Storytime: Determination
What does it take to stick to a New Year’s resolution? The same thing it takes for a baby to get their thumb in their mouth, or a toddler to tie his shoes. Determination. If we can model it through powerful, whim
sical, beautiful stories it can encourage even the most frustrated human to try one more time. I rounded up a few that my daughter, my grandson, and I love.
The Red Fruit by Lee Gee Eun
Beautifully designed, the tall and thin shape of the book mimics the tree this hungry bear will climb, in search of more delicious red fruit. Mostly black and white with splashes of red, the illustrations play with scale from page to page. Bear keeps going until he finally makes it to the top of the tree, doesn’t find red fruit but reaches for a huge red sunrise, falls, and several pages later lands in the arms of his mother, who has a bunch of red, delicious fruit. Spare text, and perfectly satisfying.
Finding Fire by Logan S. Kline
A plucky, red-headed boy sets off to find fire for his prehistoric family, fording rivers, fending off ferocious wolves, and continuing even when he’s injured. He’s determined to succeed. When he saves a struggling baby mammoth, they become friends. Together, they finally find a small spark after a lightning storm and bring fire back home. Mostly wordless and filled with emotion, great for all ages.
The Impossible Mountain by David Soman
Told in the language of legend, purple-haired Anna and her little brother Finn leave their small, safe village to climb the Mountain and see the world. They’re warned about the River, the Cliffs, and the Great and Terrible Bear, and when the going gets tough, they wonder if it really is impossible. But they’re determined, they don’t stop, and they make it. End paper to end paper, the illustrations are so good and the fast pace and suspense keep even my two-year-old grandson entranced.
Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann
Told with spare haikus, a boy and his family wake up at the base of a dormant volcano to clear sky and chilly air, the campground “cloudy with our breath.”
how do you
climb a mountain?
one step at a time
Great advice no matter what the mountain is. There are mosquitos at first, then tiny toads, snow, bobcat tracks, lunch on the trail, and a hawk. The trail gets steep and it isn’t always easy, but they make it. Sweet illustrations, with lots to see on every page.
When Panda sees a pink butterfly and tries to follow it up a hill but fails, the narrator sympathizes. “I understand you want to climb that hill. But you’re still a bit too small.” Undaunted, Panda keeps trying. “Look how far you’re getting! Keep going! You’re almost there!” says the narrator. Finally, at the top, Panda sees a whole stream of butterflies, stretching across a beautiful pink sky. All that hard work was worth it!
What I’m reading:
Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling read by Karissa Vacker
When her parents move so her dad can take a new job, 13-year-old Aven has to deal with a whole new crop of kids and their stares (she has no arms), but she’s got a mystery to solve and no time for pity. Loved the wit, wisdom, sweetness and spot-on authentic characters. This book made me cry.
Now on his 13th installment to the series, this first book has funny characters, off-the-chart imagination, and fun flip-o-ramas. I’m a huge Dav Pilkey fan, highly recommend his Dragon series, too (less potty humor, lots of heart).
The Squad by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao
I’m on a bit of a graphic novel kick. This second book in the series, a middle school memoir, brought me back to 8th grade and all the feels. Made me want to give middle school Christina a hug and a high five, it’s fun while authentically dealing with hard issues, like divorce.
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