Everyone can connect with Brian in Trudy Ludwig and Patrice Barton's The Invisible Boy. Who hasn't had the feeling of being invisible at one point in their lives?

Can you see Brian, the invisible boy? Even Mrs. Carlotti has trouble noticing him in her classroom. She's too busy dealing with Nathan and Sophie.

...

Nathan and Sophie take up a lot of space. Brian doesn't.

The Invisible Boy is a friendship book, but there are many other layers within the pages: understanding, acceptance, and being the new kid. Warning: This book tugs at your heartstrings.

Favorite Line: Maybe, just maybe, Brian's not so invisible after all.

Favorite Illustration: I LOVE that we see Brian as shades of gray in the beginning, and that sparks of color begin to appear as he interacts with the new kid in class.

I'll be blogging here about a favorite book for little humans - whether it's a picture book, chapter book, middle grade, or young adult. 

Today's book is the picture book Swan, The Life and Dance of Anna Pavlova, by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad.

It's a book I've been swooning over since the first time I read it.

The city is big.

Anna is small.

The snow is everywhere and all around.

I love everything about it. The language is breathtaking. Julie Morstad's illustrations are beautiful. The lessons, from never giving up, to sharing beauty throughout the world, are universal.

You and your children might find yourselves swish, swishing throughout the house...

A.N. Kang's debut picture book is a winner. Who can resist a kitty that is so fluffy, he floats? 

Papillon is a big kitty.

He is not fat.

Just very fluffy.

I mean FLUFFY!

He is lighter than air,

which can get him into trouble.

Papillon will fly away if something's not holding him down. And one day, he does just that, following after a bird friend. But alas, he comes to a scary wood. Can his bird friend help Papillon find his way home?

Favorite Line: Papillon did not like wearing clothes. One day, he refused. Cats are like that.

Favorite Illustration: Final spread of Papillon in his new hat.

Everyone wants a unicorn, right? Author Ame Dyckman and illustrator Liz Climo are out to convince you there are many reasons why you should NOT wish for a unicorn.

WAIT!

You were gonna wish for a unicorn, weren't you?

Wishing for a unicorn is a BIG MISTAKE!

Just step away and -

PLIP

Uh-oh. 

Unicorns shed, scratch and they can't be house trained. When the unicorns begin to multiply, our main character must finally wish them away.

Favorite Line: Great. You've unleashed the most destructive force in the universe - A UNICORN PARTY!!!

Favorite Illustration: Last page turn surprise.

Chicken in Space, written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Shahar Kober, is rich with voice and humor. 

Zoey wasn't like the other chickens.

She had dreams.

She had a plan.

She had a pig. 

"Put your hat on, Sam," said Zoey. "We're going to space!"

Chicken and her pig explore "space" in a basket powered by balloons, dodging comets (kites) and battling aliens (birds).

Favorite Line: "Not a problem!" said Zoey. "An opportunity!"

Favorite Illustration: Chicken's pig, tongue out, amazed by her gift of a moon pie.

Egg is not hatching. No way. No how. It is too scary out there. This sweet book by Laura Gehl and Joyce Wan covers the themes of friendship, persistence, and facing our fears.

"Are you hatching yet?" Peep asked. "We're going to have so much fun once you hatch!"

"Too scary," said Egg. "I'm not hatching."

We can watch the sunrise from the roof of the henhouse," Peep said.

"Too high," said Egg. "I'm not hatching."

Peep continues to pitch Egg on all of the fun they will have together. Egg continues to find a reason not to hatch. Until he's left alone - crack, crack, craaack, "Peep, wait for me!"

Favorite Line: "We can watch the sunrise from the roof of the henhouse," Peep said. "Too high," said Egg.

Favorite Illustration: Egg in a helmet on top of the henhouse.

The amazing rhyme from Matt Forrest Esenwine combined with the intriguing artwork by Fred Koehler makes for a winning picture book in Flashlight Night.

Flashlight...

opens up the night.

Leads you past old post and rail

along a long-forgotten trail

into woods no others dare, 

for fear of what is waiting there.

The story follows children exploring woods, tombs, ships and mountains - their imaginations spurred on by beloved books.

