Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite “Aww” Moments In Books
I couldn’t remember all of my favorite “aww” moments in books. So instead, I decided to focus on some of the sweetest picture books I know. These make amazing baby shower gifts for expecting parents and will definitely make you say, “aww.” These books are all about love in one way or another – family, friendship, self-love. I probably could have created an entire list of books written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. But, I controlled myself and limited it to just one. Because there are so many other amazing books available. And fair warning, you might want to grab a few tissues to keep on hand. These books might just make the tears flow (in the best way).
Favorite “Aww” Moments In Books
Apple and Magnolia
by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Patricia Metola
Britta visits her two favorite trees, Apple and Magnolia, every day. Though she can’t explain it, she’s sure they are best friends! Then one day, Magnolia’s branches start to droop. Is there anything Britta–or Apple–can do to help? After all, unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all.
Dear Girl,: A Celebration of Wonderful, Smart, Beautiful You!
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal, illustrated by Holly Hatem
Dear Girl, is a love letter written for the special girl in your life; a gentle reminder that she’s powerful, strong, and holds a valuable place in the world.
Eyes That Kiss in the Corners
by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Dung Ho
A young Asian girl notices that her eyes look different from her peers’. They have big, round eyes and long lashes. She realizes that her eyes are like her mother’s, her grandmother’s, and her little sister’s. They have eyes that kiss in the corners and glow like warm tea, crinkle into crescent moons, and are filled with stories of the past and hope for the future.
Drawing from the strength of these powerful women in her life, she recognizes her own beauty and discovers a path to self-love and empowerment. This powerful, poetic picture book will resonate with readers of all ages.
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
by Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Jeffers, arguably the most influential creator of picture books today, offers a rare personal look inside his own hopes and wishes for his child–and in doing so gifts children and parents everywhere with a gently sweet and humorous missive about our world and those who call it home.
In a Jar
by Deborah Marcero
Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars–ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things–like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they’ve seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection–and their special friendship–from afar?
Love Is
by Diane Adams, illustrated by Claire Keane
This beautifully illustrated book tells the heartwarming story of a little girl and a duckling, who both grow to understand what it means to care for each other as they learn that love is as much about letting go as it is about holding on. A little girl finds a duckling who has wandered away from the park onto the city streets, and takes it home to care for it. The baby duck requires constant attention—early morning feedings, bathing, and tidying—until the time comes to say goodbye. When her pet has grown too big for the bath, the girl takes the full-grown duck back to the pond. Afterward, she misses it and wonders if it remembers her. One day, the duck comes back—with six ducklings of her own.
Love Makes a Family
by Sophie Beer
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.
Someday
by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is the book you’ll want to share with someone else…today. The perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Graduation Day or Any Day – share a copy with every special person in your life.
The Wonderful Things You Will Be
by Emily Winfield Martin
From brave and bold to creative and clever, Emily Winfield Martin’s rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, lush illustrations and a stunning gatefold that opens at the end, this is a book that families will love reading over and over.
The Year We Learned to Fly
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Raphael López
On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles above from my list of Favorite “Aww” Moments In Books, please use my affiliate links for Amazon. When you purchase from the links above, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.
The Artsy Reader Girl currently hosts Top Ten Tuesday, an original feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.
2 Comments
Lydiaschoch
In a Jar was such a cute read.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-favorite-aww-moments-in-books/
Kel
Fantastic list, I have three people in my life expecting little ones right now and I think I will grab some of these to add to their presents.