In honor of my Mama’s mid-life political revolution and her participation in the Women’s March on Washington, I (Brynn) have compiled a list of my favorite awesome-girl books. Some of these characters are brave, others are wicked smart. Some are insanely creative, while others are simply willing to speak their minds. All of them are my heroes and paint a vivid picture of what a little girl like me might aspire to someday.
The books are arranged from least to most complex.
Girls Rock! 
-Brynn (age 2.5)
Clicking on the pictures of the books will take you to Amazon.com. If you purchase a book, a small portion of the sale comes back to me. I, in turn, will donate profit back to a children’s literacy effort in my area. Thank you!
We Forgot Brock! by Carter Goodrich: I (Luke) love this book, and my mom says that it’s one of her all-time favorite children’s books, too! It’s a wonderful story about a little boy, Phillip, who has an imaginary friend, Brock, whom he accidentally leaves at the fair one night. Brock meets a little girl with an imaginary friend of her own, and she takes him home with her until they finally find Phillip. In the end, the four become great friends. The best part of this book, however, are the illustrations. Phillip and the rest of the “real” characters are done in color–beautiful, soft, amazing color–while the “imaginary” characters are done in cartoonish black and white. The contrast is stunning. If you’re looking for quality picture books, this book is one for the shelf.
Yak and Gnu by Juliette MacIver, illustrated by Cat Chapman: There are some children’s books that you read and think, “I could have written that!” And then there are others that you read and marvel that the author could have come up with such a clever text. Yak and Gnu is one of the latter. Simply put, it’s a book about friendship. But the text is so clever that it elevates the book above most others that we’ve read. The text rhymes, except when it doesn’t, and those few places are used to emphasize the growing realization that there are many other animals who pilot their own water crafts, just like kayak-paddling Yak and the canoe-loving Gnu. But in the end, the friends realize that “There’s nobody else quite like you!” I (Luke) love this book because of the song that Yak and Gnu sing throughout the book. Anything with music has me completely hooked. Mom loves this book because it tickles her inner English teacher with the use of non-rhyming lines to emphasize the message. The illustrations are also very well done. I am giving this book to several of my friends this year!
A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Mike Lowery: I (Luke) have read this book with my mom and by myself a dozen times since we borrowed it from the library this month. It’s about a little boy who can’t write very many words, but he can write enough letters and squiggles to start a story of his own, just like his big sister. Any story that deals with the imagination and creating something is a story that I’m interested in, but this book captured my interest in particular because the little boy doesn’t know how to start his story, and he gets stuck multiple times. It’s not easy for him, but his big sister encourages him by saying that he’s the boss of his own story. I like that idea. Maybe some day I’ll write my own books for others to review!
Teeny Tiny Toady by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi: Dr. Seuss is a master of rhyme. The King of children’s books. A genius on so many levels. Teeny Tiny Toady reminds me of Dr. Seuss. High praise, I know, but the rhyme has a beautiful flow to it and Esbaum uses creative not-quite-words just as Dr. Seuss did. The story is about Teeny, the smallest girl-toad in a family of big strapping brothers. One day, Mama Toad gets picked up by a human boy and stuck in a bucket, and it’s Teeny and her brothers who have to save her. The brothers try their hardest, but they really aren’t very bright, and they never listen to Teeny’s ideas. In the end, after her brothers fall in themselves, it’s up to Teeny to save her Mama AND her brothers from the bucket. An awesome story about a spunky little she-toad who saves the day with her brains instead of her brawn. For little people like me, it’s a satisfying message. The illustrations are beautiful, too! Another high-quality picture book for the shelf.
Maggie and Wendel Imagine Everything by Cori Doerrfeld: This book is one that both Brynn and I (Luke) loved. The text is incredibly simple, just a few words on each page, but the adventures of these two siblings are incredibly complex. Maggie is the older sister, but she really enjoys playing with her younger brother Wendel. Together, they create imaginative play scenarios that keep them endlessly entertained. They don’t always get along, but they do manage to make up on their own (something that fascinated both Brynn and me). Clever, spare illustrations allow the reader a look into the play worlds that Maggie and Wendel create together. A great book for siblings!
