Mouse and his Dog by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko illustrated by Wallace West

"A heart is a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it."

Think about this: 

dogs + robots + shedding a few tears + a happy ending for everyone = The Perfect Book

And this equation you can add a smart little mouse named Mouse who has a hugely compassionate heart.

If you have read the first book in this series you will remember the Reading Buddies Program run by Mr Molanari. In this second book kids still come to Dogtown - the home for stray dogs - and so you will cheer when you meet a young girl named Saanvi. She somehow knows there are special dogs who have been banished to the basement. These dogs are the rejects. They are not considered suitable for the Reading Buddy program and in fact many of them will be 'put on the list' (you might be able to guess what this means). The reject robot dogs also have a terrible fate awaiting them known as e-waste. Saanvi is drawn to Buster. He is a golden retriever but every time someone takes him home he accidentally messes up and he ends up being bought back to Dogtown. Mouse, his friend, is desperate to keep Buster safe. Surely he can go and live with Saanvi? Oh no - Buster's name is 'on the list' - there is no time - Mouse and his friends Stewie (another reject dog) and Smokey (a malfunctioning robot dog) must team up and get Buster away from Dogtown tonight!

Every dog lover needs to read this book or even better ask mum or dad to read it to all the family! No wait a minute - read the first book then this one - and get ready for a wonderful and very memorable reading experience from this sequel.

A few text quotes:

"I want to be one of those brave mice you read about in books. A mouse in a friar's robe brandishing a sword, a mouse in short sleeves paddling a canoe, a mouse in a pullover sweater who saves a princess."

"Bouncebacks are hard on dogs. They think they have a new home with balls and bones and doggy beds with their names on them, and then they find themselves back on the hard cement, with nothing to chase but their own tails."

"I'm fluent in Dog as you know. But dogs can't grasp the complex mix of screeches, squeals and squeaks of Mousespeak. So, I hold up my end of the conversation with my own personal sign language."

Publisher blurb: Mouse lives in Dogtown, a shelter for real dogs and robot dogs, where the kibble is plentiful, and the rafters hide a secret community of mice. His unlikely best friend is Buster, a big-hearted real dog who attracts trouble like a burr to fur. Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Determined to help Buster find his forever home, even if means losing his best pal, Mouse embarks on a bold quest with three of Dogtown’s “unadoptables”: Buster; Stewie, a huge, lovable dog whose ex-owner said he was mean; and Smokey, a robot dog hardwired with a smoke alarm he can’t control. But Mouse is just a mouse, and the world is big and complicated. How’s a little guy supposed to find homes for the dogs he loves?

Listen to an audio sample. Read an extract here. And read the Kirkus Review.

Books mentioned in Mouse and his Dog

• The Borrowers
• If you Give a mouse a Cookie
• Stuart Little
• Junie B Jones
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Where the Sidewalk Ends
• The Tale of Despereaux
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Dogtown

This is what I said about Dogtown back in 2013 - and all of this is also true for Mouse and His Dog:

Every page of this book made me sigh with happiness. ... thank goodness I found Dogtown which I read in one gulp! This book would be a terrific class read aloud for Grade 2 or 3 and a wonderful book to share in a family - the chapters are mostly only one or two pages. I highly recommend you add this book to your library or Christmas book shopping list.

Mim and the Anxious Artist by Katrinia Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Mim, Nat (her brother) and dad along with their accompanying menagerie of animals have arrived in Paris with their horse drawn bookshop. Mim marvels at the beautiful city and Nat loves the idea of the Awful Tower, his new discovery of French culinary treats and the way he can find his favourite letter 'S' in just about any situation.

They meet a very talented artist named Pierre. His portrait art is captivating but once a painting is completed, he simply cannot give it away or give it to the person who has paid him. This is one of several dilemmas that Mim need to solve with the help of the seemingly mismatched books her father sells each customer from his bookshop. How on earth can a book about gardening help Pierre? Why does the rich lady need The Happy Handyman? And a book about bridges for a famous chef? Surely not. 

