Look Up High! Things That Fly

Finished December 18

Look Up High! Things That Fly by Victoria Allenby.

Like her past picture books in this series, this simple book is aimed at building vocabulary, enjoying rhyme and rhythm, and encouraging movement. The illustrations are real photographs, like the previous books: Listen Up! Train Song and Shape Up! Construction Trucks.

The cover is padded and the pages are thick to stand up to abuse from young readers, and the print is large and occupies a small amount of each page spread. For each, Allenby emphasizes some words that can start a discussion that will build vocabulary. Here, it is verbs that the various flying items can be described with. Some may be new to a young reader and can be used to get them thinking about the different ways that things can fly. The last page of the reading is a question getting the reader to think about how they would like to fly. 

As usual for these books, there is a short section at the back that gives several ideas for further work based on the book. Here, it also begins discussion of prepositions, one that works well for things that have space between them and the ground. 

This is a great addition to any young child's library. 

Happy

Finished May 12

Happy by Mies van Hout

This delightful picture book is simple and captivating. With vibrant colours, the images stand out from their dark background, and the accompanying one word text with each picture, on the opposite page reflects the colours from the image. The word is written to convey the emotion that it states and that the image portrays.

The images look like messy sketches done quickly with pastels, showing movement and skill. All the images are ones of fish, and the fish are in different sizes, with different details, but have the same basic elements of body, fins, and tail. The colours used for each fish also speak to the emotion portrayed, and as a whole, the image, colours, and details, particularly mouth and eyes, really illustrate the emotion well.

This is a great book to use to talk to kids about emotions, and could just be read as is, but is better taken slowly, looking at the details and discussing how they reflect the emotion in different ways. 

I just love this author/artist and this book is another fantastic example of her work.

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It

Finished December 12

If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 Inspiring Individuals Found Their Dream Jobs by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac, with illustrations by Scot Ritchie

This book about careers for kids is one that will truly inspire. I liked the range of jobs shown here from barber to veterinarian, including some less mainstream jobs like an NHL scout and a cake designer. I liked the inclusion of so many Canadian people in the examples here, and I loved the diversity. 

Each example is a two-page spread with the person and job highlighted, including a photo of the person. There are also several boxes with other information. One is Living the Dream, another example of someone in a related profession, usually one that started in their youth. There is a box called Other Work with other types of jobs in the same field, and another box called Spin-Off Jobs with jobs that are in a related field to the example. There is a box of Pro-Tips that give ideas on how the reader can explore this field beginning right away. The last box is Why Not Try, which gives an action the reader can take. These range from looking someone up online to starting a club at school. 

After the job profiles the book includes a list of Future Dream Jobs, one that don't exist now but likely will soon or that are less defined due to how recently they've appeared, with some short discussion of the premise for inclusion. This is followed by a discussion of skill sets, differentiating between technical skills and soft skills. A glossary is also included.

This book would be an excellent addition to any school or public library.

Let's Add Up!

Finished November 27

Let's Add Up! by Victoria Allenby, illustrated by Maggie Zeng

I always like finding good number books for children, so this is a winner. A careful look at the cover gives a clue to the theme of the book, the number 10. The book goes over various combinations of numbers that add up to 10, and also uses the same combination to introduce the idea of sorting. For example the first combination of 5 drums and 5 tambourines equals 10, but it also shows the concept of these two different things also being sorted as musical instruments, and then follows that with the introduction of them being put to use, resulting in a band. The pictures bring even more depth to this, with each drum being different from the others and each tambourine unlike the others. 

The book gives so much to explore with this in terms of sorting and adding that it can support a lot of discussion. 

I also really like the diversity of the children depicted here, showing different races and abilities among them. The drawings have movement and interest, and looking closely offer more things to talk about. At the end of the book, suggestions are given for more activities that involve classification, adding, observing, counting, and being creative. A great choice for any young reader.

This is the Boat that Ben Built

Finished September 25

This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey, illustrated by Maggie Zeng

I loved the illustrations for this picture book, the colour nuances and the way the drawings suggested more beyond what was drawn. There are so many things to draw the eye and make one wonder. One prominent example is the girl and dog watching Ben throughout the book. They aren't in the boat with him, but seem glad to see what he's doing and at the end join him. 

The subtler ones include the butterfly jar on the boat. Sometimes it has a butterfly, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the jar isn't even there. 

