Review: Puddle

puddle

Puddle

One rainy day, a little boy is upset because he can’t go out and play. His mom comes up with a way to keep him entertained–by drawing a picture of herself and him going outside, playing in the rain, and splashing in a giant puddle. They have so much fun drawing themselves that they decide to venture out and make the most of the rainy weather.

Oh Hyewon Yum, how I adore you and your adorable illustrations! Like the true picture book nerd that I am, I have a little list of artists who I would want to be my illustrators if I ever published picture books (hey, a girl can dream), and Hyewon Yum is absolutely on that dream list. Her illustrations are so sweet, so charming and so expressive, I adore them! Just look at this grumpy little sweetheart:

puddle1

As my blog title might suggest, I live in a pretty rainy part of the world, and many a day of adventure and fun has turned into a day spent moping around in the house glaring out the window and cursing the gloomy weather. The rainy season pretty much lasts from October through to June, and it’s a miracle that we don’t all end up covered in moss by the time summer rolls around again. Puddle is a great reminder to find the joy in every moment and make your own happiness, whatever the weather. Life is too short to get worked up over a bit of rain (or a lot of rain….).

puddle2

There’s a Scandinavian expression that essentially says “there is no bad weather, just bad clothes” – if Scandinavians were to let a little snow keep them from getting outside and enjoying life, they’d spend most of the year cocooned inside going stir crazy! Similarly, life in the Pacific Northwest sometimes means learning to laugh at the weather, let go of your worries, and just let yourself get a little wet! We can all be a little too serious sometimes, and we need to get in touch with that inner puddle-jumping child again, and find the fun in the rain.

A great pair of gumboots and a colourful umbrella certainly don’t hurt either! 🙂

#IMWAYR – July 18, 2016

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus. The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer. These weekly roundups are a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share titles, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.

So many picture books, so little time!! I’ve got another pile of illustrated stories to share with you on the blog this week, some new, and some just new to me. I really like sharing a mixture of bright, shiny new picture books as well as those that might have flown under the radar a bit, or that I think might be hidden gems just waiting to be rediscovered. Having a desk that’s just a few steps from a wall of picture book shelves certainly makes my writing life easier – all I have to do is close my eyes and pull out a handful of books, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to find at least a few great titles!

Here’s what I’ve got coming up on the blog this week:

Puddle 

  • A picture book perfectly suited for Vancouverites like myself (it is summer, isn’t it?)…..

 

Fred Forgets

  • A cheeky little monkey has a bit of fun at the expense of his forgetful elephant friend, but the good times won’t last forever….

 

What Makes a Baby

  • A thoroughly modern “where does a baby come from?” book that recognises that not all baby stories start with “when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much”….

Highgate Rise

On the grown-up reading front, I’m currently working my way through my first Anne Perry novel, a murder mystery set in Victorian England. Thomas Pitt is a police inspector, and Charlotte Pitt is his wife, who assists him with his cases (though not always with his blessing). I haven’t finished this one yet, but I’m really quite enjoying it. The historical setting feels very real, and the murder plot is engaging, as Thomas and Charlotte pursue two very different possible paths of deduction. I don’t think I’ve figured out who is the murderer is yet, but I do have my suspicions!

Have a great week everybody, and don’t forget to check back in throughout the week for my thoughts on the picture books I shared above!