Dad's Bookshelf: January 2023
We’ve already released our favorite picture books of 2022 earlier this month, but that certainly doesn’t mean that we’re going to skip our monthly recap of Dad’s Bookshelf picks! We march on into 2023!
Now, that doesn’t mean the books featured this month were released in 2023, but it does mean we still think they’re pretty special. I did want to avoid being redundant or repetitive though, so I wanted to highlight a few books that we didn’t mention during the Dad Suggests Picture Book Awards. And of course I think these books are definitely worth being tracked down.
All three of the books we’re featuring this month are beautiful and a bit experimental in their own way. I think they’re remarkable original works of art, and, in one way or another, they’re going to make for a new and interesting experience during your next read aloud.
There is undoubtedly one thing that ties them all together though, and that’s the fact that they all deal quite a bit with empathy. And of course you know already how much that means to me, and probably gives you a good idea why I’m drawn to these books. All 3 could be extremely helpful empathy-builders.
I hope you enjoy learning more about all of them, and please let me know if you end up reading one - and tell me how it goes. Happy 2023 to you and yours and here’s to another fun year of great picture books being added to Dad’s Bookshelf!
Dad’s Bookshelf is a continuing, monthly series featuring the kids books we are most excited about each month. The series is named after the real life bookshelf we have in our home, where I keep all of my favorite picture books of all time. While the books we share on Dad’s Bookshelf are often brand new releases, it’s also not uncommon for us to be excited about an older book we just discovered.
Disclosure: Some of the books in this article were shared with us by the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are our own. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links that will lead you to view the books on Bookshop.org and Amazon.
Every Little Kindness
Written and Illustrated by Marta Bartolj
I enjoy wordless picture books quite a bit, and now that we’ve opened a children’s bookstore, I must admit that I’m completely shocked by how many people have never even heard of a wordless picture book before. They’re flabbergasted by how it’s supposed to work when you read them to a kid, and I’m very happy to talk about the experience with them. All the more reason to keep highlighting beautiful wordless books!
Every Little Kindess functions as a pay-it-forward kind of story, where one good deed leads to another and another, and the good deeds on display are followed from person to person in a wordless format. One interesting twist is that it’s not the person whom the good deed was done for that pays it forward, it’s always someone who simply sees the good deed taking place.
Philosophically I think this suggests a powerful message about putting good out into the world - and to raising kids with good role models. It’s not about expecting someone to pay it forward because something nice happened to them. It’s also possible to simply be inspired by the good deeds of others. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out just how beautiful and intricate the art is as well!
Paulina: The Story of an Almost Unlucky Pig
Written by Hans Limmer and Photographed by David Crossley
Paulina stands out because it’s a picture book that’s illustrated by real-life photographs. The story of a girl who befriends a pig and wants to save it from the farm it came from is staged in real life and photographed to tell the tale. It’s incredibly unique and certainly very engaging for little ones.
It also reminds me of a conversation I recently had with a customer. They mentioned that their Montessori school often is looking for books that have real photographs in them, and Paulina is the only book that popped into my mind. It’s honestly the only picture book we have that has done this, and I’d be surprised if there are any out there that have done it as well.
Young animal lovers will adore this book, and cheer on the young girl as she runs away with Paulina into the woods to save her from a fate of going back to the farm and her unlucky fate. And you’ll be quite relieved to here that it does indeed have a happy ending, so don’t you worry about that.
It’s So Difficult
Written and Illustrated by Guridi
Every once in a while a book comes along that really blows me away with how special it is, and this is one of those times. It’s So Difficult is incredibly emotional and captures a specific experience that perfectly encapsulates the concept of windows and mirrors. Many kids will be seen in this book, and I suspect it will mean quite a bit for them, and many kids will be provided a window into a new experience that will certainly grow their empathy.
It’s So Difficult is narrated by a boy who is explaining, perhaps in his head, how difficult it is to speak to people. He’d like to speak to the baker, and to his neighbor, Miss Antonia. He’d like to say hello or mention how pretty her dress is. But it’s so difficult. He describes how counting things or calculating relaxes him.
For me, the most beautiful and heartbreaking line refers to his classmates:
I know each and every one of their names. They don’t know that I do, though, because I’ve never said their names aloud. It’s so difficult to say their names…
The quirky art - often a bit messy and chaotic - is perfectly suited to the book as well. I love this book and I love this kid and I simply can’t recommend it enough. It’s an absolutely beautiful and very powerful story to share with the kids in your life.
What picture books have you fallen in love with recently? Have you read any of these 3 books yet? Let us know in the comments!
