Abstract ideas children’s picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.)
Here and There
by Thea Lu (Author)
Brief summary: Dan lives in a small coastal town and owns a cafe where he enjoys welcoming visitors. He prefers staying “here” but wonders what it is like in other places.
Aki travels from place to place and is a sailor who likes to visit and meet new people. He likes to go “there” but has never had a place that he would consider home.
Aki goes to Dan’s cafe and enjoys a meal with the many other travelers.
Comments: Although these two men lead parallel lives, they share some commonalities. They both experience feelings of loneliness at times, but upon reflection, they acknowledge the numerous people they have met over the years. This realization helps them to feel less isolated and disconnected from others.
Ink, colored pencil, and collage were used to create the illustrations with a double fold-out page in the back.
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Some Days Are Yellow
by Suzanne Slade (Author) and Michelle Lee (Illustrator)
Brief summary: There are yellow days that are vibrant and full of positivity, while there are also blue days that seem to be negative and full of disappointment.
Comments: This rhyming picture book portrays several children in different situations, experiencing various types of days. It serves as a reminder that life comes with its fair share of ups and downs, but one thing is for sure – tomorrow is a new day to start afresh.
I think this would be a good book to share with students as a reminder that life is unpredictable.
The abstract idea of yellow and blue days becomes more concrete with examples in vignettes and single- and double-spaced illustrations.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Hope is the Thing with Feathers (Picture-a-Poem)
by Emily Dickinson (Author), Tim Hopgood (Illustrator)
Brief Summary: Emily Dickinson’s “Hope is the Thing with Feathers” remains a timeless masterpiece, as it skillfully employs the metaphor of a bird to represent hope.
A brown bird flies across the city, singing and catching the attention of the people below, who smile.
Comments: This would be a poem(and possibly others) the teacher could read aloud while the students drew their interpretation of the words.
The illustrations were hand-drawn using chalk, pencil, and ink and digitally collaged and colored.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Today
by Gabi Snyder (Author), Stephanie Graegin (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young child looks forward to visiting Pop-Pop and cousins. The day has arrived with time that stretches out too long, like the drive to get there, while others go by quickly, such as the fireworks.
Comments: The book reminds young readers to be mindful of the present moment and notice what is happening to help create memories.
The back sections of the book are What is Mindfulness?, Appreciating the Here and Now, When You’re Temped to Fast-Forward, and When You’re Feeling Anxious or Worried.
The illustrations were created in Adobe Fresco, Adobe Photoshop, pencil, and watercolor.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Only: The Bird Who Liked Being Alone
by Airlie Anderson (Author)
Brief summary: In the tree, there are many birds that are loud and chatty. However, one bird named Only prefers to be quiet and spend time alone. The other birds feel sorry for Only and try to include them in their activities, but they end up overwhelming Only.
Only builds a quiet nest. The friends learn about the difference between quiet and loud, gaining a new understanding that some prefer solitude and are not lonely.
Comments: The illustrations were created using cut-paper collages, acrylics, and pencil crayons with some digital finishing.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
There is a companion book to Only titled Neither, a story promoting diversity.
How to Be Brave
by Karl Newson (Author), Clara Anganuzzi (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young child encourages and explains that trying something new may be scary at times, but to not give up. There may be setbacks and take the moment to learn from them. Be brave and go forward.
Comments: The child is shown with various animals trying new things.
Optimistic advice and encouragement throughout.
The illustrations were done with pencil and watercolor and digitally colored.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