In 2021 I read the first first installment of The Travelling Bookshop series. Such a charming story with yummy cakes and the idea of giving the perfect book to a reader! I picked up this one - book three - at a recent charity book sale. I did wonder if I should have read the second installment first but no, the books in this series do stand alone - but IF you can try to get the whole set and then settled down for a delicious week or two of reading. 

In this video Katrina Nannestad talks about her series. Here is her website. You can see more of my posts which feature books by Katrina Nannestad by clicking on the label the bottom of this post. I also adore the illustrations and bright covers by Cheryl Orsini of this book and all the other titles from the series. 

This series is filled with such hope and whimsy, bringing words and the world to life for us. It is a series that I have been following since the beginning, and I am looking forward to seeing where Mim and her family go next with their wonderful bookshop. It’s such a fun series and readers of all ages will get something wonderful out of it. The Book Muse

This is the newest installment published March, 2024

Bookseller blurb: Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home. Now Mim has arrived in wonderful Venice, city of canals, palaces, bridges, boats and ... quarrels. Gondolier battles, cat nappings and laundry theft are just the beginning. The Magnifico family and the Forte family are at war. Mim knows they're here to help the feuding families. To show them a better way to behave. To bring an end to the vicious vendetta. If only Mim could find each of them the right book. If only they'd all stop reading the wrong books.

Everywhere, Wonder by Matthew Swanson illustrated by Bobbi Behr

"I have a story to share. It is a little gift from me to you. You might not know it, but you have a story, too. You'll find it in the things you stop to notice."

The child in this book, is reading a book. We see the page open on an illustration of the pyramids. Turn the page and voila you are there. Then on you go to Arizona, Brazil, mountains in Japan, Kenya, see salmon swimming in Alaska and you could even see that solitary footprint on the surface of the moon. 

All of these things (and many more) are now part of your story.

The polar bear "walked off this page and into your head. Now he is part of your story."

So, there are wonders in books from places around the world that you can only imagine or see in a book but also there are wonders to see all around you - close to home. Even in a bowl of soup. 

The strongest illustrations are those that play with negative space, as when a polar bear wanders off the ice and into the child’s white-walled room, the one blending seamlessly with the other. A journey of the imagination, the book could be of use as a teaching tool to encourage budding writers and creators to notice and imagine stories based on both what they know and what they dream of. Kirkus

You could perhaps use the first part of this book to explore the 2024 CBCA slogan - Reading is Magic. This book was published in 2017 and it is still available but sadly I think it may be way too expensive for a school library here in Australia. You can see inside this book here. Here is the web page for husband and wife team - Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr. They have made 84 books together - 70 self published. You can see them here talking in a video (19 minutes) and reading Everywhere, wonder with tiny animated moments.

The Book of Gold by Bob Staake

Isaac visits the New York public library with his parents:

"Isaac's parents loved books. They adored how they smelled and the way they felt in their hands, but most of all, they loved discovering the answers hidden inside."

Isaac is not interest in books but later his parents take him into a curiosity shop and the owner tells Isaac:

"There is a legend,' she explained, 'that somewhere in the world there is one very special book that's just waiting to be discovered. It will look like any other book, but it holds all the answers to every question ever asked, and when it is opened, it turns to solid gold."

This idea puts young Isaac Gutenberg, a boy who has declared he does NOT like reading, on the road to discovery. He hunts high and low looking for this promised golden treasure and along the way he finds a love of reading, develops his curiosity and finds answers to his questions. Perhaps the "book of gold" will never be found but Isaac finds an even better treasure. I hope you have guessed what this is.

Here are some of the questions Isaac asks:

• Why don't the pyramids have windows?
• How can something as heavy as a ship float?
• Who invented pizza?
• Were dinosaurs covered in fur?
• Why don't elevators also travel sideways?

and my favourite question

• How did the number eight get its name?

