Kid Konnection: NubeOcho 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 adorable picture books from a new-to-me publisher, NubeOcho!

Summary: Once upon a time, the female elephants
had a different skin color than the male elephants.
It was pink. Candy pink.

In order to get that color, they had to eat only peonies and anemones.
These flowers were not very recommended as food,
but they gave their skin that candy pink color.

Little Daisy did not like to eat flowers...

The book created by Adela Turin 40 years ago to promote equality
between boys and girls arrives for the first time in the United States.
A must. -- NubeOcho

CANDY PINK by Adela Turin and illustrated by Nella Bosnia is unlike any children's book that I've read in recent memory... maybe ever. It tells the story of a tribe of elephants whose female members eat flowers so they can be pink. It's not that the flowers are even good for the elephants. It's just that they make them candy pink... and therefore beautiful.

Little Daisy didn't like to eat flowers despite the desperate pleas from her father. She also didn't appreciate that the little boy elephants were allowed to eat grass and play in the fields, and she had dress in pink accessories because she was still gray. You see, Daisy remained gray even though she ate the flowers. As a result, her mom was very sad and her dad was very mad! Her father even accused her of being a rebel!

Daisy's parents finally decided to give up the constant nagging about her gray color and Daisy thrived! She got rid of her pink accessories and started to feel free. The other girl elephants weren't quite sure what to make of Daisy, but they eventually followed in her footsteps. And guess what? Suddenly it wasn't so easy to tell the boy elephants from the girls ones.

CANDY PINK is a terrific way to introduce gender issues to you child. The book was originally written 40 years ago, and it's just now being published in the United States. It explores feelings of being different and even isolated as well as how hard it is sometimes to just be yourself. I think the many positive messages in this picture book about acceptance, tolerance, and individuality are important to share with children in today's society.

Highly recommended!

Summary: Bogo the fox lived in the branches
of a great, big tree.
One day he decided to invent amazing things
so that he could have everything he wanted.

Can a fox fly, breathe under water or see at night like an owl?
A book to help us realize that our own characteristics are unique. -- NubeOcho

BOGO: THE FOX WHO WANTED EVERYTHING by Susanna Isern and Sonja Wimmer is another great addition to NubeOcho's Fall 2016 line. This picture book tells the story of Bogo, a fox who wanted to be special. He envies the other animals and their special talents, so he decides to invent items that would give him everything he's ever wanted. For example, he wants to see like an owl on a moonless night so he creates night glasses from bat tears. Needless to say, none of his inventions actually worked!

One night after Bogo had given up on his inventions (and seemed to be suffering from some pretty severe depression), he used his "special talents" to save his forest friends. He used his acute senses of smell and sight, as well as his cunning and speed, to warn them that there was a pack of wolves nearby. All of his friends were quite impressed with Bogo, and he realized that he already had special qualities that make him unique!

BOGO: THE FOX WHO WANTED EVERYTHING is an entertaining story filled with lots of humor -- Bogo's ideas are a little crazy! However, it's also an adorable picture book filled with so many wonderful messages. The themes of jealousy, diversity, and self-doubt are all explored, but the overall messages (and maybe the most important ones) are self confidence and acceptance. I loved this book!

Summary: The elephant has a very long trunk.
With it he helps all his friends,
but the hippopotamus always mocks him
and says: “That’s not normal!’’

But what is “normal”?

What does it mean to be “normal”?
A laugh-out-loud story about differences, diversity, friendship and acceptance. -- NubeOcho But what is "normal"? -- NubeOcho

And last but not least, I received a review copy of THAT'S NOT NORMAL by Mar Pavon and Laure du Fay. Like the first two books, THAT'S NOT NORMAL has a some terrific messages while also being a fun story. I especially enjoyed the whimsical illustrations. Isn't the elephant on the cover absolutely adorable?

Elephant has a very long trunk.... and "That's Not Normal!" He uses his very long truck for a variety of things like showering and drying his baby and helping Old Monkey climb trees. Most of the animals in the jungle appreciated Elephant and his trunk; however, Hippopotamus kept reminding everything that the long trunk wasn't normal.

One day, Hippopotamus's baby ran off after a grasshopper, and lots of drama ensued. Fortunately, Elephant, with his very long trunk was able to save the day... and Hippopotamus realized that what he considered "not normal" just might be "normal."

This picture book definitely focuses on self-confidence and diversity by showing that being different is a strength, not a weakness. However, I also love how it teaches children about kindness. Hippopotamus wasn't very nice to Elephant, yet Elephant was a wonderful friend who helped out Hippopotamus when he needed it the most.

Overall, I really loved THAT'S NOT NORMAL! I highly recommend this book for libraries and classrooms.

Thanks to the publisher for providing review copies of these books.

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!