The Acrobat by Alborozo: Both Brynn and I like this book. The text is simple enough for Brynn, but the story is engaging enough for me, and the surprise embedded in the climactic illustration toward the end is amazing and beautiful enough for anyone. The story is about a struggling acrobat who decides to leave the circus one day and ends up in a park. There, he tries trick after trick to entice the children to pay attention to him, but something else always draws them away. Until a colorful bird arrives and alights on the acrobat. Then another bird arrives. And another. And another. Soon, the acrobat is covered in birds of all colors. The kids are all watching now. Suddenly….pow! The acrobat leaps up, scattering the colorful birds in all directions (the illustration is stunning–Brynn and I both look at it for a long time)! A very neat book.
No, No, Kitten! by Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Lori Nichols: Hi! Brynn writing now! My turn! This book is one of my favorites from this year. I liked this book for several reasons: One, it has a cat in it, and I love cats. Two, the cat doesn’t listen to her owner, just like I don’t listen to my mom (most of the time). And three, the cat asks for all kinds of things that she shouldn’t have (again, just like me!) (like a helmet and lasers) and then uses those things to blast off to space. As a reader, you don’t know what all of these items are going to be used for until the countdown to liftoff starts. I love surprise endings! Illustrations are done by Lori Nichols of Maple fame and are whimsical and expressive.
Harry and Walter by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Qin Leng: My mom is not quite sure why I love this book so much, but it’s true, I love it! The story is about an almost-five-year-old little boy, Harry, whose best friend is a 92 year old man, Walter, who lives next door. They ride lawnmowers together, play games together, build snowmen together, and drink hot chocolate and talk together as they watch the snow fall. It’s a beautiful friendship…until Harry’s family has to move. There is a surprise ending again, which I love, but really, I like this book because I love my grandparents and this book shows me that I can be best friends with them.
The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Scott Magoon: “Polka dot pants, polka dot pants, sing and dance in your polka dot pants!” Sing it with me! Eric Litwin in an interactive picture book genius. I didn’t think he could do any better than the original Pete the Cat books, but this book is pure fun. One rainy day, Hazel Nut decides she wants to sing and dance in her polka dot pants, but no one will play with her. Not Dad, not Mom, not little brother. Who does Hazel eventually call to save the day? Grandma, of course! I love the song that is repeated throughout the book, and I love doing the polka dot pants dance that’s at the end of the book. So much fun! I’m definitely giving this book to a few of my friends this year!
Mom School by Rebecca Van Slyke, illustrated by Priscilla Burris: This book would make a great gift for any mom with small kids. It’s about a little girl who imagines that her mom went to school to learn how to be a great mom. At Mom School her mom learned to bait a hook, throw a ball softly, ride roller coasters, grow vegetables, and decorate cupcakes. And even though her mom has a job that she goes to every day, her favorite job is “being my mom.” I enjoy reading this book with my mom because she talks about the things that she knows how to do that she still has to teach me, like putting a worm on a hook and playing the violin. I love that these kinds of conversations can emerge from books!
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy: About two friends negotiating what and how to play–very important budding skills for preschoolers and Kindergartners.
The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy: About older brother Sam learning to play with his younger brother–Luke and Brynn are likewise discovering the pains and joys of playing with a sibling.
Ladybug Girl at the Beach: About Lulu’s day at the beach and how she gradually works up the courage to play in the water–Luke is scared of the ocean right now, so he’s been reading this book often.
Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow: About Lulu’s adventures in the snow. She gets very frustrated because everything is much harder in the deep, soft snow, but she perseveres and turns her day into a great one. Luke likes how Lulu plays with her brother and builds snow creatures.
