Bowerbird Brood by Aura Parker

In the first book - Bowerbird Blues - the pair of bowerbirds find each other. Time has now moved on and there are three eggs in the nest and the female is charged with all the work - keeping the eggs safe and warm over the long days and nights until they hatch. Then when the three little chicks arrive we watch them grow and change all expressed in the most delightful language.

"When the wind blows, my wings are walls, sheltering, keeping. Cuddling, caring. Softly, slowly stroking, gently with my feathers. Whispering, over and over, little ones you are safe and warm and loved."

Special mention with this book goes to the magnificent end papers and the soft colour palette used throughout the book. This is such a visually appealing book with illustrations to linger over and revisit. 

Before or even after reading Bowerbird Brood with your library group, class or young reading companion it would be good to look at some photographs of male and female bowerbirds. As with many bird species - the female bowerbird has very different plumage to her male companion. I also recommend you dip into my previous post about bowerbirds. 

The female bowerbird has sole responsibility for raising the chicks. The female builds a shallow cup-shaped nest from sticks and twigs, in a bush or tree. She lays 1-3 eggs of pale brown with darker markings, which she will incubate for about 3 weeks. The chicks leave the nest when they are 17-21 days old and are dependent for food on their mother for several more weeks.

Here is a description of the art process in Bowerbird Brood by Aura Parker:

The illustrations created for this book are a mixture of digital and traditional watercolour, with some elements painted by hand on smooth watercolour paper and others with a Photoshop brush. 

You can see inside this book here. 

This is the companion volume to Bowerbird Blues.

A Home in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

"There are two supporting actors (in this story) - the blustery wind and the barn itself. I knew my challenge would be to make the wind visible and give a muted voice to the barn. I chose drifting leaves and slightly bent grasses, cornstalks, and trees to suggest the presence of the wind. For the barn I decided on the colour red, to speak to its essential role as a place of warmth and safety." - Jerry Pinkney

It is warm and snug in the barn but it is also noisy and slightly chaotic and just now a new calf has been born. The barn is a shelter from the freezing winter for the farm animals (cows, horses, chickens, a cat, pigs and goats) but also for the field mice, insects and swallows. When I lived in Canada I was fascinated by all the red barns. They look like they belong in a storybook - and here it is! And when you stretch out the cover of this book you can see all of the animals who have moved inside.

This never-before-published picture book from beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952) tells the comforting, snowy story of animals seeking shelter from the cold in a big warm barn. This book was published in 2018. 

This one is filled with the glory of Jerry Pinkney’s genial, radiant, captivating artwork. Every page is a splendor. Orange Marmalade Books

Pinkney’s luminous watercolor-and-pastel illustrations create a cozy environment for the animals, using a double-page–spread format, a large trim size, and a thoughtful design. Tiny details are hidden in the pages, such as a grasshopper perched on a dried cornstalk and a line of ants marching toward the barn, and sound effects from some of the animals are also integrated into the illustrations. An artist’s note gives interesting, specific details about Pinkney’s artistic process. Kirkus

Have you met Jerry Pinkney (1939-2021) - by that I mean are you familiar with his unique and wonderful illustrations? I was so lucky to see him at a USBBY conference in 2019. 

Jerry Pinkney was "widely acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed works reimagining well-loved fairy and folktales," noted Publishers Weekly. His version of The Lion & the Mouse by Aesop was awarded the Caldecott Medal, and his books also received five Caldecott Honor citations. He was recognized with two lifetime achievement awards: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) and the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award. Harper Collins

This is another of those bargain books I picked up from a large bookstore in our city. They have culled their children's books acquired in 2018 and earlier. A Home in the Barn has been waiting for a new home since December 2018. The price may have been the factor - it was AUS$30 but with the 50% off sale my copy was way more affordable. And it has a dust jacket and is printed on high quality paper. The price of this book is now way beyond the budget of any school library at AUS$40. 

Look to the North by Jean Craighead George illustrated by Lucia Washburn

 

Boulder, Scree and Talus arrive in the world blind and deaf, weighing only one pound. But soon they are playing, tumbling, and howling - all important lessons to learn as they grow up to face 

the challenges of their alpine environment.

I do have to begin this post by telling you this book was published in 1997 so it is long out of print. The library I visit each week hold onto their books knowing they are treasures and they take such good care of their collection that this book continues to look almost brand new even though their paperback copy was purchased in 2014. I noticed this book on the blog Kinderbookswitheverything which is why I borrowed it today. 

