Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers illustrated by Lane Smith

"Tomorrow most likely there will be a sky. And chances are it will be blue.

Tomorrow most likely there will be a squirrel. And chances are his name is Stu."

There will also be a meal, a door (that leads to the world), a song, a plane, a bright blue bug, an interesting smell, a stone, or you might ride a whale. 

"Tomorrow most likely will be a great day because you are in it and Stu is okay."

This book is sadly out of print (published in 2019) but you might find a copy in a library - I sure hope you do! Here is the Kirkus review. See more pages inside this book here. 

Written by celebrated author Dave Eggers and illustrated by Caldecott honoree Lane Smith, Tomorrow Most Likely is a heartfelt (and not-so-quiet) bedtime story that brings affirmation and comfort to young audiences. By juxtaposing the small and the grand, the familiar and the odd, what is and what can be, author and illustrator provide confidence to a little boy facing the big, wide world. Good Reads with Ronna

You could share Tomorrow Most Likely as a bedtime read aloud in your family or you could use it as a writing idea with a group of older students after a discussion about optimism!

My friend spied this treasure at a recent charity book sale - Lane Smith - I am a huge fan and Dave Eggers - his book for middle grade readers The Eyes and the Impossible is a book that still lingers with me over three years since I read it.

The Eyes and the Impossible

Companion book:

And try to find these:

The Big Question

Things to look forward to

Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

Do you Wonder?

Who is the world for?

We are like Birds by Laila Ekboir

 

I am a patchwork quilt made up of all the places I've lived.

Florencia is moving again with mum, dad and her baby brother. It is hard to fit into her new place. She plays a different sport (soccer) from the kids who play baseball. She speaks a different language (Spanish). Grandma is far away and they can only see her on a screen. But there are ways to make new friends. Sharing food with neighbors and inviting them to your birthday party which is filled with dancing and music. 

Blurb: Flor is only seven years old and has moved home three times. Now her family is moving again and she has to start all over again in a new country and a new school.

Mum says we are like snails ... Dad says we're like crabs ... Our neighbor says we're like a herd of elephants ... Grandma says we're like the moon, distant but always shining ... Mum says we're like dandelion seeds 

The perfect, uplifting story for any child who feels like they don’t fit in or who is worried about the prospect of moving country, home or school and having to start over. Books for Topics

For older readers there is perhaps more that could be drawn from the numerous analogies throughout the text between the family and the many animals their plight resembles: birds, snails, crabs. Perhaps this could inspire some reflective poetry, or encourage children to share the animal that they feel most reflects their own family’s journey. References are made also to puzzle pieces, seeds blown on the wind, and patchwork quilts which may help children to explore and share feelings about their family make-up, the movement of families around the world and the many reasons for such movement. Books for Keeps

Reading the bio of author Lalia Ekboir who comes from Argentina I discovered a new phrase: Third Culture Kid. It denotes a child who grows up in a culture different from the one their parents grew up in.

I noticed an unfamiliar publisher name on the cover of this book:

Kumusha Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, is a new inclusive list of globally inclusive, empathy-led, high-quality children's books, curated by publisher Ken Wilson-Max. Kumusha Books will publish a range of fiction and non-fiction, from board books for babies, to chapter books for emerging readers. Books to make positive and meaningful change to how we are all represented in children's books. ...  Our aim is to create books for all children to see themselves as they are and as they want to be; to feel at home though books.

I mentioned a book from Kumusha when I talked about the Inclusive Book Awards. 

Here is the webpage for Ken Wilson-Max. Decades ago I discovered this book and even though I do not own a copy (and sadly I am sure my previous library have probably disposed of it) A Book of Letters by Ken Wilson-Max remains a favourite book of mine.

Just One Little Light by Kat Yeh illustrated Isabelle Arsenault

"When you find yourself in the dark the deepest dark the deepest dark

remind yourself you always have a light and as you wander you will wonder

how something so small can be enough when everything around you feels so big.

But one little light just one little light is enough to light the way and reveal what lies in your path.

If you are afraid just take one breath and hold these words safely within

One little light cannot light the whole sky ... but it is enough to begin."

