Staff Picks

This is a classic that I am happy to remember from my childhood and get to share with my kids. I am amazed how much I still enjoy following Harold around as he draws his world with his trusty purple crayon. What a great story about creating your own reality.

 

Publisher description:

"One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of wonder and excitement. Full of funny twists and surprises, this joyful story shows just how far your imagination can take you. Harold and the Purple Crayon has delighted readers of all ages for over fifty years.

 

My daughter and I love this book about Mr. Postmouse doing his mail run. The illustrations are amazing and show all sorts of different animals in very imaginative homes with great details. It's a great book to read with kids but also for kids to look at on their own.

 

Publisher Description:

In this bustling picture book, Mr. Postmouse carefully loads up his wagon and sets off to make the day's mail deliveries to all the animals on his route. Via cross-section drawings, readers get to peer inside each home Mr. Postmouse stops at, and every one is different, depending on the animals who live there. For example, there's a hole in the middle of the kitchen floor of the Rabbits' home that leads underground to where they sleep and eat. Mr. Snake's superlong home has heat lamps throughout its length. The Birds live in a tree house, and Mrs. Octopus in a sunken shipwreck. Mr. Bear's house has a beehive on the roof with an attached pipe that brings honey straight into the kitchen. Furnishings in Mrs. Fly's home are stuck to the ceiling. Award-winning author and illustrator Marianne Dubuc is a master at clever, specific details in her drawings to bring each fully imagined animal and dwelling to life on the page. Though more whimsical and tongue-in-cheek than true, this is a terrific book for teaching children about the characteristics and diversity of animal life, including their habitats, their needs, how they live and what they eat. And it's also loads of fun. With so much going on across every spread, children will love poring over the pages on their own, discovering something new every time. Children are also likely to be inspired to create their own made-up stories about what activities are going on in each of the animal's homes in the book.