There are so many things to look for and notice.

The words are also lovely and so well chosen. A cumulative tale like the classic "The House That Jack Built" rhyme, with the building up of additional elements and yet different too as the actions of the elements change at the high point of the story, creating a disturbance through a domino effect. 

The grey-green colours of the scenes in the book, landscape and water, provide a neutral, natural background that is soothing

The book also includes information after the story, here on the river ecosystem and the concept of ecosystems in general. It also gives information on the animals in the story, introducing concepts such predator and omnivore. The reader is also encouraged to think of ways to add to the story through the use of additional animals in the river ecosystem. 

I like how books like this encourage readers to explore the ideas presented more deeply, while still providing entertainment. 

Jen Lynn Bailey's background in and passion for environmental science and education lend itself to excellence in conveying the concepts here.

When Elephants Listen with their Feet

Finished September 15

When Elephants Listen with their Feet: Discover Extraordinary Animal Senses by Emmanuelle Grundmann, illustrated by Clemence Dupont, translated by Erin Woods

This advanced picture book goes through each of the senses, giving an overview of the sense for humans, and then looking at how they are different in various other creatures. In addition to the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, other ways of learning about the world around us are included. These are vibrations, and the sensing of the earth's magnetic field or the electrical impulses of other creatures. There is also a section for special qualities that some animals have, like a lizard that can walk on water, or the suction cup-like toes of geckos. 

There are additional text boxes with facts related to that sense. For instance, sight includes facts on light, a physical description of the eye and how it works, the largest eye found on an animal, and how some animals see better in the dark.

Each sense has several pages of information, with many illustrations to help convey specific animal examples. 

One of my favourite tidbits of information was that the blue-tongued skink's tongue reflects ultraviolet light, helping it defend itself from predators. 

The book has an index near the back, containing a list of all the animals discussed and the pages they are mentioned on. There is a second index on the topics covered in the book. 

I learned a lot from reading this book myself, and it is a perfect choice for any child curious about animals. 

Windy Days

Finished September 5

Windy Days by Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato

This charming picture book conveys the feeling of a windy day in all its variations. From the gentle wind that ruffles your hair to the blustery wind that chills, the images and words bring them all to life. I always love the collage images that Sato uses in these picture books and how they reflect the words from Kerbel, but also add more, allowing readers to take their time and explore the pictures, finding new things to discuss. The children portrayed here enjoy the feel of the wind, and how it behaves on other things around them, from plants to pinwheels and kites. 

At the end of the book, they include more information giving suggestions for science experiments that are both fun to do and a great learning experience. The also give information on types of clouds that are shown in the book and encourage the reader to find examples of each one.

Like the rest of this series, the covers are padded with rounded corners and the pages thick and easy to grasp. 

A joy to read, and one that will be revisited often by young readers. 

On the Line

Finished September 6

On the Line by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Scot Ritchie

On the surface this is a tale of a young hockey player finding his place, but it is so much more than that. The central character is Jackson Moore, a boy that lives in a small town where hockey is an important part of the community. Several members of his family have been players that have been great assets to their team, described as hockey heroes. Everyone seems to be looking for Jackson to follow in their footsteps, but he has doubts. Mostly he keeps his doubts to himself while wondering what will happen if he doesn't live up to these expectations. 

As he joins his first hockey team, the coach and the players are excited to have him on the team, but his actual performance as a hockey player underwhelms them. There is an upcoming tournament called Winterfest that they are looking forward to playing in, but one requirement is regulation equipment. Of course, though it isn't stated explicitly here, hockey equipment and its costs are one of the major barriers to children joining the game. 

As Jackson tries to make traditional game plans to stay on his feet and impress his team members, he finds the need to rethink and make a different type of game plan entirely to ensure that his team gets to play at all. This part of the story is told in pictures, not words and isn't clear until the big reveal. 

The book ends with a page on team stewardship and its importance to the overall team spirit and cohesion. 

The illustrations add important elements to the story, showing diversity in the community and on the team, and the level of ingenuity the kids and their parents had used to come up with workarounds on equipment. Without the illustrations, this book wouldn't say as much as it does. 

If Only...

