there's a librarian in all of us

"Melvin lived in the Livingston Public Library". So begins Carla Morris' book The Boy who was Rasied by Librarians. Melvin is a lucky little dude because he has three eccentric librarians helping him with his homework from his grade school days all the way up to his high school graduation. And Melvin's constant stay in the library is not old news once he leaves for college, instead he returns and becomes Livingston's newest librarian (Clearly, Melvin is like an English major's dream man).

Imagine This...

Sarah L. Thomson's IMAGINE A DAY and IMAGINE A NIGHT posits imagination as a recognizable, wonderful, not so far off place. Just like WILLY AND HUGH, these books have some of the most exquisite illustrations I have ever seen...I'm telling you, imagination never looked so good.

FYI: Thomson has also written IMAGINE A PLACE which I have yet to read, but I don't expect it to be anything less than awesome.

you'll go bananas when you see these pictures

If you've yet to read WILLY AND HUGH by Anthony Browne, then you are in for a real treat. WILLY AND HUGH is the story of a lonely Ape named Willy who finally finds a friend in Hugh. Once befriended, the two people-watch, go to the library (yeah, libraries) and go to the zoo to see the people in their cages. You're sure to enjoy the storyline and the illustrations will truly impress you...just check out the detail of Willy's sweater vest.

One of My Favourite Things

Melanie Mouse's Moving Day by Cindy Szekeres, is a book about Melanie (duh) a little girl mouse who is sad because she has to move away from her other animal friends. It may not be a tear-jerker now, but apparently it made me cry as a kid. No worries, Melanie does meet new friends in the end and she even gets her "own room" (something I never had until my sister moved out). Anyways, Melanie Mouse's Moving Day was given to me on my 2nd birthday from my mom, dad and sister, and looking back it's probably one of my favourite birthday gifts since it was my very first book (of which now I have about a billion).