Cybil's Nominations open today! Go HERE to find out how and then nominate favorites!
As you'll see at the end, I finished one adult book and am in the middle of two long books. What a marvelous week of picture books. I added a few to Goodreads, but here are four amazing books to add to your lists, though many of you may already know about them.
Sometimes I am fortunate to get an advanced copy while waiting for the book which is out today!
This book by Irene Latham surprised me. I thought it was going to be a sweet picture book, an imaginary tale between an octopus and a lonely boy, but it is much more. On one level, meeting Agnes and seeing how she acts through the story follows the actions of a real octopus. Also, Thea Baker's illustrations show the real look of an octopus down to the rectangular eye-shape and other ocean features are realistic as well as appealing. Irene has added more about octopuses and an "additional reading" list at the back.
In the story, Agnes appears to be looking for a home to rest, but finds it blocked by, "what?", a postcard. It's from someone named Andrew, who seems to be calling Agnes a monster and signing himself "your nothing". His mom says he can't do that, but he's going to do it anyway, apparently just not tell, but drop the card into the ocean.
Agnes, alarmed, replies by postcard with indignant words and the admonition to look further for octopus information. She also receives a card from MacKenzie, a younger octopus, telling Agnes that the jar is hers, please get out. Gliding along, after such unpleasant encounters, Agnes finally finds a pleasant rock pile and, safely hidden, she lays her eggs. Within the words and the illustrations there are hints of what is coming. Agnes writes to complaining crabs that she will leave them alone if they stop "skittering and scuttling near" because her babies need rest. She signs it "Exhausted" and the picture of her shows a faded red with blotches of pink.
Readers might begin to notice changes and may wonder what happened to that boy. They won't be disappointed. Agnes performs her last realistic act of caring, for the babies, and then writes one more postcard to Andrew. If you're intrigued, I am not surprised. Each page made me want to know "What now?" My final feelings connect as a mother, that Agnes does what every octopus does, has the babies and nurtures them with love. At the end, she also manages to show her caring ways by helping Andrew, a boy she will never meet. Will we act to help without thinking of future thanks? Agnes did.
As I wrote in the beginning, Irene Latham has written a nuanced story that will surprise, and that you will love. Young readers may want to respond to Agnes with a postcard.
I've found that I can get really new books from my library if I look for them early enough and put them on hold. Here are three I've loved.
Susan Verde and John Parra have collaborated to create this wonderful book to celebrate street art and artists. A young boy strolls through his streets, often by this worn out wall, calling "Hey, Wall" telling how no one looks at it anymore, once 'full of style', but now 'cold, old, empty.' He speaks of the community, shown wonderfully by John Parra: alive and happy all through the seasons, inside cooking and eating and laughing with love and joy. He asks the wall: "Can you hear our music? We are salsa dancing. We are hip-hopping." And he has an idea, gathers everyone with stories and sketches, and they paint that wall, telling the story of the diverse and alive community. It's a call to action, and the letters from both Verde and Parra pay tribute to other cities they've known with vibrant art to see "outdoors"! 
