How To

How To by Julie Morstad (Simply Read Books, 2013).

This is a very minimalist and sweet book.  The writing, while seemingly simple, is rather poetic and filled with more meaning than at first glance. The text is always "how to" do something and then the picture illustrates the idea in a way you probably wouldn't have thought of.  For instance, "How to wash your socks" shows children playing in a puddle (the last photo in the post).  In addition, there is a fairly diverse range of children shown, which is nice.

Houses from the Sea

Houses from the Sea by Alice E. Goudey, illustrated by Adrienne Adams (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1959.)

Adrienne Adams is one of my favorite illustrators and I love beach themes so when I saw this book I knew I had to check it out from the library.  This is a nice book that teaches kids about different types of shells they might find at the beach on American coasts.  I think it would still hold up well with kids today.  This book won Caldecott Honor for 1960.

For kids interested in learning even more about shells, here are some more titles:

• What Lives in a Shell?
• Seashells, Crabs, and Sea Stars
• Shells (Eyewitness Book)
• Seashells by the Seashore
• Shells! Shells! Shells!
• Seashells: Treasures from the Northeast Coast

Hats Off for the Fourth of July!

Hats Off for the Fourth of July! by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Gustaf Miller (Viking Juvenile, 2000).

This is a book about the 4th of July parade in Chatham, MA.  The illustrator is a local artist and he creates some fun, bright scenes. 

For more 4th of July books, see my Pinterest board here.

Hope everyone has a fun holiday!