Song of the River

Cowley, Joy. Song of the River. Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko Press, 2019.
Where does the sea begin? In a trickle of water, high, high, up in the mountains. In a stream, running between snow-covered ground shaded by pine trees. Where does a stream run? Down, down, joining other streams, turning into a creek and into a river. Where does a river flow? Past farms, under bridges, through cities, joining other rivers to become a wide rushing highway to the sandy salty sea.  Illustrated by Kimberly Andrews and written by the award-winning Joy Cowley, this exhilarating picture book about a little boy who lives in the mountains is cheerfully recommended for readers five to eight years old.

More books about rivers

More stories from New Zealand

More stories by Joy Cowley…

Cowley, Joy. Snake and Lizard. La Jolla, Calif. : Kane/Miller, 2007.

This story of two friends who like helping others comes from New Zealand and will be much enjoyed by readers who are fond of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel and George and Martha by James Marshall. 

Cowley, Joy. Friends: Snake and Lizard. Wellington, N.Z.: Gecko Press, 2011, c2009.

Chicken Feathers

Cowley, Joy. Chicken Feathers. New York: Philomel Books, 2008.

Josh spends the summer with his pet chicken Semolina while his mother is hospitalized until the birth of his sister. A touching story, comparable to Arthur, for the Very First Time by  Patricia MacLachlan. Both novels are by master storytellers, but this one is for younger readers. [Chickens; Family life; Farm life; Pets]

Cowley, Joy. Stories of the Wild West Gang. Wellington, NZ: Gecko Press, 2012.
Michael would far rather be having adventures with his cousins than staying at home with his quiet, proper mum and dad.  This lengthy collection of 10 hilarious stories, originally published separately, will appeal to readers who enjoy laughing. A great read-aloud! [New Zealand; Cousins; Humorous fiction; Adventure and adventurers; Family life]

The Big Sting

Delaney, Rachelle. The Big Sting. Toronto: Tundra, 2023.
Leo and his family are spending a week on a small island off the coast of British Columbia. Leo enjoys virtual adventures on his computer at home in Toronto, but now he is in the middle of a real-life mystery: his recently deceased grandmother’s beehives have been stolen and his grandfather is determined to find them. Meanwhile, his parents have taken themselves off to a luxury resort. How will Leo cope with his grumpy grandfather and impetuous younger sister? The hopefulness of Patricia MacLachlan’s stories and the zany humour of Polly Horvath’s stories combine in this life-affirming novel highly recommended for readers 8 to 11 years old.

A novel by Patricia MacLachlan

Novels by Polly Horvath

Stories about grandparents

Stories by Canadian writers

Stories set in Canada

Quiet

dePaola, Tomie. Quiet. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018.
“Hurry up! Be quick!” Sometimes it seems every day is filled with “Can’t you go faster?” What about being quiet and still? What about observing? What about taking time to sit and think? In this peaceful picture book, a grandfather takes two grandchildren on a walk and shows them how nature is sometimes busy and sometimes still. The simple calm green text and soft pastel-coloured illustrations combine to create a timeless reminder for all ages.

More stories of nature for Earth Day on April 22nd

More stories about grandparents

Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated more than 200 picture books during his lifetime and won multiple awards including the Caldecott Medal and John Newbery Medal. He was born in Connecticut in September of 1934 and died in New Hampshire in March of 2020. You might like to borrow his books from your local library or buy them from your favourite bookstore. All are worth reading over and over again.

Lost

Usher, Sam. Lost. Somerville, Massachusetts: Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2022, ©2021.
A new day brings new adventures despite the miserably cold weather. A little boy trots along with his grandfather and ends up on a grand journey through a snowstorm to find a lost dog. The combination of narration and conversation, the full-page expressive illustrations, the size and style of the font, the placement of sentences on the pages, the zany adventure, and the little bit of wisdom at the end all combine to create another brilliant picture book by Sam Usher. Highly recommended as a read-aloud for ages 4 to 9.

Another picture book by Sam Usher

More books about grandparents

More books set in winter

Wild

Usher, Sam. Wild. Somerville, Massachusetts: Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2021.
A picture book by Candlewick is always worth picking up. This picture book is such fun that it’s worth picking up again and again. At least it is if you know cats. And like cats. A little boy wakes up to a ‘take care of the cat’ day with his grandfather. Sounds easy. Until the cat arrives with its own ideas. Like all great picture books, the illustrations – full of delightful details – tell as much as the words. Highly recommended for cat lovers 4 to 11 years old. P.S. If you have a new baby in the house, you might like to read this book, too. 

More stories about cats

More stories about grandparents

More stories to make you laugh

Mystery Bottle

Balouch, Kristen. Mystery Bottle. Northampton, MA: Crocodile Books, an imprint of Interlink Publishing Group, Inc., 2022.
What do you own that reminds you of another place, another person, another time? A boy in New York opens a package from Iran. Inside is a little bottle. And out of that bottle comes a wind that carries him from Brooklyn all the way to Tehran and into the arms of his loving grandfather. This beautifully designed picture book, a winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Award, is highly recommended for imaginative readers 5 to 9 years old. 

More picture books

Grandpa’s Stories

Coelho, Joseph and Allison Colpoys. Grandpa’s Stories: A Book of Remembering. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019.
A young girl remembers all the special moments she shared with her grandfather. Spring. Summer, Fall. Winter. Every season holds precious memories of her beloved grandfather. A poignant picture book by an award-winning British writer and an Australian artist. Recommended for young readers who are grieving.

More stories of grief