When I first started thinking about the book selections for this month’s Bookworm post, I was planning on doing a spring theme.
But as I looked through different books, I quickly changed my mind. Although it’s more obvious in some cases than others, there’s an important theme woven into the stories of many children’s books: friendship. This month’s post is written with shared popsicles, sleepover giggles, and friendship bracelets in mind.
Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Ages 2-4
It all begins with a game. Bird and Raccoon are playing a casual game of catch when Bird gets “bonked on the head.” When Bird begins to moan and cry, Raccoon does the only thing he can think of. He gives Bird a kiss on the head. When that doesn’t work, Raccoon begins taking Bird to his other friends, to see if they can help. After hugs, cookies, and hide-and-seek, it seems that Bird is inconsolable. Until his friends begin to cry too, and Bird realizes that his “bonk” doesn’t hurt much anymore.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
Ages 2-5
When a penguin first shows up at “the boy’s” door, the boy assumes that the penguin was lost. So, he decides to ask around to find out where the penguin had come from. He checks with the Lost and Found office, he asks some birds in the park, and he inquires with his rubber duck. No one knows where the penguin came from. The boy begins doing some research, and discovers that penguins come from the South Pole. So he takes a small rowboat out to sea and, after many days, drops the penguin off at the South Pole. As he rows away, he realizes he misses the penguin and rushes back to find him….
Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian, Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Ages 4-6
This gorgeously illustrated picture book begins with one goldfish, happily swimming circles around a small fishbowl: “Day One: I swam around in my bowl”. Day by day, the goldfish’s daily activities are recorded and for the first couple of days, everything is quiet. After a few days, mysterious things begin showing up in his bowl—an aqua man, some plants, a snail, and some other fish. It’s getting crowded—and the goldfish is not very happy with sharing his bowl—until one day, he’s moved to his own fishbowl. At first, it’s great. But soon enough, he starts to miss his new friends. Fans of Scaredy Squirrel will love this book.
Sarah Sawler lives in St Margarets Bay, N.S., with her partner and her two boys. A love of reading has inspired her career in magazine and web writing, as well as her new website and blog www.booksbetweenthelines.ca