Each page turn of this book is like welcoming dawn. The narrator comforts the child:

"You will remind yourself whenever it's dark that you can always find the light

And you will wander in the wonder that something so small was enough to start something BIG."

Image source: Isabelle Arsenault

Here is a Storymakers interview. You will think about the words wander and wonder in a very different way after watching this 6 minute presentation which includes a simple but effective craft activity.

The delicate, lovely illustrations, rendered in gouache, charcoal, and pastel, feature spirited, racially diverse children. As the text proceeds, more light and colors pervade the pages.  A sweet, upbeat guide to cultivating optimism in young children. Kirkus

In this book, both author and illustrator come together seamlessly as they encourage readers to move through the thick, dark cloud that alludes to the heavy emotions that sometimes stop us in our tracks and just don’t seem to go away. ...  every breath we take and every reminder about the courage we have within chips away at the darkness, revealing the bright, colourful beauty that lies on the other side. Montreal review of Books

I talked about Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault in a previous post. She was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen award in 2020.  Her art in Just one little light is truly special. This is another one of those books where I marvel at the way the illustrator has taken a brief, but also lyrical text, and given it another whole dimension. Here are other books illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault:

Duck's backyard by Ulrich Hub illustrated by Jörg Mühle

Duck has a wonky leg so he uses a crutch. He is perfectly, perfectly happy living in his safe yard until ... Yes you knew there would be a complication and of course you anticipated what this might be from the cover illustration. A chicken arrives in the yard. Not just any ordinary chicken - a blind chicken - oh no. But wait do not feel sorry for this fellow because he is a chicken with a huge attitude and enormous confidence.

The chicken tells the duck today is the day for an adventure. Yes this is your classic optimist versus pessimist story and your classic or not quite so classic story of self discovery. Duck says NO NO NO. He will not leave his yard. The outside world is completely unsafe. The problem is the chicken needs duck to guide him since there are no guide dogs in the farm yard and so he persuades duck to step out of the yard and travel to ...

"Somewhere in the world ... there's a place where all our secret wishes come true."

The journey is filled with hazards - a dark forest, a huge ravine and an enormous mountain but at the top of the mountain an amazing discovery awaits chicken. Duck makes a discovery too - perhaps one you anticipated but still I guarantee this sweet ending will warm your heart.

Reading this book almost feels like a religious experience not that you need to be religious to enjoy this story. There are very deep themes (see my post labels) so this book will appeal to young children, older children and adults. Read the first chapter here. Here is an interview with Ulrich Hub. 

I adore books from Gecko Press. They source some fabulous books from around the world and invest in translating them for children who speak English. Duck's Backyard was originally published in German with the title Lahme Ente, blindes Huhn which means Lame duck, blind chicken so I am glad Gecko changed the title. School libraries in Australia used to be sent books from Gecko Press when Scholastic Australia had the agency now it is with Walker Books Australia so you may need to hunt out their books. When Scholastic had the agency books from Gecko Press were often included with their International standing order titles and also in the Book Club brochures. 

There is a sequel to Duck's Backyard but it is only available in German. I do hope Gecko Press decide to translate it. 

You should also read (don't wait add them to your library basket today) these books:

Yours sincerely, Giraffe

Meet you at Eight

Petra

Wolf and Dog

Bogtrotter

Bear and Chook by the Sea

Up the Mountain

Skunk and Badger

I previously talked about this book illustrated by Jörg Mühle.

Two for me, One for you

Just One Bee by Margrete Lamond and Anthony Bertini illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Just One Bee provides readers with opportunities to explore the topic of bees and their importance in our lives. The message is clear without being heavy handed. The way the queen bee has a tiny crown and the way she is contained in a cage will allow readers to infer her role and importance. The text of this story can be read in different ways by younger children and older students. It could be a story about two bees (and the queen) who restore the fields of flowers or it could be read as a story about humanity, climate change deniers, affirmative action, and the power of an individual to make change happen. There are also the themes of optimism and pessimism, hope and despair. One-Bee, the character, shows vision and resilience.