Finished September 4

If Only... by Mies van Hout, translated by David Colmer

This charming and vibrant picture book begins with a young child looking at a butterfly and wishing they could be that creature and move like that through the world. It then continues that idea with the butterfly looking at another small creature (a stick insect) and having a similar thought. The book continues through a wide variety of small creatures, each admiring something about another one, until it circles back to a creature looking at children. The pictures are colourful and intense and happy, with many of them intensely one colour (monochromatic) or close neighbours of colours (analogous) with just minor elements of a contrasting or complementary colour. This use of colour really adds to the appeal of the pictures.

At the end of the tale is a glossary of the creatures from the story, with small images of at least one example of each creature and a single sentence that gives some information on the nature of creature, including information on how they move, why they look the way they do, how they got the name they are commonly known by, where they live, or what they eat. 

Also at the back of the book is a helpful section on making collage images like some of the ones from the book. It gives a list of what is needed, and a easy to understand method of making art with collage and embellishing it. There is an additional sidebar for making self-painted paper to use for collage as well. 

I always enjoy the lovely books by this author and this one adds the fun element of small creatures that children are often fascinated by. 

Outside, You Notice

Finished September 3

Outside, You Notice by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Andrea Blinick

This picture book can be read on two levels. The easier level follows a pattern, continuing from the phrase "Outside, you notice..." with most of them beginning with "how". These include using different senses. Some examples are "How after the rain everything smells greener" and "How a strawberry tastes sweetest when you pick it yourself and eat it still warm from the sun". The illustrations include many details, but are also loose and playful, like sketches, and include many things going on. 

The second level of reading is more scientific, and includes a lot of factual information around the phrase for the double page spread. Again an example, for the pages where things smell greener, has four facts: that part of rain's smell is made of oils released by plants; some plant leaves are shaped like funnels to catch the rain; some trees have so many leaves that the ground beneath them can stay dry; and that plants drink through their roots. The pictures for this page include trees, plants, puddles, insects, animals, birds, two individual children enjoying the results of the rain in different ways, and more. It would be easy for spend several minutes on each set of pages noticing things and learning about the world around us. 

The text encourages the children to use smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight to notice the world and the facts for each range from four to six for each scene. Many of the activities shown will make children want to do these things themselves, whether it is planting seeds or taking a hike. Some noticing encourages being still and some being on the move, some has us looking up and some looking down. At the end of the book, a page lists where the different scenes take place, in parks and yards, trails and gardens, and even playgrounds. This book will encourage healthy activity and engaging with the natural world. The author has a background in gardening and forestry that shows in the information presented here. 

Listen Up! Train Song

Finished September 1

Listen Up! Train Song by Victoria Allenby

This picture book shows different kinds of trains, different parts of trains and connects them to different sounds. It plays with onomatopoeia by showing kids how the sounds that the trains make are described by words that sound similar and encourages them to explore this concept. 

The book is written in a song pattern with repetitive lines linking the different verses. The photographs have close-ups of some of the train parts making sounds like horns and brakes. There are also some train-related items like crossings that have noise that get included here. Parts of the trains like engines and boxcars have their own particular noises. 

The types of trains include modern stream-lined trains, subway trains, metro trains, traditional freight trains, and steam trains.

There is a short section at the back of the book that gives ideas of how to explore the concepts from the book in other ways. 

With kids often fascinated by trains, this book is sure to appeal to many.

Sunny Days

Finished September 1 

Sunny Days by Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato

I just discovered this lovely summery picture book that is a perfect companion book to the Snow Days book by the same author/illustrator pair. This book uses similar multi-media art to show a wide variety of ways to enjoy the summery, sunny outdoors. As someone who enjoys textile art, I particularly like the stitching I spot in the images. 

Another thing that I absolutely love about these books is the diversity portrayed. Any child will be able to find an image that they can connect with. The endpapers show a variety of summery images, from flowers and insects to cold treats to toys and clothing. The activities start with waking up to the sun and end with being tucked into bed. In between the children enjoy reading outside, planting a garden, making mud pies, enjoying the sun, swimming, enjoying popsicles and ice cream cones, listening to crickets, noticing shadows, and enjoying a sunset.

The backgrounds have additional things to notice that sunny days bring: clothes drying on a line, birds singing, going barefoot, profusion of flowers, playing in the sand, sitting in the shade, and dandelion clocks.

The book ends with some easy ways to learn about science that are connected with the sun, things that explore the power of the sun, light, shadows, and more. 

