More, more, more: Most Perfect You

 

What if your mother asked God specifically for each of your physical characteristics? What if she chose your skin color, your spectacular hair, and the exact shape of your sparkling eyes? Jazmyn Simon's Most Perfect You creates that setting for a young girl to accept and love the body she's been given. Including her big, kind heart. 

Tamisha Anthony's imaginative, sweeping illustrations carry us from the child's home into the atmosphere of possibility and back home again. A reader gains an additional appreciation for the multitude of beautiful options through Anthony's beautiful paintings. 

Help your child to look in the mirror and see their most perfect self. Find many to share this picture book with to appreciate the beauty we've each been given. 

Most Perfect You

by Jazmyn Simon

illustrated by Tamisha Anthony

Random House, 2022

I Just Want to Say Good Night: Rachel Isadora

In a small village on the African veld, it's time for Lala to go to bed. But before she does, she must say goodnight to so many. There is the goat, the dog, the monkey, the ants, and more. All must be wished well by Lala before she goes to sleep.

The sun sets in Rachel Isadora's sweeping, painterly illustrations, and the spreads shift from warm to cool. The book is full of atmosphere. My personal favorite is the dedication page. 

In a sweet homage to Margaret Wise Brown, Lala says goodnight to her book and the full moon out of her window. Add this beautiful, bedtime book to your goodnight ritual. After saying goodnight to all. 

I Just Want to Say Good Night

Rachel Isadora

Nancy Paulsen Books, 2022

More, more, more: Heckadeck, Travis Nichols

How about instead of 52 cards, you have 160 to play with? Imagine being able to play Go Fish with your totz and then maybe Hearts with your older children, with the same deck of cards. Heckadeck offers you 8 suits of 16 cards. You can also anticipate new ranks, visual shapes, and more. What might your family create with Clouds, Zeroes, Beasts, and Travelers? 

An accompanying game booklet offers up the rules for old games and new. There's even a section for reading cards, if you're interested. The power is yours as you and your loved ones sit down for some fun card playing.  

Creator, illustrator Travis Nichols' imagery is both adorable and intriguing. The palette is softly muted. The box says for ages 6 and up, but I see you might use the Heckadeck with younger children in many ways. They might match cards, learn colors and numbers, spot imagery, and play memory games. 

With an opportunity to invent your own games, and the extra cards for further creativity, this deck is fun for all. Shuffle away! 

Heckadeck

by Travis Nichols

Chronicle Books, 2022