There’s snow on the ground and it’s cold and sparkling outside. Sometimes the winter seems long, and we’re waiting for the spring. Difficult things have been happening in the big grown-up world lately. We’re looking for signs of hope, and signs of help. We’re waiting. We’re enduring. But sometimes we need the comfort of people who love us, and good books, and the quiet of snow falling, on city streets and backyard swings. Gertie always says, it’s okay to rest. Let’s put soft and kind things into the world this week. Here are some books for the month of January to bring you comfort and joy. I found all of these books at my public library. There are links included for purchasing them if you can’t find them at your own library.
GERTIE RECOMMENDS…
A Cozy Winter Day by writer and illustrator Eliza Wheeler is a picture book with a richly detailed world.
This was one of my favorite books on Gertie’s January list. With detailed and charming illustrations, Eliza Wheeler builds a story of a loving and diverse community coming together to enjoy a snowy day in their woodland community. There is so much for a child to look at and talk about on every single page, and many of the details are both delightful and reflect a quiet appreciation for difference and the joy we can bring each other when we live in community together. A wonderful, comforting read. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-cozy-winter-day_eliza-wheeler/52025785/?resultid=4de809a1-9a99-49d4-8925-a6519dac468a#edition=70749140&idiq=63095400
“This land is a lullaby your heart already knows.”
This Land is a Lullaby is one of the most beautiful picture books I have ever seen. It is illustrated by Delree Dumont with paintings that are as soothing and thoughtful as the words by Tonya Simpson. This Land is a Lullaby is written in Plains Cree and English, side by side. I shared it with my not-so-little because of the loving message from parent to child, the gentle depiction of indigenous culture and language, and the remarkable artwork. This book celebrates a parent showing a child the beauty of the natural world and their place in it. The writer, illustrator, and translator are all Cree. Picture books just don’t get better than this. https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/this-land-is-a-lullaby–askiy-ma-cistomwasowin-cree-and-english-edition_tonya-simpson/52079933/?resultid=1625ba58-f0b0-4121-bacf-4746bc318841#edition=70774892&idiq=83228678
A chapter book for ages 8-11, grades 4-6.
Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings by Dionna L. Mann is set in the busy and happy neighborhood of Vinegar Hill in Charlottesville Virginia in 1935. One of the things I liked about this book was learning about this historic place that served the black community in Charlottesville during segregation. Although a segregated south is part of the background of the story, very little weight is given to the grim traumas of that period. Rather, the story shows a bustling and healthy black community in Vinegar Hill, where people take care of each other and work as teachers, doctors and business owners. This story has so many wonderful and wise adult characters who help the main character Allie, who is determined to find a husband who is worthy of her loving mama, grow and develop. Allie is a headstrong and talented child, who makes mistakes and learns from them. There are so many warm and charming scenes of Allie being cared for, and enjoying her life and childhood. Any book that has chicken and dumplings in the title just has to be a cozy read, right? I also love the depiction of friendships between girls in this story.
Magical typewriters and wardrobes, rival journalists, rainy city streets, endless cups of tea, and a love story that begins with secret letters.
This is one of my favorite books of the past year. I love the world building, the rivals to lovers romance, and the surprising seriousness in which the author explores the consequences of war. Even so, Divine Rivals has so many passages extolling the ordinary pleasures of life, and how much more they mean when we’re in danger of losing them. I highly recommend this book to teen fans of romantic fantasy, or romantasy as it has been so aptly named. Iris and Roman are young adults rather than teenagers but this is a coming of age story, as well as a romance. They seek adventure at the front but also each other, and an end to the conflict around them that has cost their world so much. Happily there is also a second book in the “Letters of Enchantment” series by Rebecca Ross. Make a large pot of strongly brewed tea and curl up with this series.
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