Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler and Sarah Jacoby

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and Chronicle Kids for sharing Rabbit and the Motorbike by Kate Hoefler and Sarah Jacoby. All opinions are my own. 

This book is beautiful and touching. Rabbit has lived vicariously through his friend Dog, who travels extensively and brings stories home to share with Rabbit. When Dog no longer has stories to share, Rabbit’s world grows smaller. But Dog has left his motorbike to Rabbit, and though Rabbit is scared, he knows he wants to be as brave as Dog and get out to explore the world. 

Dog’s death is very delicately handled in this book, which makes it a great opportunity to gently talk with children about grief they have experienced without being obvious and making them feel like it’s being forced out of them. For children who haven’t yet experienced grief, the light handling of Rabbit’s gives a jumping off point to talk about death and loss. Deftly handled all around, which is a wonderful feat for a children’s book.

Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt

Thanks to @kidlitexchange and Chronicle Kids for sharing Reading Beauty by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunt. All opinions are my own. 

I love a good fairy tale retelling or fractured fairy tale, and this book delivers. Lex is a space princess who loves to read, but wakes up on her 15th birthday to find all her books missing! Her parents tell her that she was cursed at birth: she’d get a paper cut from a book and fall to sleep until her true love kisses her. They took away all her books to keep her safe. 

Lex takes things into her own hands and tracks down the fairy who cursed her. The solution to the curse AND to true love’s kids are both delightful twists that thankfully stay away from the “poor little princess” fairy tale. That, along with Lex being 15 years old, make this a picture book all ages can enjoy. I’m already thinking of ways to use it with my older elementary students for Picture Book Month in November. Check this out now so you can use it, too!