heart full of resentment, and no prospects. What will become of them?

This retelling contemplates the future. Who or what influences one’s fortune? Is it the Fates, three women who spend their days determining the destiny for every person? Writing with magical inks, they create individual life maps, which they believe are unalterable. Chance questions this supposition and wagers that it is Chance not Fate which will decide the course of a stepsister’s life. Which will prevail: Fate or Chance?

There is Magic in this sad, hard world. A magic stronger than fate, stronger than chance. And it is seen in the unlikeliest of places.

Stepsister Isabelle is bitter and bereft of hope. She is ugly. No one wants her. Villagers taunt her mercilessly. Not only have her toes been brutally chopped off but parts of her heart, namely her compassion and courage, have been excised. She has reached rock bottom.

One night in the Wildwood, Isabelle meets the fairy queen who agrees to grant her one wish on the condition that she will find the missing pieces of her heart.

Isabelle resolves to find these shards of her heart. She sets out on a seemingly impossible quest. Unbeknownst to her, one of the Fates personally intervenes to guarantee her dismal future. She arranges for the destruction of the stepsister's family home, forcing mother and daughters into a life of menial servitude, cutting cabbages by day and sleeping in a barn at night. There are other forces at work. A power-hungry warlord is methodically destroying villages throughout the country, attempting to overthrow the king. Isabelle believes that her dearest childhood friend has abandoned her. Success doesn't seem likely.

Fortunately, Isabelle has a few things going for her. The fairy queen offers her three simple objects, each bearing an enchantment. Chance travels to a nearby village with a magician, a monkey wearing a pearl necklace, and a troupe of performers. They present a magnificently inspiring performance for an audience of one. All have a vital role in shaping this stepsister’s choices. However, Isabelle's most important asset is herself. She is a women of strong conviction, a compassionate sister and daughter, a friend who is willing to forgive. Her extraordinary bravery, intelligence, humility, and selfless love are what ultimately determine her future. She reclaims the splintered pieces of her heart and in the process, discovers her true self.

Every war is different, yet each battle is the same. The enemy is only a distraction.
The thing you are fighting against, always, is yourself.

Readers will recognize several familiar motifs from the traditional Grimm lore. Isabelle befriends a tiny mouse. A shape-shifting fairy queen turns a pumpkin into a coach and later creates an army from a collection of toy wooden soldiers.

Stepsister shatters the traditional Cinderella tale. This is magic of a different kind. A girl who was deemed ugly, self-centered, and mean-spirited transforms herself into a woman of intellect, courage, and strength. A true beauty.

She was sorry for so many things...She was sorry for all the grim-tale girls locked in lonely towers. Trapped in sugar houses. Lost in the dark woods, with huntsman coming to cut out their hearts.

Donnelly has fashioned a tale that is brimming with a compelling multilayered characters, a story line that is traditional in its roots and contemporary in its theme. A classic that blends the magic of fantasy with the power of self-determination. That's the best kind of happily ever after.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: May 14, 2019 Publisher:Scholastic Press ISBN: 978-1338268461

Winged Poetry

4/25/2019

Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion ill Robert Meganck

Which birds can do what birds do, best?

Bulion takes flight (most of the time) in her latest collection of STEM inspired poetry.

This antholog of verse celebrates the avian species. Meet a dozen birds, each exhibiting a distinguishing characteristic that can be classified as superlative. Discover which bird has the widest wingspan (wandering albatross), most feathers (emperor penguin), longest round-trip migration (Arctic tern), and most accurate hearing (barn owl).
Lots of fascinating trivia tidbits here.

Thoughtful page design presents engaging text that is easy to read. A superlative trait appears as side vertical banner. A corresponding poem describes the bird's unique and noteworthy characteristics. All poetic verses are accompanied by a brief science note containing additonal information. Meganck's softly-colored line drawings, while anatomically accurate have a whimsical appearance, especially the bird’s facial expressions. Charming! The narrator, a chick-a-dee, provides running commentary on each page and ties individual pages together with a common thread.

Here's where this slim volume stands out: it is more than a study of avian characteristics. It’s poetry. Bulion uses a variety of poetic forms including couplet, free-verse, limerick, song lyrics and more. The construction of various poem forms are discussed in the back matter. The author chooses a specific poetry format based on the subject, offering rationale for each poem’s form. For example: since the Arctic tern spends most of its life over the sea, this verse is based on rhythm and rhyme of a sea chantey. Because the jacana lives in Spanish-speaking Central and South American countries, this poem is a soledad, a Spanish form of poetry.

