NEW PICTURE BOOKS 

     

Three lovely new picture books - all written and illustrated by women! 

Ducks on the Road: A Counting Adventure by Anita Lobel. 

It's time for mama and papa duck to take their ten ducklings for a stroll! But baby ducks are easily distracted. One after the other, they stop to say Quack to a new friend until there is only one baby duck left. And who do they find to greet? Another baby duck! So now we have eleven baby ducks (because there is always room for one more!) and all the new animal friends they met while walking down the road. A delightful book about counting down from ten. Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy counting the baby ducks, quacking, and making all the other animal noises. I thought for sure there would be a cow, but sadly no opportunities for moos in this book. But there is an owl and a cat and a dog and lots of other familiar animals. 

Margaret's Unicorn by Briony May Smith

What a delightful read! Margaret has just moved to a new home out in the country with her parents so they can be closer to her grandmother. It's a lovely spring day so Margaret's parents encourage her to go out for a walk while they finish unpacking. Margaret looks up into the sky where she sees some misty clouds... no, running horses!  Wait - no! It's unicorns!  A whole herd of unicorns flying overhead. She turns to run home to tell her folks when she hears a very quiet snuffle in the grass. And what does she find? A baby unicorn - accidentally left behind by the herd. Margaret gathers him up in her coat and races home. Her grandma is there and she is surprised by the unicorn because she thought they were all gone. She teaches Margaret how to take care of him and, with the help of her parents, she does just that. She discovers that taking care of the unicorn helps prevent loneliness from creeping in and by Christmas, the new house even smells like their old one. Soon it is spring again and Margaret takes her unicorn back out to the field to wait for his herd. 

This is a beautifully illustrated book and a magical read. No one makes a big fuss over the unicorns - they just accept that Margaret has found one and help her take care of him. If you've ever wanted a unicorn, this will make that desire even stronger. Keep watching the clouds! 

Daisy by Jessixa Bagley

This is a book about being bullied and teased and taunted. But it's also a gentle, hopeful book about finding treasure where you least expect it. The author dedicates the book to the amazing women in her life and proclaims them all to be her treasures. (Treasures will resonate a bit more by the end of the book!) But let's start at the beginning. "Daisy was named after her mama's favorite flower. 'They seem plain, but when you look closer you see their beauty,' her mama would say." But all the other animals at school made fun of Daisy and her name. Daisy was a young warthog and the other animals did not think she looked at all like a Daisy. They continued to tease and laugh at her. "So Daisy made her own fun." She did this by finding treasures that other people overlooked. She had a special hiding place where everything she found was displayed. "They were old and useless items to others, but to Daisy they were priceless, and she honored and loved each one for its special beauty." One day, someone leaves a surprise treasure for her! Who could it be? 

This is a book just waiting to be shared and read and discussed; a book to spark empathy among little ones and the adults that read to them. Highly recommended!

I think picture books should be read and enjoyed by everyone! 

Please check your library or your local bookstore for these titles.