Favorite Lines: Sinking under covers deep as weary eyes fight off the sleep. Adventure lingers, stirs about - until a voice says, "Shhh...lights out."

Favorite Illustration: Girl making wolf shadows on the tomb walls.

Peter Brown's The Curious Garden, about a boy creating beauty in a city without greenery, is a favorite in our household.

There once was a city without gardens or

trees or greenery of any kind.

Most people spent their time indoors.

As you can imagine, it was a very dreary place.

However, there was one boy who loved being outside.

When Liam discovers a few plants in an old railway, he tends to them to help them grow. They grow, and grow, and grow until ... the entire city has blossomed.

Favorite Line: But the most surprising things that popped up were the new gardeners.

Favorite Illustration: The moose, elephant and giraffe tree sculptures.

Max the Magnificent is a daring magician. But will he be able to accomplish the most difficult trick of putting off bedtime?

Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and Girls!

Hurry, hurry, for the

BEST SHOW ON EARTH!

Tonight for your entertainment and delight,

we proudly present, from all the way behind the curtain,

the world's youngest magician. Please put your hands together for...

MAX THE MAGNIFICENT!

Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton's bedtime book is kid friendly and full of voice. Parents and kids alike will enjoy the bedtime mayhem...

Favorite Line: Tonight we will see his world-famous and death-defying PUTTING OFF BEDTIME FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE SHOW.

Favorite Illustration: Max's Abracadabra spread.

Stick and Stone, the rhyming picture book written by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld, is a heartwarming friendship story. 

Stick.

Stone.

Lonely.

Alone.

A zero.

A one.

Alone is no fun.

Stick and Stone become fast friends after Stick sticks up for Stone. 

Favorite Line: Stick. Stone. Together Again. Stick. Stone. A perfect 10. 

Favorite Illustration: Stone alone, looking up at the full moon.

Bunnies. Adorable. Bunny's Book Club. Doubly Adorable. You'll love Annie Silvestro's debut picture book, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss. I laughed out loud several times with this one - particularly when the animals are squeezing through the book return.

Bunny loved books.

He'd loved them ever since he first heard the lady with the red glasses reading aloud outside the library.

As he listened, Bunny imagined himself climbing mountains...

captaining a ship...ruling a kingdom.

Bunny and his friends discover the wonders of the library. But what will happen when they're discovered by the librarian? 

Favorite Line: One by one, the animals stuffed themselves inside the library. (Bear caused a bit of a delay.). They scattered about, sniffing the stacks, pawing over pages.

Favorite Illustration: Final scene of all the animals enjoying the first official selection for Bunny's Book Club...with cupcakes.

This is one of my new favorites by Thyra Heder, mixing fiction and nonfiction elements in a fresh and adorable way. A girl grumpily finishes her "bear report" homework when suddenly, a polar bear appears in her family room. The bear takes her to the arctic to show her what bears are really like.

Bear: I also like music.

Sophie: Music?

Bear: Whale music.

Sophie: Whaled don't make music!

Bear: Sure they do!

Sophie learns all about bears in a playful dialogue with her bear friend. Eventually, she saves the day, getting them back to shore with a ride on a whale.

Favorite Line: That was fantastic, Sophie. When did you learn to speak whale? Today!

Favorite Illustration: All of them! If I had to choose, then the same spread as the favorite line above - with the two friends looking up at the sky together.

A new holiday book, The Little Reindeer, is gorgeously illustrated by Nicola Killen. The book is adorned with window and doorway cut-outs and metallic inlays. 

It was Christmas Eve and Ollie had just gone to sleep when

jingle, jingle, jingle

she woke again with a start.

What was that sound?

An adorable little girl dressed in her reindeer suit is ready for Christmas. But one of Santa's reindeer has lost his collar, calling to Ollie in the wind. 

Favorite Line: She wondered if they would go for a ride through the forest, but to her surprise...they soared up into the night sky, leaving the trees far below!

Favorite Illustration: Ollie with her sled, discovering the collar with silver bells.

When Spring Comes, written by Kevin Henkes and illustrated by Laura Dronzek, is a sweet season book filled with blue skies, flowers and kittens.

Before Spring comes, the trees look like black sticks against the sky.

