Picture Books

Joseph and Chico, The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat

Author(s): 
Jeanne Perego
Illustrator(s): 
Donata Dal Molin Casagrande
It’s not every day that a picture book is written about a Pope, especially from the point of view of a cat. Joseph and Chico is the delightful story of Pope Benedict XVI’s life as told from the viewpoint of Chico, a cat who lives at his residence in Bavaria. With a lively conversational tone, he relates the life of Pope Benedict XVI, beginning with his birth and touching on the important events in his life.

Philomena

Author(s): 
Kate Seredy
Illustrator(s): 
Kate Seredy
We discovered this little gem years ago, after falling in love with two of the authors' other books: The Good Master and The Singing Tree. I was thrilled to recently discover that Bethlehem Books is bringing it back into print. The story begins in a small village near Prague.

I could do that! Esther Morris gets Women the Vote

Author(s): 
Linda Arms White
Illustrator(s): 
Nancy Carpenter
This is a very cute book telling the true story of Esther Morris and the advent of the woman vote. The language is fun and accessible but it doesn't sugarcoat events. The eighth of eleven children and six foot tall, Esther had a interesting life and courage to spare. In this time of primaries, as we breathe politics in the air, this books brings a refreshing read!

Close to the Wind

Author(s): 
Peter Malone
Sometimes your casual pick-up-what-looks-good from the library hits jackpot--last week it was one of those instances for us. Close to the Wind by Peter Malone gets very close to being the picture book par excellence. In every aspect, this gem brings the very best of the world of picture books: beautiful, detail-rich illustrations, a captivating story, plenty of educational content, and great use of visual diagrams, side notes and explanatory illustrations. Good picture books, I am always exclaiming, are so helpful in the homeschool. What did we know about the Beaufort Scale before this find?

Magellan's World

Author(s): 
Stuart Waldman
Illustrator(s): 
Gregory Manchess
I will never hear Magellan's name again without having my mind refer back to this beautiful picture book. Text and illustrations combined left me feeling as if I had gone around the world with him--or almost around the world, as of course he never did finish the voyage himself.

Who Carved the Mountain?

Author(s): 
Jean L. S Patrick
Illustrator(s): 
Renee Graef

Our family was delighted to visit Mount Rushmore recently, along with several other Love2Learn families. Since we live in South Dakota, Mount Rushmore books have prominent and permanent displays in our library system's many branches. Who Carved the Mountain saw the inside of our weekly library bag many times and became our favorite Mount Rushmore picture book.

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