grandparent and child

Maud and Grand-Maud

Sophie Rosen ,

O’Leary, Sara. Maud and Grand-Maud. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2020.
Every once in a while, Maud stays overnight with her grandmother. The two of them change into matching plaid nightgowns and settle down to eat a cozy supper before investigating a surprise Grand-Maud has hidden in an old wooden chest: Some cookies. A new sweater. A photograph from long ago. A book of fairy tales from Grand-Maud’s childhood. They talk about what life will be like for Maud when she grows up and then fall asleep in adjoining beds. This endearing picture book – gently illustrated by Kenard Pak – is highly recommended for readers 5 to 8 years old.

P.S. Teachers of creative writing might like to use this story with older readers to inspire them to write stories about their own grandparents.

More stories about grandparents

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Every Dog in the Neighborhood

Sophie Rosen , , ,

Stead, Philip C. Every Dog in the Neighborhood. New York: Holiday House, 2022.
If you like picture books, you probably already know that Philip Stead is a wonderful writer. If you’ve studied picture books, you already know that illustrations provide additional information to enhance the story. If you’re a teacher, you already like books that can be integrated into more than one subject. Well, this newest story by Stead is his most brilliant book yet. It’s as funny and heart-warming as the Moffat stories by Estes. Caldecott Medal winner Matthew Cordell’s illustrations are full of humorous details including a dog called E.B. who dreams of writing stories and a musician who owns two dogs called Thelonious and Monk. Younger students will be inspired to write their own letters and think of their own surveys to do after reading about Louis’s inventory of dogs. Older students will enjoy seeing how writers incorporate intriguing allusions requiring background knowledge to understand. Adults will appreciate Grandma’s complaints about city hall and how you sometimes just have to take care of things yourself. Highly recommended for everyone who likes picture books.

More dog stories

More great picture books

Cave Paintings

Sophie Rosen ,

Buitrago, Jairo. Cave Paintings. Toronto: Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2020.
A young boy – on summer vacation – travels across the universe to visit his grandmother on Earth. Stunningly beautiful full-page coloured pencil illustrations by Rafael Yockteng help tell this brilliantly imaginative story highly recommended for readers 7 to 12 years old. Translated from the Spanish by Elisa Amado.
P.S. A great introduction to a unit on space travel or the history of technology or a genre study of science fiction.
P.P.S. A lovely addition to a unit on stories from countries around the world. The author lives in Mexico and the illustrator in Columbia.

More stories about space and time travel

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More picture books using coloured pencils

 

A book that goes back in time…

Schertle, Alice. We. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007.
The text –  describing how civilization developed over time and how we all are still interdependent on this earth – is vividly illustrated with collages by Kenneth Addison. A picture book highly recommended for readers 10 years old and up.