Anna Lazowski

A grieving child builds a rocket ship as a way to process feelings. For fans of Oliver Jeffers's The Heart and the Bottle. A young child addresses a loved one who is no longer there, while narrating the process of building a rocket ship in the backyard. Dad is nearby, as the child explains their progress and decisions about what to pack as they build. Musing that something is still missing, the child remembers past building projects, stargazing and a warm and loving relationship with the person they've lost. Now, this person feels as far away as the stars - which is where the rocket is aimed. Anna Lazowski's powerful and profound story is an emotionally sensitive, child-centered exploration of death and grief. Beautifully told in an understated but immediate narrative voice, and with a soothing refrain of "I built a rocket ship out in the backyard," it's ultimately a comforting story for children about finding their own way to honor someone they've lost. It also serves as a reminder to adults that children grieve in unexpected ways. Who has died is left open to interpretation, making the book relatable to different readers and situations. Jennica Lounsbury's soft-focus illustrations in muted pastels keep the mood gentle and tender. This picture book has excellent connections to social-emotional learning. It's sure to touch the heart of anyone who's ever lost a loved one, even as it celebrates the memories they hold dear.

Written with compassion and care, a thoughtful story about a little girl who visualizes her depression as a way of learning to cope. Abigail has a dark cloud. It follows her everywhere. It can be a ball of worries, a swirl of fog or a long shadow. But it's always with her, getting in the way of things. Her dark cloud makes the other children distant and messes with her grand jet during ballet class. It even takes away her appetite for birthday cake. Then one day, Abigail begins to figure some things out about her dark cloud. Like how it's not always the same size. How she can trap it in a sandcastle at the beach. And how, sometimes, she can even step away from it and feel the sunshine on her skin. In this sensitive picture book, symbolic imagery perfectly captures how depression can look and feel. Anna Lazowski's lyrical text together with Penny Neville-Lee's expressive drawings provide young children with a way to understand and talk about their own feelings. The repetition in the text and the visual narrative pull readers in, making this an excellent read-aloud pick to spark discussions about feelings. Neville-Lee's art uses soft, muted colors, with lightness and color gradually added as Abigail moves from feeling overwhelmed by her depression to learning how to live with it and even find relief from it. Reviewed by a child psychologist, this book is a great choice for teaching social-emotional learning, critical thinking and character education lessons on perseverance and resilience.

A funny and encouraging alphabetic book about all the things animals CAN'T do but kids CAN Every parent teaching their young one new skills will be happy to have this super-positive picture book on hand. Bees can't ride bicycles, penguins can't pick up pennies, and zebras can't go zip-lining. No one is good at everything, but that shouldn't stop you from trying Here is a funny and encouraging picture book for any child learning how to tie their shoes, ride a bike, spell their name, or do a variety of new things. Follow a hilarious alphabet of animals, and see all the things they can't do but kids can--from doing gymnastics to flipping pancakes to playing a xylophone. Along the way, young readers will learn that it's okay if they can't do everything; they can still have a LOT of fun trying.