This is a book of true quality. The language is poetic, the page turns perfectly paced, and the illustrations are haunting and worthy of close study. The drama of turning the page to the field of vibrant flowers provides a visual shock while at the same time it is quietly affecting. The story and the telling are spare but below this is a theme of great depth.  The varied textures used as page backgrounds give this book an almost tactile feel. The illustrations have a hand-made quality.  The end papers have a retro feel. 

The paperback edition of this book will be released in mid October - here is the ISBN 9780648899655.

Just one Bee was published in 2021 but because it was entered for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year I haven't been able to talk about it until now. Book Week and the announcement of the CBCA Award winners for 2022 happened last month. As a CBCA judge I had to wait to share these books until the judging was completed.

Just one Bee is a 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Honour Book.

Here in Australia, by now, most children in Primary schools are sure to have heard Just one Bee read aloud in a library or classroom but I know people from other places in the world read my blog so I do hope you can find Just one Bee in your local library, school or book store.

Here are the judges comments: 

The language here is poetic and balanced, and the illustrations use a limited palette and stark design to create an arid effect in this flower-less dystopia. There is a strong sense of place with the environment itself developed as a key character. On the surface, this is the story of three bees who question their own power and place in creating a more sustainable future. But these characters are rich representations of climate deniers and activists in the real world and the book helps readers to consider their own role in climate change and the importance of resilience and working together to make a positive impact. The shifts in tone, from bleak and barren to vibrant fields of flowers, are effective and create a sense of hope and optimism.

You can see books and art by Christopher Nielsen here. Read more about one of our newest Australian publishers - Dirt Lane Press. You can find teachers notes for Just One Bee on their site. 

I would pair this book with another dystopian picture book from Australia:

The Duck and the Darklings

Of course you will also want to read other books about bees - and there are hundreds to choose from and here are some other companion books:

Links to blog posts: How to Bee; Where the river runs Gold; The Thing.  For older students in Grade 6 I also highly recommend you try to find Sparrow Girl by Sara Pennypacker (2009). There are so many terrific books you can read about bees. Here is my Pinterest.

My two favourite non fiction bee titles are:

I am the Storm by Jane Yolen

I am the Storm by Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple 

illustrated by Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell

"Nature is strong and powerful. But I am strong and powerful, too. ... And when the storm passes, as it always does, 

I am the calm too."

Let's begin the the word storm. In this book different family groups experience a hurricane, tornado, blizzard, and a forest fire.

"It's okay to be scared."

But each time, the family find safety, and each narrator, from different parts of America, finds something positive in both the experience and in the clearing up that needs to follow.

"I bought flowers to all the neighbours while the grown-ups swept the ashes and washed windows."

Publisher blurb: A tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane are met, in turn, with resilience and awe in this depiction of nature's power and our own.  In the face of our shifting climate, young children everywhere are finding themselves subject to unfamiliar and often frightening extreme weather. Beloved author Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi Stemple address four distinct weather emergencies (a tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane) with warm family stories of finding the joy in preparedness and resilience. Their honest reassurance leaves readers with the message: nature is powerful, but you are powerful, too. Illustrated in rich environmental tones and featuring additional information about storms in the back, this book educates, comforts, and empowers young readers in stormy or sunny weather, and all the weather in between.

The best books, including picture books, teach me new words. In this one I discovered the word roiled. Roil: to (cause to) move quickly in a twisting circular movement. 

The teacher in this blog post used I am the Storm as a poetry writing stimulus. 

Illustrated in rich environmental tones and featuring additional information about storms in the back, this book educates, comforts, and empowers young readers in stormy or sunny weather, and all the weather in between. Brightly: Raise kids who love to read

A treasure full of  love, affirmation, and resiliency. Maria Marshall: The Picture Book Buzz

Child-centered, reassuring, and welcome. Kirkus Star review

Here in Australia this book is sadly VERY expensive ($35) so, while I would love to recommend it as a perfect library purchase, I guess that might not be possible. Perhaps you can make use of this video and you will also see the final pages which explain each of the storms. Here is an interview with Jane Yolen and her daughter Heidi. Jane Yolen is the author of over (huge cheer) 400 books!