It is also fun to think about the name Gutenberg. 

You might like to use this book when you talk about the 2024 CBCA Book Week Slogan "Books are Magic." 

For adult readers here is something you need to know about The Book of Gold.  I picked up a copy of this book at a 50% off sale and so now I have seen under the dust jacket - it is truly special but of course difficult for libraries to cover the book and still allow the removal of the jacket:

The book has two covers. If you detach the wraparound cover with the image that everyone associates with the book, you'll find the paper-on-board cover -- which I designed to look like an artifact squirreled away in the recesses of any dusty attic. It's my hope that children will find the book years from now (minus the wrap) and realize that THEY have indeed found the elusive Book Of Gold.

Publisher blurb: Young Isaac Gutenberg isn’t a curious boy . . . that is, until he meets an old shopkeeper who tells him about The Book of Gold. This special book, hidden somewhere in the world, holds all the answers to every question and turns to solid gold when opened. Isaac is determined to find the book—it will make him rich! He opens many books in his search, but quickly closes them when they don’t turn to gold. That changes one day when he opens a book, looks at the page, and a question pops into his mind. From then on, he reads every word. Time passes and Isaac ages, but he still scours dusty attics and flea markets, crisscrossing the world, searching for The Book of Gold. This sweeping picture book asks important questions: Is searching for knowledge better than having it? How important is curiosity? And what makes a life meaningful?

Here is the author web site. You can see a few pages inside this book on the publisher web site. There are some lovely touches in this book. The sepia pages that give that olden days feel, the name Gutenberg of course and the scenes inside and outside the splendid New York city Public Library. Make sure you look for another special book by Bob Staake - a wordless treasure called Bluebird. Here is a CNN interview where Bob talks about the ideas behind Bluebird.

Under the Red Shawl by Vikki Conley illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

I wrote this story to explore the many challenges that our world presents for our children. We all have different homes and places where we live (cities, towns, villages), but for some children they are forced to leave for different reasons, and that can be hard. Vikki Conley

It is interesting to ponder the passing of time in this story. When we first meet Salim he has just been born. He hears the boom boom boom of his mother's heart but there is also the boom boom boom all around. We know this is a dangerous place when we read that the mother and child need to begin their journey to a safer place today. Salim is folded into her beautiful red shawl. 

The journey is long and very difficult through all weathers and landscapes but Mama tells her little son that they will find a place of safety.

"Mama whispered stories about green grass, bouncing balls and laughing children."

Publisher blurb: Starting out in a new place is tough, but friendship, kindness and imagination help Salim, Mama and Donkey discover their new world. In this stunning picture book, by award-winning creators – Vikki Conley and Martina Heiduczek – we journey with Salim as he grows up creating a new life around him. This is a story about a journey, hope and creating fun with the little that you have.

Vikki Conley has brought the reality of the world of the refugee child right into the realm of more fortunate children ... The Bottom Shelf

Teachers Notes from the publisher.

Pair this with these books:

Amira's Suitcase

Tomorrow

I am also keen to find this book.  I am sure I have seen another book about kids who make a ball out of found materials set either in Africa or South America but I can't think of the title.

With older children you might also like to look at these books:

Sea Prayer

A Boy and a Ball

Everywhere with You by Carlie Sorosiak illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

"Did you know,' the girl whispers,' that this is my favourite time of day? Being here with you?"

On one side of the fence there is a dog. He is all alone although I guess someone does feed him but he doesn't seem to ever leave that backyard. On the other side of the fence there is a girl. 

She pokes her fingers through the fence; then the next day she gives the dog a treat or two; and finally she sits by the fence and reads her book aloud:

"I hope you don't mind ... but I've noticed that no one ever plays with you - and I like reading aloud."

And so together - dog and girl - imagine themselves under the oceans with mermaids and sea treasures; the become sky pirates riding dragons; and magicians with silver wands. 

