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Five Faves: Song Based Picture Books

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Making songs into books is one of my favorite things. I love the added illustrations, the ability to see a familiar song in a new light, or learn a new song! These 5 picture books are all based on a song, some of which are familiar, and some of which are brand new. The messages vary book-to-book, but each shows the power of music, love, and community.

12 Days of Kindness
By Irene Latham
Illustrated by Junghwa Park.
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022. Picture Book.

In this story, the holiday classic "12 Days of Christmas" gets a new twist, focusing instead on ways to show kindness. Children and adults will be able to model the "days of kindness," and this book follows the cumulative formatting, meaning it repeats each day after a new one is introduced. This book is a great reminder, especially with its familiar and catchy tune, of how we can be kind everyday. 

Sweet Child O' Mine
By Guns N' Roses
Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
New York : Jimmy Patterson Books/Little, Brown and Company, 2020. Picture Book.

Using the lyrics from the popular Guns N' Roses song, this picture books shows the special relationship between a child and their parent. As a father and daughter spend the day together, they find music in all around them and learn how to get up after they fall. This is a cute book to share with your own "sweet child."

Rooftop Garden
By Danna Smith
Illustrated by Pati Aguilera
Concord, MA : Barefoot Books, 2022. Picture Book.

As a community comes together to create a rooftop garden, readers can learn a new song! Diverse characters show how to grow a garden, which slimy creatures you can find in the soil, and the feast you can have after your plants grow! The sheet music is in the back of the book, as well as information on plant cycles, seed growth, and tips to grow your own garden. An amazing book for when you might want to start your own garden with the help of children.

Monsters in the Briny
By Lynn Becker
Illustrated by Scott Brundage
Ann Arbor, MI : Sleeping Bear Press, 2022. Picture Book.

Set to the tune of "What Do You Do With," a crew of sailors have to battle all sorts of monsters on the treacherous sea. Will they be able to defeat all the scary sea creatures? With bright, colorful, and intriguing illustrations, readers will discover that the monsters aren't as scary as they seem. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to be a pirate when they grow up.


In My Life
By John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Illustrated by Genevieve Santos
New York : Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2021. Picture Book.

This book is the famous Beatles song "In My Life" captured in illustrations. With three generations of a family being depicted, this song/book reminds us to cherish all of life's moments. I personally loved the beautiful watercolor illustrations, as well as the message of the eternal love within a family. As a girl grows up and has a girl of her own, she learns about the kind of love she has "in [her] life."
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