Far flung love

HOW FAR DO YOU LOVE ME? by Lulu Delacre. Lee and Low, 2013.

All over the world
From one place to another
Mother's love is there.

Heart-y

THE SHAPE OF MY HEART by Mark Sperring with illustrations by Alys Paterson. Bloomsbury, 2012.

My heart is so full
Of sights and sounds and the touch
All things around me.

How we say I Love You

WHEN A DAD SAYS "I LOVE YOU." by Douglas Wood with illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

How does a Dad say
I love you in other ways?
Hugs, tickles, and more.

Love-able

LOVE IS YOU & ME by Monica Sheehan. Little Simon, 2013.

Love is you and me
No matter when or where, we're
Always you and me.

Love-ly books

FOXY IN LOVE by Emma Dodd. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

Foxy is helping
Emily draw things she loves
Will she include him?

Love-ing books

CONSIDER LOVE by Sandra Boynton. Simon & Schuster, 2013.

Considering love
Is not complicated , it's
About you and me.

A Home

A GOOD HOME FOR MAX by Junzo Terada. Chronicle Books, 2014.

Poor Max needs a home
But when he finds one, his friend
Misses him so much.

Being followed by a shadow

MOONBEAR'S SHADOW by Frank Asch. Aladdin, 2014.

How to get rid of
A pesky shadow. Is it
Even possible?

Me & Dog

ME & DOG by Gene Weingarten with illustrations by Eric Shansby. Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Hos dog thinks he's king
But everyone makes mistakes
But he loves me still.

Wordless Wonder, Part Two

FLORA AND THE PENGUIN by Molly Idle. Chronicle Books, 2014.

Flora and Penguin
Dance across the ice getting
To know each other.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I am breaking from my usual "blaiku" form to let you know of a couple of terrific books for the holidays in time to buy them for gifts.

HERE COMES SANTA CAT by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Claudia Rueda. Dial, 2014.

Cat worries that he has not been a nice cat. Will Santa forget him? The expressions on Cat's face are perfect fodder against the questions and comments posed by our outside-the-book narrator as Cat learns the important lesson of the season. HERE COMES EASTER CAT is a perfect companion.

THE ANIMALS' SANTA by Jan Brett. Putnam, 2014.

A new book from Brett is always a treat. As usual, there is much going on in the illustrations especially the panels that frame each double page spread. Who is the animal that brings gifts each year to the animals? There are plenty of clues for careful readers.

Wordless Wonder, Part One

DRAW by Raul Colon. Simon & Schuster, 2014.

No words just pictures
But plenty enough to read
As a young boy draws

Ivan

IVAN: THE REMARKABLE TRU STORY OF THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA by Katherine Applegate with illustrations by G. Brian Karas. Clarion Books, 2014.

"In leafy calm/ In
Gentle arms,/ a gorilla's
life began. Must. Read.

Rabbi and the Buttons

RABBI BENJAMIN'S BUTTONS by Alice McGinty with illustrations by Jennifer Black Reinhardt. Charlesbridge, 2014.


Buttons pop from vest
As Rabbi enjoys each meal
His vest is ruined.

Imani's Moon

IMANI'S MOON by JaNay Brown-Wood with illustrations by Hazel Mitchell. Mackinac Island Press, 2014.

Wants to touch the moon
But is told she is too small
Imani WILL though.

Underwhere?

ONE BIG PAIR OF UNDERWAER by Laura Gehl and Tom Lichtenheld. Beach Lane, 2014.

Learning how to share
Is important when there's one
Pair of underwear.

When Aunt Mattie Got her Wings

WHEN AUNT MATTIE GOT HER WINGS by Petra Mathers. Beach Lane, 2014.

Her time here over
Aunt Mattie's new journey starts
Her family mourns.

The mouse that roared and then solved some mysteries

HERMELIN THE DETECTIVE MOUSE by Moni Grey. Knopf, 2014.

Hermelin can help
When there is a mystery
Even though he's small.

Do you believe in magic?

UNI THE UNICORN by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by Brigette Barrager. Random House, 2014.

Do you believe in magic
Uni believes there are girls
Somewhere in the world.

Egg times three

REX FINDS AN EGG!EGG!EGG! by Steve Weinberg. McElderry, 2015.

When Rex finds an egg
He is determined to prove
He can care for it.

Reminiscent of Dr. Seuss' Horton, Rex is eager and as careful as he can be. Unfortunately, circumstances sometimes get away from Rex, placing the egg is one danger.

Best and Lowly

RICHARD SCARRY'S BEST LOWLY WORM BOOK EVER by Richard Scarry. Golden Books, 2014.

Meet Lowly the worm
And follow his adventures
Through many stories.

Rushing the holidays a little

ROC AND ROE'S TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by Nick Cannon with illustrations by A G Ford. Scholastic, 2014.

Join Roc and Roe
As they celebrate Christmas
Their own unique way.

Moonbear week

MOONDANCE by Frank Asch. Aladdin, 2014.

Bear wants to dance with
The moon and the clouds. Can he
Make those things happen?

Moonbear week

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MOONBEAR'S PET by Frank Asch. Aladdin, 2014.

Bird and Bear have a pet
But what kind of pet is it?
Can they all be friends?

A week of Moonbear

MOONBEAR'S BARGAIN by Frank Asch. Aladdin, 2014.

Bear wants to fly and
Bird wants to grow much bigger.
Can they help the other?

Flat Rabbit

Flat Rabbit by Bardur Oskarsson. Owl Kids, 2014.

Rabbit is flat(tened).
What could they possibly do?
Perhaps build a kite?

Winter is coming

WINTER IS COMING by Tony Johnston with illustrations by Jim LaMarche. Simon and Schuster, 2014.

Winter is coming
Animals are scavenging
But food is quite scarce.

Telephone

TELEPHONE by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jen Corace. Chronicle Books, 2014.

Messages can be
Changed as they travel from one
Person to the next.

Mix it up

MIX IT UP! by Herve Tullet. Chronicle Books, 2014.

Press here, smudge, shake, smush
And see what happens top the
Colors as they mix.

Alexander is Trying, really!

ALEXANDER, WHO'S TRYING HIS BEST TO BE THE BEST BOY EVER by Judith Viorst with illustrations by Isidre Mones. Atheneum, 2014.

Alexander's back
And on his best behavior
At least for right now.

Planting Seeds

LOLA PLANTS A GARDEN by Anna McQuinn with illustrations by Rosalind Beardshaw. Charlesbridge, 2014.

Lola plants garden
And watches flowers growing
Carefully tending.

Shapes

ROUND IS A MOONCAKE by Roseanne Thong with illustrations by Grace Lin. Chronicle, 2014.

Round is a mooncake.
Dim Sum can be square. Inking
Stone's rectangular.