I love all kinds of books, but picture books for children are truly some of the most magical. They serve as portals of imagination to share with children, a fun bedtime story with the little ones or a nostalgic journey through your own childhood.
I’m always looking for new stories to give as fun gifts to the children in my life. I recently found four new ones that I think are excellent and I can’t wait to share them.
“All the Books” by Hayley Rocco and Caldecott honoree John Rocco is about Piper Waterstone who loves books and doesn’t want to share.
“Waffle Can’t Decide” by Brenda S. Miles is about a waffle who has to make a lot of decisions in life and finds a better way to do it.
Rosemary Wells’ book “Little Chefs” are stories about helpful little chefs who arrive in the nick of time to save dinner.
And last but not least, “Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble” by Briony May Smith is about a little troublesome fairy who is looking for her real family.
“All the Books” is a very cute book about the magic of libraries. Piper Waterstone is a little girl who loves her books so much that she never shares them. She takes them everywhere, but when an accident happens, she is rescued by the benevolent librarian. This opens Piper’s eyes to a whole world of books that could be hers, only if she can share them. Piper learns the value of sharing with her friends and the significance of the library in her life.
“Waffle Can’t Decide” is a funny and cute book about a waffle who can’t decide. She can’t decide which socks to wear and is late for school, she can’t choose an ice cream flavor and then they’re all gone. Waffle just keeps waffling. She uses tools around her to make it easier, such as narrowing her focus or getting more information. The book also contains helpful tips for parents to help their little ones strengthen their decision-making skills.
“The Little Chefs” is a very charming book with three separate stories. Wells is also the author of the well-known children’s book ‘Max and Ruby’. Her latest stories are about children trying to make dinner for their tired parents or a cake for their sister, and the disasters that occur. But just when things are looking bleak, a small army of little chefs show up and teach the kids how to prepare the perfect dish for the occasion. The stories are very sweet to read, but the charming illustrations really take the cake in this book.
“Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble” is a beautiful book about a fairy girl born to Wren parents in the woods. Tiny Jenny is very mischievous, which irritates the other forest animals. She goes looking for her fairytale family and discovers that they are not very nice and that her real family was the one who loved and accepted her all along. In the book, Tiny Jenny is a good example for children to not worry about being different and about the power of learning to be true to yourself.
I think these books are beautiful new editions of children’s literature. All of these books are recommended for ages 4 to 8, but can be read by any age. These stories delight, entertain and provide essential lessons for children. I would highly recommend these books as gifts for the children in your life. Hopefully they will provide you with many hours of reading pleasure and happiness together.
• Rachel Fowler is a bookseller at Inklings Bookshop. She and other Inklings staff members review books in this space every week.
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