Story Time

(New children’s books for the new year.)

The boys got a bunch of books for Christmas, and a few have quickly become my favorites.  Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden and illustrated by Renata Liwska, Dream Animals, and Oddfellow’s Orphanage, both by Emily Winfield Martin, are so lovely that I couldn’t wait to share them with you.  But I did have to wait until after Christmas, because I gave my mom and sisters copies of Dream Animals as gifts. Each book is very classic and timeless, and I consider them to be collector’s items, since the artwork is incredibly imaginative and stunning.

(An illustration by Renata Liwska from Once Upon a Memory by Nina Laden.)

Once Upon a Memory is reflective and touching, recalling past experiences focusing upon memory. It’s the sort of book that makes young children smile and will probably bring a tear or two to your eye as you read it.  The illustrations by Renata Liwska are very soft and innocent, and the fuzzy animals are so adorable, that I bought this book with my three-year-old in mind.

(An illustration from Dream Animals by Emily Winfield Martin.)

Dream Animals is the work of Emily Winfield Martin, known for The Black Apple, and it’s exciting to see her whimsical art in this new book that is perfect for bedtime.  I enjoy the gorgeous illustrations as much as my boys, and the book is literally filled with with imaginative images from the very first page.

(A page from Oddfellow’s Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin.)

And I couldn’t help but buy Martin’s Oddfellow’s Orphanage, too, a chapter book that also features her lovely drawings.  I read the first chapter to my boys, and they are still a bit young for the storyline, but older children will love the plot and the illustrations that accompany it.

I’m currently in the middle of the third book in the Call the Midwife series, and I’m borrowing my sister’s The Hunger Games for fun, too.

What are you reading right now?

(And be sure to check out Allie’s blog today because she’s updating about her hair! We shared our hair experiences before Christmas, and she’s showing us her newest look.)