But days are long for the dog until one evening something happens and he finds a way to reach the girl's back door. 

Adult readers might find the ending a little improbable, but the 'happily ever after' feeling is sure to delight all young readers. 

The 2024 Children's Book Council of Australia slogan is Reading is Magic - here is a perfect book to use when you introduce this idea next year.  See inside Everywhere with You here. 

Carlie Sorosiak is the author of a terrific middle grade book about dogs:

I, Cosmo

Carlie Sorosiak also wrote Always, Clementine - I gave that book five stars. I previously talked about Found you by Devon Holzwarth. 

And so this is Book Week

 

"A good children's book is like a poem; its meaning won't reveal itself immediately. You can return to it throughout your life, and it will always whisper new messages." Cherie Gilmour Sydney Morning Herald 23rd August, 2023

The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday had an opinion piece about Book Week and dressing for parades. The piece covered a range of topics from books and quality literature to reading but as is always the case with pieces like this the author tried to cover too many issues including television franchise books such as Bluey, Disney characters and all the dress up merchandise available everywhere. The author, Cherie Gilmour, did make some good points which are worth deeper thought and I will quote them here but in her world every school has a Teacher-Librarian and here in Australia, in NSW and in Sydney this is not always true or if there is a Teacher-Librarian he or she may not be trained or the library staffing might be so reduced that children cannot visit the school library each week so I have also quoted an important letter sent to the Sydney Morning Herald today. 

Here are some quotes from "An Elsa outfit for Book Week? It's time to let it go".

"The commercialisation of stories across mediums leads to a vicious cycle of never-ending reuse. TV shows become books and multi-installment movie franchises. ... video games, books, cartoon series, ... toys, T-shirts and costumes."

"In the same way that we have a varied diet in what we eat, we should encourage our children to consume a wide range of literature ..."

"a beautifully crafted story that's been purpose made to be read has the power to inspire kids to fall in love with language and the joys of the imagination."

Cherie Gilmour concludes - If your child wants to wear the Disney outfit such as Elsa for the Book Week parade that might be okay but make sure you flood (my word) their world with the best books so they can really go on a reading adventure in Book Week and beyond. 

Perhaps next year your child might have a different idea for their dressing up or better yet (my opinion) the school might think of a much better way to celebrate books and reading and libraries and the CBCA winners - meaningful ways that link back to books not competitions and costumes.

Take a look at this letter from advocate and retired Teacher-Librarian Sharon McGuinness:

Lagging libraries

Another Book Week again sees my social media feed awash with dress-ups and I lament the lost opportunities that children have missed in truly experiencing the real Book Week (“An Elsa outfit for Book Week? It’s time to let it go”, August 23). Is there a correlation between this reliance on the dress-up as the main celebration of Book Week in schools and the decreasing numbers of professional teacher librarians and resourcing of school libraries? In the past, I’ll bet your kids could tell you the titles of many of the books shortlisted for a Book Week award. How familiar are they with this year’s list? 

Cherie Gilmour states we should be encouraging kids to engage with quality children’s literature but that main point of contact, the teacher/librarian, is often missing in their lives. No weekly visits to the school library where the resources have been selected especially for them, no engaging library-focused activities. The need to maintain this profession in all schools is paramount to introduce, engage and foster lifelong reading. Book Week can provide kids with rich experiences of engaging with the best of Australian children’s writing and illustrating. It should be jam-packed with author and illustrator visits and fun, engaging, stimulating activities. Sadly, the annual dress-up parade reflects none of that. Sharon McGuinness, Thirroul

A Library by Nikki Giovanni illustrated by Erin K Robinson

This is the perfect book to share tonight as libraries here in Australia, especially school libraries, have been gearing up to the BIG announcement tomorrow of our Children's Book Council of Australia [CBCA] Book of the Year winners. 

