On Story Bent

Small person actually liked it fine. Very similar concept to Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, but, on a scale, the illustrations definitely aren't as striking as the former.  The text is more gently matter of fact, though. (Fletcher is ever so slightly dramatic. ;P) All in all this one is nice but not frightfully memorable. A fine title, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. If you're really interested, would recommend checking it out from the library or picking up cheaply secondhand. Note: and we found it as a paperback, but I see it's also available as a board book, which totally makes sense and would probably be a great read in that format.

This cheerful rhyming book narrating the journey on the Mayflower through to the first shared Thanksgiving is an absolutely fantastic addition to our library. I particularly appreciate how the refrain for each section is a moment of thanksgiving for God's kindness and provision even through all the difficulties. Also love the colorful, historically accurate attire. Can be read to a variety of ages. Definitely deserves to be more widely known!  

"It's almost Halloween and little Sylvie Ann has found the biggest, fattest pumpkin. But before she can carve it into a giant, crooked-toothed pumpkin moonshine (or jack-o'-lantern), she has to get it home." (from the dustjacket) Inspired by the adventures of Tasha Tudor's niece, this classic is just darling. The text is sprightly and the artwork so sweet.  Obviously, the entire premise does revolve around All Hallow's Eve, but it doesn't delve more deeply into the festival beyond discussing jack-o-lanterns. Just an fyi, though, in case your family doesn't observe the occasion. That said, a standby I've read for years, it's grown on me even more over time and this autumn ended up being one of my particular favorites. :) Definitely one I look forward to pulling out in the future as well!

"When Bartholomew, Remember, and Mary Allerton and their parents first step down from the Mayflower after sixty days at sea, they never dream that life in the New World will be so hard. Many in their Plymouth Colony won't make it through the winter, and the colony's first harvest is possible only with the help of two friends, Samoset and Squanto. Richly detailed paintings show how the pilgrims lived after landing at Plymouth, through the dark winter and into the busy days of spring, summer, and fall. Culminating with the excitement of the original Thanksgiving feast, Three Young Pilgrims  makes history come alive." (from the back cover) If I had to choose one book about the pilgrims, this would be it. Absolute top favorite. I loved it as a child and I love it now. (And yes, my daughter enjoyed it too.) Beautifully illustrated and told perfectly, the author touches on all the salient points -- the voyage, the hunger and sickness, the loss even children had to face, and...

"One chilly fall day, Pa tells Laura and Mary that he must go into the Big Woods to look for a deer, for there is no meat left to eat in the little house. The next day Pa comes home not with a deer, but instead with a very special story to tell Laura and Mary." (from dustjacket) One of the first Little House picture books I remember from my growing up, this one is very autumnal and gentle. I must admit, with the passing of years, I do think this story of Pa's is curious. I can see him leaving the doe and her fawn, but, I mean, when (in that day and age particularly) would you not have shot the buck? My daughter must also be a country girl through and through as she was puzzling over the same question on her own. xD But on the other hand, though many details in the full length books were adjusted from the way they happened in real life, I'm not exactly sure why Laura or Rose would have felt the need to soften this particular story (when other similar frontier subjects ...

Follow squirrel as he zips round the farm getting ready for winter... While we have a full size copy of this, I can see why they also sell it as a board book, as it has that feel. It's really a charming little title with bright, cheerful illustrations, and a cute ending. A sweet read and perfect for short attention spans. Recommend!

One that has already stood the test of time (decades now, so I think we can fairly definitively say that), I was debating whether it was even worth my time reviewing this one. But there are always new readers. (+ one must be consistent with reviewing, mustn't one? ;))  It's so well written... And though it was a groundbreaker upon publication, personally, I don't think it's stuck around just because it's on mandatory school reading lists. It's a day in the life of a young child, told simply and beautifully, and that immediately resonates. It's one I vividly remember from my own growing up; and I've since seen it genuinely loved and enjoyed by all different children alike -- boys and girls, the quiet ones and the loud and wiggly ones... Their attention is caught and they naturally identify with the little boy protagonist. So yes, altogether a classic and an absolute gem!

