America the Beautiful

Wendell Minor took my breath away with America the Beautiful (c. 2003).  WOW!  There have been very few books that have left me speechless after I've read them.  This is one of them.  At the same time that it left me speechless, it left my heart swelling with pride to be an American.  Minor's watercolor paintings are breathtaking.  From the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida to Heceta Head, Oregon and Yosemite National Park in California to Falmouth Massacusetts, each spread represents a specific region or state in our country, perfectly paired with each verse in this unforgettable anthem.  Minor also provides the fascinating story behind Katharine Lee Bates' poem turned song, complete with concise biographies.  Minor's book reflects our countries majestic landscape in his masterpieces as well as carefully researched text in the appendices.  A jewel to share with your children, don't neglect to check out this brilliant book.

The Seashore Book

Let's pretend . . . It is early morning at the seashore and it's hard to tell where the sea stops and the sky begins.  They are the same smoky gray until the mist shifts from gray to dark white, from dark white to pale purple, from pale purple to hazy blue, and then suddenly, the sun breaks through!

So begins the brilliantly descriptive narrative of a mother relating to her son what the "seashore is like."  The Seashore Book (c. 1992) reflects Charlotte Zolotow at her best, describing the shore in what Publisher's Weekly terms "tactile, vivid and musical images."  Zolotow's descriptions paint such detailed pictures that leave a day at the beach imprinted on your imagination long after the the book is closed.