Images from SHAKING THINGS UP
We are curious about the dreams that children have both in their sleep and in wakeful dreaminess (and determination). What role do children’s books play in these dreams? How do books and dreams create changemakers?
(Oh, and what dreamers those children’s literature creators are…)
This podcast conversation was recorded with the Olga Peters at WKVT Green Mountain Mornings.
Dreaming of You
by Amy Ludwig Vanderwater
Illustrated by Aaron DeWitt
Published by Highlights
ISBN-13: 9781629792125
Age Range: 3 – 6 Years
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“It’s a lovely bedtime sendoff for animal-loving children that will leave them with ample imaginative fodder for their own dreams.”
—Publishers Weekly
This soothing bedtime story explores the question, When animals sleep, what do they see in their dreams? The lyrical text tells readers that chipmunks dream of digging deep burrows, puppies dream of long, waggy walks, and horses dream of wild, windy rides. But most of all, the animals dream of all the fun and adventure the next day will bring. The gentle rhymes and gorgeous, serene illustrations combine to create a comforting story perfect for transitioning from a busy day to being tucked in peacefully at night.
The Train of Lost Things
By Ammi-Joan Paquette
Published by Penguin Young Readers Group
ISBN-13: 9781524739393
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years
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“Paquette writes with compassion and a childlike sense of belief, and Marty’s journey—both personal and fantastic—will speak to readers on many levels.”
—Booklist
Marty cherishes the extra-special birthday present his dad gave him — a jean jacket on which he’s affixed numerous buttons — because it’s a tie to his father, who is sick and doesn’t have much time left. So when his jacket goes missing, Marty is devastated. When his dad tells him the story of the Train of Lost Things, a magical train that flies through the air collecting objects lost by kids, Marty is sure that the train must be real, and that if he can just find the train and get his jacket back, he can make his dad better as well.
It turns out that the train is real — and it’s gone out of control! Instead of just collecting things that have been accidentally lost, the train has been stealing things. Along with Dina and Star, the girls he meets aboard the train, Marty needs to figure out what’s going on and help set it right. As he searches for his jacket, and for a way to fix the train, Marty begins to wonder whether he’s looking for the right things after all. And he realizes that sometimes you need to escape reality in order to let it sink in.
In this achingly beautiful adventure, it is the power of memories, and the love between a father and son, that ultimately save the day.
Shaking Things Up:
14 Young Women Who Changed the World
By Susan Hood
Illustrated by 14 Artists
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN-13: 9780062699459
Age Range: 4 – Adult
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“These encouraging profiles of astronauts, artists, and activists both honor past accomplishments and point toward ways young readers themselves might change the world, too.”
—Publishers Weekly
In this book, you will find Mary Anning, who was just thirteen when she unearthed a prehistoric fossil. You’ll meet Ruby Bridges, the brave six year old who helped end segregation in the South. And Maya Lin, who at twenty-one won a competition to create a war memorial, and then had to appear before Congress to defend her right to create.
And those are just a few of the young women included in this book. Readers will also hear about Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belprè, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappé, Mae Jemison, Angela Zhang, and Malala Yousafzai—all whose stories will enthrall and inspire. This book was written, illustrated, edited, and designed by women and includes an author’s note, a timeline, and additional resources.
With artwork by notable artists including Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet.
