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“Imagine! Rhymes of Hope to Shout Together” by Bruno Tognolini, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia, translated by Denise Muir, brims with hope for a better world in a wide variety of ways. (Courtesy of Red Comet Press)
“Imagine! Rhymes of Hope to Shout Together” by Bruno Tognolini, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia, translated by Denise Muir, brims with hope for a better world in a wide variety of ways. (Courtesy of Red Comet Press)

Kids obviously need food, shelter and other basic necessities. They also need unconditional love. Beyond that, children need someone to guide them, listen to them and give them the tools they need to successfully navigate their way through life.

That sounds like a hefty laundry list. In a way, it is, but that is what kids need from their parents and other adults who care for them. If you had those things growing up, you were lucky. If you didn’t, you’re probably more acutely aware of the importance of those things.

The books reviewed today carry important messages for young and old alike. For young people, they plant the seeds for reflective thought and affirmation. For adults, these books are a reminder of what kids think, want, and need. Great combination!

Books to borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

“The Most Important Thing: Stories About Sons, Fathers & Grandfathers” by Avi, Candlewick, 215 pages

Read aloud: age 9 and older.

Read yourself: age 10 and older.

Through seven short stories, master writer Avi has crafted a rich, multilayered work that is certain to strike deep chords with readers, ultimately raising the little-asked question, “What is the most important thing a father can do for his son?”

Seven boys, each searching for acceptance and someone to look up to and guide them. That could happen when camping with an estranged grandfather, interviewing a man for the possible position of a dad or figuring out what the ghost of a deceased father wants his son to do. Sometimes it doesn’t happen the way a boy would like, such as the boy who must find the courage to publicly denounce a false story his father has concocted.

Through these and other powerful stories, readers will emerge with a heightened awareness of what boys really need and identify with the struggles and voices of these seven distinct characters. Equally important for fathers as it is for sons, this choice is a must-read.

Librarian’s choice

Library: Reading Public Library, Northeast Branch, 1348 N. 11th St., Reading

Executive library director: Melissa Adams

Branch supervisor: Betty O’Neil

Choices this week: “Looking Like Me” by Walter Dean Myers; “Before I Was Your Mother” by Kathryn Lasky; “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket

Books to buy

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.

“Imagine! Rhymes of Hope to Shout Together” by Bruno Tognolini, illustrated by Giulia Orecchia, translated by Denise Muir, Red Comet Press, 2022, 64 pages, $18.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 5 – 8.

Read yourself: age 7 – 8.

On sale Tuesday, “Imagine!” brims with hope for a better world in a wide variety of ways. Through 24 rhymes and colorful, moving illustrations, this marvelous book reflects the many emotions children feel.

Imagine if you could gather all the wishes in the world and grant them to everyone. Imagine if tomorrow could be better than today. Imagine no wars, guns or bombs, and instead childlike peace and a bilingual chorus. Imagine being the one to win the soccer game, gold coins dropping from the sky, lots of birthday gifts, answers to painful questions, kindness, compassion and much more.

Thought-provoking on multiple levels, “Imagine!” is an important book that shouldn’t be missed.

“Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers” by Lina AlHathloul and Uma Mishra-Newbery, illustrated by Rebecca Green, is a beautiful fable of courage and equity.(Courtesy of minedition)

“Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers” by Lina AlHathloul and Uma Mishra-Newbery, illustrated by Rebecca Green, minedition, 2022, 40 pages, $18.99 hardcover

Read aloud: age 4 – 8.

Read yourself: age 7 – 8.

Loujain longs to fly; fly like boys and her father and other men do. But Loujain lives in a place that doesn’t allow girls to fly, and this frustrates her.

Loujain loves colors and takes photographs of anything that is more colorful than the beige of sand and gray cement that surrounds her home and life. Her favorite photo is one her father had taken and gave to her, “a carpet of a million sunflowers.”

She asks her father if she can see the sunflowers, and he tells her the only way to see them is to fly over to where they are. Loujain pleads with her father to teach her how to fly.

“It is not fair that I cannot fly. All the boys are already starting to learn. Why not me?”

When Loujain’s parents decide things must change and it’s time to teach Loujain to fly, Loujain’s life and the life of other girls changed in the best of ways.

“I know you will fly — not immediately, but definitely.”

A fictional story based on the real-life activist Loujain Alhathloul, who is one of the leaders of the Saudi women’s rights movement, “Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers” is a beautiful fable of courage and equity.

Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children’s literature. She can be reached at kendal.rautzhan27@gmail.com.

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