My Favorite Picture Books: The Umbrella

The Umbrella by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

This wordless picture book is pure delight from the inside front cover to the inside back cover. A small black dog and a red umbrella travel around the world, from the savannas of Africa to the depths of the ocean. Excitement, adventure, and brilliant colors. Each two page spread is full of interesting characters to discover.

I don't know who was more delighted: the five year old, the seven year old, or me.

My Favorite Picture Books: Journey

Journey by Aaron Becker

This book is one of the Caldecott Honor books for 2014, but I was really hoping it would win the medal. (I haven't actually read Locomotive yet, so I can't comment on the winner.)

Aaron Becker has created a fantastic wordless book in which a young girl who is turned away by her family members, all absorbed in phones, computers, and games, discovers a secret world through a door drawn with a red crayon. Reminiscent of Harold and the Purple Crayon but more luminous, the book includes the rescue of one who is helpless and the beginning of a friendship.

Sharing this book with my children was a delight. If you haven't already, find a copy and delve into this mysterious and beautiful world!