You are sure to recognise the name Jean Craighead George (1919-2012) because she is the author of Julie of the Wolves which won the Newbery Medal and My Side of the Mountain. She actually wrote over 100 books. Read more here on this blog post from Kinderbookswitheverything. 

Here is the publisher blurb for Look to the North: Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George lovingly tells the story of three wolf pups--from the moment they open their eyes to the time they lead the hunt. Lyrical passages in her wolf pup diary describe how the pups tumble and play and when they first learn to howl and talk wolk talk. Readers are reminded of the changes in nature that are happening in the lower 48 states as they look to the north to watch the wolf pups grow. Jean George's words and Lucia Washburn's breathtaking paintings give the reader a rare glimpse of one of nature's noblest creatures: the wolf.

The information, told in the form of a diary, about the wolf pups who grow from one day to eleven months is interesting but it is the cover and illustrations that drew me to this book. I haven't been able to discover much about the illustrator but this book was her debut and she has illustrated other non fiction books especially about dinosaurs and junior non fiction for the series - Penguin Young Readers. I am keen to see these book even though they are also long out of print.

You're Sung with Me by Chitra Soundar illustrated by Poonam Mistry

Parental love, sound ecological advice, 

and breathtaking illustrations all in one. Kirkus Star review

"She made a den just big enough for her to turn over, and waited for the falling snow to seal it shut."

Two cubs are born - "You're safe with me."

As the pair grow they begin to explore their den and ask their mother questions about the outside world. Their mother explains the season, the oceans, the cosmos, the balance of nature and the wondrous creatures who live on the land and sea. Eventually the day arrives when the cubs can emerge from the den. 

Blurb: At the start of winter, two bear cubs are born, deep in their den in the frozen north. 'Mama, what lies beyond here?' they ask. "'Above us is a land of ice and snow." "What lies beyond the ice and snow?" they ask. "The ocean, full of ice from long ago." And as they learn the secrets of the earth and their place in it, Mama Bear whispers, "You're snug with me."

Each page is made up of repeating patterns, forming both the animals in the foreground and the whole of the wintry setting making up the background. Illustrator Poonam Mistry uses colour selectively and carefully: all of the illustrations are made up of yellows, oranges, blues and greens and as spring approaches, the pages become brighter. Different snowflakes feature on almost every page and overall the   illustrations throughout the book have a magical quality. Books for Topics

I mentioned Poonam Mistry a couple of days ago when I talked about It's Up to Us: A Children's Terra Carta by Christopher Lloyd and I mentioned Poonan Mistry. Her work is very distinctive and appealing and this book was shortlisted for the 2020 Kate Greenaway medal.

Being brought up surrounded by Indian fabrics, paintings and ornaments have heavily influenced my work. Poonam Mistry.

You can see here You're Snug with me is one book from a set of three - You're Safe with me and You're Strong with me all by author Chitra Soundar.  I wish I could say you should add all of these to your library but here in Australia only schools with very generous budgets will be able to afford these hardcover books which are listed at over $30 each. You could look for How the Stars Came to Be because it is available in paperback for a much lower price. 

Here is the blurb for You're Safe with me: When the moon rises high and the stars twinkle, it is bedtime for the baby animals of the Indian forest. But tonight, when the skies turn dark and the night grows stormy, the little ones can't sleep. SWISH-SWISH! CRACK-TRACK! FLASH-SNAP! goes the storm. Only Mama Elephant with her words of wisdom can reassure them. "You're safe with me." A modern fable that reads like a folktale, this beautifully illustrated tale of motherly love is a perfect bedtime story.

And the blurb for You're Strong with me: The rain clouds are long gone and the dry season scorches the land. Everything is new for the baby giraffe. As she bounds ahead and lags behind, her mother patiently explains the ways of the grasslands. And until she grows a little taller, older, and wiser, her mother reminds her: 'You're strong with me.'

Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson illustrated by Stephen Savage

 

A polar bear cub sets off on a night time walk. It is a magical journey filled with starlight and snow and sleeping animals.

Sadly this book from 2004 is now out of print but you might be lucky and find a copy in a well stocked library. There was once also a board book edition of Polar Bear Night. The lino cut art in this book is very different and ideal to share with a preschool child. Every page looks cold and the polar bear cub, with his little geometric face, is so appealing. In 2004, Polar Bear Night was named a New York Times Best Illustrated children’s book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. Read this interview with Stephen. 

The simplicity in the art, text, and plot belie the deft craftsmanship, like carving an ice sculpture. This bedtime story will captivate young listeners; it sparkles just like ice crystals on a moonlit night. Kirkus Star review