Celebrate Family Day with a Book!
Family Day didn’t exist when I was growing up, but there were days when my dad took me to the library and let me check out as many books as the librarians would allow…and those days and books constitute some of my favourite memories. So now, books are a very important part of my family’s celebrations. Here are a few titles that we are taking home to read with our kids (or have them read to us). We call them “kids’ books” – but really, they’re delightful reads regardless of your age.
Nicole Winstanley
Publisher of Penguin Canada
Nicole Picks
Penguin Problems
by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith
It’s hard to provide context to rambunctious little boys who tend to express their feelings by smashing things, so I’ve been on the lookout for a book which helps them understand that a bad day is just a single day in an otherwise terrific existence. I also wanted to encourage them to share their feelings (without breakage!), so we went through a pile of books – an alphabet book of human emotions, a story with a draw-your-feelings component and a long, long list of possible bad days. There was even a book that left us feeling grimmer than when we started…but then we found Penguin Problems (I should have known a Penguin would save the day!).
It’s a book that reminds us that not every day is a good day (especially when you are small and you look silly when you waddle), and that we all have difficult moments: from the walruses to the polar bears, from the whales to the penguins. But we’re also reminded that, more often than not, difficult moments are followed by beautiful ones (even if our beaks are still cold).
Samantha Picks
The Pirate's Bed
by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Matt James
This book is for fans of stinky feet, sentient bed and the ocean.
The most beautifully written and illustrated pirate bedtime story you will ever find. If you ever want to hear tropical seabirds overhead, feel the gentle swell of the ocean, or smell the briny sea air while on dry land, this is the book for you. A perfect gift, a perfect bedtime read for you and your special little person... a perfect gift to yourself, even. I dare you to open this book and not get swept away.
Vikki Picks
It's Only Stanley
by Jon Agee
It's Only Stanley is the perfect read aloud, featuring clever rhyming text and a second narrative hidden in the illustrations. Children will love being privy to Stanley's ambitious plans, which are unbeknownst to his unsuspecting family.