I have seen a lot of really poor digital art in picture books recently but in this book it is wonderful. The illustrators explain: "The art is sketched in pencil and the finishes are rendered in Photoshop with a Wacom tablet." My favourite page is near the end where the boy looks across a beach towards a lighthouse (signalling hope). 

From the video Project Recovery Iowa

Here are two other books illustrated by husband and wife Kristen and Kevin Howdeshell (sadly they are both way too expensive to add to my shopping list).

Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl illustrated by Patricia Metola

"Nana said unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all. 

And deep down in her heart, Britta knew it was true."

Britta's two favourite trees are the apple tree and the magnolia in her garden. Britta is sure these two trees are best friends. 

Her father and sister think this is just a silly idea. Luckily Britta has a wise grandmother. One day magnolia starts to look unwell with patchy bark and brown leaves. Britta makes a plan to save the tree but this is not at all the plan you might anticipate.

"She tied a string with two cups so that Apple could hear Magnolia's sighs, and Magnolia could hear Apple's sweet whistling songs. And she wrapped a long scarf between the two trees so they could feel each other's warmth through the cold winter months."

She also hung lights between the two trees so they could see each other on dark nights. Over time the trees appeared to be moving closer together. Britta is a scientist so she tests this theory by taking daily measurements. In Spring blossoms appear on the apple tree. Then suddenly a blossom appears on the Magnolia. 

Image source: RHS UK

"Trees really can help one another. Trees can send nutrients to each other through a network of fungi in the soil. Trees can send warning signals about environmental change via the same network. Trees can also release a gas into the air to warn other trees of attach by animals or insects." (Author note)

This is a very special book and one that would be a very worthwhile addition to your school library. Check out my Pinterest of Apples in Picture books. If you read the list of labels for this post you can see so many themes here - communication, hope, perseverance, trust, problem solving and the importance of optimism. 

With glowing illustrations from illustrator Patricia Metola, this gentle story explores the mystery of trees, the magic of nature, and one girl’s hope, determination and nurturing spirit. Walker Books UK

What’s not to love about this endearing and effervescent picture book? Kirkus Star review

Here is the web site for Laura Gehl. I would like to also see this book illustrated by Patricia Metola who lives in Spain.

Companion reads to follow Apple and Magnolia:

Mikki me and the Out-of-tune Tree

Little Sap

Three by Stephen Michael King

... my story became one of understanding, acceptance, empathy, being thankful and following your own path.  Stephen Michael King


Three lives in the here and now. He does not worry about the past. He is happy with his life. We do not know his back story and perhaps we don't need to know it. As I said he lives in the here and now. One, two, three he skips around the city enjoying the sun, feeling clean when it rains and eating the food that is given to him by kind people. Three is joyful and optimistic.

Legs are everywhere and little Three uses them as a way to classify the creatures in his world. There are six legs (ants); eight legs (spiders); and four legs (chairs). Using his own three legs, Three ventures out of the city one day where he discovers trees and green hills and different legs - a four leg with spikes on its head (cow); a winged two leg (hen); a pink four leg that "snorted through its flat, friendly nose." (pig); and a two leg "pretending to be a three leg, just like him."

Three has found his heart's desire - a home and someone to love. Fern loves Three and Three loves Fern and together they can embrace happiness!  Read this book, smile and then make yourself a big plate of hot pancakes with ice cream.

I recommend you try to look at other books by Stephen Michael King and compare them with Three. He is SO GOOD at creating little dogs. AND those eyes!  How can a dot or two dots convey such emotion?

I am hoping that Three will make the list of CBCA Notables for 2020 and from there the short list. I would also like to nominate this book for the IBBY Collection of Books for Young People with a Disability. Here is an interview with Stephen Michael King. You can also read about the inspiration for this story on Stephen Michael King's web site. 

Mutt Dog has a very similar plot to Three. I plan to read these two books side by side.

I will also read Let's get a pup and Buffy by Bob Graham with Three.

Finally if you can find a copy try to read The Mouse with the too long tail.