Date Archives January 2017

A hotel nestled in an old French village…a cranky chef called César…a blue Citroën Deux Chevaux…an under-appreciated sow named “Martine”… ancient cave paintings…a dark and handsome stranger…and a lesson in digging up tasty tubers…

Can an English-language picture book be any “French-er” than Inga Moore’s The Truffle Hunter ?

Her words and pictures capture such a spirit of place that you’ll be transported to the Perigord in the space of a story time. (Couldn’t you almost step into the full page spread above?) Like so many of Moore’s timeless works, The Truffle Hunter is still in print today. My hope is that we keep it that way for the next generation.

(You’ll find a short bio of British author-illustrator Inga Moore here.)

The Truffle Hunter

I “met” Cynthia Rylant’s The Stars Will Still Shine back in 2005 when I was a children’s book buyer. Today, the book’s reassuring message still seems as important as ever.

…So Cynthia Rylant begins her ode to all things good, inviting us in to be comforted a while. Page after page, she reminds us of what is still right with the world. From the chiming of church bells, to ice cream cones three scoops high, to snuggling on a rainy day, her text appeals to a child’s senses while evoking the symbols of peace, delight, hope, and love most common to a child’s experience.

Tiphanie Beeke’s luminous illustrations are a testament to how vibrant watercolor can be. Just look at those jewel tones!

To open this book is to open up a space of beauty and calm in the midst of troubled, uncertain times. What better gift for our children and ourselves this new year?