The Creative Mom » Creative Children’s Books

Creative Children’s Book of the Month: The Nutcracker

The Creative Mom — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:28:20 +0000

The Nutcracker – written and illustrated by Susan Jeffers

I admit it. I am partial to this story. My mom took me to see the Nutcracker Ballet when I was a kid. I even played one of the mice in a local production when I was in kindergarden. When I was little I loved the story of a girl at a lavish party being whisked away to a fanciful place. Now I am touched by the story of transformative and unconditional love. This book brings these qualities and so much more out of this classic story. Her words are magical and her illustrations are all individual works of art. My daughter loves the angels on the inside covers, the dancing, the ballerinas and the horses. And, I love exposing my little one to one of my favorite holiday stories.

Find it on Amazon

Creative Children’s Book of the Month: Blueberries for Sal

The Creative Mom — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:38:11 +0000

A true classic. This children’s book has a warm, timeless feel. It is not flashy. It doesn’t have a surprise ending, colorful creatures, stickers or fuz coming out of the pages. It is just a simple story about a little girl picking blueberries with her mother. The illustrations are done in a single color, but they have a lovely feel and composition. My toddler sifts through all her fancy books to pull this one out before bedtime. She won’t always want to hear stories about little girls and mommies, but right now its her favorite subject.

Also by Robert McCloskey, check out another classic, Make Way for Ducklings.

Blueberries for Sal on Amazon.com

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Creative Children’s Book of the Month- Walter Kitty

The Creative Mom — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:41:53 +0000

The Secret Life of Walter Kitty: Written by Barbara Jean Hicks, Illustrated by Dan Santat

I must start by saying that I am a bit biased. I own a mischievous orange cat very much like Walter. But, even if you don’t have a cat, your kids will love Walter. My daughter spends more time on the inside cover looking at all the different Walter identities than she does reading the book.

At first I had a hard time reading this one, though. You have a mix of first person narration by Walter, and various exclamations by his people. But, once you get the flow down, and come up with some good voices it really is a lot of fun. Go ahead, ham it up.

Walter is drawn in a lovely painterly manor that fits his whimsical personality. He looks cute without leaving a sugary taste in your mouth, and funny without being ridiculous. And who could resist a big cat grin like Walter’s…. er I mean “FANG!”

The Creative Children’s Book of the Month – Wabi Sabi

The Creative Mom — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:47:26 +0000

Children’s Book Pick of the Month: Wabi Sabi, written by Mark Reibstein, illustrated beautifully by Ed Young

Have you ever needed a name for that warm comfy feeling you get when you curl your hands around your favorite old coffee mug? Or watch the rain fall at night? Or take a walk in an overgrown wood? In the incredibly unique children’s book, Wabi Sabi, follow an ordinary brown cat on her quest to find the meaning of her name. Filled with lovely words, brilliant visuals and tranquil haiku this book is unlike any we’ve currently got on our shelf. It even opens from the top. Especially after traveling to Japan a couple of years ago, I was very impressed with this book. The collages created by the illustrator have depth and texture and offer kids a very different experience from the rest of their books.

I have to admit, I was more enthralled with this book than my daughter. She loved the images of the cat and the monkey, but she was bothered that I was holding the book a little wrong (it opens from the top). And, she was less impressed by the artful haiku. Halfway though she asked very politely if we could, “Read Mickey Mouse? Please?” Oh well, Wabi Sabi will still be around when she gets just a little older.

Check this book out on Amazon.com