Four Picture Book Reviews

I'm catching up on some picture book reviews today. I highly recommend all four of these books.

A River of Words by Jen Bryant, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

This inspiring picture book biography is about William Carlos Williams, a family doctor who always loved to write poetry. He influenced American poetry by writing about common, everyday things, such as fire trucks, wheelborrows, plums, etc. When these things didn't fit into traditional rhyme and rhythm, he came up with his own type of freestyle poetry.

A River of Words is a great story with stunning, modern illustrations. You hardly even realize you are reading a biography.

**Tip: After we read this together, we cut words out of old magazines and formed them into poems. It was a fun project to follow up with.

Zero is the Leaves on the Tree by Betsy Franco, Illustrated by Shino Arihara

Zero can be a confusing concept, but this book explains it well through the eyes of a child. It says, "Zero is ...the balls in the bin at recess time...the leaves on the bare, brown arms of the oak tree...the sound of snowflakes." Do you hear how poetic it is? Like the last book, this book is teaching a concept without being boring in any way.

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi, Illustrated by John Manders

This book is just fun. Well, I shouldn't say 'just', because it has a great message, too.

Henry, a rabbit who loves to read and write, is convinced that a ship full of crazy chicken pirates is coming to steal all his loot. Nobody believes him, of course, so he has to take matters into his own hands. He researches about dealing with chicken pirates and writes his own book about it. When the pirates show up, Henry saves the day.

This story is heaps of fun and encourages a love of reading and writing (which, you know, I'm kinda passionate about...).

Hat by Paul Hoppe

Henry (yes, another one...) finds a hat in the park and imagines all the great things he could do with it. He could use it for a sled or a boat or to protect himself from rain or crocodiles. Will he keep it? What if someone else needs it ?

I love simple picture books that spur the imagination. Sparse text and bright illustrations make this book a pleasure to read over and over.