Back matter includes a glossary, poetry notes, and additional resources including websites, books, activities such as bird walks and local or global projects.

Combining intriguing avian information with an introduction to various forms poetry make this a stellar addition to schools, libraries, local wildlife and nature centers. It can also serve as a resource for educators, combining science with literature. Superlative Birds is STEM at its best. Magnificent work Leslie Bulion and Robert Meganck.

More Poetry Please

Looking for more rhythm and rhyme books that celebrate the animal kingdom?

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March1, 2019 Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company ISBN: 978-1561459513

Its a Marshmallow World

4/23/2019

Most Marshmallows by Rowboat Watkins

What inspired Rowboat Watkins to create Most Marshmallows? Was it exploring new ways of looking at the world, celebrating the wonders of creativity, or was it delight in these pillowy confections most often found floating in a cup of hot chocolate?

The picture book’s introductory pages characterize marshmallows as common folk, born as sweet little puffs into homes with loving parents. They celebrate birthdays, watch TV, play outdoors. Weekdays are spent in school where they learn to be squishy and stand in rows. Evenings, the family sits down to dinner before young ones are tucked into bed. It’s a pleasant, predictable existence.

At night, a wondrous full page spread changes the narrative. Some marshmallows can be found traveling beyond the constraints of the daily routine. They are the dreamers. They travel into space, explode out of canons, and even joust with fire-breathing dragons. These are the marshmallows that dare to imagine. They inspire infinite possibilities.

It's a Marshmallow World

Watkins mixed media illustrations featuring cut paper, cardboard, and other materials along with line drawings are irresistible. Of special note: tiny dinner plates filled with assorted decorative candies and adorable backpacks strapped on the backs of student marshmallows.

Taking my cue from Watkins carefully arranged settings, I decided to try making my own surrealistic scenes.
I discovered these amazing big boys: Giant Roasters aka jumbo-sized marshmallows. The photo at right gives a sense of just how large these puff balls are.
With a few craft supplies, a handful of old F&G's (unbound, not-yet-published picture book pages), and my trusty glue gun I was ready to create my own marshmallow worlds.
I imagined my own fantastical scenes.
This was so much fun!

See marshmallows clowning around, soaring across the sky in a parachute, and bravely befriending a dragon.

This book and the accompanying activity would make a good project for classrooms and after school projects.

Taking it one step further, it would make a terrific summer camp program.
After reading, try making whimsical marshmallow scenes and then celebrate your creation by toasting up some gooey treats. Triple the fun by adding chocolate and graham crackers for s'mores.

Disclaimer:
Several marshmallows were mutilated during this activity. Sadly, many of the marshmallows are no more. They were consumed. They were delicious!

Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 30, 2019 Publisher: Chronicle Books ISBN: 978-1452159591

Wings

4/19/2019

Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

I think birds are the most amazing creatures on earth. What sets them apart is their ability to fly on their own.

Abandoned by her mother and placed in foster care, eleven-year-old December Lee Morgan has developed her own survival strategy. Convinced that she is a bird and that the scar on her back conceals a magnificent pair of wings waiting to unfurl, she spends countless hours high up in trees, jumping off in preparation for the time when she can fly. She restricts her diet to foods that birds might consume, chiefly sunflower seeds.

This makes her a problematic placement. Moving from one family to another, she is eventually placed in the home of Eleanor, who works at an animal rehabilitation center. In her spare time, she enjoys taxidermy. Upon learning this, December is horrified and speculates that this Bird Girl will be the next specimen to be killed and stuffed.
December absconds with one of Eleanor's projects: a stuffed owl. She decides to carry the owl with her in her backpack.

Then there is the problem of Bird Girl sneaking off, climbing trees, and attempting to fly from the topmost branches. Alone. After dark.

How will such a fragile child living with a history of cruelty and neglect survive?

December expects to be ridiculed and ostracized by her new classmates. True to form, a pack of "shiny" girls recognize a vulnerable target. They zero in on this strange newcomer and begin to taunt her, riffling through December's backpack, discovering her secret journal and the owl stolen from Eleanor's workshop.

What she doesn't expect is Cheryllynn, the lonely girl wearing a pink raincoat, who wants to be December's friend. December initially rebuffs her friendly overtures. The two outcasts: transgender Cheryllynn, formerly known as Charlie, and physically and emotionally scarred December take tentative steps toward building a friendship.
December's developing relationships with her foster parent and a potential friend have several missteps. It is difficult for this girl to cast off her protective shell and trust anyone. Eleanor, Cheryllynn, and December each have deep-seated emotional wounds. They become the source of rescue and rehabilitation for one another.

Eleanor enlists December to help an injured red-tailed hawk. She must create a bond of trust with the bird and train it to fly again. The trajectory for the hawk to recover from debilitating circumstances and learn to take flight parallels her trainer’s path to healing.

Sandy Stark-McGinnis has created a character that is brutally honest while simultaneously clinging to a distorted view of herself and her past. This is her story. "It's my story, and it belongs to only me."

Extraordinary Birds is poignant story of learning to trust. Of finding hope.

“Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe.
But what do dreams know of boundaries?” Amelia Earhart

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 30, 2019 Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books ISBN: 978-1547601004

Family and Faith

4/17/2019

Mommy Sayang by Rosana Sullivan

Spring is a good time to explore picture books that celebrate devout Muslim communities and their love of family and faith. May 6, 2019 marks the beginning of Ramadan.

Aleeya and her mother live in a small Malaysian village, a kumpung. Their days were filled with simple joys: chickens, kittens, hanging out laundry, watering the vibrant red hibiscus. Indoors, there is quiet time for mommy's daily prayers, Aleeya's crayoned drawings, and stories under the mosquito net.

They prepare a variety of tempting dishes and enjoy sharing meals with family and friends.

Little Aleeya and Mommy sayang, always together.

Insh'Allah, I will always be by your side.

When Mommy becomes ill, Aleeya cannot be consoled. She refuses invitations to go out with her aunties, wraps herself tightly in her mother's sarong, and remains fixed in on the stair step. Then she comes to a conclusion: perhaps she can help Mommy by bringing her a beautiful red hibiscus. Over time, Mommy recovers. In good times and in times of uncertainty, the love between the two remains constant.

Sullivan’s art is an integral part of Mommy Sayang. Aleeya, Mommy, and other individuals are brightly colored and set against pale backgrounds rendered with a pastel color wash. The exception is the dream sequences. Here the pages explode, filling the entire space with vibrant color and patterns. Aleeya dreams in technicolor. Both faces and body language tell the story: warm embraces, a defiant stomp, a tiny tear.

The theme of parental love echoes throughout the pages: a hen with her chicks, a cat nursing her young kittens, several close-up portraits of Mommy and her daughter. Heartwarming story. Beautiful art.

Meet the Author/Illustrator

Rosana Sullivan is a storyboard artist with Pixar Animation Studios. She worked on several Pixar movies including The Good Dinosaur, Coco, and Incredibles 2. Her picture book is part of Pixar's Artist Showcase series.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 2, 2019 Publisher: Disney Press ISBN: 978-1368015905

The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard ill by Laura K. Horton

It's time for Ramadan, a month-long religious holiday honoring the revelation of the first verses in the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a time for prayer and refection, study of the Quran, and helping the poor. It may be best known as a period of fasting, going without food and drink from sunup to sundown.

Sophia is excited as her family prepares to begin observing Ramadan and decides that she will observe the traditional fast. "Count me in!" she joyfully exclaims.
She quickly discovers that what sounds wonderful in theory is difficult in practice. She must awake and eat a meal before sunrise, ignore her rumbling tummy, and resist her brother's chocolate chip cookies.

To her dismay, the lure of cookies is impossible to resist. An understanding grandmother helps her see that there are other ways that she can participate in this holy celebration. She can observe Ramadan in a manner that is appropriate for a young child.

Use The Gift of Ramadan to introduce this religious celebration to young readers.

The month is about emptying oneself of all that is selfish, then filling oneself with all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Meet the Author: Rabiah York Lumbard

Meet the Illustrator: Laura K. Horton

Alexis York Lumbard aka Rabiah York Lumbard is an American Muslim living in Qatar with her husband and three daughters. The author of several picture books, she is currently pursuing an advanced degree in creative writing.

Laura K. Horton is a freelance illustrator with a degree in illustration & animation from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
She is currently residing in Finland, working on an advanced degree in game design and production.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 1, 2019 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807529065

Voices for Own Voices

4/12/2019

Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
edited by Ibi Zobio read by Bahni Turpin and Ron Butler

Short stories by Justina Ireland, Varian Johnson, Rita Williams-Garcia, Dhonielle Clayton, Kekla Magoon, Leah Henderson, Tochi Onyebuchi, Jason Reynolds, Nic Stone Liara Tamani, Renée Watson, Tracey Baptiste, Coe Booth, Brandy Colbert, Jay Coles, Ibi Zoboi, and Lamar Giles explore what it means to be a contemporary teen as experienced through the lens of racial identity: self acceptance, coming out, parental expectations, friendships, dating, loss.

