Just wanted to share some recent picture book treasures we are enjoying. Some are old, some are new… but these are what I love today. And all happen to be fitting for adults.
The White Cat and the Monk is a somber, stunning little delight. It’s a retelling of the old Irish poem “Pangur Bán” (about which I knew nothing until just now…). It’s the simple story of finding light and truth… a beautiful book for children and adults.
Wherever You Go is the new “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” While I love Dr. Seuss, this particular discover-the-world book is graphically much more inspiring and fun. The text is all about how different roads will do different things and lead you in different ways… superb for those bound for a new adventure or at a crossroads in their life.
All in a Day is older but needs to be read often. By all ages. Today I read it for the first time and wanted to cry. Granted, I’ve got a swirling load of thoughts that contribute to this, but I was so delighted and relieved in some sense just to read the hopefulness in this book! Who says therapy has to be expensive!
The Whale is the newest addition to my favorite wordless books. Wordless books know no age boundaries. The artwork by Vita and Ethan Murrow in this is exquisitely realistic. 
The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles is my “not yet seen” addition to this list. The story sounds absolutely charming… from Amazon: “The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles spends his days watching the waves for a glint of glass and delivering messages near and far. His only companions are an orange tabby cat and a cow. Befitting the slightly melancholy tone, Cuevas’s text is appropriately lyrical (“Sometimes the messages were very old, crunchy like leaves in the fall. Sometimes the messages were written by a quill dipped in sadness.”). When he discovers a bottle with an invitation to a party the next evening—with no recipient specified—the Uncorker is curious. After asking the maker of cakes, the candy shop owner, several townspeople, a seagull, and a one-man band if they recognize the handwriting (no one does, though they all profess a desire to attend such a party), the Uncorker decides to go to the event himself in hopes of returning the message to the original author.”