In my former school library we always voted for our favourites after reading all of the short listed picture books and early childhood picture books. I well remember the year we all hoped Gary would win and also another year when we all hoped for little Pog. It was disappointing when neither of these took the big prize but really making the short list is like winning. In 2021-2023 I was so privileged to be a judge for the Picture Book of the Year and the New Illustrator award. For the award this year over 200 books were entered in the Picture Book category. Of these over 60 went to our long list; then 25 on our Notables list; and six were short listed. So if a book is on the short list it certainly is very special.  Fingers crossed for your predictions - the winners and honour books will be announced tomorrow 18th August, 2023 at 12 noon. 

The text of A Library is an ode to libraries everywhere. Here is part of the text:

A library is a place to be free

to be in space 

to be a cook 

to be a crook 

to be in love 

to be unhappy 

to be quick and smart 

to be contained and cautious 

to surf the rainbow 

to sail the dreams 

to be blue 

to be jazz 

to be wonderful 

to be you 

a place to be yeah ... to be

Image Books of Wonder: In what other place can a child “sail their dreams” and “surf the rainbow” without ever leaving the room? This celebration of libraries is for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them.

A Library celebrates the day a child visits her local library - this is something we take for granted but during the years in the US of segregation young children like the young girl in this book could not enter many libraries and her book choices were limited. On the final pages of this book Nikki Giovanni talks about her own personal library experience with her librarian Mrs Long who found so many perfect books for young Nikki. Another book on this theme is this one:

In this video Nikki Giovanni talks about her book and on this page you can see two other poems by Nikki Giovanni.

"Poetic text and evocative, textured illustrations work in concert to show how books and libraries enable people to imagine other lives-including other versions of their own selves.... A must-have." - School Library Journal

Here are two other books by Nikki Giovanni. The book about Rosa Parks is one I often shared with my older students - it is an amazing book about an inspirational woman.

Sydney Morning Herald article "Children are forgetting the joy of reading books"

Children are forgetting the joy of reading books 

by Catherine Naylor Sydney Morning Herald

This was the heading of an article in our Sydney Morning Herald yesterday (Saturday 22nd April).

Before I begin to express my thoughts about this important topic I think it is important to analyse the headline/tagline.

Forgetting - This is a silly word. Children are not forgetting they need to be shown how to read for enjoyment and they need to be helped to discover the wonders of reading and books and imaginative storytelling and that help comes via the application of a few very simply ingredients (more on that in a minute). Children are not forgetting they need access to lots and lots and lots of books and followed by time to actually sit and read. Children who discover the magic of being totally absorbed in a wonderful story won't forget the "joy". The issue here is not actually about children forgetting it is about setting children up to read with out distractions. It's about providing children with time and books and interested adults - parents, teachers and most of all school Teacher-Librarians. 

I found the online article which was used for the newspaper item. It is slightly longer and takes a different focus emphasising the issues of screen time. There are quite a few mixed up messages in both the print article and the one online. Catherine Naylor talks about screen time (20 hours a week for some children); recreational reading as a spare time activity (72.4% of children aged 5-14); and boys (only 68% read for fun). Then Catherine Naylor quotes an expert from the Grattan Institute who rightly identifies:

"Children need to read widely to build up their vocabulary and general knowledge. She encouraged parents to help their children rediscover the joy of books." "We want children reading widely and for pleasure."

Sadly there is no mention of school libraries or Teacher-Librarians. Take a minute to read this response from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. She makes some very salient points about teachers, new Australian syllabus documents, teaching phonics, the role of parents, helping children develop reading stamina, the role of the school library and teacher-librarian and the changes she has observed that have been happening in UK schools. 

Going back to the Sydney Morning Herald article the discussion then moves onto the issue of disadvantaged children who, very disturbingly, have a much wider reading proficiency gap. Next Catherine Naylor mentions all the other distractions our children have to navigate because we have made their lives so busy - dance, swimming, sport etc. And finally she talks about the expectation that children as young as Year One will know how to navigate the online world for school and for other activities. NO wonder reading has fallen off the cliff.

