8/13/2022 Picture Book Round Up: Farewell

Marie Kondo famously encouraged viewers around the globe to declutter their houses by getting rid of items that don’t “spark joy”. I’ve applied this same sentiment to many facets of my life, from jobs to friendships. Sadly, even this website wasn’t above the cull.

Lately, my blog has been like a dormant volcano, nowhere near as prolific & animated as I’d intended when launching it back in January. Every Sunday since mid-July, I’d sit down with the intention of writing my heart out, but inevitably I’d get pulled away by a pressing repair or loved one in need or my own bottomless fatigue. This summer presented me with a whirlwind honeymoon & pregnancy, some chronic health issues, my school doing a complete 180 reminiscent of the WonderWorks building on International Drive, & unexpected trainings to replace the usual lesson-planning madness. In order to fulfill the obligations of my profession & to be a present partner, I had to rearrange & reprioritize.

Many would say that to take the road less traveled is to move in bravery. But it’s just taking a road in the first place that I admire. I’m the type of person who, when confronted with a crossroads, turns off the car. I warred back & forth about the future of First Look Books, how much it means to me, how much I could reasonably dedicate to it once my son is here, for quite some time. Of course it still sparked joy. But the time consumed in pursuit of such a spark, the meticulous research, the long hours of editing & fine-tuning & pairing with extension activities – could I reconcile that?

I dearly love the outlet I’ve created here at First Look Books, & am proud of the work I’ve done. But I’ve chosen, for once, to choose, rather than wait in my car, hoping against hope the crossroads would merge into one path. I’ve made the difficult decision to put FLB on hold. I’ll be posting on a more sporadic basis, if at all.

It is only fitting that this last post for the foreseeable future be centered upon the raves & recommendations of loved ones. Thank you for allowing me to spotlight the books you grew up loving. It is such an honor. I promise that, come January, I’ll be reading them to my son, & I’ll think of you with every page.

The Best of Facebook Submissions:

3 Billy Goats Gruff by Ted Dewan

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber & Marc Simont

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Amelia Bedelia (series) by Peggy & Herman Parish

And Rain Makes Applesauce by Julian Scheer & Marvin Bileck

Animalia by Graeme Base

The Berenstain Bears (series) by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Beyond the Pawpaw Trees by Palmer Brown

Blackberry Ink (Poems) by Eve Merriam & Hans Wilhelm

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr., John Archambault & Lois Ehlert

Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman & Divya Srinivasan

Clifford, the Big Red Dog (series) by Norman Bridwell

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Courage by Bernard Waber

Curious George (series) by Margret & H.A. Rey

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney

Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

Franklin the Turtle (series) by Paulette Bourgeois & Brenda Clark

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord & Janet Burroway

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks & Richard Egielski

How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz & Steven Kellogg

I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt & Cyd Moore

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie (series) by Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond

Iggy Peck, Architect (series) by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus & Jose Aruego

The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood

The Magic Tree House (series) by Mary Pope Osborne

Maybe by Kobi Yamada & Gabrielle Barouch

Miss Nelson is Missing! (series) by Harry Allard & James Marshall

Mr. Little's Noisy Train by Richard Fowler

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone & Michael Smollin

My Father’s Arms Are A Boat by Stein Erik Lunde & Øyvind Torseter

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

The Rainbow Goblins by Count Ul de Rico

Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky

The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

Shhh! Lift the Flaps But Don't Wake Up the Giant by Sally Grindley & Peter Utton

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin & Mary Azarian

“Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas & Wallace Tripp

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith

Stone Soup by Ann McGovern & Winslow Pinney Pels

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf & Robert Lawson

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel & Blair Lent

The Travels of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

Verdi by Janell Cannon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Wanderer by Peter van den Ende

We Eat Dinner in the Bathtub by Angela Shelf Medearis & Jacqueline Rogers

What Do You Do With A Grumpy Kangaroo? by Jane Belk Moncure & Linda Hohag & Lori Jacobson

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Who Put the Pepper in the Pot? by Joanna Cole & R.W. Alley

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (any illustrated edition)

Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Thanks for tuning in! As always, keep the pages turning until we meet again. And remember, if you pull up to a crossroads…be brave.

Love,

Sash