The original Ladybug Girl: I don’t know how many times Brynn has used the phrase from the book, “I’m not too little!” And she loves Lulu’s dog, Bingo.
by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle. We sing the words to Twinkle, Twinkle. Setting the words to music helps to emphasize their rhythmic nature and makes them more appealing.
by Sandra Boynton, where the book is a song, and 
by Margaret Wise Brown, which is a compilation of lullabies. Other times music complements the words, as in 
by James Dean and Eric Litwin and 
by Jan Thomas. Still other times, as in 
by Michael Rosen and Joel Stewart and 
by Sandra Boynton, music plays a minor role but helps me hook into the book.
by Margaret Mahy and Polly Dunbar and 
by Graeme Base, 
by Jon Muth, and 
by Carl Sams and Jean Stoick are just a few of the books she gave me.
by Lane Smith. A gorgeously and cleverly illustrated Caldecott Honor Book, it’s told by an old man’s great grandson, and the reader follows the boy through an elaborately shaped topiary garden where Grandpa Green has carved each bush to represent an episode from his life. Throughout the book, the little boy collects random things that his grandpa has forgotten: glasses, a hat, gloves, a trowel. At the end, the boy recognizes that even though Grandpa Green is old and sometimes forgets things, the garden will always remember the important things for him. The metaphor is just too strong to ignore. I am the garden for Aunt Rosie. We all are–her daughters, my family, her many friends. Even though she can no longer remember us, we are a repository for all of the wonderful parts of her that she shared with us through the years. She shaped us, and what’s more, her influence is now going beyond just one generation, for I am reading the books she gave me with my own children.
by Aaron Becker. It’s the exact type of book that Aunt Rosie would have given to me–beautifully illustrated with a timeless storyline that a reader will never tire of revisiting again and again. In it, a young girl is bored and no one in her family has time to play with her. She discovers a piece of red chalk in her room, though, and draws a door on her wall. She steps through the door and into a magical land where she goes on a grand adventure of imagination. It’s a wonderful book. I hope Aunt Rosie loves it as much as Luke and I do.
Batty by Sarah Dyer: Batty isn’t the most popular animal at the zoo, so he decides to try being more like the other animals. Super cute book about being yourself. Luke loves this book because some of the pictures are from Batty’s perspective…upside down, that is. He loves turning the book over to view the illustrations right side up. Very well done.
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard: One morning Bird wakes up in a foul mood. He doesn’t want to eat, play, or even fly. So he starts walking. Along the way he meets a host of animals, each of which eventually joins him on his walk. Soon, the walk turns into a game, and Bird’s bad mood is gone. Illustrations are bold and simple. Text is spare and repetitive (perfect for toddlers/preschoolers). A super cute story.
Froodle by Antoinette Portis: Four birds sing the same song day in and day out…until one day when the little brown bird decides to try something different. Something silly. Something like, “Froodle!” A really cute, well-done book about how much fun it can be to break from the usual every once in awhile. Illustrations are great. Text is simple enough for early readers. Luke says that he likes the words “blurv” and “inkpadink” the best.
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein: Little chicken LOVES her bedtime stories. She loves them so much that she can’t help but interrupt her father’s reading every time. Papa starts stories only to have little chicken leap into the story (literally–she is actually drawn into the storybook pages) and save the characters from disaster. This is a Caldecott honor book, so the illustrations are fun, and the text is simple enough for preschoolers. Luke thinks little chicken is pretty funny.
Cheese Belongs to You!: by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz: This is Rat Law: cheese belongs to you…unless a big rat wants it…unless a bigger rat wants it…unless a faster rat wants it…unless… and on and on. Luke gets a huge kick out of the dirty rat (we do lots of nose holding and ewww-ing) and the hairy rat (gross), and he enjoys watching the story build. What’s funny is that the ending is all about how nice it is to share, but Luke usually walks away for the last two pages. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t know how to share very well?
Come Back, Ben by John Hassett and Ann Hassett: Luke can read this book independently. Simple, repetitive text is great for the newest readers. And for such an early reader book, it’s actually really cute. Ben goes up and up holding onto his balloon, and everything he passes says, “Come back, Ben!” including the window, a tree, some bees, a big hill, etc. He finally reaches the moon, where he fills his pockets with moon rocks and floats gently back home. Luke really enjoys reading this book, in part because it’s easy enough for him to read by himself, and in part because we’ve started doing baby signs with Brynn (3 months old) and we can sign almost the entire book. Fun!
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