New picture books
I LOVE picture books. I love how the authors and illustrators can use both words and images to tell stories. I how the pictures can illicit emotional responses in ways that words can not. I love how engaged my really little kids get with a great picture book. Here are a couple of new ones to look for. The first one is called "My Footprints" by Bao Phi. It's about Thuy, who is being teased and laughed at by kids at school. When Thuy goes home, her two moms try to help her feel better. Thuy notices different tracks in the snow and decides to create tracks from the strongest possible animal to protect herself from the bullies. Her moms offer different suggestions, including mythical animals from their own cultural backgrounds. Together they come up with a brand new animal. It's a lovely story about coming up with strategies for coping in general and specifically with bullies. The connections to different cultures is affirm...