The Gift Shop Bear
This is the debut picture book from Kansas City writer and illustrator Phyllis Harris.
The book was inspired by Harris’s granddaughter, who found her mother’s childhood bear packed away in a box. The little girl was saddened to think of Bear being alone in a box, and from this, The Gift Shop Bear was born.
“Nestled on the edge of town sat a little gift shop,” the book begins. “Inside the shop, in a dusty attic, in a cozy box . . . a little bear listened to the frosty wind whistling outside the window.”
Bear waits all year for Christmas to return so he can see Annie again and sit under the twinkling tree in the shop window.
But this year something’s different. This year Nana is retiring, and the shop is closing. What will happen to Bear?
This is a sweet tale about a bear and his girl, filled with brightly colored, detailed illustrations.
I’m Happy-Sad Today: Making Sense of Mixed-Together Feelings
Written by Lory Britain, PhD. Illustrated by award-winning illustrator Matthew Rivera.
At times it’s hard for children to recognize their feelings and verbalize them to an adult. That’s where I’m Happy-Sad Today can help.
“I had big feelings when my baby brother was born. I was proud to be a big sister. And I was jealous of all the attention he was getting. I had proud and jealous feelings inside of me. That was confusing.”
With many such examples, the book continues validating all the different emotions, even if they happen simultaneously, and gives children actionable activities to do when this occurs. One example is to create a new adjective to describe feeling both sad and mad concurrently: smad!
End pages explain how to read the book with kids, and they provide strategies for supporting children’s social and emotional development.
If I Built a School
Written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Our narrator, Jack, begins, “If I built a school, the first thing you’d meet are lots of puppies! They’d flock to your feet! But why stop at puppies? Why not a whole zoo? So I’d add a bunch of big animals too!”
We continue our journey through Jack’s futuristic school, visiting the lunchroom, classroom, library and gym—and then the playground!
“It’s now time for recess. Let’s head out the door. My playground is awesome! So much to explore! Fly on the zip line way up in the sky. Or slide down the twisty slide three stories high. And after all that, if you’re hot and you’re beat, then you can go tubing. Now that would be sweet!”
A fun book, loaded with detailed drawings and lots of inventiveness.
Sandy Foster is a writer and blogger (NadinesBakery.com) who lives in the Kansas City area.