| I have not done a picture book marathon in a bit, and the most recent netted four books. Two of them have a lose theme of siblings. The Michele Edwards is an obvious sibling dynamic, where as the book about Mary Anning mentions her brother, and what he did to assist her, but the focus is on her. However, the other theme is that of you may be small, and you will need to take your time, but you can get the job done. |
I have a kid sister, but I am sure more than once she thought Me and the Boss when we were out and about or doing things together. Of course, she probably did not think Me and the Boss: A Story About Mending and Love. Because neither of us really mended. She did a few art projects, but not like the characters in Michele Edwards does. Lee, a little brother, tells the story of how his older sister is always telling him what to do. But that comes in handy when they are at the library event that shows them how to do needle point. And while big sister cannot stop being a bit bossy, her little brother finds a way to spread a little love to not only himself, but her as well. Along with April Harrison’s illustrations (which are soft, but not fade, yet not popping off the page, with minimal supportive details), this is a sweet story about taking your time, doing your best and finding the little things in life can be a big deal.
I have known about Mary Anning off and on for years. She is one of the usual suspects when you are looking at women scientists as she is considered the mother of paleontology before it was called that. And while this picture book by Sarah Glen Marsh touches on the fact that Anning was given little recognition in her lifetime, we do get to see many of the amazing things she would be part of. Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning covers this and more. While not a traditional biography, we do see the life of Mary from a young girl to the day she opened her curio shop. There is additional material included at the end, but I was not aware of a timeline of her life. Maris Wicks rounds things out with her cartoon, comic like style of drawings for the illustrations. They are “smooth” and “round” but do not shirk on details. They are comfortable, but not “sink in your chair” comfy. They allow you to be aware of what is around you on the page.
Both titles lean towards ages five and up, but almost anyone can enjoy being read too. And probably both are best for a one-on-one read, but the Anning story could work as a read aloud.