Of course I don't have a magical solution to these issues but here are a few of the ingredients that I think can help children with reading for pleasure.

Time - reading a book takes time and yes our children have so many distractions. We can't buy time but we can make time by proactively deciding how we (and our children) use the time we have in a day. This will mean turning off ... so you can turn on a book! The longer a child reads the better they become at sustaining this. Reading is a skill and like any skill it takes time and practice and training. My blog is called momotimetoread because I am passionate about the need for adults at home and adults in schools to provide children with TIME for reading. 

Heaps and heaps of books of all kinds - this especially applies in libraries and classrooms but also in homes and this is easy to do because we have wonderful public libraries in Australia plus here in NSW our children do have school libraries. If your school does not have a library ask why? And ask about the staffing - demand a Teacher-Librarian. I know books can be expensive to buy but they make wonderful presents. It is also great to visit charity shops and fairs. I buy lots of books at fairs. AND it is good to have these books in accessible places - the family room, bedroom, car, your tote bag and so on. 

Freedom to make choices - this also relates to giving children access to a wide variety of attractive books - novels, picture books, non fiction, graphic novels, poetry, biographies, audio books.

Interested adults who also read. This can be parents, teachers and especially your school Teacher-Librarian. There are millions of books out there. Please help your child or students to find books they will treasure.

Read to your child not just the youngest one/s and let your children see you reading too. Class Teachers need to do this too - read aloud to your class - every every every day!

So the real topic here should be reading for pleasure. A colleague of mine tells me teachers in some schools are actively discouraged from providing time using programs with names such as DEAR (Drop everything and read). I can hardly believe this could be true.  BUT if we don't give children time, as I have already said a few times here, then how can a child ever discover the "joy" of reading. 

This poster is a good summary of some of the points I have raised here. It comes from the UK (The Open University). 

And I am going to add one more word passion! A passion for reading can be infectious. 

Further reading:

Why Reading for Pleasure is Important for Kids Explore Learning UK

Supporting Reading at Home - Open University

Blog post - Always, sometimes, rarely, never - Momotimetoread

Libraries, Books, Time for Reading and more - Momotimetoread

The Book Whisperer

Raising an Active reader

Raising Readers

Aaron Slater Illustrator by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts

"Words drift like music. Melodious. Mild. A sweet summer song for a sweet summer child who drifts off to sleep as the cottonwoods sway at the end of the garden. At the end of the day."

"But what he loves most - what makes Aaron's heart sing - is to listen to books in the old garden swing. To write stories, he thinks, is the greatest of things."

Aaron loves stories but he finds reading and writing are complex - he can however tell wonderful stories and he can draw his ideas and luckily his beautiful teacher can see his talent. Aaron does not need to feel small - he can shine. And over time reading will become easier but for now art is the way his heart can sing.

"Like the mightiest flames that banish the dark, hope grows in the soul, from the tiniest spark. His art makes a difference. His art leads the way and helps him discover what he wants to say."

The character of Aaron is based on Aaron Douglas, an African American artist, muralist and graphic artist.

When you hold this book in your hands please take time to explore all the lively images on the front cover and back covers. You will see all the wonderful things Aaron holds in his imagination. The art in this book by David Roberts is simply marvellous. I love all these hairstyles.

Empathetic art and lyrical text blend for a touching and empowering tale. Kirkus Star review

One of the true strengths of this book comes from the beautifully composed and carefully constructed rhyme.  Writing a rhyming text requires enormous (ENORMOUS) skill.  In this article from The Picture Book Den the authors make some really important observations about this form. The words in BOLD are my emphasis:

So how do you acquire those skills? And how do you learn to tell the difference between top quality verse and terrible rhyme? The answer is straightforward, but getting there isn’t easy. You work, hard. 

