I think it’s pretty clear by now that we at the Free for All, and in particular, your friendly Saturday blogger, are fans of kids’ books, even for adults. So I’m happy to announce that November is Picture Book Month! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, picture books are for everyone. While any time is a good time to take a look at a picture book in my view, this month is a particularly good time for anyone to celebrate the artistry, beauty,  creativity and expression that is a picture book. In celebration of picture book month, this video was put together with quotes from from children’s book writers and illustrators about the medium:

Picture books are the preferred medium of read-alouds whether from caregiver to child, teacher to student(s) or librarian to patrons. They are literature that is meant to be shared. The best picture books are usually written by those who know that kids are unlikely to be reading a picture book by themselves. Authors and illustrators (sometimes one in the same, sometimes not) will leave little inside jokes that will go over 99% of kids’ heads, but will leave the adults chuckling with their own enjoyment, or they’ll add layers to the text that the children will understand on one level, but that adults will understand on different levels. In other words, good picture books will have something for everyone.

Not only that, but picture books inspire empathy, understanding and an opportunity to visualize life outside of your own. Picture books can encourage and spread compassion. They are a gateway to bigger books that introduce us to learning about the “other” in our world in an attempt to bridge gaps and create a safe space in which to express ideas. They can also teach us something about ourselves that perhaps we didn’t previously know. This is a tall order for any book, but somehow, kids books manage to do this every day, usually in just 32 pages and often with very few words. Images come to life on the page expressing more that what meager words can say, in realistic tones, in the abstract, in vivid color, in black and white and in everything in-between.

In celebration of Picture Book Month and all that picture books can accomplish, here are some South Branch favorites:

A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

After a devastating fire left a child and her mother in dire straits, this is the heartwarming story of them trying to rebuild and move on. It is a testament to the power of love and how far the determination of a child can take an entire family.

It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr

Differences should be celebrated because they are what make each of us unique. No matter what you, your family or your friends look like, Parr teaches everyone that it’s not only just okay to be different, it is the best way to be because you’re being who you are.

Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss

This classic tale of marginalization rings as true now as it ever did. Regardless of who the Who’s are, Horton recognizes that “a person’s a person no matter how small” and brings a community of doubters together with one, great communal “Yop.”

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

If anyone doubts that picture books can be art, they merely need to look at Idle’s stunning illustrations which wordlessly tell a story of friendship, acceptance and trying something new.

Cloud Country by Bonnie Becker

I thought this book was worth being on a library shelf because it demonstrates Pixar artistry in a way that the movies often cannot. It deserves to be read by everyone, however, because the story speaks to the power of dreaming, being different and remembering that doing something everyone else’s way, might not be the best way for an individual. It expresses uniqueness in a way that is both accepting and celebratory.

I could keep going as there are so many books to choose from. Honestly, pretty much any book in the picture book collection at the South Branch is worth celebrating for one reason or another. They’re worth celebrating for their humor, their compassion, their artistry and so much more. Till next week, dear readers, pick up a picture book. Pick one up anytime this month. Read it to a child, to another adult or to yourself. You’ll be a better person for it.