Catherine recommends "Escargot and the Search for Spring"

Do the grey days of winter have you feeling blah? Are you tired of cozy sweaters and bored with making snow angels? What you need is to spend some time with a charming snail who is determined to shake off his winter ennui by going outside to search for spring. Whether or not you have already met him in his earlier books (Escargot; A Book for Escargot; Love, Escargot) Escargot will charm you from the very start of this spring themed picture book. One caveat: Escargot would like you to know that despite the frequent interference of a very fluffy bunny, this is NOT a bunny book. It is a book that welcomes sunshine, bird song, and flowers in a completely charming celebration of spring. Well, maybe a new bunny friend is okay too.

Recommended for children, preschool and up.

Ann recommends " The Most Perfect Snowman" by Chris Britt

 

This picture book is an enjoyable winter story about a snowman who feels like he doesn’t quite measure up to the other snowmen because he doesn’t have a carrot for a nose, or clothes like they do. He thinks if only he had these things then he would be perfect, and he would be happy. He eventually gets everything he hoped for and finds out that it’s not always the getting, but the giving that matters.

 

Children, all ages

 

Justine recommends the Sheets Trilogy by Brenna Thummler

Brenna Thummler has made a name for herself in the graphic novel scene with her Sheets trilogy.  The books, titled Sheets, Delicates, and Lights respectively, are a middle grade coming-of-age graphic novel series.  They focus on Marjorie Glatt, a practical thirteen-year old in charge of her family's laundromat.  In the first novel, Marjorie discovers that ghosts are real, and they really use sheets as part of their form.  These ghosts, particularly a child ghost named Wendell, are attracted to the laundromat since they can get a good cleaning for affordable prices. Marjorie befriends Wendell and begins to discover more about life, death, and the particulars of ghost culture.

The other two books introduce more characters and plot lines, but a major theme throughout the series is grief.  The series as a whole does a great job tackling this tough topic from many perspectives without making it inaccessible to its targeted age group.  However, I would recommend this series to all ages. The beautiful, unique art style is worth reading them for alone.