Picture Books We Love: “Open This Little Book,” “Flora And The Flamingo,” and “The Banana Police”

The great ideas are often the simple ones. They can make you wonder why they didn’t appear years earlier. Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier and illustrated by Suzy Lee is an adorable yet high-concept picture book that celebrates the love of reading in big (and small) ways. It's published by Chronicle Books.

This Time, It’s Personal: Customizable Books from Chronicle

Okay, you have a fabulous trip planned for the holidays. After the New Year, you’ll come home and start thinking about packing up the decorations and dismantling the tree—but not quite yet. It’s time to just relax the savor the last few days (or hours) of the holiday season. I have a suggestion: after the avalanche of gifts your child has received (with Santa grabbing a lot of the credit) has been opened and that anxious thrill of the new has begun to fade, consider that this may be a nice time to share a special and very personal gift with your child.

Giftable Books for the Youngest Book Lovers

’Tis the season! While you’re making your lists and checking them twice, consider these extra special titles that combine beauty and brains resulting in memorable gifts for your young readers (and pre-readers). These are books to treasure.

Stand Tall!

New York Times Bestselling illustrator Tom Lichtenheld (Duck Rabbit!, Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site) was inspired by last night’s election and the response to Hurricane Sandy to create this charming and inspirational image.

In his words, “Despite the storm, despite the money, despite the mud-slinging … this thing basically worked. So let's put the elephants and donkeys out to pasture and come up with a new mascot.” – Tom Lichtenheld

Or as Lara Starr from Chronicle Books told me, “Today, there are no Elephants. There are no Donkeys. We are all Giraffes!”

Week 8 of the Ivy and Bean Blog-A-Bration!

It’s week eight of the Ivy + Bean Blog-A-Bration and we’re giving away a paperback copy of book eight in the series, Ivy and Bean No News Is Good News. And like last week, we’re also giving away 3 sets of Ivy and Bean Mini Notes. And we’re finally ready to reveal the Super Secret Really Cool Prize that will be part of the Ivy and Bean Prize Pack:

Books We Love: “The Templeton Twins Have an Idea” by Ellis Weiner

Book Review and Author Interview
When I was a kid, I loved vintage Bugs Bunny cartoons, mostly because Bugs was sarcastic in what seemed like a grown-up way. As I read The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, Ellis Weiner’s first children’s book in a series for Chronicle Books, I was transported back to my own childhood, laughing out loud at Weiner’s clever send-ups of … well, everything. My husband kept asking what I was laughing at. I found myself reading aloud to him—a lot. Your delighted kids will read aloud to you, too.

It’s a Countdown to Ivy and Bean Day Blog-A-Bration!

October 13th is the 1st Annual International Ivy and Bean Day! That’s the day that bookstores and libraries around the world will be celebrating the launch of the 9th book in the New York Times bestselling series: Ivy and Bean Make the Rules. As part of the celebration, we’ll give away a paperback copy of each of the first eight books—one each week—beginning with the first book in the series, Ivy + Bean. But that’s not all!

Impromptu Tribute to Sally Ride from Children’s Book Illustrator Micah Player

Our friends at Chronicle Books shared this sweet, simple illustration by Micah Player, author and illustrator of Chloe, Instead created in honor of the passing of astronaut Sally Ride. The image features the character Lately, Lily an adventurous young girl who travels the world with her family. Her appreciation for Sally Ride’s boundary-breaking life is shared by many, especially the legions of young girls she inspired to study science and reach for the stars.

I hope Micah’s image made you smile and reflect on Ms. Ride’s remarkable legacy. Thanks to Chronicle Books and Micah Player for sharing this with us.

For a Magical Media Experience, Just “Press Here”

Book and App Review
Last March, Chronicle Books published an amazing book titled Press Here by Hervé Tullet. The book seemed simple on its surface, primary-colored dots on a plain white background; but it is thought-provoking in a way that all great art hopes to be. Press Here challenges the reader’s assumptions about how books “work” and what they can do as it plays with current popular obsessions with interactivity. Press Here blurs the line between books and apps.