Today at Alice's House: Books of the Day!

One Winter's Day
Author: M. Christina Butler
Illustrator: Tina Macnaughton
Good Books, 2006

The Snow Bear
Author: Liliana Stafford
Illustrator: Lambert Davis
Scholastic Press. 2000

 
Often, while visiting friends, my eyes go straight to their book shelves—each friend's house is a mini-library with new discoveries waiting to be found.  Today, Alice was busy with her baby, her son Weston was playing happily in the sandbox, Mirette was building with bristle blocks, and I challenged myself to find my two favorite books from Weston's shelf.  (By the way, I realized, while perusing, that Mirette has hardly any books about trucks and Weston has tons.  It may be a whole other topic, but I started to wonder if Mirette has few books about trucks because she hasn't expressed interest or because we aren't that interested in the topic— Is it because she's a girl?  hmmmm?  Food for thought.)

I more than succeeded! There were so many potentials, but these are the two gems I bring to the blog. 

The first one is called One Winter's Day.  What drew me to this book is the adorable picture of a hedgehog on the cover with a bright red scarf, mittens, and hat (that you can touch and feel).  The pictures are so cozy and warm—you feel like you are in the wind on a cold day, snuggling beneath your hat and scarf.  The book is about sharing, friendship, and kindness.  Warning: If you are even slightly hormonal, the end of this book may cause a tear or two.

The author has several other books that seem to form a series such as One Snowy Night and The Dark, Dark Night, but she does not have a website of her own.

Tina Macnaughton has a website and prints you can order for a child's room!  I think her drawings would make a fabulous gift for a special kid and I'll definitely be bookmarking her site. 
http://www.tina-macnaughton.com/shop/index.html

The other book that won my contest is The Snow Bear.  Alice got this one from Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada.  What I liked best about this book is the pictures, which are all bright aqua blue.  The story is another beautiful, tear-inducing tale about the friendship between a boy and a bear.  

Liliana Stafford's website is http://www.lilianastafford.com/books.html.  She also has a lovely story on the back page of the book, explaining why she wrote the story.

Lambert Davis has a cool website.  He speaks at schools and demonstrates the art of painting a picture while he's there.  He then takes it home, frames it, and gifts it to the school.  Too bad he lives in Australia.   http://lambertdavis.com/index.htm