This world is so full of sharp edges, sorrows like anvils sitting on our chests, worries, feelings of inadequacy. That’s true for adults, and it’s true for children as well. One of the sweetest gifts on the planet is the …
Tag: kindness

sweet as pie in July
Pie is for Sharing, written by Stephanie Parsley Ledyard, illustrated by Jason Chin published in 2018, a Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press My grandmother made the best blueberry pie imaginable, exploding with the tiny, wild blueberries she picked, and …

new gems for young and old
Today I’ve got five stunners from this year’s crop of new picture books. Books I think you’ll love, too. They Say Blue, written and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki published in 2018 by Abrams Books for Young Readers Jillian Tamaki’s ravishing …

enduring, glittery, always, goofy… love
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Perhaps you’d like to tuck in a book with those chocolates for a child, grandchild, or friend. Here are five grand choices with decidedly different personalities: For a poignant valentine: Love, written by …

gingerbread kindness — Elsa Beskow part 2
Welcome back to a week of celebrating Elsa Beskow, an early Swedish children’s author and illustrator whose imaginative, kind-hearted stories still enchant us more than one hundred years after their publication. Yesterday we looked at Beskow’s childhood delight in fairy …

a happy Christmas to all…books brimming with Christmas cheer
The first order of business today is awarding the give-aways of that splendid nature journal and those jazzy magazines. As always with these giveaways, I wish I could give one to everyone who enters! However… Charity — congrats on winning the …
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with charity towards all…
I don’t know about you, but lately my heart feels as though someone has been scouring it with steel wool. Raw. Abraded. Grieving over violence and suffering, abuse of power and abuse of Earth, caustic tongues and acrimony, overwhelmingly loud …

hope and kindness…books to lift spirits
The devastation of Harvey is overwhelmingly present both for those on site and those helplessly watching from afar. That’s not the only bad news that might be greying your spirit these days. Here’s a brief selection of some of my …

rosy with lovingkindness…five new picture book gems
Just looking at this stack of books today warms my heart. Lush illustrations and tenderhearted characters bring a palpable response of peace, security, belonging, and healing. These days are filled with turmoil and conflict, and assuredly children pick up on …
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cold hands, warm hearts…five icy tales warm with love
Yes, winter is here. The days are cold and dark. But the warmth of human kindness goes with wintertime, hand in glove, in today’s wonderful stories. The Branch, written by Mireille Messier, illustrated by Pierre Pratt published in 2016 by …
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