Bahni Turpin and Ron Butler alternately narrate these seventeen obsidian gems. Their nuanced performances in Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America give added meaning to the term #ownvoices.

Bahni Turpin skillfully offers a range of character interpretations from the street smart to the affluent. She shines in dialogue between individuals, each with a distinctive voice. I'm in awe of her Caribbean accent in Tracey Baptiste's "Gravity." Listeners hear the uncertainty and dread which evolves into determination and pride at telling one's own truth in Leah Henderson's "Warning: Color May Fade." Raw grief pierces the narration in Dhonielle Clayton's "The Trouble with Drowning." The final piece, Ibi Zobi's "The (R)evolution of Nigeria Jones" brilliantly moves Nigeria from mocking and questioning to fear and eventually to a new-found confidence. She truly evolves!

Ron Butler's dialogue among characters offers unique voices that ring true. It is easy to picture a group of boys walking down the street on a hot summer afternoon, trying to one-up each other in dreaming up the perfect sandwich in Jason Reynold's "The Ingredients." Note: Henceforth I will refer to bacon as the Michael Jordan of all meat. "Whoa!" Rita William-Garcia's speculative fiction tells of a young model and fashion designer who, in a strange twist of fate, meets a slave from the past. Butler reveals the lives of both characters with humor and pathos.

Seventeen stories from different seventeen authors plus two narrators equal a listening experience not-to-be-missed.

Listen Up

Butler reads a portion of Black Enough by Varian Johnson. You can hear the voice of a young man raised in an affluent white community, trying to fit into a very different culture in South Carolina. Note the exchange between the high school debater and his Nigerian mother in Tochi Onybuchi's "Samson and the Delilahs."

Listen to Bahni Turpin read Ibi Zobio's introduction to the anthology and a brief snippet of Renée Watson's "Half a Moon."

Audiobook accessed via Overdrive

Release date: January 8, 2019 Publisher: HarperAudio

Stormy Weather

4/10/2019

Hurricane Season by Nicole Melleby

” And I tell you, the more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo, September 1888

When you're in sixth grade, life can be difficult. When your mother leaves the family, life can be challenging. When your father suffers with a bipolar disorder, life is a burden that becomes impossible to conceal from others. Fig struggles under the weight of these difficulties. The daughter of a renowned composer and pianist who is no longer able to create music, it is up to Fig to maintain some semblance of order in her home and her life.

Her father loves Fig and tries to be a good parent to his daughter. But often his illness prevents him from functioning in the role of care-giver to Fig.

She is beyond terrified when her teacher notifies child protective services and a case worker arrives at her home. She knows that there are problems but is desperate to protect her father at all costs. She reasons that perhaps she can help her father if she better understands him.

A science and math geek, she takes the plunge and enrolls in a painting class. Fig discovers Van Gogh. Drawn both to his work and his life story, she begins to see her father as Van Gogh, the troubled artist and herself as Theo, the supportive brother.

Life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of a new neighbor, Mark. Fig enlists his help when dad goes wandering off during a storm. Over time, the two men develop a romantic relationship. Fig is troubled by her father’s new love interest, as she fears this will destroy their father/daughter dependency. When a violent hurricane strikes, everything comes to a frightening climax.

Fig eventually realizes that she can neither solve nor hide her father’s problems. She learns to accept this new man in their lives. She is not alone. She can trust. She can hope.

I wept buckets and buckets while reading this. I wept for the little girl, who bravely tries to carry such a tremendous weight on her fragile little shoulders. I wept for the loving father, trying to make his way through the muddle in his mind, wanting desperately to care for his daughter and realizing that he is failing her.

This is a story of love in the face of crushing difficulties. Of overcoming fear. Hurricane Season broke my heart and then put the shattered fragments back together in an astonishing way.

Art Imitates Life. Life Imitates Art

Chapter titles are the names of well-known Van Gogh paintings. Melleby cleverly weaves each painting's theme into the chapter. For example, the first chapter "The Yellow House" describes a change in the neighborhood, when Ms. Minkle moves out of the small yellow house across the street. "Three Sunflowers in a Vase" recounts the first time Fig, her dad, and Mark eat dinner together.
You don't have to be familiar with Van Gogh's paintings to appreciate the chapter titles. However, after reading the book, I scoured the internet, finding the paintings used as chapter names. It was interesting to go back and piece together the connections between art and this novel for young readers.

