friday's five, more family fun

The theme of 'family' is a common one in picture books and children's literature for good reason-- family is the world of young children! For babies, toddlers, and preschoolers especially, the family is the center of everything and is filled with the people most important to their lives. This week, I'm highlighting five books that present diverse images of what families can look like and how families can function. They all share a focus on loving children and providing for them what is most needed.

Enjoy!

1. First Laugh -- Welcome, Baby! written by Rose Ann Tahe and Nancy Bo Flood and illustrated by Jonathan Nelson

This beautiful book focuses on many family members anxiously awaiting the first laugh of a young baby, and each family member has their own shared experiences with the baby during which they wonder if the first giggles will happen. This family is Navajo, and they live in varying settings-- the baby with their parents and siblings in a high-rise apartment in a big city and one set of grandparents on the Navajo Nation, where baby gets to spend time among family and friends. While some of the images may be new to some young readers, the themes of love and family are universal. If you think your child will be interested, be sure to share some of the notes from the authors and illustrators following the story. There are details about The First Laugh Celebration or La'tse Awee' ch'ideeldloh in the Navajo, or Diné, tradition along with other ceremonies and traditions involving new babies from many other cultures and countries.

2. Made for Me written by Zack Bush and illustrated by Gregorio De Lauretis 

This sweet little story is in the voice of a doting father who tells his child, through rhyme, just how perfect they are for him. Young children will delight in the silly illustrations of the over-sized dad and his tiny child, and preschoolers will likely be able to predict the rhymes at the end of the couplets. Read this one for a fun story time filled with opportunities for kids to reminisce about what it was like to be a baby!

3. A Gift from Abuela written and illustrated by Cecilia Ruiz

This one starts off as a seemingly simple story of a grandmother doting on her grandchild, but the plot gets deeper as difficulties in the Mexican economy are briefly touched upon and the grandmother finds herself unable to provide for her granddaughter in the ways she used to do. The strains on their relationship that can come from a child growing older are also addressed, and there is some sadness that is gently handled. There is a bright spot in the end, and while it gives a spot of happiness, it doesn't downplay the reality of the situation too much. All in all, it's a plot that is handled perfectly and the emphasis remains on the love of extended family. 

4. Night Job written by Karen Hesse and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

A young boy accompanies his father to his overnight janitorial job on Friday nights, assisting him with some tasks, entertaining him during others, and finally resting during much of the time. The boy speaks of his father with pride and love, and their routine, which may be surprising to some children, is simply his way of life-- from helping his dad on the job, to being up super late, to riding on the back of a motorcycle. 

5. The Greatest Adventure written and illustrated by Tony Piedra

Eliot loves adventures, and it's clear from the start that his imagination is super creative. When his grandfather, El Capitán, comes to visit, he regales him with stories about his real-life adventures on his boat the Hispaniola. Unfortunately, the Hispaniola isn't in the shape it used to be, and when El Capitán shows Eliot, he was afraid Eliot would be disappointed. But, in true imaginative fashion, Eliot finds a way to work with what they have to make their own awesome adventures. Don't miss the illustrations on the end pages that show bits of pieces of Eliot and El Capitán's lives.


Keep up the reading!