Perhaps not quite as much of a family favorite as Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn , this is still an absolutely lovely book. (And seriously, it probably just has to do with seasonal preference... plus the fall colors in the other one are stunning.) This book follows the same outline and I really like how it takes the reader through exploring the seasons in both country and town. This one also has a brother and sister duo experiencing everything together, which is very sweet.  The ending pages are exhilarating. On second thought, I feel like I might've been a little hard on it up above. The text is actually a tad smoother and easier to read than Summer/Autumn  and, as I'm flipping through it while typing this up, I'm falling even more for the restrained color scheme and the soothing simplicity of the illustrations. Definitely going on our favorites list after all. Highly recommend!

This one always reminds me of Owl Moon -- what with the story revolving around the father-daughter duo going through the snowy forest, keeping an eye out for animals -- but the actual content is quite different so both are entirely valuable in their own right. Smoothly written, it's an excellent introduction to the subnivean zone -- that layer between snow and ground, which is an entire world in its own right -- full of hibernating animals and also those hunkering down with the larders they gathered earlier in the year and munching their way through the winter. A few top dwelling animals -- deer and foxes, etc. -- make an appearance as well.  There's a nice glossary at the back where it expands further on each animal mentioned, too.  A great selection for natural history.

Love this book and definitely a favorite for this exact time of year -- winter just breaking into spring. It follows a similar basic outline to Jan Brett's famous Mitten story, but (personally) I find this one particularly charming. It has more of an emphasis on unlikely friends all having to get along together under the protection and the watchful eye of a (very) patient guardian figure. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous (of course ;)) and the ending is very sweet. And, come the ending, the Small Person immediately asked where we can go see musk oxen and was more than a little disappointed at how far we'd need to travel... so all the more reason to enjoy and appreciate having this delightful secondhand glimpse into their home and habitat. :) An all around win and highly recommend!

I really love this one! I was only able to find and add it to our collection this last Christmas, so it’s not as familiar as some of the others in the series, but I just loved the gentle narrative. It was the first story wherein the small person was really following historical differences then v. now (i.e. everyone taking turns in the washtub on a Saturday night and then the no running and jumping rules on Sundays). And then the birthday celebration was so sweet! It gave me the same feeling of simplicity and pure enjoyment I had when first reading the other books growing up. :) Happy to recommend it! <3

Set just as fall is tipping into winter, this is a perfect story for this time of year. In true Jan Brett style, there's so much going on in the illustrations! We notice something new each time. And, as always, they're just gorgeous. My one caveat is that it has a bit of a secret ending... so still thinking over the pros and cons of that, to be quite honest. Basically, the characters in the story don't have all the information, but (due to the illustrations, mostly) we as the readers know the whole story, which basically all boils down to an easy mistake and a case of misappropriated credit. On the flip side of all that, it is thought provoking and does give good, age accessible and appropriate material for discussion. (And the small person definitely gets and loves the joke. ;)) So there are my rambling and indecisive thoughts on this one... Definitely one you might want to keep an eye out for and flip through at your local library!

A prestigious member of the c rème de la crème of seasonal books club, this is another one I remember from my childhood. It's stood the test of time and I'm now so happy to have it on our shelves. It's simple. It's straightforward. And it sticks with you. You remember it, when it pops up like an old traveling companion, years later, and when you have your own small ears to read to.  So yes, brilliantly capturing the nature of autumn and the very feel of the turning of the year, it's definitely a staple and a tip top recommendation for every home library!

"As the leaves fall from his favorite tree, Fletcher worries that something is terribly wrong. But then winter comes, and with it a wonderful surprise. Do you know what it is? Join Fletcher and find out..." Initially, I wasn't sure how much of a hit this one would be, but it's grown on us and actually become rather a favorite. The nature of the conflict (concern over a tree losing its leaves) is a little funny, but I think it's actually improved the Small Person's observation skills and it is interesting to step into sweet little Fletcher's shoes (as representative of a child's perspective), thinking through what the very first experience of fall is like. After one has lived through so many of them all the way to adulthood, it can be easy to forget what's really happening with the changing seasons and, by extension, how unique each leaf is -- like a snowflake -- and that our God knows and has delighted in coloring each one; and how, even though He...

