Kid Konnection: New Picture Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you some newly released picture books.

Summary: In Brother Sun, Sister Moon, award-winning author Katherine Paterson reimagines a hymn of praise originally written by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224. Illuminated with the exquisite illustrations of cut-paper artist Pamela Dalton, this picture book offers a stunningly beautiful tribute to nature.

Katherine Paterson is a two-time Newbery Medal winner, a two-time National Book Award winner, and the 2010-11 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. She lives in Barre, Vermont.

Pamela Dalton is a master of scherenschnitte, the art of papercutting. Her artwork has enthralled collectors worldwide for more than two decades. She lives in Ghent, New York, where her home and studio overlook a biodynamic farm and a school community. This is her first book. -- Handprint Books/Chronicle

BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON: SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI'S CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES reimagined by Katherine Paterson and illustrated by Pamela Dalton is one of the most gorgeous children's books that I've ever seen. This sure-to-be-a-classic book is a beautiful retelling of the Canticle of Creatures as reimagined by Katherine Paterson, the two time Newbery medal winner. And the book's artwork is nothing less than spectacular.

The Canticle of the Creatures, which was originally written by St. Francis of Assisi in 1224, is a beautiful hymn of praise. This hymn pays tribute to life, and it's clear that it's based on much of what St. Francis of Assisi experienced while living in the Italian countryside. BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON celebrates "creation" from the sun, to the moon, to family and to work. It's all about the joy and beauty of life!

As much as I loved the text to this picture book, the artwork definitely sets it apart from your typical children's books. Pamela Dalton's cut-paper designs are truly one-of-a-kind and the perfect complement to the beautiful words. Each page is filled with so many precise details that it's almost hard to grasp that these illustrations are made from cut paper. Booking Son and I took time on each page to just check out all the spectacular images.

I absolutely adored BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON. It's a beautiful book in many ways and one that is sure to be treasured by parents and children alike.

Summary: Duck and his barnyard friends are up to something. One by one we meet them, and then hear their familiar sounds.  But that Duck always has the last QUACK! In close-up images, the animals seem to be climbing upon each other. At the very end, we see the hilarious finale. Young readers will delight in making the animal sounds, noticing the funny expressions, and picking out surprising details in the illustrations. -- Tricycle Press

CHICKEN, CHICKEN, DUCK! by Nadia Krilanovich is a cute book that's perfect for the younger picture book audience. It's a funny story, and at the same time, it is also a great book to help little ones learn animal names and sounds.

At six years old, Booking Son is way too old for this book, but he had fun reading it to me. The idea behind the book is very simple, yet very fun. A whole bunch of farm animals are introduced to the reader one-by-one. They appear to be climbing on top of each other to make a barnyard pyramid. At the end of the story, there is a funny little surprise that is sure to bring a smile to your child's face.

As I mentioned before, CHICKEN, CHICKEN, DUCK! is perfect for little ones. There are only a few words on most pages and many of the words are just animal names or sounds, so it will even appeal to kids who have a hard time sitting still. The illustrations are also adorable and sure to capture your toddler's imagination. The animals are just precious and the expressions on their little faces make them almost come alive.

If you are looking for a cute introduction into barnyard animals and their sounds, then I definitely recommend CHICKEN, CHICKEN, DUCK!

Thanks to the publishers for sending a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!