Media Matters

 Picture book by Jeff Mack. Pretty clever for a book with only one word! Funny surprise ending too.

 Picture book by Micah Player. A sweet book about sibling dynamics. 

 Lift the flap board book by Sebastien Braun. I love the sturdy, easy to lift flaps on this board book. The prose is a simple question/answer format: Who’s behind the ____? It’s a ____! (insert animal sound here). My granddaughter asks to read this over and over.

 Board book by Helen Dardik. Beautiful illustrations, fun textured format, toddler friendly facts about flowers, and a message about being your best self. This would be a great one to read before going to a local garden or planting flowers with your little one.

 Board book by Jill McDonald. This series can be hit or miss for me, but this volume is the perfect level of information for the board book crowd. It is a must read in advance of a toddler’s first trip to a dinosaur museum!

 Poetry anthology picture book by Fred Rogers. Some of these poems work better than others as actual poems rather than song lyrics, which is how they were originally presented. I wish there was a link in the book to actually listen to the recordings of the songs! That said, there are definitely some gems in this book that would work well as poems for families to discuss and/or for young children to read or even memorize. A few of my favorites: Things Are Different, pg. 25 Smile in Your Pocket, pg. 28 Fences, pg. 35 Summer Rain, pg. 58 It’s You I Like, pg. 71 What Do You Think is Important, pg. 72 Good People Sometimes Do Bad Things, pg. 96 Sometimes People are good, pg. 110 I’m Tame, pg. 112 A Smile’s the Style, pg. 130

 Picture book by Jordan Robertson. This is a beautiful book, filled with true doctrine. Perfect for a child who has lost a loved one! Could also be considered an Easter book to be read in conjunction with the holiday.

 Picture book by Glenys Nellist. This was a sweet way to explain the concept of hope from the viewpoint of nature and the transition from winter to spring, or death to new life. 

 2024 movie. This movie is based on the true story of a family who emigrates from Australia to the US with nothing, and through faith, hard work, the kindness of their faith community, and some miracles, end up becoming famous Christian music artists (Rebecca St. James and For King & Country). There are definitely some tearjerker moments and family conflict portrayed, but the true unsung hero of the story is the mom. She is faithful and courageous and the glue that holds the family together and keeps their hope alive.

  2024 movie This movie is based on the true story of evacuating LDS missionaries in Germany before the official start of WW2. It is faith affirming and shows miracles large and small. Don’t miss the end credits where you learn even more of the story! 

 Picture book by Michael Emberley. A very basic beginning reader with darling illustrations and a message to keep trying if you don’t succeed the first time.

 Book by Gary Schmidt. This is a beautiful book, tackling heavy themes such as physical abuse with both realism and hope. The characters are incredibly nuanced, with even the most unlikeable showing some redeeming qualities later on. It tackles toxic masculinity in an era before that was even a term, and it does so by telling, never preaching. It also makes a big impact in showing how the words we say can make a huge difference in the way someone feels. The serious themes are lightened by the heartwarming friendships Doug makes in his new town. And there is no adult content that would make this inaccessible to older children. This is a book the entire family could read and discuss together.  I listened to the audiobook and it was excellent.