Here are 100 books that Let's Do Everything and Nothing fans have personally recommended if you like
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We’re picture book lovers and best friends that met in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Our friendship started out with long telephone conversations during the pandemic, and have now blossomed into a picture book partnership where we hope to write books that make people feel warm and fuzzy through the universality of the human experience. Vivienne is still currently a student at WashU, but will move to New York post-graduation. Eugenia has since graduated and is currently a designer in the children’s department at Chronicle Books in the Bay Area.
There is so much we love about this book. Every page stretches the imagination on how much one can love in physical distance form and it makes you realize that love, in a sense, has not bounds. You can’t guess how much Little Nutbrown Hare is loved, but he are loved endlessly. Not only is this book warm and fuzzy vibes, it makes you want to cry with this father and child relationship. Vivienne’s dad is a big inspiration in my life and it makes her realize how much she love him and hope to be just like him one day.
Celebrate twenty-five years of love right up to the moon and back! A new board-book edition is perfect for little hands.
How much does Little Nutbrown Hare love his daddy? And how much does Big Nutbrown Hare love him back? The cherished tale of boundless affection is ready for boundless sharing in a durable board-book edition for the younger set.
We’re picture book lovers and best friends that met in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Our friendship started out with long telephone conversations during the pandemic, and have now blossomed into a picture book partnership where we hope to write books that make people feel warm and fuzzy through the universality of the human experience. Vivienne is still currently a student at WashU, but will move to New York post-graduation. Eugenia has since graduated and is currently a designer in the children’s department at Chronicle Books in the Bay Area.
This sweet, tiny Japanese book is part of a three-book series revolving around a little bear named Kuma Kuma Chan. The story perfectly captures what it feels like to go visit a friend who lives far away. Even though the visit is not particularly eventful, the moments shared drinking bear tea and eating gifted chocolates feel so relatable. The illustrations are simple and serene, paired with an equally quiet and sweet story of friendship.
When a boy receives an invitation in the mail from Kuma-Kuma Chan, his friend who happens to be a bear, he travels by train, bus, and foot to reach Kuma-Kuma Chan's home. His friend welcomes him with 'bear tea', serves rice crackers and at the end of the day, a delicious salmon dinner. The two don't have a lot to talk about, but they spend the day sharing activities, eating delicious food, and experiencing the sense of belonging that comes from being with a good friend. When the boy leaves to catch the last bus home, both friends are enriched…
We’re picture book lovers and best friends that met in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Our friendship started out with long telephone conversations during the pandemic, and have now blossomed into a picture book partnership where we hope to write books that make people feel warm and fuzzy through the universality of the human experience. Vivienne is still currently a student at WashU, but will move to New York post-graduation. Eugenia has since graduated and is currently a designer in the children’s department at Chronicle Books in the Bay Area.
The watercolor illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous, and the story itself mixes magical realism with an insightful truth. In providing us with opportunities, our parents have to sacrifice a little bit of themselves. Throughout the book, this abstract sacrifice is portrayed by the parent’s shrinking scale. The parents offer a few inches of their height in exchange to give their child a birthday cake, education, and books. Throughout time, the reader sees the parents shrink smaller and smaller as they give more and more of themselves to the young boy. This is a book that made us want to tear up, and a book that we wish we could have written.
From the author of the award-winning picture book This Small Blue Dot comes a new tale of a family that doesn’t look like all the others, carrying an enduring message of the transformative power of love, and the shape a life can take.
It goes without saying that all children believe their parents to be strange. Mine were unusual for a different reason . . .
One boy’s parents travel from far-off lands to improve their son’s life. But what happens next is unexpected. What does it mean when your parents are different? What shape does love take? And what…
We’re picture book lovers and best friends that met in college at Washington University in St. Louis. Our friendship started out with long telephone conversations during the pandemic, and have now blossomed into a picture book partnership where we hope to write books that make people feel warm and fuzzy through the universality of the human experience. Vivienne is still currently a student at WashU, but will move to New York post-graduation. Eugenia has since graduated and is currently a designer in the children’s department at Chronicle Books in the Bay Area.
This heartwarming watercolored picture book follows a crocodile as he sets off into the great metropolis for his morning commute. With no words at all, this book expertly shows the bustling, dynamic city life with both human and animal inhabitants. Each page is compositionally unique, and it is a masterclass in pacing and paneling. Despite the urban landscapes, the illustrations are rendered in a way that feels like a breath of fresh air. And best of all, the last page will make you want to revisit the entire book from beginning to end.
Mr. Crocodile loves his job. Every morning he gets up with an alarm. He brushes his teeth. He chooses the right tie to match his outfit, eats a quick slice of toast, and heads off to work on a crowded train. But what is his job? The answer may surprise you. Readers will want to pore over this witty, wordless book again and again, finding new details and new stories with every reading.
When I started writing children’s stories in 2018, I never would've guessed that my first book would be about rainbow babies. I hadn’t even heard of the term until I miscarried the following year. As I grieved the baby we would never hold, I used writing to work through the mess of emotions I felt: pain, disappointment, sorrow… until the words “Dear Rainbow Baby” appeared. My husband and I didn’t know if we could or would have a rainbow baby, yet, writing a letter filled me with hope that one day she would come. We recently celebrated our daughter’s second birthday, and the publication of my first picture book Dear Rainbow Baby.
The first thing I noticed about this book was its simple black, white, and red illustrations. They are simple and clean and add so much to the book’s message. While the text doesn’t explicitly mention rainbow babies, parents who have endured previous losses will resonate with its beautiful refrain: it had to be you.
This sweet and playful board book features bold, high-contrast black-and-white illustrations that babies can actually see!
In simple, beautiful verse, bestselling Feminist Baby creator and two-time Emmy Award winner Loryn Brantz narrates the journey that parents take to have their perfect little one.
