https://jilannehoffmann.com/feed/
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Pepper & Me – Perfect Picture Book FridayThere’s a lot to be said for unusual picture books. Sometimes I think of them as a kind of Rorschach of their creators,...
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The Last Stand – Perfect Picture Book FridayI’m a Midwest farmer’s daughter, and the truth about farming is that it’s long hours, dirty, sweaty hard work...
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The Great Lakes – Perfect Picture Book Friday* With every new nonfiction picture book, Barb Rosenstock teaches a master class on how to structure a narrative and pull readers...
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Saving Delicia – Perfect Picture Book FridayThis story is a kind of comforting fable for our time, as climate change begins to stress different types of plants due to higher...
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An Accidental Hero – Perfect Picture Book FridayAs Earth warms, and climate change brings higher temperatures and lengthier droughts, forest fires are happening more often and raging...
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I Do Not Eat Children – Perfect Picture Book Friday* This week, I’m adding another subversive picture book by an author illustrator to my list. Seems like we see this type of...
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Spider in the Well – Perfect Picture Book Friday* Anyone here love subversive picture books? Got a new one for you today. Text/Illustration ©Jess Hannigan *...
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Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Mud AngelsIn 1966, I was a child when the Arno River in Italy overflowed, flooding the city of Florence along its banks. I didn’t hear...
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The Law of Birthdays – Perfect Picture Book FridayBirthdays are a very popular topic in children’s books, but The Law of Birthdays is unusual. Why? Sure, it’s about...
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Dancing Through Space – Perfect Picture Book FridayWhen my son was in third grade, he researched and wrote a one-page biography about Mae Jemison. At the time, I don’t think there were any...
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Water – Perfect Picture Book FridayThe opening spread for this gorgeously illustrated book asks the question: Does water make you wonder? And if your answer is...
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There Are No Dragons in This Book – Perfect Picture Book FridayPromise! There are no dragons in this book. Hmmmm. Every child, after seeing that dangling contradiction at the gable of the roof, will...
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A Geoduck is Not a Duck – Perfect Picture Book Friday* What do you get when you cross a little known mollusk with a TV show featuring a Sea Star reporter? A hilarious...
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The Ramadan Drummer – Perfect Picture Book Friday* First, let’s just admire that amazing cover, the rich colors and magical feel that sets the tone for the book. Gorgeous!...
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What Makes Us Human – Perfect Picture Book Friday* As our world grows smaller, it is becoming more homogenous. Whether that can be attributed to mass media and/or careless...
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Big Sister, Long Coat – Perfect Picture Book Friday* Sometimes, I wish I had a big sister. And in my mind, she’d be just like the one in this sweet story about how that...
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Harriet’s Reflections – Perfect Picture Book FridayFirst published in French in 2021, Eerdman’s has brought this engaging translation to the U.S. with the help of Marion Kadi...
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Holiday InterludeAll is well at the castle…Ghosts of Gingerbread Constructions past… I wish you peace, hope, and joy in the new year.
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Rosie Runs and The Shade Tree – Perfect Picture Book(s) FridayPicture books in translation tend to fascinate me, because they expand my limited view of the possibilities of what a picture book can do or be, a...
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Mr. S – Perfect Picture Book Friday* Mr. S is a first-day-of-school book that’s surprising, funny, and fresh. It’s also a book that can be read year...
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Holy Night and Little Star – Perfect Picture Book FridayHoly Night and Little Star is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book that offers a new take on the standard Christmas...
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Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love – Perfect Picture Book FridayLook at that gorgeous gold lettering! Plus other scattered pops of gold on the flowers. It’s a stunning cover that makes a great...
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NaNoWriMo AlertIllus. by Debbie Ohi * I’ve entered into the NaNoWriMo zone of creation and revision, weaving a new story midst the shards...
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Stickler Loves the World – Perfect Picture Book FridayWhat can I say about a main character who has such a big heart it explodes across the page? What can I say about illustrations...
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A Walk in the Woods – Perfect Picture Book FridayWhat can I say about a book that’s three kinds of love letters? From a father to son. From a son to a father. From one friend to...
