Picture Books
June 2022

Mānawatia a Matariki! Celebrate Matariki with us!
This year our focus in celebrating Matariki is on the growing and wind stars: Tupuānuku, Tupuārangi and Ururangi – that which grows in the earth, that which grows in the air (birds, fruit etc), and the winds. Our theme for Matariki 2022 is: ‘Toitū ngā mahinga kai a Matariki – the sustainable natural resources of Matariki’. Find out about Matariki
 
What's on:
* Matariki Ngā Pakiwaitara - Matariki Bilingual Storytimes
* Matariki Wā Kōrero-Storytimes (at libraries, and two sessions at Northlands Shopping Centre)
* Matariki Afterschool Activity Zone
* Rehua Marae Matariki Whānau Day Saturday 25 June 11am to 2pm at Springfield Road, St Albans
* Matariki Hauora - Focus on Wellbeing, Saturday 2 July 1pm to 4pm at Tūranga
Find out more about what's on this Matariki
 
Recent Releases
How beautiful
by Antonella Capetti

"A caterpillar lives a simple life on his leaf until one day, an UnKnown Thing picks him up and calls him beautiful. A question forms in the caterpillar's mind: What is beautiful? So begins a quest to discover the true meaning of the word beautiful. Much to the caterpillar's surprise, each animal in the forest has their own unique definition"
Knight Owl
by Christopher Denise

After achieving his dream of becoming a knight, a small owl protects the castle from a hungry dragon.
Lizzy and the cloud
by Fan Brothers

An unusual pet: On a visit to the park, Lizzy buys a fluffy cloud on a string from the Cloud Seller. She happily cares for her new companion (a cloud needs regular watering and lots of walks), but when things start to get stormy, Lizzy starts to consider what's actually best for a cloud.

Art alert: Softly shaded gray drawings with occasional hints of rainbow hues enhance the whimsy in this sweet, wistful twist on traditional overgrown-pet stories.
Petal the angry cow
by Maureen Fergus

Petal the cow has a hard time controlling her anger, but when the farmer announces that the farm animals are taking a trip to a water park and threatens to leave Petal behind, a swan offers to teach Petal the best ways to react and cope with difficult situations
Apple Grumble
by Huw Lewis Jones

Bad Apple is back and grumpier than ever after his run-in with Snake, who graciously spat him out with just a warning. Granny Smith and her posse of golden apples step in to teach him a lesson.
I am! : A book of reminders
by Juana Medina

Reminding young readers just how special they are and inspiring them to have confidence in themselves, this bold, playful and self-affirming picture book helps children build emotional literacy, self-esteem and self-worth.
Chester Van Chime who forgot how to rhyme
by Avery Monsen

Chester van Chime is usually the BEST at rhyming. He can normally tell you all about cats wearing hats and snails delivering mail, but today, something has changed. Today there's no dog on a log. No duck in a truck. What's a kid to do?!
The longest Letsgoboy
by Derick Wilder

"As a dog and his little girl go on their final walk together, he gets to experience the sights, smells, and wonders of this world one last time before peacefully passing on. But for such a good boy and his foreverfriend, that doesn't mean it's the end"
The world belonged to us
by Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by Leo Espinosa

The setting: a Brooklyn neighbourhood, "not so long ago," where school just let out for the summer and the kids are "free as air."

What's inside: Retro-style illustrations overflow with verve as they depict a multilingual group of kids sharing ice cream, making chalk drawings, chanting jump-rope rhymes, and staying out until the streetlights come on.

Try this next: Abdul-Razak Zachariah's The Night Is Yours, another joyful celebration of free-range kids in a caring community.
Retro Reads
Happy right now
by Julie Berry; illustrated by Holly Hatam

What it is: a gentle story about emotional intelligence, told through easy-to-understand text and inviting mixed-media illustrations.

What happens: A little girl dreams up ideal scenarios for happiness -- like if she were popular, or if she had a unicorn -- only to realize that it's okay to feel her feelings as they happen, as well as reach for happiness in the present.


 
See the cat: Three Stories About a dog
by David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

What it's about: When Max, an unassuming yellow dog, realizes that the story's unseen narrator is describing drastically different things than what appears on the page, he gets frustrated...and then he takes matters into his own paws.

Why kids might like it: The simple, instructional style of a typical easy reader is played for laughs in this metafictional romp.
Why?
by Adam Rex; illustrated by Claire Keane

What it's about: Supervillain Dr. X-Ray starts his quest for world domination at the local shopping mall, where his criminal career is abruptly halted by an even more powerful force: a little kid who won't stop asking him "why?"

Who it's for: kids who enjoy jokes taken to their most absurd conclusions, and caregivers who are all-too-familiar with the tenacity of an inquisitive child.

Reviewers say: "a storytime home run" (Booklist).
Mr. Nogginbody gets a hammer
by David Shannon

Starring: egg-shaped, bowler-hatted Mr. Nogginbody, whose successful hammering of one loose nail kicks off a wild spree to hammer anything remotely nail-like, including a lamp, a showerhead, some daisies, and some quick-thinking prairie dogs.

Read it for: gleeful slapstick chaos with a side of empathy, plus the conclusion that most problems can't by fixed with force.
Kitties on dinosaurs
by Michael Slack

What it's about: After climbing every possible object on Kitty Island, three altitude-obsessed kitties set their sights on taller, toothier summits: the dinosaurs on neighbouring Dinosaur Island.

If the title alone doesn't sell 'em... the cautionary tone of the narrator, who directly addresses the foolhardy felines ("Close call, furballs"), is sure to provoke some giggles.

Art alert: The story's goofy surrealism gets a boost from the bright, cartoony illustrations.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 0-8!
Christchurch City Libraries
Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
PO Box 73045 Christchurch 8154
+64-3-941-7923
christchurchcitylibraries.com