InkyThink

Written by Pamela duncan Edwards

Illustrated by Rebecca Harry

Have you ever been lost or scared? Did you ever think "I can do this! I'm big!"? The little elephant in this story thinks she's big enough to do everything on her own now, but she gets into some scary trouble without her mum!

This is an endearing book - one I will cherish forever. I am in love with the illustrations, and the cute little elephant on the cover is what caught my eye at first. This book has a timeless lesson, and it is clear Pamela Duncan Edwards knew what she was doing when she wrote it. I honestly can not think of a single thing I would change. Bravo!

5.0 baby elephants out of 5.0

Written and Illustrated by Duncan Weller

Imagine you are sitting on the sidewalk with your friends and you are bored. The world is grey, and you have nothing to do. Then imagine that a boy comes down out of the sky and puts light and colour into your life!

The Boy From the Sun was one of the first books I read after deciding to create InkyThink. Unfortunately, I didn't buy it at the time, and forgot the title. Lucky for me, my sister worked at a book store, and her co-worker knew which book I was talking about just from my description. It was the last copy, so I bought it right then and there. I adore books like these; where something bad is happening, or someone is having a bad day, and something comes along to turn the world up-side-down, and make it magical again. As you might already know, the inspiration for InkyThink was from wanting never to grow up. I think the reason I like The Boy From the Sun so much is because it is a metaphor for that. I see the sad kids sitting on the sidewalk as adults who have lost their imagination and wonder, and the boy symbolizes what they lost and hope to gain again if they would just let it be a part of their lives. Read The Boy From the Sun when you're having a bad day. It is definitely the book I turn to when I feel blue.

4.7 suns out of 5.0

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrated by Jen Corace

Little Pea likes doing a lot of things. He likes playing with his friends, being flung into the air by his dad, and listening to his mom tell him stories about when she was a little pea. There's one thing Little Pea does not like though. You'll be surprised to find out what it is!

Little Pea is one of those super cute books that you'll always remember. The illustrations are not confusing or loud or busy. They are perfect alongside the story of peas. If you sit a pea on the table and stare at it, it is not confusing, loud, or busy either. The look of pure joy on Little Pea's face throughout the book makes this story all the more enjoyable. Along with being an Amazon.com Best of 2005 Pick, it is also a 2005 Children's Book Sense Pick. I think there are two lessons in this book. I won't spoil the book and blurt out the main lesson, but I think its underlying lesson is that of enjoying time with your parents and knowing they are just doing what they think is best for you.

4.8 little peas out of 5.0

Written by Audrey Penn

Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak

Chester the Racoon is sad because he doesn't want to go to school. He would much rather stay at home with his mother and play all day and read books. His mother reassures him that he will like school; he will gain more friends and more interesting books to read. That's when she tells him about The Kissing Hand.

A very sweet book, The Kissing Hand is a New York Times #1 Bestseller, and it's clear why. This book gives us a glimpse into the life of a special relationship between a mother racoon and her son. It's a great book to read to any child who might be scared of starting school, or going someplace new and strange. Of course, any book that can make me weepy in twenty-four pages is a winner. Either that or I'm just a big softy. I do, however, love the illustrations. This is a book I expect will always be on my shelf.

4.7 kissing hands out of 5.0

Written and Illustrated by Melanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel is scared to leave his nut tree. He's scared of a lot of things: sharks, poison ivy, bees. He is content to just stay there and eat nuts all day. But what happens when a bee comes to visit him? Will he make it out of his nut tree alive?

Scaredy Squirrel is a perfect example of why many people don't try new things; they're scared. It's okay to try things you might be scared of. Scaredy Squirrel never left his nut tree until he was scared by a bee and accidentally dropped his emergency kit. As it turns out, there wasn't much outside of his nut tree to be scared of. I liked this book mainly because it teaches a lesson with a very mellow humor. It doesn't try to be flashy, or make anyone like it. It simply tells the story from Scaredy Squirrel's perspective, and lets you decide for yourself what to make of his adventure. Melanie Watt does the illustrations herself, and I have to say I am beginning to see a certain special quality to books that are written and illustrated by the same person. There are other books that feature Scaredy Squirrel including Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, and Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach.

4.4 nuts out of 5.0