Love Monster

Posted on March 17, 2018July 8, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Love Monster (2012) by Rachel Bright

The slightly hairy, a little bit funny looking, Love Monster, is surrounded by cute, fluffy things. But he doesn’t let that deter him on his quest for finding love. Prepared with a plan and a suitcase of essentials (including doughnuts and back-up doughnuts, of course), Love Monster sets out. His search for love is tougher than he anticipated, but all ends well for this googly-eyed little guy.

Love Monster is darling and genuine and relatable and, much though he may not realize it, completely lovable by all. (I want a Monster Teddy like his!)

You might also enjoy:
Marilyn’s Monster
Valentine’s Day book list

Hanukkah Bear

Posted on March 17, 2018July 8, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Hanukkah Bear (2013)

written by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

Bubba Brayna’s delicious-smelling latkes attract a very large and hungry guest whom the elderly woman mistakes for the rabbi. The good-natured Bubba Brayna encourages her guest to enjoy an evening of Hanukkah activities and traditions, despite some initial confusion and resistance by Bear.

This is a sweet, fun story for Hanukkah, and I absolutely adore Wohnoutka’s illustrations of Bubba Brayna and her cottage.

You might also like:
Bear Snores On
Hanukkah books list

Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat

Posted on March 17, 2018July 8, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat by Naomi Howland (1999)

Sadie and her four younger brothers are poor and hungry, until Sadie is given a magic frying pan in return for her kindness to an old woman. Now she can cook batches of golden, lacy latkes, but only she knows the magic words to start and stop the cooking. Things get out of control when her brothers’ curiosity gets the better of them. But all ends well with a very merry Chanukah gathering.

A retelling of Brothers Grimm “Sweet Porridge,” this folktale leaves me wishing I, too, had a magic latke pan. With a recipe included and scrumptious descriptions of these lacy potato treats, this book inspires me to get cooking.

You might also enjoy:
Hanukkah book list

The Ballad of Valentine

Posted on February 6, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

The Ballad of Valentine (2002)
written by Alison Jackson, pictures by Tricia Tusa

A man tries everything he can to deliver a valentine to his sweetheart, but his plans continue to go awry. Little does he realize (although the reader sees), his sweetheart is cooking up a valentine of her own for him. This is a delightful Valentine’s book written to the format of the song, “Oh, My Darling Clementine.”

Valentine’s Day Books

Milli, Jack, and the Dancing Cat

Posted on February 1, 2017July 5, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Milli, Jack, and the Dancing Cat (2003)..
by Stephen Michael King

I don’t know that I ever would have found this book had a friend of mine not tucked it in with a shipment of baby clothes she was loaning me. She said the book was one of their favorites and one that made her think of me. I was so touched by that, especially after I read it. This book immediately skyrocketed to one of my all-time favorites.

Milli is an artist, a creator, but she’s too shy to share her creations with the world. So, she does her best to blend in with the ordinary world, as a basic shoemaker. But when two minstrels show up in town and befriend her, Milli suddenly finds the spark she had needed to be who she truly is.

You might also enjoy:
Belinda the Ballerina