the great journey

It’s no secret that kids love…a secret.  In the case of The Great Journey, there’s a magic viewfinder for kids to find out what is going on “under the surface” as Red Beak flies around the world on his first annual migration to the jungle.  There are so many hidden curiosities that kids will marvel at.  But will the other birds believe all that Red Beak saw—a group of acrobatic ants, a cloud factory, a pedal train and a monkey cellist?

The Great Journey was co-authored by illustrators and graphic designers Agathe Demois and Vincent Godeau. Published by Tate Publishing.

the moon inside

With the advent of the supermoon this week, it seemed like the right time to share The Moon Inside.

Ella is scared of the dark and every evening as night creeps into her house, she grows afraid.  Ella's mother intervenes in a gentle way and allays Ella's fears by introducing her to the moon and the serene magic and sounds of the night sky.  A quiet, beautiful and poignant story with soft and gorgeous illustrations—some of the best we've seen this year.

The Moon Inside was written by Sandra V. Feder, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro and published by Groundwood Books.

kinderguides: 2001 a space odyssey

"But please remember: this is only a work of fiction.  The truth, as always, will be far stranger." — Arthur C. Clarke

An introduction for children to the iconic film and book, 2001: A Space Odyssey, from KinderGuides (@kinderguides).  We enjoyed reading this condensed version and appreciated the features on the main characters, key words, quiz questions and analysis.  Sergiy Maidukov's sharp, modern and expressive art is a good fit for the retelling of this sci-fi classic.  When Avery and Nate are ready to watch/read Arthur C. Clarke's epic story in its entirety, it's great that they'll have been front-loaded with this simplified version, which will give them a foundation to further explore the enigma and nuances of his original work.

lots

It took a while to get our hands on Marc Martin's latest wonder, LOTS, but we're  elated that it finally made its way to us.  LOTS is tremendous in beauty, scope and vision.  Its pages are immersive and offer a collection of unusual facts about different places around the world.

We loved stopping in Hong Kong and experiencing all the jade and goldfish markets, the double-decker trams, the bubble tea and the dim sum carts.  In Reykjavik, we were intrigued by the northern lights, the migration of the Arctic terns and the myriad of Icelandic sauces including a mustard with a complicated name.

It is truly a book about (almost) everything, for everyone.

LOTS was written and illustrated by Marc Martin and published by Viking Books.

listen! listen!

What does a noise sound like?  What is its shape?  What is its color?  Beautiful words from Ann Rand reminding us to tune in to the sounds around us—the sounds that make up our world, from the clanging and dissonant to the quiet and meditative.  The crunch, crunch of buttered toast.  Paul Rand uses modern and bold papercut shapes  to depict the energy and sensations of these sounds.  Let us remember to stop in our tracks every once in a while, engage our senses and listen to the snow and the whisper of the trees.

Listen! Listen! is by Ann and Paul Rand and published by Princeton Architectural Press.