Nell Plants a Seed

Nell Plants a Tree

Anne Wynter

illustrated by Daniel Miyares 2023

 A sweet reflection of family and time passing and the nurturing of each other through nature and a hope for the future.  As a group of kids (cousins perhaps?) climb and explore a big pecan tree, we are reminded that it all started when "Nell picks up a seed" and "waters the soil" and "plants a tree".  I've always loved books like this, that center on a place and the generations that pass through it.  Both the author and illustrator share their own family remembrances at the end.

The Secret Remedy Book

The Secret Remedy Book

Karin Cates

illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin

 Wendy Anderson Halperin's always has such sweet illustrations.  How lucky is Lolly to have a whimsical Aunt Zep who makes her stays full of books and nature and animals and magic?!

The Museum of Rain

 

The Museum of Rain

Dave Eggers 2021

I loved the cover of this and was pleasantly surprised at how good the story was.  During a family reunion, an old uncle leads a group of kids to his "museum of rain", a collection of rain in jars that he started years ago under a tree. The story is slim and at first I wanted there to be more to it, but then I realized it was actually just right.

Fine As We Are

Fine As We Are

Algy Craig Hall 2008

This cute story popped out at me in the children's section at the thrift store this week.  I love the adorable illustrations!  

A little frog is content being with his mom.  But then he unexpectedly gets a bunch of little brothers and sisters who annoy him, are noisy, and generally disrupt the life he had with his mother.  He learns to love them and be a good big brother and recognize that his big family is just "fine as they are".  (According to the back flap, Hall was inspired by his own experience of being a big brother to quadruplets!)