 Atlas of Adventures: A collection of natural wonders, exciting experiences and fun fun festivities from the four corners of the globe by Lucy Letherland (2014) – Ms. Letherland’s book encourages the reader, through fun illustrations and some well selected prose, to travel the world, while suggesting adventures specific to each unique location. When we were lucky enough to live in Spain one autumn, Pasajes, a fabulous Madrid bookstore, was our neighborhood store. Lucky because it meant weekly visits to its shelves were very convenient. On one of those visits, we discovered Ms. Letherland. Her work has been a holiday gift staple every since. ~ Lisa Christie  My Car by Byron Barton (2003) - This board book with a plot twist and superbly clean illustrations has been a crowd pleaser for years. We gift this to every new parent we know. But don't take our word for it, librarians from the ALA Booklist agree - "Bright, graphic artwork invites readers to count, name colors and shapes, and follow Sam and his car as they drive through a bustling world from Sam's home in the country to his job in the city. The surprise ending is a gem! For young children intrigued by cars, this book is simply wonderful." ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  Anything from the Eric Carle Collection by Eric Carle (assorted years) - Mr. Carle is a master storyteller and illustrator; and, his books have been amusing children for years as a result. Huge plus: most of his books are available in a variety of languages. While we recommend all his work wholeheartedly, we highly recommend using The Very Lonely Firefly in its board book form as the last book before bedtime. Read it. Turn out the lights and watch the fireflies flicker, then place the child in bed for a great sleep. Books do allow for miracles. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  Quiet by Tomie dePaola (2018) - A lovely picture book, by award winning author and illustrator Mr. dePaola, for our hectic days. This book explores the importance of sitting, and observing, and just being. First reviewed for the Book Jam by Penny McConnel of the Norwich Bookstore during the Book Jam's 2018 holiday version of Pages in the Pub. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  In the Town All Year Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner (2008) – This is an older title that we somehow missed until recently. A sophisticated “Where’s Waldo” of the surprising things you find in town every day. A great way for kids and the adults who love them to discuss what people do day in and day out. ~ Lisa Cadow and Lisa Christie  Harriet Gets Carried Away by Jessie Sima (2018) – AWESOME tale of imagination and love. A little girl’s mission is simple – to find party hats; how she gets them so complicated. We also are hoping the fact her adventures include two dads and a lot of penguins is a shout out to And Tango Makes Three, a great picture book based upon an actual penguin at the Central Park Zoo with two dads. ~ Lisa Christie  Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts (2018) – Ada’s curiosity is unending and leads her to great big messes. Doe sit also make her a great scientist? We all can learn from Ada’s fearless explorations, and the rhymes and illustrations are fun. ~ Lisa Christie  City by Ingela P. Arrhenius (2018) – The bold, colorful, almost block-like pictures remind of us our favorite board book for toddlers – My Car by Byron Barton. Very few words and bold graphic illustrations make this the perfect oversized book for very young readers to share with the adults who love them. ~ Lisa Christie  Everything and Everywhere: A fact filled adventure for curious globe trotters by Marc Martin (2018): This journey around the world is crammed with busy pictures and words that discuss the things and people that make the places depicted unique. The pages almost leap with exuberance into the readers’ imaginations. A superb way to discover, or be reminded how interesting this world can be. ~ Lisa Christie  A World of Cities by James Brown (2018): The pictures in this oversized book remind us of vintage travel posters. Their bold graphics inspire. The fun facts sprinkled over each page provide many points for interesting discussions. The pages also give fun tidbits for all the fact-obsessed people throughout the world to add to their repertoire. The 30 dazzling cities Mr. Brown highlights should inspire even the most reluctant arm-chair traveller. Truly a gorgeous conversation starter, and a great gift! ~ Lisa Christie  Otis and Will Discover the Deep by Barb Rosenstock and Katherine Roy (2018) – I am really claustrophobic and yet was still fascinated by this story of the first people to envision and build a device to explore the ocean’s depths. And yes, Ms. Roy’s illustrations still have me feeling a bit dizzy, but the tale of these two boys who became the men who invented the Bathysphere is worth a bit of discomfort; it will also appeal to the adventurers, inventors, and explorers in all of us (even if only vicariously). We discovered Ms. Roy through her first illustrations in SS Taylor’s Expeditioners series; this provides us a perfect excuse to recommend SS Taylor’s series for kids who need a good chapter book or family read aloud. ~ Lisa Christie  7 ate 9 by Tara Lazar (2017) – Good puns are never done. Clever Noir picture book playing on a classic preschool joke/pun. ~ Lisa Christie
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