Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday – I review a picture book, provide a simple fun craft you can do with your kids and then I link up with dozens of other writers, moms, librarians and other lovers of picture books on Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. If you are a mom, teacher or librarian, please check out Susanna’s amazing Perfect Picture Book page with over 1000 categorized picture book reviews and activities.

 

I love reviewing picture books! It gives me the perfect excuse to read them myself, just in case I can’t find a willing child-listener. But most of all, I love reviewing picture books written by my friends! Julie Hedlund, founder of the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, has a beautiful new picture book out – and I just had to tell you about it.

MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SUN

Written by Julie Hedlund

Illustrations by Susan Eaddy

Publisher: Little Bahalia Publishing (2014)

Ages: 0 and up

Themes: Parent-child love, unconditional love, nature

 

Opening Lines:

“My love for you is the sun,

Rising to your tender heart.

It shines on you when we’re apart.”

 

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“My Love for You is the Sun is a love letter from parent to child, written in verse and expressing that timeless and unconditional love through metaphors from the natural world. My Love for You is the Sun, a Tree, the Rain, a River… but of course, it s also about more than familial or parental love, it s about the universal, infinite nature of love itself, and as such, will hold crossover appeal for all ages. Edited by best-selling children s book author Emma Walton-Hamilton, and illustrated with the amazing clay art of Susan Eaddy, this melodious tour of parent-and-child animals in their various habitats will mesmerize children at bedtime, and help them feel a connection with the loved one sharing it with them. With soothing verses evoking the beauty and wonder of the natural world, combined with stunning, hand-sculpted clay illustrations, this book is one families everywhere will read again and again.”

Why I like this book:

• A beautiful read-aloud for infants, toddlers and older children
• Incredible unique clay illustrations in vivid color
• Move over, Goodnight Moon. This book will help every child feel safe, secure and loved.

How a parent can use this book:

• Bedtime or other-time read-aloud
• Discuss how animal parents also take care of their children
• Encourage your child to talk about each picture – and point out what they see – the clay illustrations are amazingly simple and complex at the same time

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or ask at your independent book store.

Related Activity:

Making Clay – just about every kid loves to work with clay

Photo courtesy: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/claysaltdoughplaydoughcraftsactivitiesideaskids.html

You can make animals like this one:

Visit the link from Artists Helping Children to find many more clay projects. They are one of the best online resources for kid’s crafts!