Fanny’s Dream by Caralyn and Mark Buehner is a Cinderella re-telling. In this version, Fanny’s (Cinderella) fairy godmother never comes on the night of the mayor’s grand ball. Instead, the neighbor boy Heber Jensen shows up and makes an offer to Fanny that she… accepts after thinking it over for an hour or so. What will happen years later when Fanny’s fairy godmother does finally end up coming to grant Fanny’s grand ball wishes? This picture book has a few more words in it than I usually like for picture books, but the story is so wonderful that it’s worth taking the time to read.
You Are to Me by Rebecca Doughty is a tender story about two friends and how much they mean to each other. It’s a quick read with clever, fun rhymes. This book is one of my favorite picture books about love. I even gave it to my husband when he was my fiancee.
Consider Love: Its Moods and Many Ways by Sandra Boynton. This book examines all the different kinds of love that there are. It’s a fun, quick read and also a great gift book for a friend or special someone. With Boynton’s familiar style and often funny illustrations, readers are sure to like this little book.
Love Is… by I Corinthians and Wendy Anderson Halperin. The illustrations in this book are fantastic. One side of the page represents what happens when love is not present, the accompanying page shows what is possible when it is. Halperin has taken verses from First Corinthians and translated the scriptures into short descriptions about love. This is a beautiful book and one that parents can sit with their children, point out scenes, and talk about them with their kids.
Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story by Lisa Wheeler and Janie Bynum is about a Porcupine who lives in a petting zoo. He longs for someone he can get close to, but every time he tries, his prickly quills get in the way. Is there any animal in the zoo who Cushion could fall in love with and convince to be his wife? Cushion decides it’s time to find out. This fun story has a great rhyming song that kids are sure to like.
Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Peter H. Reynolds is about ‘Little Miss’ who plants a kiss. She cares for the planted kiss, and amazingly it grows into something quite magical. Though some caution her to not share the wonder she’s created, she can’t help herself. Plant a kiss is a cute story with fun, sparkly illustrations. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to plant a kiss on the cheek of the little one you’re reading to.
