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.