Excellent Blog
2007 Inspiring Blog
Rockin' Girl Blogger

Happy Holidays… Happy Holidays… Have some happy book reviews!

December 12th, 2021

“The Welcome Chair,” illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and written by Rosemary Wells, is a brand-new release, just in time for the book-giving season. (Year-round is the book-giving season at our house.) These are two of my favorite children’s book geniuses, who have each created more than 100 titles. Isn’t that the coolest? More than one hundred books have been illustrated by Pinkney, and more than one hundred written by Wells. Amazing milestones for both of them.

This title comes from a real story from Wells’ family, about a special rocking chair built and carved by great-great-grandfather, Sam Seigbert. Her great-great-grandmother and then grandmother passed down the legend and Wells and Pinkney have brought it to life in incredible fashion. Pinkney’s illustrations are, as always, majestic. (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021, ages 4-8, $17.99.)

“Parker Shines On” is another treat from Parker Curry (age 6), her mama, Jessica Curry (blog mom who writes “Happy Mama, Happy Babies”) and illustrator Brittany Jackson. It’s a colorful (pink, of course) and delightful tale about Parker, who loves ballet, her friends, and playtime with her little sister and brother, Ava and Cash. The first book in the series was “Parker Looks Up.” Look for “Your Friend, Parker” and “Parker Dresses Up” to be released early in 2022. (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, 2021, ages 4-8, $17.99.)

“Light for All” is a much-needed and appreciated book from writer Margarita Engle and illustrator Raul Colon. This masterpiece of a book honors the courage and resiliency of the many immigrants who have traveled to live in America, while not forgetting about the many, many indigenous people who were already here. (Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021, all ages, $17.99.) Lovely, loving story.