The Mommy Island: New Season's Readings From Prestel Junior!

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The official start of winter is just a few days away and it makes me think of curling up with a warm blanket, a cup of coffee, and a good book! Our kids are fortunate to have access to fantastic books on our bookshelf but we also have a well-stocked library only a few blocks from our home. When I was young I was slow to learn to read, I struggled with understanding basic reading concepts but when it finally clicked for me I couldn't put my books down. I want to encourage the joy of reading in my kids' lives so they never lose the excitement of getting a new book. Prestel Junior has released some beautiful new picture books for children that would make excellent gifts for under your tree! Check them out and enter for a chance to win copies of all four titles!

My Dog, Hen by David Mackintosh

Brimming with the lively artwork and waggish humor that make his books a joy for kids and parents alike, David Mackintosh’s newest book explores finding value in the unwanted and obsolete, through the pleasures and perils of adopting a rescue puppy.

“Why should we get a brand-new dog when Hen is as good as new to us?” asks the young boy at the center of this story.

The adorable mixed-breed pup is brought home in a cardboard box, given toys, and some food—and then proceeds to enthusiastically eat up his loving home. When nothing can be done (and all the pocket money has been spent on new toys) the boy’s wise and thrifty grandmother finds a helpful solution. Readers of all ages will laugh at Hen’s boundless energy and parents especially will identify with the challenges of training a headstrong dog.

Any family that has ever adopted a rescue pet will appreciate this story’s gentle lesson about finding value in our less-than-perfect belongings and loved ones.

DAVID MACKINTOSH has worked in book publishing as a designer and art director, collaborating with authors, illustrators, and photographers. He is the author of numerous picture books for children and has a weakness for drawing. He lives in London, England.

The Power of Architecture: 25 Modern Buildings from Around the World by Annette Roeder, illus. by Pamela Baron

From private residences to affordable housing, stadiums to factories, museums to libraries—this book takes young readers across continents to learn how architecture is improving the world one building at a time.

Although popular culture and classrooms are filled with references to classic and iconic buildings such as the Parthenon, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Great Pyramids, there are equally valuable lessons to be learned from modern architecture, especially from buildings situated in the Global South and among underrepresented populations.

This beautifully illustrated book investigates how contemporary architects from a variety of cultures are addressing issues of climate change, income inequality, and limited resources by designing buildings that are as innovative as they are beautiful.

Each building is presented in a double-page spread featuring Pamela Baron’s exquisitely detailed illustrations highlighting the design, natural surroundings, and people living, working, or playing there. Annette Roeder’s pitch-perfect text outlines the structure’s unique contribution to the field of architecture and invites readers to wonder aloud why the building works and to find out more about it.

A perfect stepping stone for designers in the making, this book also teaches kids how architecture can help the people it shelters and the planet on which it is built.

PAMELA BARON dedicates her time to translating the world around her through art making. When she is not making watercolors do her bidding, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, nurturing her love of blowing glass, and finding weird things in vintage shops. She highly recommends that you take the time to be dazzled by the baby southern pudu - an animal so cute that it practically defies translation. She happily makes her home in a breezy town just outside of San Francisco with her husband, 21 miniature fruit trees, and 64 houseplants. She shows in various local galleries and holds a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Hair: From Moptops to Mohicans, Afros to Cornrows by Katja Spitzer

This delightfully informative and reaffirming celebration of hair through the ages not only explores the most outrageous hairstyles from across history, but also shows how hair is an important and powerful means of cultural expression no matter what your sex, age, or race.

During the Rococo period, wealthy women tucked shells, necklaces, fruit, and flowers into their hair, which was styled into towers that reached as high as three feet over their heads.

In 1970s London, young, disfranchised “punks” made themselves feel powerful by drawing on the 2,000-year-old Native American practice of shaving their heads except for a narrow strip from forehead to neck. These are just a couple of many fascinating moments of hair history whimsically illustrated in this book.

Katja Spitzer’s colorful illustrations are presented in double-page spreads that offer an engaging description of a hair trend or style and its cultural and historic significance. Readers will learn why hair braiders in West Africa can spend an entire day working on one client; and how Black Americans signaled their opposition to racist laws and practices by not styling their naturally frizzy hair.

Filled with important history and giggle-inducing facts, this wide-ranging book crosses cultures and oceans to offer an important lesson about self-expression that will encourage readers of all ages to let down their hair and let others do the same.

KATJA SPITZER is a Berlin-based illustrator working for magazines and book publishers. The German edition of her book Hair! was longlisted for the World Illustrations Award 2021.

I Am Coco: The Life of Coco Chanel by Isabel Pin

This portrait of a fiercely independent creative thinker is filled with whimsical pictures and informative texts to depict the entire arc of Coco’s life and career, from schoolgirl rebel to haute couture icon.

Young Gabrielle came from a poor family, was orphaned at age 12, and learned to sew in a convent school. She worked as a seamstress and sang in cabarets, where she was given the nickname Coco.

This story—and the remarkable career that followed—is exuberantly told in Isabel Pin’s simple yet detailed illustrations. Young readers will learn about Coco’s beginnings as a hat designer, and how her earliest creations presaged the concept of sportswear.

They’ll learn about her iconic designs—the little black dress, the impeccable suit, the squared-off perfume bottle, and the acclaimed logo. And they will learn how a freethinking young artist who freed women from the corsets and extravagant ornamentations of the early 20th century grew into a ferociously ambitious designer who staged her own comeback at the age of 70.

Whether they are interested in the history of fashion or looking for encouragement to pursue their own dreams, young readers will find this entertaining biography both fascinating and inspiring.

ISABEL PIN is an award-winning illustrator who has published more than 40 books, received numerous awards, and was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2011 and 2012. Born in France, she lives in Berlin, Germany.

Enter the giveaway!

One lucky entrant selected by the entry form will receive this Prestel Junior Holiday Prize Package! (ARV $76) Open to entrants in the US, 18 years and older. Open for entry from 12/16 - 12/31/2022 at 11:59 pm EST. The selected winner will have 24 hours to respond to the notification email to claim this prize or a new winner will be chosen. The Mommy Island is not responsible for prize fulfillment.