Weekend reads: 22 February: Part Two

Find Vincent van Gogh: a spotting book.

By the Van Gogh Museum.

Illustrated by Chloe Jasmine Harris. 

Laurence King Publishing, 2025. 

Information about van Gogh’s life and art, and spot the thing challenges.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Camille and the sunflowers: a story about Vincent van Gogh by Laurence Anholt.

·         Van Gogh's dog by Georgia Larson and Grace Helmer.

·         Chasing the sun by Liu Hao.

·         Katie and the starry night by James Mayhew.

 

The dancing letters.

Written by Evelyne Fournier.

Illustrated by Aurélien Galvan.

Translated from the French Lettres qui dansant by Carine Laforest.

CrackBoom!, 2023.

Picture book.

Dyslexia and neurodiversity. Also, love and grandmothers.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph & Mary Vukadinovich; and Fiona Lee.

·         Abdul's story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Tiffany Rose.

·         Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld.

·         Going down home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons and Daniel Minter.

·         A squiggly story by Andrew Larsen and Mike Lowery.

Hazel is all that.

Written and illustrated by Chad Otis.

Rocky Pond Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2025.

Picture book.

Emotions – and not limiting, or believing that everyone / every dog is just one thing – forever.

Possible read-alikes:

·         A guide to rocks by Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan.

·         This that what by Katy Ashworth and Colleen Larmour.  

·         Some days you’ll have days like these by Josh Pyke and Stephen Michael King.

·         Shibu’s tail by Tess Thomas and Kamwei Fong.

·         Red is not angry, blue is not sad by Alicia Acosta & Luis Amavisca; and Anuska Allepuz.

 

 

Moon Mouse.

Written by Corrinne Averiss.

Illustrated by Lorna Hill.

Orchard Books, 2024.

Picture book.

A happy-by-themselves mouse does want a friend – but they live on the moon. Shyness stops them for making direct contact – but make a friend anyway.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Shy Willow by Cat Min.

·         Library mouse by Daniel Kirk.

·         Sophie’s shell by Jo Rooks.

 

Confetti.

Writte by Dean Atta.

Illustrated by Alea Marley.

Orchard Books, 2024.

Picture book.

Celebration and joy, found through confetti.

Includes LGBTQIA+ representation.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Sloths love parties by Rory H. Mather and Binny Talib.

·         What do you do to celebrate? by Ashleigh Barton and Martina Heiduczek.

·         The world needs the wonder you see by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swaney.

We're going to find the monster!

Written by Malorie Blackman.

Illustrated by Dapo Adeola.

Puffin Books, 2021.

Picture book.

A tale of imagination and family.

Possible read-alikes:

·         The bear in my family by Maya Tatsukawa.

·         There's a tiger out there by Sophie Masson and Ruth Waters.

·         My brother is a tiger by Joaquín Camp.

·         Let's rumble!: a rough-and-tumble book of play by Rachel G. Payne and Jose Pimienta.

Wrapping things.

Written by Linda Burgess.

Illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper.  

Allen & Unwin, 2025.

Aotearoa.

Picture book.

Newborn sibling – with an older sibling who loves wrapping things up.

Possible read-alikes:

·         100 chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas and by Shantala Robinson.  

·         The very best words by Erin Munro and Sarah Trolle.

·         Reading to baby by Margaret Wild and Hannah Sommerville.  

 

Perfect.

Written by Waka T. Brown.

Illustrated by Yuko Jones.

Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024.

Picture book.

The burden of perfection – or feeling like you need everything (including yourself) to be perfect.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Broken by X. Fang.

·         Pretty perfect Kitty-corn by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham.

·         Perfect Pedro by Simon Philip and Ella Okstad.

·         Imperfectly perfect by Perry Emerson and Hoang Giang.

·         Small things mended by Casey W. Robinson and Nancy Whitesides.  

My rice is best!

Written by Selina Brown.

Illustrated by Maxwell A. Oginni.

Puffin, 2025.

Picture book.

The ending made me think about a conversation I’ve had with coworkers about rice pudding!

Possible read alikes:

·         Luli and the language of tea by Andrea Wang and Hyewon Yum.

·         Tomatoes in my lunchbox by Costantia Manoli and Magdalena Mora.

·         Have you eaten?: a story of food, friendship, and kindness by Su Youn Lee.

·         This book is my best friend by Robin Robinson.

·         All kinds of special by Tammi Sauer and Fernando Martin.

 

Penguin parcel.

Written and illustrated by Victoria Cassanell.

Macmillan Children's Books, 2021.

Picture book.

Longing for a pet / companion vs longing for family / home.

Although very cute – and a book which shows the different polar regions – this could be read as a deeper tale of keeping wild animals in captivity.

Possible read alikes.

·         Poles apart by Jeanne Willis and Jarvis.

