picture book – On the Children's Shelf

Rock, Paper, Scissors

“Long ago,

in an ancient and distant realm called

the Kingdom of Backyard,

there lived a warrior named

ROCK”

So begins “The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors” by Drew Daywalt. This book is sure to make it onto many young readers’ favorite book lists.

Daywalt introduces his readers to Rock, a warrior looking for an opponent who can truly battle him. He meets many challengers in the backyard, but none can beat him. Meanwhile Paper and Scissors are looking for their own worthy challengers. All three set out on their own journeys to find someone who can possibly truly challenge them.

The three meet, and the battle begins. “‘Round and ’round they went, in the most massive and epic three-way battle of all time!” Who will be victorious….Rock, Paper, or Scissors?

This book is hilarious and amazing and I highly recommend it. Any child (or adult) who has played rock, paper, scissors will delight in this legend. I will definitely be giving copies of this book to several young readers in my life.

“What Do You Do With An Idea?”

Sometimes it feels like I “must” read a book. It keeps coming into my life in different ways, begging to be read. “What Do You Do With an Idea?” by Kobi Yamada is one of those books. My friend recommended this book, but not just the usual “it’s good, you should read it.” She recommended it as “one of those books that you have to read, it will change your life.” I knew I needed to read it. Then my mom showed up at my house carrying a copy of it, saying someone she knew recommended it to her. Okay, I got the hint….I had to read this book.

If you read just one book that I recommend here, On The Children’s Shelf, please choose this one. The recommendations I received didn’t do it justice. It is one of the best books I have ever read. While written for children, this book should be read by readers of all ages, and read to those not yet able to read it themselves.

Yamada takes something that exists in your imagination, an idea, and makes it tangible. The reader joins the main character on this journey from that initial idea, as it grows bigger and stronger, fights the doubt of others, until it comes to fruition. The idea becomes too large for just one person and it fulfills its destiny.

While the story alone is brilliant, Mae Besom’s illustrations are genius. This is by far one of the prettiest books. I loved every page of this book.

This book now holds a special place in my heart and will be a resource I return to often when I doubt my own abilities, doubt my own dreams and ideas and need a reminder of what to do with an idea.

* This was originally written in 2015 but I needed this reminder, so I’m sharing it with all of you.

Help me find this picture book!

I have a vague but distinct memory of a children’s picture book from when I was maybe 5 years old. My dad took me to the library and we borrowed this book. I loved the story and wanted to keep the book. My dad found it on my bookshelf and not in the bag of books to be returned to the library. I vaguely remember the discussion that followed about it being a library book and that we borrowed it, thus we must return it (which we did).

I don’t remember the title, but I’m hoping with the power of the internet, someone who reads this recognizes this picture book and can share the title with me.

The story was of a humanized rabbit family. They lived in a home and acted like humans but obviously were rabbits. One of the rabbit children really wanted a dog. His parents would not let him get a dog (dogs were still animals in the book and not humanized). The rabbit child finds a dog and brings him home. He dresses the dog up in clothes and tries to pass him off as a rabbit friend to his parents. At dinner, the dog sits at the table with the family and begins to eat the food off the plate like a dog, not like a (humanized) rabbit using utensils. At that point, the rabbit parents realize the friend is a dog but allow the rabbit child to keep the dog as a pet.

Does anyone recognize this picture book based on my description? To overcomplicate it, I haven’t seen this book since I was about 5 so my recollection could be a bit off but I’m rather confident in my description of the story.