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Cover for Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard

12 Days – Book 2: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver

Perfect for this Saint Nicholas Day! A fun look at the man in red himself: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard.… Continue reading →

December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

Caryn

Book Reviews

12 Days – Book 2: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver

Perfect for this Saint Nicholas Day! A fun look at the man in red himself: Saint Nicholas the Giftgiver by Ned Bustard.… Continue reading →

December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

Caryn

Cover image of Ink the Cat's Christmas on Christmas wrapping with a ribbon and tag with 1 on it.

12 Days – Book 1: Ink the Cat’s Christmas

My first fully authored and illustrated book: Ink the Cat’s Christmas!… Continue reading →

December 5, 2025December 6, 2025

Caryn

Cover in white with old man and old woman sitting at a table looking at en egg in an egg cup between them. A mouse sits on the floor looking up at them.

Review: The Mouse And The Egg By Mayne & Turska

Today I bring another recent vintage find. It is an odd book that I adore and it makes me chuckle and I’m not quite sure I completely understand it. So I keep reading it and delighting in it and isn’t that the point of books anyway? This is definitely an odd choice of book for… Continue reading →

March 5, 2025November 17, 2025

Caryn

Review: Mumps! By Ostrovsky & Ostrovsky

This week’s review is going to take a vintage turn. We love vintage books around here. Last week, while wandering our bookshops with a visiting friend; I happened upon this book and was completely fascinated. A crazy simple story about illness with some vibrantly unique illustrations! I was initially intrigued by the subject as a… Continue reading →

February 26, 2025March 5, 2025

Caryn

Review: Tell Us Apart By Thorn & Rose

I received a copy of this book last Autumn from Laurence King Publishing in the hopes that I would like it enough to talk about it. Well, I really do like it and better late than never to finally share about it. (A reminder that I do not share books unless I really want to.)… Continue reading →

February 19, 2025February 26, 2025

Caryn

Picture book cover in light teal with a hot air balloon flying off the left and the title in shimmery gold down the right side.

Review: Wherever You Go, My Love Will Follow By Birgitta Sif

Hello February. We’re going to ignore the long gap of years between reviews and writing and just pick up where we are. Things have changed. my girls have grown too much. My location and interests and all sorts of things have shifted; but my love for picture books remains as strong as ever. I have… Continue reading →

February 12, 2025February 19, 2025

Caryn

Book Lists

12 Days of Children’s Christmas Books

Returning to my round-up of favorite children’s Christmas books!… Continue reading →

December 5, 2025December 5, 2025

Caryn

How To’s

How To Read A Wordless Book

A few pointers I have gleaned to help make wordless picture books less intimidating and perhaps invite you to experience them more fully. Taking a cue from 6 of the stellar wordless books from 2013, here are my 5 tips to reading a wordless picture book.… Continue reading →

September 9, 2015May 19, 2021

Caryn

How To Be An Excellent Father

Let’s take a look at a few of Father Bear’s strengths and celebrate the joy of fatherhood through him. Here are my observations on how to be a great dad as seen in Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik, pictures by Maurice Sendak, 1959.… Continue reading →

June 23, 2015April 18, 2020

Caryn

How To Be An Excellent Mother

With the help of the first of the books, Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik, pictures by Maurice Sendak, 1957, here are my five ways to be an excellent mother.… Continue reading →

May 11, 2015June 20, 2021

Caryn

How To Make A Children’s Book Character Costume (Part 4)

For our final portion of children’s picture book costumes, I bring some rather obscure, bizarre, ridiculously easy, and just plain comical ideas. I really had way too much fun with this.… Continue reading →

October 30, 2014April 18, 2020

Caryn

About

Hello. I’m Caryn, passionate obsessor of children’s picture books and an illustrator. This is where I share my ever-growing knowledge and love of children’s books. I’ll be reviewing books, sharing tips, and hopefully convincing the world of the loveliness of picture books.

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