Maker Literacy

Finished June 16

Maker Literacy: A New Approach to Literacy Programming for Libraries by Lynn Pawloski and Cindy Wall

This book has a ton of ideas packed into its small size. It is organized into different types of programming and each section gives an outline of at least one program and some apps that would work for it. Here are the program sections, with a deeper look at the first one and basic outline for the rest.

The first section is called eTots and has at its core an iPad or Tablet storytime. It is for 2-5 year olds, and focuses on five skills: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. A section of the program has each child and caregiver pair working on their own tablet. It starts, as most storytimes do, with a welcome songs, and involves other songs, fingerplays, and uses a poem to transition to the time on the tablet. The theme-related apps are done as a group, and then there is a portion of the program used for free app play. The program ends with a maker element of either a craft or an activity. One of the things the authors mention here is how small movements are useful to help children focus. There is a whole list of suggested apps, many of which are free, and related lists of themes. For these section they give three themed examples: Frogs, Music, and Robots. 

The second section they call Not Just for Kids and it is focused for kids 4-6 along with their caregiver. To get you in the right frame of mind, they suggest library staff watch the Ted Talk Why a Good Book is a Secret Door, read the book Extra Yarn, and watch the commercial The House That Knits Itself, along with the video of how that commercial was made. This section gives you other creative ideas around wool, along with two other themes: caves and flight.

The third section is for multiactivity programs for ages 4-6 that they call Use Your Words. The themes they give you here are: mail and an alphabet mashup.

The fourth is for Rookie Readers, ages 5-6; the fifth for discovering engineering, ages 5-7; the sixth for art active books, ages 6-7; the seventh for Kidz Kode, ages 6-8; the eighth for No Required Reading, ages 7-10, the ninth for guest reader days, which works well for class visits too; The tenth for a one book program event; and the eleventh for your library maker area itself. 

There is an appendix that lists all the apps mentioned in the book as well. 

This is such a fantastic resource that combines making and imagination and learning. Highly recommended. 

A World of Mindfulness

Finished December 2
A World of Mindfulness: Use Your Senses. Find Your Calm. from the Editors and Illustrators of Pajama Press

This lovely picture book showcases fourteen illustrators that have done work published by Pajama Press, putting them together in this work about mindfulness.

This work includes elements from all the senses to help each child find a path to mindfulness that works for them, and thus helps them find a way to step back from this anxious world and find an inner calm.

Mindfulness for children is becoming more common with many educational institutions adding periods of meditation, mindfulness, and yoga to the school day to help manage behaviour and help children cope with whatever worries or agitates them.

Particularly this year, with the lack of structure and routine, proliferation of screen time, and societal anxiety, this book can help children stop and find balance and calm in their lives. 

The illustrations are beautiful and show the beauty of our world and the diversity of our peoples. Each picture has lots of things to look at and can provide an image to meditate on. They celebrate our self, our natural world, small joys of life, and the act of creation and reflection. 

This is a beautiful book and an apt one for this difficult year.

Shape Up, Construction Trucks

Finished September 30
Shape Up, Construction Trucks! by Victoria Allenby

This fun picture books uses the interest that many children have in construction equipment to teach them about shapes. Recommended for kids aged two to five, this book will definitely appeal to that age. The featured shape for that vehicle is show in a brightly coloured outline, as on the book cover, and the shape is also shown on its own. A simple repetitive rhyme is used on each page, so kids will be able to predict what is coming. This rhyme invites the child to look for other shapes on the page, spending time looking at each vehicle. Each two-page spread looks at one vehicle and one shape, but parents could definitely expand that as each vehicle features many shapes. The last two pages show and name all the shapes covered in the book, as well as five additional activities adults can do with the child to augment this learning, with some added tips.
I always love picture books that combine fun and learning and this is a good example. The pictures show the vehicles in work situations, although only one is actually moving in its scene. Kids can imagine who would be working in them.

