Too many books? No such thing
Can we read? No. 127
Good morning! Let’s get right to it today.
Too Many Golems by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Maya Shleifer (2024)
Absalom doesn’t mean to, but he makes a lot of mistakes. One day, he makes his biggest one yet by singing and saying what he thought was a prayer he’d found on a worn, frayed scroll in his synagogue’s basement but is, in actuality, a summons to monsters. When he hears some heavy, ominous knocks on the door, Abi opens it to no less than ten huge clay men, gray and grizzled, who move as if they’re human, but definitely are not.
Abi doesn’t know what to do, so he falls back on his parents teachings to be a good host and treat every stranger as a friend. He works with the significant limitations of the Ten Golems. He serves them in every way he can, to the best of his ability, and in turn, they show up every week to help him with his Hebrew, and with their support, he grows.
You can always trust Yolen’s work — she has written more than 400 books, so she really knows her stuff — and Shleifer’s vibrant, energetic pastel pencil and wax crayon illustrations here are delightful. And a tale about golems — the one monster specifically created to help the Jewish people — is a welcome addition to children’s picture books. But by far the best part of this story — which could have been a straightforward monster narrative about fear and othering — is the lovely message about openmindedness, acceptance, and being a good neighbor to all.
Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by Elise Primavera (1998)
The parents of the unnamed little girl in this story don’t know anything about raising dragons, but they’d taught their daughter about caring for living creatures from the day she was born, so when she finds a giant egg in a nearby cave and out hatches a dragon, it’s love at first sight.
She names the dragon Hank. And though her parents don’t see the point of keeping a dragon around a farm, the little girl goes about her business anyway, feeding Hank fish, frogs, eels, and insects, and taking night rides on his back. When Hank takes to doing the work around the farm — planting, weeding, even popping a field of corn with his fiery breath — the little girl’s parents come around, eventually allowing their daughter to vacation on Hank’s home island, where he offers the family a gift that will change the future of the farm (and the future of the dragon-raiser) forever.
I love this title for its tender depiction of friendship and its sense of gentle adventure — the little girl and her dragon are two unlikely peas in a pod but their relationship just works, and little ones will love to see how it all unfolds in Primavera’s vivid illustrations, done in acrylic paint and pastel on gessoed illustration board.
Sometimes you just need a good old story, you know? This is one.
Mouse Trouble by John Yeoman, illustrated by Quentin Blake (1972)
Speaking of good old story: the first time I read this book to my children, I remember closing the cover and thinking: there aren’t enough titles like this anymore. No lesson, certainly no moral — just pure storytelling enjoyment, even delight.
Maybe you can chalk this one up to its age—it might be 52 years old, but it’s all the better for it, as this funny story follows a mischievous mouse who causes chaos in a household, much to the frustration of the family cat. (All this is shown through Blake’s always-charming line drawings and watercolor illustrations.)
Okay, if there’s a lesson here, it’s that looks can be deceiving — and that sometimes, empathy and friendship can be found in the unlikeliest places — but the entertaining story trumps all, and I’m here for it. (More importantly: the kids are, too.)
No More Poems! A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse by Rhett Miller, illustrated by Dan Santat (2019)
The inside flap of this hilarious book from Rhett Miller — yes, Rhett Miller of the Old 97s — calls these “poems (un)fit for the modern family.” And maybe they are, if you have zero sense of humor whatsoever, but mostly they are just very funny and highly relatable.
See poems titled “Hairs,” “Stinky-Mouth You,” “Time to Wrestle” (with an illustration, done in pencil, watercolor, and Photoshop that I swear Santat stole by peeking in the window of my house at my own husband and children), “Disco Bath Party,” “3:00 AM Pee” and my personal favorite, “I Will Not Go to Bed:”
I will not go to bed
It’s only 10:03
I don’t have to do what you say
You’re not the boss of me
While caregivers of little children will recognize life here, these poems are really best suited for elementary and middle-grade kiddos, who are able to tolerate longer poems but also, enjoy topics that reflect real life, in all its messy, entertaining, riotous glory.
(If you’re looking to read beyond Shel Silverstein or hand to a fan of his work, this is a great choice.)
Have I told you lately that you’re doing an amazing job raising readers? Whatever effort you’re expending, whatever you’re managing to pull off amidst the rest of your busy life, your intention to put thought, time, and energy into reading to your children matters — it really matters — and you’re doing great.
Sarah
Mouse Trouble looks delightful-- thank you!
These all look so wonderful - and I hadn't heard of any of them!