When it comes to giving gifts to my kids, no matter the occasion, we always make sure there’s at least one book to be found. Toys break and clothes are outgrown, but a good book can bring enjoyment and delight for years.
Owlkids Books is a proudly Canadian company that has been publishing children’s magazines (Chirp, chickaDEE, and OWL) and a complete line of children’s books for over 35 years. I received two of their picture books for review.
Oddrey
Oddrey is a fun-loving and quirky little girl who’s just a little bit different from everybody else. Her teacher and classmates don’t seem to know what to make of her. But then when a class production of The Wizard of Oz starts to go awry, they learn to appreciate Oddrey’s unique qualities when she helps her friends rise to the challenge. Oddrey, written and illustrated by Dave Whamond, has been nominated for a 2014 Blue Spruce Award.
Oddrey reminds me a little bit of Teagan – she definitely marches to the beat of a different drum too! I like the message that it’s okay to be different, but the best part is the brightly-coloured and expressive illustrations. They’re fun and attractive to little ones and make this a nice book for story time.
You can also download colouring pages from the Owlkids Books website.
You Are Stardust
This is one of my favourite books this year. You Are Stardust, by award-winning science writer and educator Elin Kelsey, is a Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2012 selection and a 2013 Blue Spruce Award nominee. As an environmentally-aware family, I love the surprising connections the author draws between humans and our natural world, all backed by current science.
The book starts with these thought-provoking sentences:
You are stardust.
Every tiny atom in your body came from a star that exploded long before you were born.
How are our bodies like the planet Earth? What do we and dinosaurs have in common? How is your skeleton like a forest? This book reveals these fascinating relationships and encourages daydreams and flights of imagination about our place in the world.
You Are Stardust is illustrated with photos of artist Soyeon Kim’s fascinating three-dimensional multimedia dioramas. Check out this behind the scenes video showing how these beautiful illustrations were created.
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Gift It!
Both these books can be purchased through Owlkids Books. Browse their catalogue by grade level, format, or series.
Disclosure: I received sample items to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
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