A short (all of two books) list of picture books follows this paragraph. Wait, is it a list if it is only two? Anyway, both books would be good for gifts to different people. The first one is a great gift for a child and the second, for grandparents.
Your Name is a Song talks about how it can be difficult for a child who has a name that is difficult to pronounce. Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow shows how one mother shows her child how beautiful her name can be. She talks of how musical African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names are when this mother-daughter duo are talking their walk. Luisa Urbie’s illustrations are art and musical as well. Bold, bright, color explodes off the pages. They are a story within themselves. Thompkins-Bigelow is also the author or Mommy’s Khimar which also shows the love of being yourself.
The Gifts of Being Grand: For Grandparents Everywhere by Marianne Richmond is a cute book, but might be limited in the actual audience. This is mostly because it might not fit all “types of grandparents.” There is a more traditional setup for “old school” looking and acting grandparents. However, the language is modern, therefore allowing it to be adapted by most for a modern audience/reader. This is would be a great way to have the grandparents learn they are becoming a “Grand” or a gift “from the baby” after they have arrived on the scene. The cover tells you all you need to know about the sweet, slightly goofy and colorful illustrations.
If you are looking for something for the holidays, these are ones to check out.
