From Friends Journal, May 6, 2022 – By Eileen Redden
“These picture books have all been reviewed by Friends Journal, and they are ones I believe belong in every meetinghouse library. If you’re looking to prioritize which titles to acquire, I would suggest beginning with the books that deal with death as that is a situation that will certainly happen at some point, so it’d be helpful to have them on hand as soon as possible. After that, my next recommendation would be to purchase some of the older titles before finding them becomes difficult or impossible.” – E.R.
Ten Beautiful Things
by Molly Beth Griffin, illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
“In Ten Beautiful Things, Gram encourages Lily to be attentive to the world around them during their car journey,” Lisa Rand writes. “On the opening page of the story, readers can readily observe Lily’s sad expression. Through this shared mindfulness practice, Gram supports Lily during a time of uncertainty.”The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup
by Hunter Liguore, illustrated by Vikki Zhang
“The reader learns that meal preparation is about more than just the food,” says Eileen Redden. “It’s the time spent together, the recipe and pot passed down through the generations, and the honoring of family and community. We learn how interconnected the world is, as the meal is only possible because of the gardeners, the farm workers, the transportation network, the merchants, the seeds, the bees, the sun, the moon and the stars, the soil, the rain, and love.”
Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music
by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Priscilla Burris
“The more we learn of our family histories, through genealogy, and now through genetics and the very DNA we carry, the more we discover what a rich mix we are,” Ken Jacobsen observes. “Michael Genhart and Priscilla Burris present a beautiful image of an ethnically interwoven family, and how children can open the door to this interweaving process, in this case through the healing language of music.”