Book picks similar to
Setsuko and the Song of the Sea by Fiona Barker
picture-books
nature
ecocritical
picturebook
The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau
Jon Agee - 1988
An unknown painter becomes an overnight sensation when his paintings imitate life too well by quacking, crawling, and erupting all over Paris.The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau is a 1988 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year.
It Must Be Autumn
Michelle Wang - 2021
and this book's fun-loving family is out to discover all the wonderful signs of the beautiful Fall season. Join in their antics as they shake and rhyme their way to a surprise ending that is sure to delight readers of all ages. There's even a couple of wisecracking squirrels to keep the laughs coming as the pair frolic through the pages telling jokes that will "leaf" you "fall"ing over into a great big pile of chuckles.
Virginia Wolf
Kyo Maclear - 2011
It's a funk so fierce, the whole household feels topsy-turvy. Vanessa tries everything she can think of to cheer her up, but nothing seems to work. Then Virginia tells Vanessa about an imaginary, perfect place called Bloomsberry. Armed with an idea, Vanessa begins to paint Bloomsberry on the bedroom walls, transforming them into a beautiful garden complete with a ladder and swing ?so that what was down could climb up.? Before long, Virginia, too, has picked up a brush and undergoes a surprising transformation of her own. Loosely based on the relationship between author Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell, Virginia Wolf is an uplifting story for readers of all ages.
How Oakley Lost His Spots (Oakley and Bella Book 1)
D.C. Swain - 2013
Convinced by his friend Rover that he has lost them, he sets off to find his spots, only to find out that Dalmatians aren’t born with spots and that they all develop at different times. A vividly illustrated picture book, this story is perfect for showing children how everyone develops at different rates. ***Check out the other books in the "Oakley and Bella" series: -When Oakley Met Bella -Oakley and Bella Meet Puss -Oakley and Bella on Holiday
The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest
Oren Lavie - 2015
With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear—and handsome too!As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassen's bear who wants his hat back, The Bear Who Wasn't There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations.Wolf Erlbruch is one of Germany's most renowned illustrators; his work is respected and loved around the world. Among his many awards, Erlbruch received both the Gutenberg and the German Children's Literature Award, as well as a Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award. His previous book, Duck, Death and the Tulip, sold more than 100,000 copies and was published in nineteen countries.Oren Lavie is a composer, musician, and playwright. His debut album, The Opposite Side of the Sea, was released worldwide to critical acclaim. The music video for "Her Morning Elegance" was nominated for a Grammy and became a YouTube hit with over twenty-five million views. Lavie's song "A Dance 'Round the Memory Tree" was featured in Disney's film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. He currently lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Secret of the Blue Glass
Tomiko Inui - 1957
There, on the shelves next to the old books, live the Little People, a tiny family who were once brought from England to Japan by a beloved nanny. Since then, each generation of Moriyama-family children has inherited the responsibility of filling the blue glass with milk to feed the Little People and it's now Yuri's turn. The little girl dutifully fulfils her task but the world around the Moriyama family is changing. Japan is caught in the whirl of what will soon become World War II, turning her beloved older brother into a fanatic nationalist and dividing the family for ever. Sheltered in the garden and the house, Yuri is able to keep the Little People safe, and they do their best to comfort Yuri in return, until one day owing to food restrictions milk is in shorter supply...From the Trade Paperback edition.
I Don't Want to Eat Bugs
Rachel Branton - 2016
When her animal friends try to help her find something tasty to eat, the real the problems begin! Join Lisbon on her funny misadventures. Each beautiful illustration is designed to inspire the imaginations of children. An activity page at the end of the book allows for more fun as they search for special items in the illustrations. This version of I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs has been designed specifically for ebook with a fixed layout and larger text for easy reading. While this is a great read-aloud book for parents, teachers, and other adults to share with children, we have chosen fonts that are similar to the way children form letters for easy recognition as they begin to read on their own. The print book is also available in 8.5” x 11” format. Author’s Note: I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs was written for my daughter, who was two when I wrote this story and didn’t like salad, but now she’s four and a half and loves it—if I give her plenty of salad dressing! (But don’t worry—this isn’t a book about eating salad.) Of course birds, cats, and dogs have a very different idea of what's good to eat, but through this fun adventure, Lisbon learns there is also food meant just for her—and it's good, especially compared with all the offerings from her animal friends. My daughter and I privately call this book the "Ice Cream Story" (she LOVES ice cream so there had to be ice cream involved), and now whenever something funny happens, she says, "We should write a new ice cream story about that." And we have! I Don’t Want to Eat Bugs is the first book in a series called Lisbon’s Misadventures. Book 2, I Don't Want to Have Hot Toes, is now available, and Tim Petersen is hard at work creating the illustrations for the next two books. Tim is obviously a fabulous artist, and I’m excited to be working with him. You can sign up on my website to learn when the next book comes out (http://teylarachelbranton.com/). Thank you and enjoy!
