We’ve got four great books publishing next month — all on August 1st; here are the books to keep an eye out for:
Grant and Tillie Go Walking by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Grant Wood believed that to be a real artist, he had to live in Paris. But once he got there, he realized that to be a great painter he needed to return to the people and places — and even animals — that he knew and loved the best.
Inspired by the life of artist Grant Wood, this is the sensitively imagined story of the great American painter and a cow named Tillie. Skillfully mixing fact with fiction, Monica Kulling’s text explores the making of an artist, while Sydney Smith’s illustrations echo Grant Wood’s own techniques. The result is a gently wise picture book that will encourage young readers and artists to trust the love that is sometimes only found close to home.
Includes an author’s note that provides biographical information about Grant Wood.
Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel
In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.
In a brief author’s note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others.
All Year Round by Emilie Leduc
A joyful look at the months of the year through the eyes of a young child.
From January through December, experience a world of color, wonder and silliness. March is for celebrating a birthday, July is for swimming upside down, September is for crunchy piles of leaves and December is for a kingdom all in white. Experience a whole year to play and celebrate!
Author and illustrator Emilie Leduc brings a vibrant year of childhood to life with her soft yet vivid illustrations and poetic text. Each month of the year shows off a new wonder, and the giddy smiles of the child in the story are sure to be contagious.
Buddy and Earl by Maureen Fergus
Illustrated by Carey Sookocheff
Buddy does not know what is in the box that Meredith carries into the living room. But when the small, prickly creature says he is a pirate — and that Buddy is a pirate too — the two mismatched friends are off on a grand adventure.
In this first book in the Buddy and Earl series, a dog who likes to play by the rules meets a hedgehog who knows no limits. Their friendship is tender and loyal, and their adventures are funny and imaginative. Maureen Fergus’s text is witty and understated, and Carey Sookocheff’s art emphasizes both the humor and the warmth of this odd and loveable animal couple.
Coming in 2016 — Buddy and Earl Go Exploring and Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby.