For art lovers this touch is brilliant!

Additional Resource

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman is a thoughtful study of the van Gogh brothers. It received numerous awards including 2018 Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2018 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award, 2017 Nonfiction Boston Globe-Nonfiction Award, and SCBWI 2018 Golden Kite Award for Non-Fiction for Older Readers. Pair Hurricane Season with Vincent and Theo for an excellent fiction/nonfiction reading experience.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: May 7, 2019 Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers ISBN: 978-1616209063

To the Rescue

4/9/2019

Good Dog, McTavish by Meg Rosoff ill by Grace Easton

McTavish's decision to adopt the Peachey family was not the most sensible decision of his life.

Books that are a delight for adults and young children to read together are a rare breed. Meg Rosoff has pulled off this feat with Good Dog, McTavish, a story brimming with wit and charm.

Rosoff turns the familiar rescue dog trope on its head. McTavish is indeed a dog. But his task is to rescue a family. When he decides to adopt the Peachey family, he knows that this going to take time and a great deal of work.

Ma Peachey has announced that she is giving up on being a mother. No more cleaning. No more cooking. No more nagging. Pa Peachey and the three Peachey children are on their own. Needless to say, the entire household is in a state of chaotic disarray.

McTavish and eight-year old Betty devise a plan, actually several plans, to restore order to the home.

Humans were puzzlingly dim. McTavish sighed. There was so much work to do.

Youngsters will chortle as McTavish puts his plans into action. Beginning with the piles of discarded clothing and shoes scattered throughout the house, McTavish systematically trains the family to clean up, pick up, be punctual, and feed themselves.

The ongoing efforts of the father and his children are interspersed with descriptions of Ma Peachey, intoning "ohhhmmm" while executing near-perfect looping cobra and dancing warrior yoga poses.

When the family takes ownership of the home and contribute to its order, Ma quietly rejoins the family.

Humans make excellent pets, he thought. When you took on a rescue family, it often took some weeks for them to settle, but he was glad he'd decided to adopt the Peacheys.

Meet the Author

Meg Rosoff is the author of Guardian Children's Prize and Michael L. Printz award-winning How I Live Now and National Honor Book finalist recognition for Picture Me Gone. She also received the 2016 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. With Good Dog, McTavish, readers can enjoy another side of Rosoff. Her sparkling writing with clever asides is tailor-made for entertaining family reading. Enjoy this brief interview with the author.

Meet the Illustrator

Grace Easton's illustrations add a fine touch of whimsy. Love the details. Of special note is McTavish's eye roll. It speaks volumes.

Easton's portfolio is a visual delight. I could spend hours perusing her plush collection with inventive packaging and children's clothing tie-ins.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 9, 2019 Publisher: Candlewick ISBN: 978-1536200584

All in the Family

4/5/2019

My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam

Family is what you make it.

Meet dad. Meet the family cat. Dad and cat are alike in many ways. Both have fluffy yellow hair, enjoy a tasty meal followed by a nap, even have similar fears. They make a great pair.
But that’s just the beginning.
The real story on these pages goes beyond a charming tale of a man and his cat. Readers wonder about the family member narrating the story. Who can it be?

The storyteller's identity is discovered by carefully examining the illustrations. Observant readers will recognize that there is more to this family than a man and his cat.
There will come an "ah ha" moment when it is obvious that the narrator i.e. additional family member is a bird! That's right. The bird refers to its sibling as "my cat." Clever. Clever indeed.

The complete family portrait with dad, mom, cat, and bird graces the final page.

Thao Lam's cut paper collages are a delight. The title page, featuring a strip of photobooth headshots of feline and human playing around with spectacles is a great introduction to the characters. Her illustrations poke fun at quintessential stereotypes such as discarded socks on the floor and milk mustaches. The cat's facial expressions are priceless!

Greeting the day with graceful tai chi.

Crooning tunes at the keyboard.

Snoozing: Nap time is lap time.

My Cat Looks Like My Dad offers the subtle message that families come in all shapes and sizes and can consist on a variety of members. Readers will also need to put aside the assumptions that only certain individuals, or species, can cohabit peacefully.

Bonus

Meet Thao Lam and learn about the inspiration for this book. View her creation process.

Share the book and video with students. An interesting extension activity would be to provide kids with a selection of patterned papers and other art materials. Then invite them to create a portrait collage of their own family.

Electronic copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: April 15, 2019 Publisher: Owlkids ISBN: 978-1771473514