Skip to main content

Books That Take You There: Birthday Parties

I know quite a few people who have birthdays during the December/January holidays. For some of them it can be a struggle, since everyone is focused on the holidays and their birthdays can be skipped over. For others, they like having a birthday when all the family is together and celebrating so many things. Either way, here is a list of picture books that can take you to a birthday celebration and help brighten any birthday, even those that happen during the holidays. 

Written by Laekan Zea Kemp 
Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri 
New York: Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Book Group, 2023. Picture Book. 

Corina is having a birthday, and that means that she can pick some flowers from Abuelaā€™s garden to make a flower crown to wear at the fiesta. Abuela helps Corina pick special flowers that have meaning in Corinaā€™s life. Then Abuela puts la corona on Corinaā€™s head, so that she can remember all the things that have meaningā€”both of Corinaā€™s life and her past. In this story, readers will discover not only a fun new tradition associated with birthdays, but they will also see how family history and everyday life can be the ā€œrootsā€ to help a person be who they are meant to be. 

Written by Stef Wade 
Illustrated by Husna Aghniya 
New York: Running Press Kids, Hachette Book Group, 2023. Picture Book. 

Winnie loves her birthdayā€”so much so that she canā€™t wait for her next birthday. Only, it wonā€™t come around for a whole year. To help her wait, her parents help her celebrate all sorts of fun little holidays (like National Popcorn Day or Dress in Blue Day) along with the bigger holidays (like the fourth of July or Christmas.) With sweet parents that help Winnie understand the importance of all the days, this is a great story to help kids who love big celebrations and canā€™t wait for the next ones. 

By Kim-Hoa Ung 
New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Picture Book. 

In this sweet story, Lyn Lyn has a great relationship with her grandmother, Nai Nai. Nai Nai teaches Lyn Lyn how to crochet and Lyn Lyn decides she wants to crochet something special for Nai Naiā€™s birthday. Only, Lyn Lyn needs Nai Naiā€™s help since Lyn Lyn isnā€™t very good at crocheting yet. This is a sweet story about a great girl who wants to share love with her grandma by making her something specialā€”just like how her grandmother does for her. 

Written by Maureen Gaspari 
Illustrated by Siski Kalla 
London: Upside Down Book, Welbeck Childrenā€™s Books, 2021. Picture Book. 

Lucas doesnā€™t like birthday parties. They are just too much (too ā€œloud,ā€ too ā€œcrowded,ā€ too ā€œchaotic.ā€) But, Lucas wants to like birthday parties. So, when he is invited to another one, he goes. However, it isnā€™t fun for him, until he finds a new friend hiding under the table where the party isnā€™t so overwhelming. This story helps those who need more quiet celebrations feel seen, as well as those who like the chaos to understand why others may not. 

Written by Kealani Netane 
Illustrated by Dung Ho 
New York: Orchard Books, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2024. Picture Book. 

When Tala sees Aunty Sina dancing, she is enthralled. Tala decides to ask Aunty Sina to teach her how to dance. And she does. Only, learning to dance isnā€™t as easy as Tala thought it would be. There is a lot of practice and a lot of mistakes. But, Aunty keeps encouraging Tala. Then, when it is Grandmaā€™s birthday party, Tala dances the Siva for the party. This is a heart-warming story about family, love, and determination to reach goals and to remember familyā€”both past and present.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

You Need to Read: Percy Jackson

I was a kid myself when  The Lightning Thief  by Rick Riordan was published, and it didn't take long for the Percy Jackson series to take the world by storm. Being the son of a Poseidon, Percy Jackson has some unique challenges as a half-blood. Here's some books that I think could've helped Percy when he was on his adventures trying to save the world: Greeking Out: Heroes and Olympians Written by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes Illustrated by Javier Espila Washington D.C.: National Geographic, 2024. Informational. 191 pages. Percy, I know Chiron did a good job teaching you about mythology in Latin class, but this book is sure to be good to have on hand while you're traveling across the United States. Greeking Out  is written in a kid-friendly voice with vivid illustrations and a sometimes-snarky tone (much like Percy himself). It also presents real-life creatures and places along with the information about Greek mythology. The Homework Squad's ADHD Guide to School S...

Display: Flowers

The Language of Flowers Written by Shyala Smith Illustrated by Aaron Paul Asis United Kingdom: Lantana Publishing Ltd., 2024. Picture Book. Juhi loves helping her Appa sell flowers to the local community. In Appa's flower shop, Juhi knows the language of love--lilies for affection, irises for hugs and kisses. She knows the language of faith--frangipani for full moon days, red hibiscus for the temple. She knows the language of celebration--daffodils for the newborn, peonies for a birthday cake. But when her Appa tells her that her favorite customer has passed away, she does not know the language of grief. While Appa makes a bouquet of lilies and orchids to bring to Mr. Potter's funeral, Juhi decides to make him one final bouquet of her own. Which flowers will she choose to remember a man who was always so full of life? --Publisher The Weedflower Written by Elizabeth Davaze Illustrated by Marianne Ferrer Toronto; Berkeley, CA: Owlkids Books, 2024. Picture Book.  A modern schoolya...