Today's read... There's No Place Like Hope by Janet Lawler

Today's read comes from an author, whose works I've enjoyed before. And after seeing the cover and theme of this one, I'm pretty sure it will be just as enjoyable. There's always tons of positivity and good vibes with a very down-to-earth messaging in Janet Lawler's works. Let's see if this one continues with the same goodness.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOPE

by Janet Lawler

Illustrated by Tamisha Anthony

Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux

Picture Book

32 pages 

ages 4 to 8

There’s no place like hope,
where possible lives,
where people are helpful
and everyone gives.

If you’re feeling scared or sad, happy or helpful―hope will guide you. It’s not always easy. And sometimes having hope means being brave, or determined, or kind. At the end of the day, hope is where better will be.

This sweet, rhythmic picture book is a gentle yet powerful exploration of how hope makes us loving, courageous, and connected to one another.

GOODREADS    /    AK PRESS    /    REDISCOVERED BOOKS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Wholesome goodness radiates from every page as positive vibes roll from every scene.

Written  in rhyme, this is a read to lean back with and enjoy. The words flow rhythmically and carry a calming tone. They are short enough for young readers and bring an encouraging message across. These are accompanied by illustrations, which portray kids doing familiar activities...usually with a smile on the face and always together. The scenes are created with a hint of pastel to give a gentle atmosphere, yet the energy is still present to invite in. 

The message in these pages is comforting, supportive, encouraging, and brightens the heart. The characters offer help cheerfully, work together when needed, offer encouragement in difficult situations, and even comfort when necessary. Each scene is well done creates more than just a hopeful atmosphere. It's a positive read with tons of goodness.

You can learn more about Janet Lawler: https://janetlawler.com/

Review: Oceans of Love by Janet Lawler

I'm switching the read, which was supposed to appear today, over to tomorrow...simply because this weekend was SO busy that I didn't get enough side-time to pick up a little longer book. So, peek by tomorrow to see the middle grade read about recess and rock stars. 

Today's read swims into the underwater world and motherly love. I picked it up because I had a feeling the illustrations alone would already make this one enjoyable. Plus, motherly love is always a theme to snuggle up with and enjoy.

So, grab those snorkels and let's see what this book holds. 

OCEANS OF LOVE

by Janet Lawler

Illustrated by Holly Clifton-Brown

Random House

Viking Books

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 8 to 12

A beautiful watercolor celebration of the love between ocean mamas and their babies, big and small.

From whales and dolphins, to hermit crabs and jellyfish, the ocean is filled with many different creatures. Join them on this imaginary undersea journey as ocean mamas care for their babies, each in their own special way! Because one thing is universal: there's no other love like that between mamas and their little ones.

With bright and beautiful watercolor illustrations comes this tender and heartwarming celebration of all the different mamas and babies you can find, especially those that live under the sea.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON   /   B&N   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

The world under the ocean's surface swims in motherly love and introduces more than a few adorable creatures.

Motherly love is the main theme in these pages, but it takes a new spin as it heads into the deeper waters of the sea. The entire books is written in rhyme, which flows well and makes it works nicely as a read-aloud. The text amount and vocabulary is just right for the age group. There's just enough to set the scene and allow the reader to then, settle into the illustrations. 

The illustrations are my favorite part of this read. It's a mix of playful imagination and reality. The sea life stays close enough to the true appearances to give readers/listeners a good idea of what they look like, and make them recognizable. But they receive eyes and slightly playful forms to make them endearing and cute. This makes each scene fun to visit and allows readers to probably discover several new creatures they've never seen before.

The idea of motherly love hits every page and, yet, it's gentle. These moms help, protect, and play with their young but because of the settings, the 'motherly love' slides into the atmosphere more than being at the forefront. The last page makes up for this with a mother-child embrace. 

It's an adorable read and especially nice for all of those sea life fans out there.

There's also a free coloring sheet to go along with the tale on Janet's website

HERE!

You can learn more about Janet Lawler at her website :  http://www.JanetLawler.com

Review: Mirabel's Missing Valentines by Janet Lawler

MIRABEL'S MISSING VALENTINES

by Janet Lawler

Illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller

Sterling Children's Books

Picture Book / Valentine's Day

32 pages

ages 3 and up

When Mirabel’s valentines fall out of her bag on the way to school, the shy little mouse panics. But those lost cards brighten some days . . . before making their way back to her. 

“Mirabel was very shy.
She’d always been that way.
She trembled at the thought of
giving Valentines away.”

Poor Mirabel! It’s almost Valentine’s Day and the shy little mouse trembles at the thought of giving cards away. Yet she carefully crafts her valentines, drawing a heart on every one. In the morning, Mirabel forces herself to hurry to school. But, in her nervousness, she doesn’t notice her bag becoming lighter and lighter: her valentines are falling out! By the time she realizes what’s happened, they’re all gone. It turns out, though, that these lost valentines bring joy into the lives of all who find them. Then, with her valentines back in her pack, and some newfound friends, she musters up the courage to celebrate the holiday after all! This wonderful tale of overcoming insecurity will make its way to the hearts of all young readers. 

MY TIDBITS

A little shy and super cute, this book spreads love in the most fantastic way.

Mirabel is excited about Valentine's Day and handing out cards at school, but she's a little nervous too. Still, she puts in her entire love as she creates each card. Keeping bravery strong, she heads off to school. But something terrible happens and the valentines fly from her bag, one by one. The result surprises not only Mirabel, but adds a twist which guarantees smiles.

Mirabel is a sweet character young listeners are sure to quickly embrace and connect with. It's not hard to relate to her—excited but uncertain how the others will react. This is something everyone, especially the intended age group, can understand. Yet, Mirabel gives her best. This alone is inspiring, but the story continues allowing reader to feel for Mirabel again as her Valentines are lost. The play on emotions keeps listeners glued to the pages, and yet is subtle and gentle. The author, however, makes sure the disappointment does not outweigh the positive aspects. With each loss, comes a happy surprise. And the ending wraps it up with a lovely message of warmth, friendship and love.

The illustrations carry a more traditional and very warming feel. It fits extremely well with the tale and gives Mirabel and her world just the right atmosphere. While the text rhymes away in an easy four or so lines, the illustrations add and bring out the more special moments to strengthen the situation. The details are lovingly done and encourage kids to take the book on their own and relive the story again and again. It's a wonderful, Valentine's Day read which fits to all times of the year.

And here they are...

The Author...
Janet Lawler is an award-winning author. Her first picture book, If Kisses Were Colors (Dial, 2003), has been translated into Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew, and Korean. Her most recent picture books include Ocean Counting (Nat'l. Geo., Fall 2013; NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book), Love Is Real (HarperCollins, 2014), and Rain Forest Colors (NAt'l. Geo., Fall 2014; starred Kirkus review).

Janet lives in Connecticut and is available for interview. Visit her at janetlawler.com!

The Illustrator...

Olivia Chin Mueller attended the Rhode Island School of Design. She lives in Providence, RI. Learn more about Olivia at oliviachinmueller.com and follow her on Tiwtter and Instagram at @ocmillustration!