The Girl Who Rode a Shark

Finished August 23
The Girl Who Rode a Shark & Other Stories of Daring Women by Ailsa Ross, illustrated by Amy Blackwell

This is a fantastic book that highlights contemporary and historical women who've done interesting things. The book is divided into six main sections by genre. The sections are Artists, Pioneers, Scientists, Activists, Athletes, and Seekers. Each woman gets a one page biographical summary, and a one page illustration of them engaged in their work or activity. Sometimes map drawings are included as well. At the end of each biographical summary, other women that have similar activities or accomplishments are mentioned. A map at the beginning of each section identifies the origins of the women covered in that section.
The introduction outlines the purpose of the book, to show girls women's amazing achievements across the ages in order to provide inspiration, to show them the possibilities open to them.
Artists profiles women writers, painters, photographers, dancers, and musicians. Here we have Lady Sarashina, the first travel writer, who lived in the 11th century; Marianne North, the 19th century flower painter; Isabella Bird, the 19th century photojournalist; Nellie Bly, the reporter who wrote about the world; Zora Neale Hurston, anthropologist and writer; Freya Stark, travel writer and flower farmer; Emily Hahn, a writer who traveled through Africa and documented her travels; Josephine Baker, cabaret singer, activist, and spy; and Mihaela Noroc, photographer;
Pioneers profiles women who blazed trails, making a path for other women to follow. Here are Teuta, pre-Christian pirate queen; Isobel Gunn, 19th century Canadian wilderness explorer; Sacagawea, 18th and 19th century teen expedition guide; Amelia Earhart, pioneer pilot; Beryl Markham, record-setting pilot; Ada Blackjack, expedition crewmember and castaway survivor; Lucy Nabiki Takona, safari guide; and Aisholpan Nurgaiv, teenage eagle hunter.
Scientists profiles women who have voyaged from deep seas to space to understand the world. Here are Maria Sibylla Merian, the 17th and 18th century painter who documented butterflies; Jeanne Baret, the 18th century explorer who was the first woman to sail around the world; Wang Zhenyi, the 18th century astronomer; Ynes Mexia, scientific explorer and botanist; Sylvia Earle, underwater biologist; Roberta Bondar, first neurologist in space; Nalini Nadkarni, dancer and treetop scientist; and Bolortsetseg Minjin, paleontologist  and educator.
Activists profiles women who've spoken up, surmounted barriers, and fought injustice. Here are Naomi Wadler, superstar activist for black girls; Joan of Arc, 15th century teenage warrior; Nzinga, 16th and 17th century queen and warrior; Bessie Coleman, first black female pilot; Whina Cooper, Maori activist for land rights; Gertrude Blom, anthropologist and early environmental activist; Shannon Koostachin, indigenous education activist, Noor Inayat Khan, Indian princess and secret agent; Anita Roddick, entrepreneur and ethical cosmetic advocate; and Svetlana Alexievich, Nobel Prize winner and advocate for survivors of conflict and disaster.
Athletes profiles women who pushed their limits in pursuit of goals and ambitions. Here are Annie Londonderry, the first woman to circumnavigate the world by bicycle; Diana Nyad, champion long distance swimmer; Cheryl Strayed, writer and hiker; Kimi Werner, chef and shark rider; Silvana Lima, surfer; Arunima Sinha, amputee who climbed Everest; Mira Rai, soldier and trail racer; Laura Dekker, solo world sailor; Ashima Shiraishi, rock climber; and Jade Hameister, polar explorer.
Seekers profiles women who journeyed for a purpose. Here are Isabel Godin, 18th century woman who crossed the Amazon rainforest; Hester Stanhope, 18th and 19th century woman who became known as Queen of the Desert; Alexandra David-Neel, opera singer and Buddhist adventurer; Isabelle Eberhardt, writer and explorer of the Sahara desert; Robyn Davidson, crosser of the Australian desert; Manon Ossevoort, who drove a tractor from Europe to the South Pole; and Nujeen Mustafa, wheelchair refugee from Syria.
At the back of the book is a glossary that covers scientific and historical terms used here; a list of indigenous people referred to in the book; and a short summary about the changing nature of geography.
I loved the diversity of the woman chosen for this book, the way that it didn't chose women that we already hear a lot about (although they are mentioned as others to look at); and the inclusion of both historical and contemporary examples.
The author, Ailsa Ross, lives in Canada and is a human rights advocate and the illustrator, Amy Blackwell used her skills to make these women come to life and place them in their world. Fantastic resource for any parent or library.