·         Lost and found by Oliver Jeffers.

·         Starbird by Sharon King-Chai.

·         Come back, Gosling by Anne Booth and David Litchfield.

·         The story of Girl and Fish by Caroline Parada.

Weekend reads: 22 February 2026 Part One

I read SO MUCH over this week, I've split the post into six parts - each with ten books. 

That's not Stella.

Written and illustrated by Donna Fredin.

Flying Eye Books, 2025.

Milo is convinced that the cat in their house is not their cat, Stella – no matter what his mother says, and no matter how much the cat looks like Stella.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Mildred and the copycat by Jono Ganz.

·         Meet Mim by Sandra Severgnini.

·         First day of Unicorn School by Jess Hernandez and Mariano Epelbaum.

 

Every little thing.

Adapted by Cedella Marley.

Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton.

Based on the song "Three little birds" by Bob Marley.

Chronicle Books, 2015.

It’s really hard not to sing this one – even if the text isn’t exactly the same as the song.

Other Bob Marley picture book adaptations:

·         One Love by Cedella Marley and Vanessa-Brantley-Newton.

·         Get Up, Stand Up by Cedella Marley and John Cay Cabuay.

·         Pajammin’ by Ziggy Marley and Letícia Moreno.

 

Your farm.

Written and illustrated by Jon Klassen.

Candlewick Press, 2025.

I can see this as a felt-board – or interactive retelling.

Part of a series, which includes:

·         Your island.

·         Your forest.

·         Your truck.

 

 

Taku puka tukutuku.

Text and design by Mihikeita Ngata.

MITA Creative, 2025.

In te reo Māori.

"The contents of this book has a particular affinity to the East Coast, inspired by the tukutuku work in Waiomatatini" - Title page verso.

"Created in a black and white style to appeal to the developing eye of pēpi, all the way through to pakeke interested in learning, the intent is for the strong contrast and minimalist presentation to imbue long-lasting memory and recognition of the contents within - the terms used come from the East Coast" - Publisher information. 

 

Nau mai ki te ao.

Nā Mihikeita Ngata.

Mihikeita Ngata, 2024.

"This book started off as an idea on how to explain to our child how they came to be, in a simple and unique way, and one that also respected our want for them to be immersed in Te Reo Māori ... It has been written from the perspective of a mātua reading it to their tamaiti"--Back cover. 

Music is in everything.

Written by Ziggy Marley.

Illustrated by Ag Jatkowska.  

Akashic Books, 2022.

Pots and pans are just the most obvious makeshift instruments this family uses.

For more inspiration, you could also read:

·         Sounds like Joy by Yesenia Moises.

·         Squeak! rumble! whomp! whomp! whomp!: a sonic adventure by Wynton Marsalis and Paul Rogers.

·         The day Bell found her sound by Lizzy O'Donnell.

The twist-a-roo.  

Written by Kathleen Doherty.  

Illustrated by Kristyna Litten.

Holiday House, 2023.

I’m obviously on a different wave length to cataloguers. The subjects on my library catalogue are: Forest animals; helping behaviour; winter; badgers.

My notes say: obsession; kaleidoscopes; friends.

Anyhoo – it’s a take on the Ant and the Grasshopper fable.

Possible read-alikes:

·         The lost egg by Brenna Burns Yu.

·         If Winter comes, tell it I'm not here by Simona Ciraolo.

·         Shh!: we have a plan by Chris Haughton.

The sun never hurries.

Written by Roxane Turcotte.

Illustrated by Lucie Crovatto.

Translated by Barbara Creary, from the original French Le sablier de Papijo.

Time, time pieces, grandparents, mindfulness.

Possible read-alikes:

·         In time by Marina Ruiz.

·         We go slow by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker.

·         Here and now by Julia Denos and E. B. Goodale.

·         Dad, don't miss it! by Qiaoqiao Li.

 

Between.

Written and illustrated by Anna Walker.

Scribble, 2025.

Australian.

Subdued colour and sparse text makes this a thoughtful read about friendship – one for older readers.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Walls by Tania Ingram and Ruth-Mary Smith.

·         I don't care by Julie Fogliano ; pictures by Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal.

·         Moon & Sun by Melinda Szymanik and Malene Laugesen.

·         Moth & Butterfly: ta-da! by Dev Petty and Ana Aranda.

 

The space between.

Written by Clare Helen Welsh.

Illustrated by Fiona Lumbers.

This is a very lovely story about moving house, and becoming comfortable in the space between – between being home in one place, and then the next – and many other moments of transformation.

Possible read-alikes:

·         Word trouble by Vyara Boyadjieva.

·         My tree by Hope Lim and Il Sung Na.

·         Say goodbye... Say hello by Cori Doerrfeld.

·         Binna's dalgona by Sojung Kim-McCarthy.