Panic at the Library
When choice overload leaves you empty-handed
You know the feeling - maybe it happens to you when you are online shopping for that perfect cozy throw, a unique gift for a friend, the paint color for the living room, or you find yourself suddenly in charge of the road trip playlist (PANIC!!!!).
Despite all my best efforts to enter a bookstore or library prepared, the second I walk through the door my brain turns to mush. I literally cannot decide which title to take home. How to choose?
It doesn’t help that I often also have two small children in tow who have their own ideas about which direction I should be heading and who definitely pose a risk to the Dewey Decimal organizational system. If you are familiar with the dash-and-grab method of surviving the library, allow me to help alleviate some of the dread and chaos.
Every week I will review a handful of books we have checked out from our local library so that this Substack can help you find your favorite children’s titles and help you avoid the ones that look so promising but end up being total duds. I look for books that are enjoyed by kids and parents alike, as I believe it is at this intersection that a love of reading is born!
Let’s get reading.
As a sneak peek, I wanted to share with you a short list of titles that were such library check-out favorites that they made it onto our permanent collection bookshelf.
HOGWASH by Arthur Geisert
This image-based wordless book is fun for every age. Follow an inventive and curious group of young pigs as they create a mess and then require a thorough cleaning. The images and gadgetry in this book are simply magical and will inspire young artists, engineers, and inventors to create! What I love about a wordless book is it invites the reader to discuss the images and create the story that is occurring on every page, encouraging children to get involved in the process and art of storytelling. Anything by Geisert is going to be an invitation to an imagination adventure!
POKKO AND THE DRUM by Matthew Forsythe
The pictures in this book are enough reason to return to it, but then add the fact that the story is hilarious, it features a female (amphibious) protagonist, and the overarching message is to follow your passions no matter how loud they may be, and you have an undeniable winner.
OWL MOON by Jane Yolen
With another female protagonist and containing a sweet father-daughter real-life nature exploration, this book feels timeless. Follow along as a young girl goes on her first owling adventure with her father, and awaken your senses as the winter evening blossoms into life. The story encourages an appreciation of nature and explores the importance of patience.
ISLANDBORN by Junot Diaz
A little girl in the big city is given a school assignment and asked to capture the essence of her home country. There is only one problem, she can’t remember it. As she collects information from people in her neighborhood, a picture of her island emerges and is enhanced by imagination. I am not going to lie, I cannot help but get emotional as I read this book, as it incorporates a metaphorical depiction of the Mirabel Sisters who helped to overthrow the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo (El Jefe) in the Dominican Republic that is both important and seamlessly incorporated into the narrative. I find the messages of female empowerment, the courage to stand up against those with power, and the importance of heritage inspiring no matter how many times you read this book!
THIS ROCKET by Paul Collicutt
Holding a special place on our shelf and in our hearts, this is the first book our eldest “learned to read.” With the simple pictures, bold words, and engaging subject matter (hello, did you even KNOW the planets in order until you had kids?) this book is a winner. AND it is part of a series of books, all with similar simple words and engaging pictures. If your kid prefers trucks, boats, cars, trains, or planes, there is a Paul Collicutt book for that!
That is all for now! Happy book hunting and see y’all next week.
If you liked this list, or know another parent or caregiver who would love to get book recommendations, please share this substack with them! If you have any book recommendations for me to check out I am ALWAYS looking for great titles, authors, illustrators, and stories.
xo
Alexis
Promptly adding This Rocket and Hogwash to our library list! Any Oliver Jeffers book is a win in our house right now, Stuck and Here We Are, Notes for living on planet Earth, have been checked out of our local library many times!