This is one of -- if not the -- most surprising picture book finds I've run across in the last few years. (And, after a year, it's also the first fall title the small person picks off the seasonal book pile, so that's saying something.)  The pictures are sweet, unique, and beautiful. And it's the best little tale I've seen to date about the nature of being created in a very specific way, involving natural limitations, and then learning to enjoy where one is literally planted; plus happy resolutions happening in unexpected ways. All told in a very age appropriate way, in a sweet little story, and with an in-tune and not-too-terribly preachy Mommy and Daddy mushroom present on the scene. (And as a complete side note, the author references lingonberries! Having a Swedish grandpa, lingonberry jam on our pancakes is an Absolute Thing 😍😋 and I'm so tickled they were included in here. When does that ever happen?!?) All in all, it's a fairly darling little story ...

We look forward to pulling this one out each year. The text is straightforward, clear, and engaging, while the pictures are actually quite decent and have always done an excellent job holding the small person's attention. All in all, detailing all the changes of the season, it fills an empty little niche and nicely rounds out our fall shelf. A definite winner!

This is a book I remember from my own childhood and, as such, it's hugely nostalgic. There's a haunting quality to the lilting text that just stays with you. And the illustrations, with all the real leaves and layers of shaped pages, always leave something new to be discovered. It literally forces you to blink and focus on the leaves in a different way. Very ingenious.  Anyhow, as I was flipping through it before writing this up, the Little Princess looked up and said, "Oh, I love that one." So there ye are, it now also has the generational stamp of approval. ;) It's definitely inspired us further on our own leaf foraging adventures so I'm happy to recommend it(!), particularly as a great seasonal read.

"As trees sway in the cool breeze, blue jays head south, and leaves change colors, everyone knows-- autumn is on its way! Join a young girl as she takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming season. In a series of conversations with every flower and creature and gust of wind, she says goodbye to summer and welcomes autumn."  The book jacket blurb above pretty much sums it up, but I'll add my two cents worth and say that, with its beautiful illustrations, this book is just gorgeous. The text is ever so slightly stiff, but still, from cover to cover, I love the immersive, contemporary, deft, gentle way the whole thing captures the changing seasons. One of our favorites!

Lyrical and sweet, this is Mama's favorite Thanksgiving picture book! (Though I might be biased as it feels very turn-of-the-century to me and that's my favorite time period and I feel like you so rarely see it in picture books that I'm just honor bound to champion it, too. ;D)  All that aside, detailing how the entire family -- parents, children, grandparents, uncle, and aunt -- come together to prepare and cook the feast, to sit down in thankfulness, and, finally, to share the bread... it's really just so lovely! And just look at these illustrations. <3 Yes, indeedy. One of our tip top favorites, I'm happy to highly recommend it. Hoping you can find and enjoy it too!!

"Today was Thanksgiving, Grandmother's favorite day of the year. The cooking was done and her famous cranberry bread was cooling on the wooden board. Every year Grandmother invited a guest for dinner and allowed Maggie to do the same. 'Ask someone poor or lonely,' she always said. But she wasn't happy upon learning that Maggie had invited the unsavory Mr. Whiskers to dinner. Would her secret cranberry bread recipe be safe with him in the house?" While the premise of this one may be evvvvvvvver so slightly silly, and the writing may be ever so slightly choppy, it's also charming; and the Nostalgia is Very Real. I loved reading the Cranberry books years ago (more reviews to come for the rest in the future, hopefully!) and so excited most are back in print at the moment. With the progression of time and since becoming a bit of a true crime buff, I'm now much more cautious of the whole idea of Friendly Gentlemen Strangers Being Introduced and Hanging Roun...