It's time for my yearly roundups! I have no idea how many books I read last year (I never count), but I know I read a significant number. I read fewer picture books than usual, but I made up for that by reading dozens of chapter books.I always share these annual posts of mine with a disclaimer---not all these books were published in 2024; I just read them in 2024.A second disclaimer---I received several of these books as review copies from the publishers. This does not influence my opinion of the books; I review only ones that I enjoy.And now, here's the first of my lists - my favourite picture books and early chapter books. Three Hook Books and one hOle book feature on the list! What Happened to Grandpa What Happened to Grandpa by Nandini Nayar and Aditi Anand is a beautiful picture book about love and loss. A bittersweet story about coming to … [Read more...]
Where Does It Hurt?
Where does it hurt? It's such a simple question. If I read it aloud, I find my voice getting softer, kinder, more patient. And that's what this Hook Book by Samina Mishra and Allen Shaw is about - softness, kindness and patience.Sometimes, pain is easy to explain, like when you eat something that makes your tummy hurt.Sometimes, it's in more than one place, like if you hit your mouth on the handlebar of a cycle. Yes, your mouth hurts, but more, you want to be comforted. And sometimes, pain is much more complicated, like when your head hurts with numbers or your heart aches with sadness.Where Does It Hurt? looks at all these kinds of pain. It encourages us to ask where it hurts and extend a tiny little bit of help. It makes us take the first step towards easing pain.As I read it, my heart skipped at the idea of a child's pain being caused by a mother-shaped hole. Would I … [Read more...]