There are some topics that it’s impossible to imagine a great picture book about. Until someone does it. Here are a few books that are great stories first, important topics second. As I mentioned in my ‘issue books‘ review, it’s so important to have stories that reflect children’s experiences. But it takes a great writer to reflect them meaningfully, engagingly, and with such compassion.

Before You Were Mine written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by David Walker

This is a wonderful story about adopting a rescue dog. The child asks the inevitable questions about what the dog’s life was before the child adopted him. Maribeth Boelts doesn’t skirt away from hard thoughts about neglecting or abandoning animals. Instead, she deals with these ideas with compassion, looking to ignorance rather than meanness as the culprit.

As if that wasn’t enough to take on, the child also tells his adopted dog about his other dog, who grew old and had to be put to sleep. This is all done with such gentleness and tenderness that the book retains it’s focus on the friendship between a boy and his dog, without dwelling on the darker side of things. Amazingly well done.

Visiting Day written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James Ransome

Jacqueline Woodson writes this lovely story about a girl visiting her dad in prison. It focuses on the excitement the girl and her grandma feel about the upcoming visit, about the preparations they make, and how good it feels for the girl to see her father.

This is all done in the context of normalcy, without any judgement or negativity about the girl’s father being in jail. The illustrations are also beautiful and bring out the emotion, softness, and joy in the story. This book brought this subject into a whole new light for me and I love that it is out there.

The Magic Beads written by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund and illustrated by Genevieve Cote

The Magic Beads starts off as a ‘new school’ book, but you quickly realize it is much more. Lillian is starting a new school because she and her mother are living at a shelter, escaping Lillian’s abusive father. Though this is a huge and difficult subject, it manifests itself in specific and very real problem for Lillian. Show and Tell.

Everyday, a different student brings in something cool to show the class. While other students show off their expensive toys and gadgets, the butterflies in Lillian’s stomach turn into grasshoppers and, eventually, buffaloes. Lillian had to leave all her toys, nice clothes, and comforts behind when they left her father. Now, she has nothing to show. She misses her stuff and her Dad a little, too. Triumphantly, Lillian finds her own way to wow the class in this well crafted and engaging story. What a great way to discuss a difficult subject.

Wanna see the what else I’ve been reading?

Posted in Books of the Week, The Great Picture Book Read, Picture books, I heart this book, Books, Writing

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