This month, I have chosen three books I keep in my personal library at home.
The first deals with the common topic of moving homes from the unusual perspective of the home itself. It’s sure to tug on your heartstrings. The second is a humorous guide to handling a not-funny event: the death of a pet. We read this book when our beloved doggo, Nantucket, died a couple years ago. Giggling through the tears helped my littles cope with the loss. The third is a chapter book with a spunky main character planning herself the best birthday ever. You will fall madly in love with Esme and her can-do attitude. Enjoy!
A HOME NAMED WALTER (ages 3-7)
Words by Chelsea Lin Wallace, pictures by Ginnie Hsu
Walter is more than a house; he’s a home. He loves his family and his role in their lives. So his feelings are deeply hurt when his family picks up and moves. Walter rusts, he creaks, he lets his lawn go brown. He can’t understand why any of this has happened; and when a new family moves in, Walter decides he doesn’t want to be a home anymore. There’s only one thing to do: Get. Them. Out.
WALTER will be loved by littles whether a move is on the horizon or not. The reader sees both Walter and the little girl who moves in struggle with this big transition. It takes time to adjust to big changes, and life sure is full of them. Wallace’s clever text and Hsu’s warm, homey illustrations sweetly convey an age old truth: Home is where the heart is.
THE END OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO A BACKYARD FUNERAL (ages 5-8)
words by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic, pictures by George Ermos
Okay, so you might not want to read this book the very day your fish, or guinea pig, or turtle dies. Give it a week to take the edge off the pain. But THEN, sprint to your book store or library and snag a copy of this droll book. And if your family isn’t the pet-loving kind, get a copy anyway. You can thank me later.
THE END OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL provides a step-by-step guide in the event a pet funeral becomes necessary. What is step one? The opening line reads, “First you need something dead, meaning something that was once alive but isn’t any longer.” Are you laughing yet? I know I am.
Ermos’s illustrations depict various children with various pets (including a pill bug, of course) as they honor the memories and last wishes of their beloved animal companions. Though Lucianovic’s text is packed with laughs (the goldfish receives a burial at sea, a.k.a. a loving flush down the toilet), the author also acknowledges the deep hurt that children (and their grown-ups) can feel upon a pet’s passing. The genius of this book is that it tackles this tragic (yet inevitable) topic with a frankness that takes some of the sting out of the event. And it helps knowing that kids all over (with all kinds of pets) have gone through it too.
ESME’S BIRTHDAY CONGA LINE
(ages 6-9) words by Lourdes Heuer, pictures by Marissa Valdez
Esme lives on the uppermost floor the the topmost best apartment building in her city, and today is her birthday! Esme, who has recently moved in with her Mimi and Pipo, can’t wait to celebrate with her beloved grandparents…and the rest of the building. Esme sets off to invite the residents of each floor. She even remembers to include Manny, the almost-always-grouchy superintendent (whether he likes it or not).
Chapter by chapter, floor by floor, Esme journeys through her building picking up friends, treats, and music along the way. Heuer’s indomitable little heroine will conga her way into your heart, and the bright, bouncy (and frequent) illustrations will help younger chapter book readers stay engaged and keep those pages turning. Happy birthday, Esme! (And happy reading, kids!)
