Personally, I had no idea that the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Bloom County and Opus wrote children’s books.  This one was given to me for my first Mother’s Day.  It is a delightful celebration of the special love between parent and child.  A little boy who does not fully appreciate his mother is soon provided a lesson of the power of her love like no other when martian raiders with big nets come to capture some greatly needed mothers.

The text is well written and engaging for young readers as well as those with more life experience.  The illustrations truly are show stoppers.  You will find that you want to linger as long as possible to study each illustration.  The use of vibrant color is lovely and  humorous details both large and small will delight and have you finding things you didn’t see before again and again.

Mars Needs Moms! is a very special book and worthy of sharing with a Mom you know…

Beautiful pictures coupled with simple text provide a powerful message. Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden highlights the impact and influence teachers have in helping children to grow.  Mrs. Spitzer is a teacher and is given a packet of seeds at the beginning of the year by the principal.  The reader is then able to follow the journey the seeds take with Mrs. Spitzer.  Just like real children in the classroom each seed is different and requires specialized care and attention to blossom.  This book shares an important message in a lovely manner.

Have you ever wished that there could magically be another you in order to have two to tackle your to do list?!  Leo is a really busy guy…Even creating a list does not seem to help him get all of the things he needs to get done completed.  He is so busy in fact that magically there are two, three, four, and ultimately even more of him.  Sadly, no matter how many Leos come on the scene, the work cannot seem to be completed.  If anything, the more Leos that arrive seem to create more work not less.  Leo ultimately learns the importance of relaxation and doing less while doing his best.  A sweet tale with a serious message for all readers but perhaps will hit home most with adults.

Not A Box celebrates the power of imagination.  What child has not imagined what a plain brown box could be?  A spunky little rabbit with a cardboard box explores a myriad of options in this book which uses simple illustrations and limited text to share a big message.

The Dot is perhaps my favorite picture book of all time. The Dot introduces us to Vashti a little girl who is not very eager about art class.  Her art teacher encourages her to “make her mark”.  With gentle guidance from her teacher, Vashti’s natural abilities as an artist as well as a teacher develop.  Ultimately, the simple text and accessible pictures pull the reader into Vashti’s story. The profound impact of the words and actions of a teacher are highlighted and the power of enthusiasm and encouragement are reinforced.