Picture Books about Perspective
infused with humor and paired with beautiful illustrations
I don’t always go to the library with a specific theme in mind. We picked these books out in mid-November and I was loosely looking for books about colder weather. What I ended up with after reading them out loud to my children was a stack full of books about perspective.
One Meriam-Webster definition of perspective is:
the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance
ex: trying to maintain my perspective
These books challenge children to change their mindset to be grateful for what they already have. Sometimes all it takes is looking at our situation from a different perspective. It’s a reminder I needed this month and I’m grateful to have found it in the comfort of beautifully illustrated children’s books.
Most of these are backlist titles from the library but I’ve linked to Bookshop.org when available below. Every purchase through Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and puts a few pennies in my pocket at no extra cost to you.
Mr. Posey’s New Glasses by Ted Kooser
A charming story of an unlikely friendship between an elderly man and his young neighbor. Mr. Posey’s search for new glasses invites us all to look at life through a different lens. Proof that sometimes looking at life differently makes even the simplest pleasures brighter, different, and exciting.
The Perfect Sofa by Fifi Kuo
Similar to themes in Mr. Posey’s New Glasses, when Penguin and Panda decide their tired sofa needs replacement, they set out to find the perfect one. But none of the options are quite right and no sofa can seem to match the comfort of the one they already have. Maybe using what they already have isn’t so bad after all.
Let Me Sleep, Sheep! by Meg McKinlay
Amos is counting himself to sleep. It's a good plan, until the cranky sheep land in his bedroom -- and start in with their many demands. Perfect for showing a tuckered-out kid that bedtime is a win-win all around.
Just Snow Already! by Howard McWilliam
When the forecast calls for snow, one little boy is thrilled. He keeps peeking outside to see if it's snowing - but he only looks up! His single-minded focus on the sky makes him completely miss the increasingly comical chaos occurring outside his door, which includes a monster truck, a firetruck, escaped monkeys, and carousing clowns. A great book for teaching patience and observation this winter.
Copydog by Zachariah Ohora
Elise and her younger sister, Rosemont, get along well--most of the time. But there's one thing about her sister that drives Elise bananas . . .Rosemont copies everything her sister does! Relatable to anyone who's ever been frustrated by a copycat--er, copydog--this story shows how no one can annoy you--or be there for you--quite like a sibling.
A Different Pond by Bao Phi
As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father shares stories with him about a different pond in their homeland of Vietnam. A 2018 Caldecott Honor Book.
Another by Christian Robinson
An imaginative journey into another world. What if you... encountered another perspective? Discovered another world?Met another you? What might you do?
A Pizza with Everything on It by Kyle Scheele
A child wants to make a pizza with his dad, but not just any pizza . . . he wants a pizza with everything on it. But as the toppings pile on, this father-son duo accidentally create a pizza so delicious, so extravagant, so over-the-top, that it destroys the universe--and the cosmos go as dark as burnt crust. Will anyone enjoy pizza ever again?
From the Library Archives
What did you find worth checking out from the library this month?
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*adds entire list to library holds* Thank you!