Sisters, dragons, animals, oh my!

Can we read? No. 135

It’s my birthday today, and the gift I’m giving myself (in addition to a day off work and an infrared heat mat, which is probably 100% hocus pocus, which means it’s 100% in my wheelhouse) is being completely offline.

My beloved grandmother used to say that the secret to a happy life is having things to look forward to, but I’ll add that it’s also the famous little things — finding moments of pleasure, enjoyment, and even happiness, if you can get it, even if you have to create every last one of them yourself.

This year, perhaps more than ever before, I’ve come to realize just how deeply loved and supported I am at all times, and when I make my list of where that comes from — people and energy — I include the Universe, because I know, to my core, I don’t do anything by myself. The tremendous good I possess — all my blessings and all I have — is an ongoing creative collaboration between me, the force greater than me, and the people who love me.

It’s the little things plus the not-so-little things that make for my amazing life — which is not big but is deep, rich, and valuable — and it’s not enough to say I’m grateful. That word is not spacious enough, but it’s the word I have.

I think maybe it is enough to be grateful. And I am, I am, I am.

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The Yin-Yang Sisters and the Dragon Frightful by Nancy Tupper Ling, illustrated by Andrea Offermann (2018)

This review first appeared in issue No. 28 — I’ve edited and updated it here

In this story of two sisters — Mei and Wei, as different as yin and yang — who are destined from birth to fight off the dragon terrorizing and inconveniencing their town (he lays across the bridge the citizens use to get anywhere), Tupper Ling has crafted an action-packed tale full of courage, smarts, and familial love.

The message that two very different people can contribute, each in their own way, valuable skills and talents is not a new one — nor is the strong, devoted bond of sisterhood — but matched with Offerman’s vibrant, physically exciting illustrations full of period details, this title feels extra fresh and fun. It’s not often I come across a book that I think has a chance of pleasing everyone, but this might be it.

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King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (2011)

This review first appeared in issue No. 29 — I’ve edited and updated it here

Bently’s charming, lively, rhyming story of two preschoolers and a toddler and their day of imaginative play is so easy to enjoy. The reader follows this motley crew as they prepare to do battle and then fight dragons and beasts for hours, until, as evening falls, some giants come to collect them one by one, and finally, “a THING with four feet!” Anyone who has ever built a fort and a whole world inside it will recognize and connect with this book — it’s a beautiful paean to childhood, but it’s also just pure fun (are those two things all that different, really?)

As in much if not all of her work, Oxenbury makes each scene come alive through the tiniest of details — the toddler’s pacifier, the peek of “Sir Zak’s” underwear when “a giant” comes to collect him, the flashlights thrown down in the grass when King Jack is embraced by his Mommy and Dad — she’s brilliant at this. Sometimes you come across a book that’s just well done, and this is one of those. If you have a little adventurer of any kind, don’t miss this.

If you like this one, I also recommend its sequel, which shares the same sweet spirit: Captain Jack and the Pirates.

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No More Señora Mimí by Med Medina, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese (2024)

I received a copy of this title from Candlewick Press — all opinions are my own

At the end of August 2024, we said goodbye to the in-home daycare provider who took care of our children for 9.5 years, and I’d be lying if I said I handled it well (never mind said children). So when I saw this new book from the masterful Meg Medina, which highlights the importance of a babysitter in a kid’s life, I wanted to read it immediately, and it did not disappoint.

Ana’s abuela is going to move in with her and her mother, and while Ana is absolutely thrilled by this, she also realizes she’s going to miss Señora Mimí, the neighbor who takes care of her while her mom is at work. This is a simple situation with a lot of complex feelings for everyone involved, as anyone who has ever actually lived through this experience knows all too well.

The beautiful parts of this book — beyond Cicchese’s warm digital illustrations that perfectly capture the equally warm tone of the narrative — are how well Medina handles the sadness and the joy, the goodbyes that ultimately led to new hellos, the tender recognition and celebration of caregivers that play a special (and irreplaceable) role in the lives of both children and their grownups. I cried. Preschoolers and early elementary readers might not — but then again, they might.

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Animal Stories: Heartwarming True Tales From the Animal Kingdom by Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple, Heidi Stemple, and Jason Stemple, illustrated by Jui Ishida (2014)

I was not expecting my children to adore this book as much as they did — it was the surprise hit of our summer reading — but the minute we finished these 19 nonfiction stories, I knew I wanted to share it here.

From a story about the Capitoline geese who saved the Roman army in 387 BC to the elephants who danced a ballet Balanchine wrote just for them to Cher Ami, a homing pigeon from World War I who delivered a message that saved 194 lives and beyond, these stories are more than heartwarming — they’re well-written, informative, and maybe most importantly, enthralling. (My 10yo also made me promise to add that they’re sad, and that is sometimes true.)

Highly recommended for any elementary- and middle-grade nonfiction or animal lovers — though this would also be a great read-aloud for the whole family. We looked forward to this book every night, and I think you will too.

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Sarah