This is My Daddy

Finished August 2
This is My Daddy by Mies van Hout

This delightful toddler book explores colour, shapes, and other early learning concepts. There are a series of pages with picture of a young animal on the left side of the facing pages and four smaller pictures on the opposite page. Each young animal asks who is their daddy. The reader can look at the four choices and evaluate which one is the match. The following set of pages tell the correct answer. The illustrations use strong, vibrant, coordinating colours, which I loved! and while some, such as the tiger on the cover can be determined by the reader by looking at colour, shapes (such as the stripes on the tiger) and similarities, others are less obvious, and will engender discussion about how animals are different in different stages of their lives.
There are great option for the father in each set, with some element of the option relating to the youngster. For example the small animal with prickles coming out of them has four options that are prickly or fluffy. Young animals included are: tadpole (surprise!), hedgehog, beaver, snail, tiger, caterpillar, and rhinoceros. The book ends with a human youngster, with a bit of a twist that you need to look closely to catch. This book is great fun and the end pages provide more information on the animals.
I just loved this book, for the thought that went into it and the lovely pictures. There is humour and fun throughout.

The Dog Patrol

Finished June 16
The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them by Rob Laidlaw

This lovely book celebrates dogs and kids from around the world who work on their behalf. The author is an animal activist and biologist who has several dog companions of his own. I really liked the term companion rather than pet for these domesticated animals.
The book starts with a history of dogs and their relationship to humans, and goes on to give information on the amazing things about dogs from their sense of smell and how it is used to help us, to what dogs need from nutrition to socialization. There is also a large section for those who want to get a dog, guiding them to reputable sources and showing what to look for when choosing a source for your companion animal. Here it talks about breeders, shelters, and puppy mills, as well as rescue organizations. Information is also given on some of the physical issues that dogs may have, whether purebreds or not.
Another section shows how to act with your own and others dogs to make it easier for them and a better experience for everyone.
The book gives a Dog Lover's Pledge that has readers commit to forming a good relationship with the dogs they may encounter through their lives.
Throughout the book, various kids are profiled, each of them working in some way to better the conditions that dogs live in. These may involve specific types of dogs, such as sled dogs or senior dogs, may focus on specific actions such as finding forever homes or fighting for foster funding, or may just fight for dog welfare in more general ways. The kids are from all over, and of various ages, giving readers the ability to see how they too can make a difference.
The book ends with a glossary of terms, and gives a list of more resources readers may want to check out.
This is a great book for dog lovers of all ages!

When Stars Are Scattered

Finished May 23
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

This children's graphic novel for older kids tells the story of Omar and his younger brother Hassan. The two are refugees from Somalia. Omar was with his father in the fields of their farm when some men came to talk to his father and he saw his father killed. He knew his mother was coming with the lunch for them, and ran to meet her. She had Hassan with her, and she left the two, telling them to go home and she would come back for them. But she never did. One of their older female neighbours took the two young boys with the rest of the people fleeing the village, and the boys eventually made it to the refugee camp in Kenya that they are living in as the book begins.
They were both malnourished and ill, but have recovered. They live in a hut across from the hut of an older woman, Futuma, who has been assigned to be their foster mother. Hassan is developmentally disabled in an undefined way. He is a mostly cheerful and friendly boy, who has had occasional seizures, and who only speaks one word: Hooyo. It is not until near the end of the book that you understand the significance of this one word.
Omar is very protective of his brother, who can be the target of others, and here he gradually finds himself able to leave Hassan with Fatuma during the day and go to school with his friends. He hopes at first to return to his farm, and eventually sets his sights on a different, more possible future. The support of his best friend, Fatuma, teachers, and social workers help him to find a way forward and a new life for himself.
This is a good book to show the realities of life in a refugee camp and the barriers that must be overcome to make it out of the camp to a more hopeful future.

What Cats Think

Finished January 12
What Cats Think by Mies van Hout, text by John Spray

This lovely picture book showcases the beautiful artwork of Mies van Hout. Her pictures are engaging and show the emotions and movement of the cats perfectly. You can see the emotions on the cats' faces as described in the text, and the wide variety of cat types helps kids find the one that they can relate to, either due to cats they know personally, or the way the cats have similar emotions to the kids. Whether its worry about going to the vet, jumpiness at sudden noises, or anger at the loss of an object they liked, the cats show feelings similar to the children's own experiences with doctor visits, surprises, or loss. There are lots of different kinds of feelings shown too from curiosity and joy, to panic and confusion. What a great way to have kids both explore their own emotions and relate to animals in their lives. I only wish it could tell me what my cat is thinking when it yells at me from the kitchen in the middle of the night despite full food and water bowls.
I also loved the colours here, where drawings are each saturated with one colour showing the different shades and intensities in a fun way.