Hour Change, Celebrating Picture Book Month, & Library Title Feature

Library News - Hour Change, Celebrating Picture Book Month, & Library Title Feature

Please note that the library will open at 10 a.m. on Friday due to no school. The library will close at 3 p.m. as the school will be used by the Michigan State Police for training.

Although November brings colder weather, more leaves to rake, and prepares us for the eventual snow, it also brings friends and family together. There is a lot to be thankful for in November, and one of those things is picture books. November is Picture Book Month, a time to celebrate all the love, joy, and early literacy skills we can gain from books. If you’re looking for some picture books to read to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, loved ones, or even yourself, you’re in for a treat as I highlight some of my personal favorites. 

We are going to start at the beginning, with what I considered my “baby book” growing up. It was a story my mom used to read to me often, and one I hope to read to my future kids someday. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch is a story that begins with a woman holding her newborn baby and singing to him about how she’ll love him forever. From there, he grows into a toddler, a child, a teenager, and eventually a man. As the years pass, the tables turn, and he takes on the task of caring for his elderly mother. The overall message is very endearing, and it is a story I always enjoyed listening to as a child. 

If there is one author and illustrator who deserves to be highlighted during Picture Book Month, I can think of no one better than Jan Brett. If you’re not familiar with her work, stop down and check out the books we have in our collection. Not only are her stories beautifully written, but her illustrations leave me just as mesmerized now as they did when I was a little kid. The Mitten immediately comes to mind when I think of Jan Brett. A little boy drops his mitten in the snow without realizing it, while animals crawl into it one by one. Creative storytelling paired with beautiful illustrations makes this a wonderful book to revisit.

Now we are going in the opposite direction with The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak, a wonderfully humorous book. Personally, this was one I would leave for substitutes to read to my students. You might wonder how good a children's book can be without pictures. It follows the golden rule that the reader must say everything written on the page out loud, no matter how ridiculous it may sound. Although adults might feel a little ridiculous reading it, hearing the children laugh and giggle makes it well worth it.

Last, but certainly not least in my opinion, is You Are Special by Max Lucado. We visit a village inhabited by small wooden people called the Wemmicks, all made by the woodcarver Eli. The Wemmicks go around each day giving each other gold stars for their talents or attractiveness and gray dots for their flaws. Our main character, Punchinello, is covered in gray dots when he takes a trip to Eli. It is a beautiful story about self-worth and learning to reject the judgments of others. This is a book that will leave a mark and keep you thinking.

Although we may think of picture books as simple, easy reads for our children or students, they can have so much more depth than meets the eye. They also have the unique ability to transport us back to our childhoods, when our biggest worry was being able to see the pictures as we listened to the story. My challenge to you is to pick up a picture book this November and give some recognition to these amazing stories.

Library Title Feature - Return to the Shack, by Wm. Paul Young

In the long-awaited sequel, unrivaled storyteller Wm. Paul Young leads us back to the great questions of human existence: How does life go on in the face of irreconcilable loss? How can the irredeemable find redemption? “This sequel is not built next door to The Shack, it is constructed underneath it. These pages deal with the roles of forgiveness, trauma, and redemption in our lives, because understanding how we navigate these topics either expands or limits how we can grow in our faith, our lives, and our impact.”―Bob Goff, New York Times bestselling author of Love Does 

Library Hours:  Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Tuesday and Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

Library Contact Information:  Phone: (906) 252-4316, Email: mspl@manistiqueschools.org, Website: https://www.manistiquelibrary.org.