It’s my first summer with a toddler, so I find myself navigating the delicate negotiations between a toddler’s desires and a parent’s parameters. In a stroke of sheer luck, though, here are two new children’s book releases that tenderly examine this very theme.
In Kat Zhang’s “Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance,” Amy Wu is a girl with a vision. She is constantly on the move, charmingly creative and wants to have a ribbon dance party. Unfortunately, there’s a gap between her vision and reality. She doesn’t have the same tools that the dancers have on television – not their outfits or their ribbons. Charlene Chua’s eye-catching illustrations invite the reader into a traditional Chinese dance as Amy learns how to delight in a new experience, even if it doesn’t turn out the way she had first envisioned.
Similarly, in Molly Horan’s “I Have Seven Dogs,” Zoe has big dreams. She, like so many others, wants a dog. But her parents say, “Where on earth would a dog fit in our apartment?” With a little creative thinking and proactive character development, she comes to realize that she can enjoy shared dog ownership. Against a colorful city backdrop, award-winning Dana Wulfekotte’s illustrated dogs perfectly capture the warmth of puppy love.
If your kids are also having grand visions in these long summer months, these two books are great examples of encouraging proactivity while keeping up with reality. The best part? That they still promote creativity. Tell us what your kids think of these two new books. Drop us a line @atx_family on Instagram.
Dorothy Bennett is a writer and artist in Austin, TX where she runs a creative agency with her husband.