But if you wait, Spring will bring leaves and blossoms.

Pretty painted pictures adorn this poetic book about all the lovely things (and not so lovely things) Spring brings. Do you like mud? Do you like puddles? I hope you like umbrellas.

Favorite line: There will be buds and bees and boots and bubbles. There will be worms and wings and wind and wheels.

Favorite illustration: The three kittens waiting for summer.

Bitty Bot is an adorable, fresh take on a going to bed book. Written by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Tad Carpenter, this book follows a little robot and his space adventures.

In a busy robot town,

bots begin to power down -

all except for Bitty Bot.

Feeling sleepy? Maybe not.

McCanna's rhyme is masterful, the words are playful, and the tone is perfect for getting your little bots ready for dreamland.

Favorite line: "Kiss your papas, hug your mamas. Activate your bot pajamas."

Favorite illustration: Bitty Bot tucked into bed with an alien stuffy.

Finally out on shelves in bookstores everywhere is writer Bethany Hegedus and illustrator Erin McGuire's Alabama Spitfire, The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird. It's the inspiring true story of a scrappy tomboy who grew up to write one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. 

The red soil of Monroeville, Alabama, is as rocky as the state's past. But born in that same soil are the roots of the girl who grew up to write "the book of the twentieth century."

Nelle Harper Lee entered this world on April 28, 1926. From the get-go she was a spitfire.

There are many teaching opportunities for children in Nelle's story. The spitfire, rebel girl showing grit to follow her dreams. The way of the world in Nelle's hometown and throughout the country, where separate was not equal. Young Nelle fighting injustice - saving her friend Tru from the bullies. And an older Nelle, fighting for a life of her own design. 

Favorite Line: Nelle, the girl who fought playground injustice, was at it again - publishing a book where a small town and its people struggled with what was wrong and what was right - and where ski color didn't automatically make one guilty.

Could Raisin be any cuter? Raisin, The Littlest Cow, has become one of our family's favorites.

Raisin was the littlest cow in the herd. She liked it that way.

The bigger cows cooed and nuzzled her, and on movie night, they even helped her see over the fence. 

Raisin adored movies. She was perfectly content.

There's a list of things Raisin likes. And a list of things Raisin didn't like. The one thing she didn't like most of all. Change. A very relatable topic for kids, who have to deal with, and often grumble about, change on a daily basis.

When change comes, Raisin does not take it well. But she eventually comes around...

Favorite Line: Change comes, as change often does.

Favorite Illustration: Raisin and her brother Raindrop, playing and giggling in the rain.

Everyone knows putting your monster to bed can be difficult. You'll want to do everything you can to avoid a monster meltdown. If Your Monster Won't Go to Bed, written by Denise Vega and illustrated by Zachariah Ohora, is a super fun going to bed book.

Don't do the Monster Stomp.

Your monster will wiggle his waggle, flick his fur, and clench his claws, and the next thing you know he'll be shaking his bristly bottom and won't want to stop.

And you'll be shaking your un-bristly bottom, so it will be a big bottom-shaking, waggle-wigging, fur-flicking, claw-clenching Monster-Kid Stomp, which will last all night. Save the Monster Stomp for daytime fun.

The narrator's voice is kid-friendly and entertaining to read. The illustrations are colorful (particularly with a rainbow-colored monster on nearly every page) and adorable.

Favorite Line: TIME FOR BED! Who hates those words more than anything? That's right. Your monster.

Warning: This one might be a little too rowdy for a going to bed book for younger kids. It made our family want to dance...

There is so much to love about LOVE, written by Matt De La Pena and Illustrated by Loren Long. 

In the beginning there is light

and two wide-eyed figures standing

near the foot of your bed,

and the sound of their voices is love.

Matt's lyrical text about what love is - even the kind that is often overlooked, or staring you in the mirror - is moving in and of itself. With diversity on every page, something seldom seen in picture books (though that is slowly, slowly changing), there is a relatable refrain and imagery for every child.

The artwork is truly stunning - the colors nearly pop out of the pages. This is a whole new look for Loren Long's art, for those of you familiar with his adorable Otis books.

LOVE is a story that will be read again, and again, and again. Just how picture books should be...