Librarians Make Good Friends

Librarians and reading teachers are natural allies, and consequently some of my favorite people are librarians.  However, as educational as it can be to hang out with them, it can also be expensive.  After spending fifteen minutes with my school’s librarian, I went home and spent a whole lot more on Amazon.  The reason – Peter Reynolds. 

I’ve used Reynolds’ book Ish for many years to teach kids that it’s okay to try even if you’re not perfect.  In the book, Ramon is upset because he can’t quite get his drawings right, but his little sister points out that sometimes being close-ish is just fine.  Thinking ish-ly lets our imagination flow.  It turns out that Reynolds is a fairly prolific writer and illustrator and has a number of other wonderful stories, along with his newest book, Sky Color.  In Sky Color, we see Ramon’s little sister, Marisol, again, and now she’s an artist with the daunting task of painting the sky without blue paint.  Also about art and creativity, is The Dot.  In it Vashti doesn’t believe she can draw until her art teacher tells her to make a mark on the paper.  Vashti draws a dot, and her teacher tells her to sign it.  The next week the dot is framed and hanging in the art room.  All three books, remind us to be confident in our creativity and not let convention box us in.

 

The other books Angela shared with me are more for adults than kids, although they’re still picture books with simple text.  These three were written by Peter Reynolds and Alison McGhee, and they are guaranteed to make you cry.  I cried reading them in the library, and I think they would make excellent gifts.  The first is called Someday, and in it a mother speaks to her daughter about her love for her as she grows up.  Then there’s Little Boy, which, while a little more light hearted, is still a touching description of a mother’s love.  Finally, there’s Always about a child and her dog, who will always protect her.  With his simple illustrations and minimalist text, Reynolds is able to deal with complex emotions and tell beautiful stories. 

Books by Peter Reynolds

Ish

The Dot

Sky Color

I’m Here

The North Star

So Few of Me

Rose’s Garden

By Peter Reynolds and Others

Someday

Little Boy

Always

Plant a Kiss