Two more I read via online reader copies (and are available) titles are below. Sadly, no themes, just two fun books that people need to know about. And as we know, knowing is half the battle!
One little girl feels like a tiger. Which would be fine except all the people in Duck, Duck, Tiger are, you guessed it, ducks. The classic idea of trying to fit in, when you are very different, is alive and strong here. And yes, we have seen it before, but this time Brittany R. Jacobs uses a theme of just being a “tiger” as the metaphor and it is not for any one particular thing. You can use it if your child is different in any of the usual ways, as it will adapt. It also can be used for that child who is different from the others in their class and/or different from your child. Or, of course for siblings, cousins, or neighbors. It even helps if an adult is different from you. The story is in rhyme and the set up (the text and the bold, colorful, and not overwhelming illustrations) does make it for a younger audience, but your early reader could read as well.
I have been looking for a poetry book that is a combination of not overly serious but not super silly. And I found that in the book For the Beauty of the Earth by Folliott S. Pierpoint and illustrations by Lucy Fleming. Yes, it is a faith based poem, but it is still as lovely and relevant as it was when it was written in 1864. This is a poem of family and community. But it is the artwork by Fleming that truly brings things together. They are soft, dream-like, colorful, busy without being overwhelming, and have the details needed. The flow of the text is classic of the times and moves well.
