A big thanks to Mel, from Let’s Talk Picture Books and Lauren from Happily Ever Elephants for the theme and monthly summary write up. Check out these amazing suggestions from some amazing accounts:
During the month of October, KidLitPicks explored picture books that unlock imagination. Magic happens when tiny fingers turn the pages of a beloved book. Stories provide avenues of amusement, entryways to intrigue, and doors through which discovery abounds. The simplest of sentences can launch us to the stars and back again, helping us land safely in our haven of blankets and pillows after completing an expedition to save the earth. Stories can help us learn to fly, travel the globe in mere moments, and go on enchanting adventures with talking animals and magic carpets.
Through story, we can help our children navigate oceans of emotions and experiences. We can provide them a safe place to grapple with difficult topics and challenging feelings. We can give them laughter and comfort, and we can teach empathy and inclusiveness and kindness. Most importantly, we can use books to unlock their collective imaginations.
As Kwame Alexander recently said in a New York Times article, “The mind of an adult begins in the imagination of a child.” Lets give our children a safe space to run free and roam the universe by offering them books that encourage wild, fanciful and meaningful experiences. These imaginative stories may plant the seeds for their big ideas — big ideas that will one day change our world for the better.
A special thank you to Lauren from Happily Ever Elephants for the theme!
- The Forgetful Knight, by Michelle Robinson and Fred Blunt (shared by @readingisourthing) “Story writing involves chops and changes. Not only does The Forgetful Knight accentuate this, but also the idea of endless possibility.”
- What Can I Be? by Ann Rand and Ingrid Fiksdahl King (shared by @spiky_penelope) “It explores the power of imagination and the room for potential.”
- The Storyteller by Evan Turk (shared by @afriendlyaffair) “The book, which is reminiscent of an ancient parable, reminds us of the power of a great story to quench the thirst for history, imagination, and togetherness.”
- Cook In A Book: Pancakes!: An Interactive Recipe Book, by Lotta Nieminen (shared by @the.book.report) “The illustrations are simple and clean, which fit this book PERFECTLY!”
- Journey, by Aaron Becker (shared by @homegrownreader) “With an amazing cameo by a boy with a purple crayon at the end of the book, the pages of this story leaks creativity onto your hands.”
- Beyond the Pond, by Joseph Kuefler (shared by @book.nerd.mommy) “This book is a beautiful reminder that imagination is an incredible power that can transform the world from a place of rigid boundaries to a realm of possibilities”
- Hey A.J. It’s Saturday, by Martellus Bennett (shared by @hereweeread) “Let your kids unlock their imaginations with this imaginative and entertaining book.”
- Topsy Turvy Ocean by Wes Magee and Tracey Tucker (shared by @astoryaday) “This book provides a springboard for children to explore their imaginations.”
- Shadow, by Suzy Lee (shared by @chickadee.lit) “This wordless picture book shows the power of solitary play, and—with just two colors—creates a magical immersive experience.”
- Ursa’s Light, by Deborah Marcero (shared by @happily.ever.elephants) “[It] is delightful, imparting to our little ones that even the most seemingly impossible dreams can be realized with hard work, dedication, and the ability to ignore the naysayers.”
- The Wonder, by Faye Hanson (shared by @bookbairn) “ I can’t think of a better way to unlock doors to different worlds than through books and reading.”
- Also an Octopus, by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Benji Davies (shared by @bookbloom) “A riot of whimsy and color, this over-the-top book sparks imagination by exploring the components of good storytelling.”
- Big Friends, by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies (shared by @howifeelaboutbooks) “So many books came to mind with this theme because picture books are one of the best ways to explore imagination!”
- What Do You Do With an Idea?, by Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom (shared by @smallysbookshelf) “The words and illustrations in this book are nothing short of magic.”
- This Is Sadie, by Sara O’Leary and Julie Morstad (shared by @fee_loves_) “A beautiful, beautiful book that encourages our children to unlock their imagination.”
- Anno’s Magical ABC, by Masaichiro Anno and Mitsumasa Anno (shared by @ohcreativeday) “Such a fun way to introduce emerging readers to the amazing world of letters”
- You Choose, by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt (shared by @alittlebookhabit) “This unique book basically offers children all the many options they need to create their own stories by asking a few clever questions and then providing more options than you knew were possible.”
- Panda Pants, by Jacqueline Davies and Sydney Hanson (shared by @childrensbooksgalore) “A little panda really wants to wear pants!”