You pick every word with consideration. You edit your own work ruthlessly and tirelessly. If there even might be a better alternative, you chuck out your favourite line and try a new one.

You keep all of the following in mind at every stage: plot, character, sense and logic, age appropriateness, commercial appeal, rhythm, timing, accent and pronunciation, syllables, stresses, emotional arcs, story beats, universality, originality, ...  page turns, potential changes of scene in the illustrations…

Andrea Beaty is a master of rhyme. This book could be used as an exemplar to show aspiring writer the best way to use this form. Read this and think about the genuine emotions that come from these lines:

"And he reads ... well, he tried ... but it's so hard to start with thirty-three eyes peering into his heart."

I am a bit late coming to this splendid series. There are picture books, project books and chapter books oh and even toys. Here are some of the previous titles:

David took that plain text and created a whole classroom of quirky, talented and passionate kids, each with a complete personality and backstory. He did not share that backstory with me. Still, those characters were so intriguing that I started thinking of stories for them. I followed the clues tucked into his art to figure out who these kids were and what made them tick. I wrote more stories and David created even more magnificent illustrations filled with even more clues to those kids and their personalities. Andrea Beaty

Other books illustrated by David Roberts:

Artful Reading by Bob Raczka

A delightfully delivered message appears on every page of this bright, appealing art book: 

Read! An eclectic selection of paintings in which the subject is reading 

and a melodic text makes a winning combination. Kirkus

A week ago the Art Gallery of NSW announced they plan to create a library within the gallery for young artists. Boy oh boy I wish I could be on the team who set this up!

"On the shelves will be books about artists, by artists and for artists, books about art history and books featuring acclaimed illustrations."

"The books we have selected are ones that we want children to use freely, so we will incorporate some of our rare and older collections in programs and displays, such as books that artists themselves made as children. (but this) is not a borrowing library. ...  This will be a place where, above all, children can be inspired, and look, read, learn ad imagine."

"The library is modelled on the Nolen children's art library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and children's art library at the Islamic Arts Museum in Kuala Lumpur."

In my previous school library we had a truly splendid collection of books like this. One of the senior staff attended a professional development session where the tutor suggested schools should collect art books, books filled with art images and so on. This was before the age of the interactive white board (these make it easy to share art images with class groups) and so we increased our art section from one shelf to over three.

About a week before the art gallery announcement I had another encounter with art and books and reading. Each year I like to purchase a special wall calendar.  On a recent shopping expedition in the city I found one filled with famous paintings depicting women reading books.  I remembered Ursula Dubosarsky had been collecting art depicting children reading books and so I purchased the calendar as a gift to celebrate her work as our Australian Children's Laureate. I am not sure that this is the exact one I found but it gives you the idea. 

When I mentioned all of this to my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything she immediately thought of this book - Artful Reading by Bob Raczka. This book was published in 2008 so I am amazed to report it is still in print.  The images are so special I wanted to share a few here.  Perhaps this offers some optimism for your reading year ahead. 

"The entire book is essentially an ode to readers around the world. Each page consists of various paintings done by world-renowned artists such as Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Vermeer, Renoir, Matisse, Dürer, Picasso, Rembrandt among others." Gathering Books

Here are some of the wise words in this book which contains 23 works of art:

• Read by yourself
• Read with each other
• Read one good book. Then read another
• Read to escape to a place you can dream
• Read by the window
• Read what you want. It's for you to decide
• Read when you're young
• Read when you're old
• Read to a friend
• Read all your life and you'll never be bored

Read in a dress - A young girl reading by Jean-Honore Fragonard 1776 French

Read on the couch - Children's afternoon at Wargemont by Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1884

Image Source: Arts and Culture

Read with each other - Mrs James Smith and Grandson by Charles Willson Peale 1776

Image Source: Smithsonian American Art Museum

Here are two more art books by Bob Raczka that you might find a school or public library: