Fun Lists from the Top
|
The Children's Book Blogs Community
This is exciting and surprising to me. I had a bias against the whole notion of blogging. I imagined bloggers as a whole were people who wanted an audience but didn't really deserve it.
Leave the writing, I thought, to us professionals.
After surveying the stunning range of children's book blogs out there, I'm taking it all back. In fact, I'm apologizing. This is a great bunch of people with a love for children's books and, clearly, for children.
And, to top it off, most of them do seem to be professionals. (In fact, a lot of them are children's book authors themselves!)
These children's book blogs have a lot to offer...
and the bloggers are offering it for free. So I'm advising you to check out their sites and get some terrific book suggestions from people other than me.
Are you a children's book blogger? I'd love to have your list. There's a form to submit children's book blogs and book lists at the bottom of this page.
I love the categories they came up with. And I hope some more of them submit lists.
So here we ago. And remember to check out their blogs!
(I didn't want to hurt any feelings with the order the children's book blogs appear on this page, so I intended to alphabetize by blogger's last name. Except it turns out that bloggers tend to have multiple last names, which confused the heck out of me! So here they are, alphabetized by first name.)
- Blogger: Anne Boles Levy
- Children's book blog: Book Buds Kidlit Reviews
- My notes on the site: Wow. Anne pretty much posts a review a day and she has the impressive credentials to back up her opinions. She does a great job of telling you what you want to know. And her grown-up book reviews appear in the Los Angeles Times.
List Name:
The Picture Books That Will Change Your Life
- 1) Zen Shorts, written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth
- Three siblings befriend a giant panda, who turns their little psyches inside-out. Muth is one of the most in-demand illustrators, and his spare, watercolors and calligraphy-brush drawings pull us into the panda’s imagination. Although this is a "message" book about being more clear-eyed, wise and forgiving, it delivers its lessons with Zen quietude and not Western preachiness.
- 2) Learning to Fly, written and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser
- 3) The Sound of Colors, written and illustrated by Jimmy Liao
- Children's book blog: Cynsations
- Blogger: Cynthia Leitich Smith
- My notes on the site: Voluminous. This is a site that covers, well, everything. Resources for parents, children, teachers and writers. But most notably, Cynthia is a children's book author herself. Her books receive some amazing reviews.
List Name:
Gorgeous Art Picture Books
- 1) An Egg is Quiet, by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long
- Lyrical, informative language combine with magnificent illustrations to introduce children of all ages to the world of eggs. Perfect for lap reading and classroom discussions. A must-buy for school and public libraries. Arguably the best concept book in print. It's received stars from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus. My '06 Caldecott pick!
- 2) Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How A First Lady Changed America, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein
- 3) Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water, by Kurt Cyrus
- Children's book blog: The Children's Hour
- Blogger: Ray Van Neste
- My notes on the site: Ray is an assistant prof of Christian Studies at the R.C. Ryan Center in Jackson, TN. His blog is the perfect destination for parents looking to incorporate faith into their children's reading. A focus on the bible, history, and just good fiction.
List Name:
Bible Story Books for Young Children
- 1) Big Picture Story Bible, David R. Helm; Illustrated by Gail Schoonmaker
- The Big Picture Story Bible is an incredible book. Whereas typical Bible story books simply retell various stories this one sets out to communicate how all the stories fit together in one grand story. This is accomplished with the text and the pictures. Especially young children can even gather much of the sotry simply from the illustrations.
- 2) My First Study Bible, Paul J. Loth
- 3) The Picture Bible, Iva Hoth, Illustrated by Andre Le Blanc
Return to the Find The Best Children's Books page.
Best Children's Books - Find, Read or Write home page.