Woody saves the day
Harvey Storm - 2018
He’s different to what you might imagine a little mouse to be, because Woody is the most respected of all the forest animals. Even the lion and the elephant come to Woody’s cave to bear him gifts.But Woody has a secret that none of the animals know about. He has secretly been fooling them into believing he eats the most powerful animals, the ones of which he leaves bones scattered at the entrance to his cave.A chance encounter with a fox, who takes shelter in his cave one evening, reveals Woody’s deceit to the other animals and he is soon presented at the animal court to decide a fitting punishment for his lies.But there is danger looming for all the animals and Woody is given one last chance to redeem himself. Can he save the forest dwellers and win back their trust? Or will he face a punishment that he could see him lose it forever?
Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg Rock
Stephen W. Kress - 1997
As a young ornithology instructor at the Hog Island Audubon Camp, Dr. Stephen W. Kress learned that puffins had nested on nearby islands until extirpated by hunters in the late 1800s. To right this environmental wrong, he resolved to bring puffins back to one such island—Eastern Egg Rock. Yet bringing the plan to reality meant convincing skeptics, finding resources, and inventing restoration methods at a time when many believed in “letting nature take its course.” Today, Project Puffin has restored more than 1,000 puffin pairs to three Maine islands. But even more exciting, techniques developed during the project have helped to restore rare and endangered seabirds worldwide. Further, reestablished puffins now serve as a window into the effects of global warming. The success of Dr. Kress’s project offers hope that people can restore lost wildlife populations and the habitats that support them. The need for such inspiration has never been greater.
Mr. Postmouse's Rounds
Marianne Dubuc - 2015
Postmouse has loaded up his wagon and is ready to deliver the mail. From the lofty heights of the Birds' tree houses to the inky depths of Mrs. Octopus's ship, the intrepid letter carrier lets nothing stand in the way of his deliveries. Each spread features whimsically detailed interiors of creatures' homes, which readers will pore over for delightful surprises. This is a charming introduction to the postal system and an imaginative survey of different types of homes.
Hide and Seek
Anthony Browne - 2018
Poppy counts to ten and looks for Cy - but she can’t find him anywhere. But then there’s a rustling from the woods – maybe someone else can help her find him…?A reassuring tale of sibling love by the master Anthony Browne.
Hill & Hole
Kyle Mewburn - 2010
Hill loves being a hill, but sometimes he wishes he could be a hole and feel the earth breathing beneath him. Hole loves being a hole but just once would love to see the sun rising. So they ask mole if he can help. Pretty soon Hill is a hole and Hole is a hill. But things aren't always what they seem and what at first seemed wonderful and new turns out not to be so great after all. Can Hill and Hole ever find an answer to their dilemma?
The Rough Patch
Brian Lies - 2018
One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickles and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos.But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his misery and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await.
Quill Soup
Alan Durant - 2019
On arriving at a village, he asks the other animals for some food and shelter. But, despite their full bellies, all the animals say they have nothing to spare. Never mind: he’ll just have to make do and cook a pot of soup from the quills off his back – a soup so tasty even the king likes it. Once the villagers hear of his plan they offer just enough ingredients to make a soup worthy of them all...This African version of Stone Soup celebrates generosity and kindness - and the message that we can all benefit if we share our resources.
A Possum's Tail
Gabby Dawnay - 2014
Children will delight in spotting the differences in streetscapes as Samuel walks to and from the zoo. Written in rhyming verse, this humorous caper beautifully illustrates the richness of cosmopolitan London.