Blog Post
The Hole
by manz
The Hole is such a magical picture book! Brain Pickings describes it as an “existential meditation in simple Scandinavian illustrations and die-cut magic,” and I could not say it any better.
The Hole is written and illustrated by Øyvind Torseter, was translated from Norweigan, and features sparse dialog. Our main character moves into an apartment and discovers that there is a hole in it and he searches to find out the cause. This includes boxing up the hole and taking it to a lab for testing. The best part of this book is the illustrations and the fact that there is a pencil-sized hole going through the entire book from the chipboard covers through the pages. And the hole gets wonderfully incorporated into every illustration and scene. It’s marvelous! It really makes you think about where that hole came from. Where does it begin and end? Why is it there at all? If you’re looking for a beautiful thinker of a children’s book, here you go.
For more beautiful books published by Enchanted Lion Books be sure to check out our nice list of AADL owned titles.
Blog Post
Let's Learn About Science!
by evelyn
If you have a little one who loves science and you haven’t checked out our New Book shelf lately, you’re missing out! We have a bundle of exciting new science books in designed just for kids.
For older kids, Hello from 2030: The Science of the Future and You, by Jan Paul Schutten, takes a look at the near feature based on current science. In the future, will we be able to easily and quickly 3D print body parts? What will climate change make the planet look like? This book also explains how predictions work and contains a section on becoming a futurologist.
In you want to learn about the amazing scientists that have brought us this far, check out the new Women in Science series, which features short but detailed biographies of physician Antonia Novello, astronaut Mae Jemison, physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, meteorologist Joanne Simpson, and biochemist Hayat Sindi.
After learning about the great scientists above, children can learn about mistakes in science from the Science Gets it Wrong Series. My personal favorite is Let’s Make Some Gold!, but you can also check out: Your Head Shape Reveals Your Personality!, That Bull is Seeing Red!, and We're the Center of the Universe!
For all of these, and lots of other books, including ones about robots, genes, ecosystems and more, check out our list New Science Books for Kids.
Blog Post
Good Dream, Bad Dream
by PizzaPuppy
New to the shelves are several picture books relating to common childhood fears, specifically fear of the dark and of the unknown. In Good Dream, Bad Dream (Sueño Bueno, Sueño Malo) by Juan Calle and Serena Valentino, little Julio is afraid of the monsters under his bed. Julio's father reminds him that "for every bad dream, you can have a good dream to help defeat your fears", and Julio explores the different heroes who could rescue him from a variety of monsters. This exciting story features monsters and heroes from many different cultures presented in action-packed comic-style illustrations. Additionally, this bilingual book is written in both English and Spanish, making it accessible for speakers of either language.
Also new is The Problem with Not Being Scared of Monsters by Dan Richards. In this tale, the main character finds that he is not afraid of monsters at all! In fact, his monster friends may be getting just a little too comfortable. This funny book uses wacky illustrations and a non-traditional plot line to tackle common childhood fears. For additional stories on this subject, consider Light's Out by Arthur Geisert or Floop in the Dark by Carole Tremblay.
Blog Post
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future
by manz
“We form. We shine. We burn. Kapow.”
Printz Honor author A.S. King has done it again. Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future is superbly written and features a unique premise.
Glory is seventeen. Her mother commited suicide when Glory was just four years old. Her father is depressed and works from home on the couch. Her boy-obsessed best friend Ellie lives across the street in a hippie commune. She is about to graduate high school and our story begins at the end of her childhood.
One night something happens that allows Glory and Ellie to see a person's infinite past and future simply by looking at them. In this future there is a second civil war, women’s rights disappear, there’s a new tyrannical leader, a new army, and young girls vanish daily. Glory takes meticulous notes on what she sees hoping it will make a difference.
Glory is a fantastically written teen character. She is the odd-girl-out, a loner with no need for friends. She has her camera and the newly unlocked darkroom of her dead mother. And with the discovery of her mother’s old notebooks Glory learns mountains about herself and her family and how it all came to be, and it allows her to see a better future for herself.
Blog Post
Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas
by eapearce
I love the unique new picture book, Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas, written by Lynne Cox and illustrated by Brian Floca (who won awards for his work last year in Locomotive). The adorably depicted book tells the true story of Elizabeth, a southern elephant seal who lived in the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand for many years. Most elephant seals live in large groups in and around the ocean, but not Elizabeth! In attempt to place Elizabeth in her natural habitat, volunteers tow her hundreds of miles out to sea on three separate occasions, but Elizabeth always manages to return to her home in the city. Her tremendous endurance and determination wow the locals, and are sure to impress readers as well!
“Nature and urban life rarely intersect so incongruously: There’s something inherently funny in seeing commuters gawp and swerve around the huge, regal mammal,” says The New York Times Book Review. “Children may wonder, “Who has the right of way?” That’s a very good question, which Cox, with great restraint, allows readers to ask — and maybe answer — for themselves.” Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas is truly a special new addition to the AADL collection.
Blog Post
Beary Good Stories
by manz
This week at preschool storytime Ms. Amanda told bear stories about all sorts of bears off on different adventures. We met a bear who had a little problem in “I Have A Little Problem,” said the bear and no one would listen to him. We also met a baby bear who liked to count all the new animal sounds he encountered as winter approached in Baby Bear Counts One. And we tiptoed around in Tiptoe Joe as we met a new tiny little bear cub. The library has so many wonderful bear picture books, and they are perfect for this time of year as you snuggle up with a good, warm book.
Blog Post
New Picture Book Roundup
by evelyn
Are you searching for something fun and new to read during Winter Break? Look no further than our great new picture books! We just got a bunch in and they are all wonderful. Here are some of my favorites:
Naptime: This fun book by Iris De Moüy will be a hit for anyone dealing with a reluctant napper. Through beautiful illustrations and snappy text, a whole herd of jungle animals list their extensive reasons for why they can’t nap. But have no fear! By the end of the book, all of the animals have learned how to take a proper nap.
A Library Book for Bear: Bear has seven books: three about kings and queens, three about honeybees, and one about pickles. He sees no need for any more books, but his friend Mouse is determined to show him the library. At first, Bear thinks all of the books at the library are terribly unnecessary, but a great storytime wins him over. Written by Bonny Becker, with lovely illustrations by Kady MacDonald Denton, this book will delight your little library lover.
Full Speed Ahead! How Fast Things Go: This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen this year. Compiled by the French design firm Crushiform, this book compares the speed of different animals, airships, boats, and more. The illustrations are simply gorgeous and the book is filled with facts. For example, did you know that an Indo-Pacific Sailfish is as fast as a Cheetah? Or that a Sphinx moth is faster than a racehorse? Learn all this and more when you check out this book!
A Possum's Tail: By Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow, this adorable book follows a young child named Sam as he goes to the London Zoo and picks up a group of possum friends. The illustrations are detailed and the rhymes in the story reminded me of Madeline. Children will be sure to enjoy this sweet story.
Blog Post
JUMP CUTS: Video Shorts of Rhymes, Songs and Stories Performed by Library Storytellers!
by erin
Did you know that the team of talented librarians and storytellers who entertain, inspire and educate hundreds and hundreds of babies, toddlers, parents and families at our Baby Playgroups and Preschool Storytimes perform thirteen storytimes, at four locations, every week, all year round?
We now have fun, short and entertaining videos of our staff performing rhymes, songs and short stories! Each video is just a short sample from a Baby Playgroup or Preschool Storytime. Seasoned attendees will enjoy being able to practice their favorite parts at home and newbies will appreciate the sneak peak at what AADL has to offer.
Check out Miss Rachel and musician, Sara, performing their Preschool Storytime “Hello, Hello” song. Story Laura presents several bits of her Baby Playgroups with A Tisket, A Tasket, Bell Horses with musician, Sara, Peek-a-Boo and her short Teddy Bear story. We’ll be releasing more videos as we can. Let us know what you think!
Blog Post
Two New, Amazingly Illustrated Picture Books for All Ages!
by eapearce
Two beautifully illustrated picture books have just been added to the library collection.
Before After, by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Aregui is a wordless book that depicts amazing, related images on each of its pages. On one of the first pages is a drawing of a flower bud and on the opposite page, the beautiful daisy is in bloom. Later in the book, you see a coffee plant, and turn the page to see a steaming cup of coffee itself. I particularly enjoy the humor that subtly permeates this book. For example, on one page there is the image of an egg and on the opposite, the image of a chicken. When readers turn the page, they first see the image of the chicken, and on the opposite page the image of the egg. This is a stunning book and truly worth a perusal by readers of all types.
Telephone, by Mac Barnett and Jen Corace is a hilarious and wonderfully illustrated book about birds sitting on a telephone wire…playing Telephone. When mother mourning dove tells cardinal to “Tell Peter: fly home for dinner,” things get immediately jumbled when baseball-playing cardinal tells goose, “Tell Peter: hit pop flies and homers.” Things only get more confusing from there. I loved the individual personalities of the birds in this book, conveyed so well through Corace’s drawings. This is definitely a fun read!
Blog Post
Here are the books President Obama bought with his daughters on Small Business Saturday
by eapearce
Small Business Saturday, which occurred this past Saturday, November 29, is a day created in celebration of small, local businesses and to mitigate the large amount of shopping that takes place at large corporations on Black Friday. People are encouraged to patronize small businesses in their area, and President Obama and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, did just that. At the independent bookstore Politics and Prose in Washington, D.C., Obama and his two teenagers purchased 17 books spanning all age ranges and genres.
On the list were the Man Booker Prize-winner The Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flanagan, National Book Award-winner Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China, by Evan Osnos, and the classic Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad.
The Obamas also purchased three books from the Redwall series, several Junie B. Jones books, Nuts to You, by Lynne Rae Perkins, and Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms, by Katherine Rundell.
You can see the full list of the books the first family purchased here.