New York magazine's The Strategist chose It Had to Be You as one of the "Best (Nonobvious) Baby Books to Bring to a Shower." As The Strategist stated: "Because of its high-contrast color scheme (with red accents), it's easy for babies to see the illustrations. Plus, the lyrical text is a love poem to the child that's…
It's a pleasure to share these books with other readers because they so elegantly convey love in a way for young readers to easily understand. They contain elements of reassurance that both children and parents need, especially during times of transition. I didn't comprehend how much love I could have for another person until the birth of my daughter. My love for her was so immense and all-consuming that it brought an unfathomable joy to my life. I read these books to her during transitional times as a way to articulate the infinite love I have for her. I hope they bring as much comfort and closeness to other readers as they have to us.
The tenderness a parent has for their child is so compelling, so strong, that the overwhelming need to nurture and soothe is boundless even as they grow into adults. As my children have grown, this book has become an even more precious part of our library. The love a parent has for a child only begins at birth, but lasts a lifetime and grows stronger with each new season. This stunning book illustrates this perfectly!
A book that combines the spiritual (and artistic) appeal of Jon Muth's THE THREE QUESTIONS with the heartfelt emotion of LOVE YOU FOREVER.
Here is the rare book that not only expresses a parent's love for their child, but offers a hope for what that love will become. It begins with a wish at bedtime, as parents hold their children tight and hope their love will cradle them, safe and sound. It continues through the day their children have grown up, proud and strong, and can pass that love on to someone else. This is a book that goes beyond…
As an early childhood educator, I have firsthand experience with the effectiveness of picture books to stimulate the mind, open conversation, offer emotional support, and provide us all with the fundamentals of understanding ourselves and others. I have supported children and families suffering a loved one’s death by sharing picture books with them. My book, The Rag Doll Gift is based on the true story of my mother who died before giving my youngest her doll. This story was born when my daughter received her doll and said, in all her six-year-old wisdom, “Grammie is still saying” I love you” even when we can’t hear her anymore”
I love the design of this book. Just holding it brings me comfort with its unique, calming illustrations and its board book size. Because this book speaks a universal truth from the heart to the heart, it appeals to all ages – babies to adults.
What universal truth? The truth that even if you cannot see me or hear me, even if I am not near you or in this world, my love is.
I also love how the gentle flowing text meets children where they are and provides an opening for deep connections.
Love is the greatest gift we have to give our children. It's the one thing they can carry with them each and every day.
If love could take shape it might look something like these heartfelt words and images from the inimitable Nancy Tillman. Here is a book to share with your loved ones, no matter how near or far, young or old, they are.
My mother was rarely without pen and paper in hand. She wrote stories – true stories. After suffering a stroke she wasn’t able to compose the long enchanting novels she used to, but nevertheless kept writing. The stroke made it difficult for her to tell her special stories to her adored young grandson. So we became creative. I took photos of her daily life with us. Brooke Dahmen drew beautiful illustrations from these photos. With her grandson’s and my help, grandma wrote true and heartfelt captions for the illustrations. All created in gratitude for the joys of senior living and the kind helping hands of a child.
A board book with simple illustrations and words. A child will easily see him or herself in the pages and begin to understand that one’s varying mood changes or expressions are all just fine. Through each expression a child is loved and treasured. So, express yourself! You got this!
A rhyming story of unconditional love with adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare "I love you through and through!"
I love your hair and eyes,Your giggles and cries...A toddler and his teddy bear illustrate a young child's happy side, sad side, silly side, mad side, and more!Babies and toddlers will feel loved all over when they hear this declaration of adoration and affection. A perfect first book for toddlers with sturdy cardstock pages and a padded cover with rounded corners for safe handling by little ones.
I’ve written and spoken on raising children and creating a home environment that supports learning, self-worth, a growing faith, a confident child who has character and creativity. I’ve had a passion for children all my life, and after teaching and working with kids from ages two to eighteen, and college, I began writing to inspire and equip parents to make the most of the fast-moving years of their children’s growing up years. My books like Unlocking Your Child’s Learning Potential, When Mothers Pray, Mothering By Heart, The One Year Book of Praying Through the Bible, have been published in eighty countries because they are inspiring, contain doable ideas, and are applicable to parents in other nations.
Ross Campbell explains the emotional needs of a child and provides you with skills that will help your child feel truly loved, accepted, and emotionally secure. He explains love for a person "no matter what". With regards to children, loving them regardless of who they are, or how they live up to expectations or don’t. This was one of the most important books I read as a young mother.
You know you love your child. You attend school events, care for physical needs, and discipline when needed. But did you know that most children, even in loving households, doubt that they are genuinely and unconditionally loved?
In Dr. Ross Campbell’s groundbreaking book, he explains the emotional needs of a child and provides you with skills that will help your child feel truly loved and accepted. Using eye contact, affirmation, and spiritual nurturing, you’ll learn to really love your child no matter what the circumstances. The practical applications in How to Really Love Your Child have already helped over 2…
As a gay father of two transracially adopted daughters, I am constantly searching for books that feature families like mine. It is important for children to see families that look like theirs represented in their storybooks. Unfortunately, there is a limited number of children’s books spotlighting adoption and even less featuring LGBTQ+ families. I am happy to share this list of some of my favorites that represent diverse/LGBTQ+ families.
Love Makes a Family is simply wonderful. It affirms the message that the definition of family transcends any formula or normative expectation. What defines a family is the love that is shared between the people in it. The book doesn’t preach and it doesn’t lecture. It simply focuses on love and, quite frankly, we need more of that kind of message in the world.
This fun, inclusive board book celebrates the one thing that makes every family a family . . . and that's LOVE.
Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what's most important in each family's life is the love the family members share.
