Monday, November 30, 2020

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli illustrated by Archie Preston

"I'm ever so thankful for .... you!"

There is so much to like about this picture book but the aspect I appreciated the most was the imaginative interpretation of the text. Kirkus call this a 'counterpoint'. The words say one thing and the illustrations something unexpected. In this book all of the scenes show a family, their daily activities and imaginative play. I was excited to discover Thankful is available as a board book. Some books should not be converted to board books but I think Thankful would be perfect to share in this format with a very young child. If you are looking for a gift for a new baby this is one you should also add to your list.

"The waitress is thankful for comfortable shoes

The local reporter for interesting news."

"The poet is thankful for words that rhyme.

The children for morning story time."

You can see some of the pages from this book in this brief video.


Thankful is/was the first book illustrated by Archie Preston. He doesn't seem to have done many others which is an odd discovery because the illustrations in Thankful are so joyous and lively and simply delightful.

I've made a wonderful discovery. Eileen Spinelli is married to the author Jerry Spinelli.  His book Stargirl truly did change my life and the scenes in Wringer continue to linger with me decades after I first read it. I have one his newer titles - The Warden's Daughter - on my 'to read' list.  In a previous post I talked about another special picture book by Eileen Spinelli - Someday.


You might also look for this book by the wonderful Todd Parr.

No comments: