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picturebookpebbles.bsky.social
@picturebookpebbles.bsky.social
31 followers 21 following 43 posts
Raising bilingual children (English-Japanese). I read to them daily. A brief glimpse into how wild their picture books can be.
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Today’s book: “Shh! We Have a Plan” by Chris Haughton @chrishaughton.bsky.social

While younger readers will enjoy the repetition—my toddler loves hollering “Hello birdie!”—adult readers will relate to the aggravation of following an inept leader/team.

#PictureBook #WeHaveAPlan #HelloBirdie
A two page spread from “Shh! we Have a Plan” by Chris Haughton. On the left page, in shades of blue in black, is an illustration is 4 figures looking/pointing to a pink/purple bird on a tree branch above them. Three of the figures are holding nets. The smallest is not. White text reads: “LOOK! up there” On the right page, the 4 figures are shown in a line against a white background. Text above the smallest reads “hello, birdie”. Beneath the 3 larger figures (all holding nets and the right-most one holding a ladder” is text that reads: shh SHH! we have a plan.
March 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
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Today’s book: “Butt or Face?” by Kari Lavelle @karilavellewrites.bsky.social

I mean, it can be kinda hard to tell sometimes…

Get to know some of nature’s lesser-known animals by guessing which end you’re looking at! Some of them are doozies…

#PictureBook #Animals #Butts
A picture from Kari Lavelle’s “ Butt or Face”. There is an image with a green border that appears taped to the book, with two googly eyes to the right. Red text in the upper left corner reads: This one looks interesting. What animal do you think it is? And more importantly, Is this a Larger red text below the image reads: BUTT or FACE?
March 13, 2025 at 6:25 PM
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Today’s book: “You Are Light,” by Aaron Becker.

Aside from the beautiful poem and images, this book is a favorite for the tactile experience it offers. Every page, my kids poke the colorful plastic, scratch it with their nails, and hold it up to the light.

#PictureBook #Light
A two-page spread from Aaron Becker’s “You Are Light”. On the left page is a ring of circles made colorful by light shining through plastic panels of different colors: yellow, orange, and pink. Inside the ring is text that reads, “ It sips the sea to make the rain.” A similar ring of colorful circles (green, blue, pink, orange, yellow) appears on the right page, inside which is a blue illustration of a breaking wave.
March 11, 2025 at 4:45 PM
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Today’s book: “Oh Those Strawberries…” part of the Yummy Friends series by Kazuhiko Toyota .
今日の絵本: 「いちごさんがね…」(おいしいともだち)
作: とよた　かずひこ

Six strawberries on an adventure meet all manner of obstacles. This series is great for kids and Japanese learners because it is reliably repetitive.

#PictureBook
A 2-page spread from Kazuhiko Toyota’s “Oh Those Strawberries…”. A simple illustration of 6 strawberries walking in a line, all wearing backpacks and holding walking sticks. A large, green, angry-looking frog sits in their way. Text in hiragana above the illustration reads いちごがろっこずんすんずん (6 strawberries walking briskly)
February 28, 2025 at 9:20 PM
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Today’s book: “Hop, Step, Rhinoceros Beetle,” part of the 0.1.2. Picture Book series. By Junko Masuda .
今日の絵本: 「ほっぷすてっぷかぶとむし」(0. 1. 2. 絵本)
作: 増田純子

You won’t see rhinoceros beetles featured much outside of Japan, but they turn up regularly in Japanese picture books.
#PictureBook #Beetle #カブトムシ
A two-page spread from “Hop, Step, Rhinoceros Beetle” by Junko Masuda. A simple black and brown illustration of a rhinoceros beetle jumping with all six legs in the air. To the right of the illustration is hiragana: ほっぷ　(hop)
February 28, 2025 at 1:17 AM
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Today’s book: “Roy’s House,” written by Susan Goldman Rubin with art by Roy Lichtenstein.

This is a colorful and welcoming way to introduce kids to one of the modern masters: Roy Lichtenstein. Also: hot dogs 🌭

#PictureBook #RoyLichtenstein #HotDog #ModernArt
A two-page spread from “Roy’s House,” written by Susan Goldman Rubin with art by Roy Lichtenstein. Pictured is Roy Lichtenstein’s “Hot Dog with Mustard” (1963). Along the bottom, white text against a blue background reads: “Maybe a hot dog in a bun,”
February 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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Today’s book: “Stack the Cats” by Susie Ghahremani @boygirlparty.bsky.social

Every attempt I have made to stack cats has ended in pain and suffering on my part. This book lets me imagine a world where cats don’t mind being stacked (and prefer stacks of 3)!

#PictureBook #Cats #StackAllTheCats
A 2-page spread from Susie Ghahremani’s “Stack the Cats”. In this illustration, there are cats of varying sizes and colors in stacks of 2, 3, or 4. Black text in the middle of the right page reads, “How will you stack the cats?”
February 24, 2025 at 9:55 PM
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Today’s book: “Rainbow Cats” by Bàrbara Castro Urío.

What’s better than a book about cats? A book about cats of all colors AND with window cutouts. Every turn of the page gives you a chance to guess which window will open up next.

#PictureBook #Rainbow #Cats #WindowCats
A two-page spread from “Rainbow Cats” by Bàrbara Castro Urío. On the left page are 5 cutouts and text among them, reading: “To rest in a room in the big white house! Goodnight, Little Light-Blue Cat. Now up to the house comes Little Black Cat. Where are you going, Little Black Cat?”Below the last line of text is an illustration of a black cat standing on its back legs. On the right page are 5 cutouts outs inside the outline of a house: 4 windows and a door. Each of the windows has a different color visible inside it.
February 21, 2025 at 9:50 PM
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Today’s book: “Du Iz Tak?” by Carson Ellis.

Here’s a weird one! Written in an insect language that is fun to read aloud, you get the gist (if not the specifics) of what the bugs are talking about.

#PictureBook #Insects #language
A 2-page spread from “Du Iz Tak?” by Carson Ellis. On the left page is an illustration of a cut log with a short branch on top. A brown cocoon is hanging from the branch. On the left page are three insects near a small leafy green plant. One is saying “Ru badda unk ribble.” Another is saying “Su.” The third (which looks like a ladybug) is saying “Bore inkin Icky.”
February 20, 2025 at 9:32 PM
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Today’s book: “The Giant Jam Sandwich”, story and pictures by John Vernon Lord with verses by Janet Burroway.

How does one deal with a huge wasp problem? Why, make a huge sandwich, of course! Also, Itching Down is a great name for a town.

#PictureBook #sandwich #wasps #SandwichesSolveMostProblems
A 2-page spread from “The Giant Jam Sandwich” by John Vernon Lord. The illustration shows a giant loaf of dough on a flat cart being pulled through a small town by several vehicles. They appear to be heading towards a large brick building with open doors. A number of wasps are hovering above the dough. At the bottom of the pages are lines of text: “When they were done, the dough was left to rise Till the loaf was a mountain in shape and size! They hitched it up, with a lot of fuss, To tractors, cars and the village bus, And took it to the oven they had made on the hill— Fifty cookers in an old brick mill.”
February 19, 2025 at 7:19 PM
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Today’s book: “Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave”, by @jessicahische.bsky.social

When the world around you seems like it’s too big and scary, being brave might be a tall order, but you can always try again tomorrow. A much-needed reminder today!

#PictureBook #Brave #TakeABreath #GetSomeRest #TryAgainTomorrow
A two-page spread from “Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave” by Jessica Hische. In the top left corner of the left page is text reading “Tomorrow I’ll be lol the things I tried to be today…” the following words are beautifully lettered in differing styles: Adventurous, Strong, Smart, Curious, Creative, Confident, & Brave At the bottom of the right page is the following text: “and if I wasn’t one of them, I know that it’s okay.”
February 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
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Today’s book: “Mr. Toilet Gets Sick”. Written and illustrated by Megumi Kitagawa.
今日の絵本: 「おトイレさんびょうきになる」
作: 北川めぐみ

Japanese potty training books have no chill, part deuce: a training potty in the shape of a bird, a Japanese squatty potty, and a gang of alligators plunge a toilet. 🚽🐊🐊🐊
#PictureBook
An illustration of an unwell-looking toilet being plunged by a Japanese squat-style toilet, a training potty in the shape of a bird, and 11 alligators. All of this is taking place on a grassy hill with 3 trees in the background. On the right page are 3 lines of vertical text in hiragana: “みんなもせーのすっぽん！すっぽん！” (“All together, ready and! Plunge! Plunge!”) On the left page are 3 more lines of vertical text in hiragana: “がんばれっがんばれっすっぽん！すっぽん！” (“Keep it up! You can do it! Plunge! Plunge!”)
February 18, 2025 at 1:43 AM
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Today’s book: “Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains”, written by Anita Yasuda and illustrated by Yuko Shimizu @yukoart.bsky.social.

A great reminder that your struggles today can impact and inspire generations to come.

#PictureBook #Women #Japan #Everest
A two-page spread from “Up, Up, Ever Up!” written by Anita Yasuda and illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. Depicted across the two pages are Japanese women of all ages in a room. Some sit around a low circular table strewn with papers, tea cups, coffee mugs, and red gloves. Two women have babies strapped to their backs. One is kneeling with a yellow sleeping back on her lap. In the left corner of the left page, a young girl in a red dress, white shirt/socks, and braided pigtails sits on a dark blue kimono with yellow flowers. A woman in a green knit sweater and white shirt is in the bottom right corner of the right page holding a clipboard with a list of items and how many (sleeping bags, pants, Japanese tea, miso). In the background, two women hold curtains in front of a window as if they are trying to take them down. In the top left corner and middle of the left page are lines of text: “When sponsors told Junko, ‘Stay home and raise your child,’ she became a mother who climbed for her daughter. Up, up, and ever up! Junko and the team recycled what they had… …into what they needed.” In the bottom center of the right page are lines of text: “When mountaineering gloves didn’t fit because they were made only for men, Junko sewed her own and fashioned pants from her okaasan’s kimono lining.”
February 15, 2025 at 12:20 AM
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Today’s book: “I Can Only Draw Worms”, by Will Mabbitt.

I feel like this is the appropriate choice given RFK Jr.’s confirmation today. 🧠🪱

Unlike the worm-eaten anti-science weirdo, this book is fantastic.

#PictureBook #Worms
A two-page spread from “I Can Only Draw Worms” by a Will Mabbitt. On the left page is a bright pink earthworm on a white background. The black text next to it reads: “Hello, worm FOUR. worm FOUR thinks he’s in charge of all the other worms. I don’t know why.” In the center of the two-page spread is another bright pink earthworm. Near the top of the right page is text that reads: “Here’s worm FIVE. She’s a little sick, I’m afraid. Sock worms look just like normal worms.” Toward the bottom of the right page is more text: “The next page is really exciting. Worm SIX is riding on a flying unicorn!” The word “really” is white text on a black background.
February 13, 2025 at 8:50 PM
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Today’s book: “Millions of Cats”, by Wanda Gág.

A must-have for cat-lovers and their babies (fur or otherwise). “Cats here, cats there, Cats and kittens everywhere, Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats.”

#PictureBook #cats #MillionsOfCats
A 2-page spread from “Millions of Cats” by Wanda Gág. It is a black-ink illustration spreading across both pages depicting a woman standing at the door to her house on the left and a man holding an armful of cats approaching her. Behind him are a huge number of cats. Below the illustration are lines of hand-written text. Left page: “Pretty soon the very old woman saw them coming. ‘My dear!’ she cried, ‘What are you doing? I asked for one little cat, and what do I see?—‘“ Right page: “Cats here, cats there, Cats and kittens everywhere, Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats.”
February 13, 2025 at 5:18 PM
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Today’s book: “Will They Poop?”. Written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Arai.
今日の絵本: 「うんちでるかな？」
作: 新井洋行

Japanese potty training books have ZERO chill. If you’re interested in Japanese onomatopoeia related to poop, this book is for you. But don’t take MY word for it…

#PictureBook #絵本
A 2-page spread from a lift-the-flap book called “Will they poop?” 「うんちでるかな」by Hiroyuki Arai. In the picture, a large grey elephant butt is making a massive brown pile of poop while a smaller elephant in the background looks on with wide-eyed shock. At the top of the page are two lines of black hiragana text: ぞうさん　うんち　でるかな？ うーんー At the bottom of the image is larger hiragana text: ずぼぼーん！
February 11, 2025 at 9:18 PM
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Today’s book: “Wabi Sabi”, written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young.

This is a gorgeous book that encourages finding beauty in the simple, plain, and imperfect: 侘び寂び (wabisabi). It is challenging in concept and in function: the book is read top to bottom instead of left to right.
A 2-page spread from “Wabi Sabi” written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young. The illustration (shown vertically) looks to have been created using layers of cut paper. It depicts two cats: a white one to the upper left and a brown one to the bottom right, the white cat is shown sitting on a rectangular rug facing the reader. The brown cat is shown standing from the back, tail up and facing the white cat. It is standing on a green/white/orange mottled panel. At the top are several lines of text: Curious now, Wabi Sabi wondered if her friend Snowball could explain the meaning of her name to her. Snowball, who had been napping, stretched, yawned, and sighed. “That’s hard to explain.” She blinked. “It’s a kind of beauty,” she added after a minute, her eyes closing again. As though dreaming, she went on: To the right of the white cat are 3 lines of text in bold and in Haiku form (5-7-5 syllables): “An old straw mat, rough On a cat’s paws, pricks and tickles… Hurts and feels good, too.” On the right side of the top page, reading top to bottom in Japanese is another haiku: ひやひやと壁をふまえて昼寝かな
February 10, 2025 at 9:19 PM
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Today’s book: “Fruits”. Written and illustrated by Kazuko Hirayama.
今日の絵本: 「くだもの」
作: 平山和子

I love reading Japanese books about food to my kids. They offer insight on differences in food culture. I’d never had a chestnut until I was well into adulthood, but here it is in picture book.
A 2-page spread from “Fruits” by Kazuko Hirayama. On the left page are two illustrations of chestnuts against a white background—top left are the smooth brown nuts still in their spiny yellow-brown husk, split open on top. Bottom right are 3 shiny brown chestnuts without the husk. To the left in black text is the word くり (chestnut) in hiragana. On the right page is an illustration of a wooden bowl half full of chestnuts (no husk) and a knife with a wood handle resting on the lip of the bowl (metal side inside the bowl next to the chestnuts). A hand connected to a pink-sleeved arm is holding a peeled chestnut in its fingers, as if to offer the nut to the reader. At the top center of the page, さあ　どうぞ (Here you are) is written in hiragana—the font is different from that on the previous page.
February 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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Today’s book: “Antiracist Baby”, written by Ibram X. Kendi and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky.

Gotta start young, and it’s necessary learning for all ages.

#PictureBook #BlackHistoryMonth #Antiracism
A 2-page spread from “Antiracist Baby” written by Ibram X. Kendi and illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. A dark-haired baby in a diaper sits on a red blanket against a light purple background. One hand is reaching behind a purple-and pink letter board to the right, which has “RACE” spelled on it in different colored letters. On the blanket and in a bucket attached to the letter board are additional letters. There is also a purple star shape on the blanket in front of the baby’s feet. Text at the top of the left page reads: “Babies are taught to be racist or antiracist—there’s no neutrality.” Text at the top of the right page reads: “Take these nine steps to make equity a reality.”
February 5, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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Taking today’s post to talk about how I bought an AI illustrated book from Jeff Bezos last year. I admit, I didn’t do my due diligence because a) it was a book in Japanese on regular Amazon (not .co.jp) and b) my name was in the title (which, in retrospect, probably should’ve been a red flag).
A two-page spread from a book illustrated by AI. On the left page is an image of a white rabbit dressed in a pink dress in a green forest. It has a pink ribbon and a gold decoration on its head between its ears. It is behind a table with red and white playing cards fanned out and a golden goblet. the rabbit’s paws are resting on the goblet. There are two lines of Japanese text below the picture: レイチェルはいつもジョークを言ったり友達に手品を見せたりしており、楽しい冒険に夢中になるコツを持っていました。 On the right page is another picture of a white rabbit, more realistic than the one pictured on the left. It is seated on a pink ruffled blanket in front of a window. A pink bow is sitting on its chest, seemingly connected to nothing. Underneath is one line of Japanese text: ある晴れた朝、レイチェルは特に冒険的な気分で目覚めました．
February 4, 2025 at 11:32 PM
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Today’s book: “Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington”, written by Jabari Asim and Illustrated by Bryan Collier.

Found this gorgeous book after my child was assigned a project on Booker T. Washington.

#PictureBook #BlackHistoryMonth #BookerTWashington
A two-page spread from “Fifty Cents and a “Dream: Young Booker T. Washington” by Jabari Asim and illustrated by Bryan Collier. 3/4 of the spread (the left page and half of the right) shows a kneeling young black man, depicted from above face turned upward with his arms spread wide. He is kneeling on green grass. Next to him on the ground are a brown suitcase and a dark red flat cap. To the right against a parchment tan background is a drawing of an “X” surrounded by swirling lines (as X marks the spot on a map). Beneath the X are 6 lines of text in a dark brown font that suggests handwriting: When he reached Hampton at last, the sight of the large brick building filled his insides with light. With fifty cents in his pocket and a dream in his soul, Booker felt the magic welcome him in. Below the lines of text in larger size text are two words: here (justified right and angled slightly upward) and magic (smaller, left justified, slightly curved).
February 3, 2025 at 8:41 PM
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Today’s book: “Fred Gets Dressed” by Peter Brown.

Inspired by @genderqueerwolf.bsky.social ‘s very excellent list, I pulled this one off the shelf for pre-nap story time. I don’t know about you, but I needed to see some unconditional love today.
A two-page spread from “Fred Gets Dressed” by Peter Brown. On the left page, two adults (Fred’s parents) are illustrated: a man with a mustache and glasses to the left and a woman with long red hair in a pink top to the right against a beige background. On the right page is a child (Fred) with shoulder-length hair and a smudge of lipstick on his left cheek under his eye. He is wearing a pearl necklace and a pink plaid dress with a green knotted belt. The background is brownish grey. All three characters are smiling.
January 31, 2025 at 7:20 PM
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Today’s book: “Umbrella”. Written by Masako Matsuno and illustrated by Osamu Harada.
今日の絵本: 「かさ」
文: 松野正子
絵:原田治

Get out your umbrellas! This book has some delightful word play. E.g., the child in the picture, Ken, is pretending that his umbrella is a sword—“ken” in Japanese (剣).

#PictureBook
A two-page speed from “Umbrella” written by Masako Matsuno and illustrated by Osamu Harada. On the left page are two lines of hiragana text in black against a white background: 「けんちゃんのかさけんだぞ」, “Ken’s umbrella is a sword”. On the right page is a light blue background with white dotted lines that suggest raindrops. A frowning cartoonish boy with black hair wears a light grey shirt with black lapels, white shorts, and black boots. He is holding a dark blue umbrella (closed) in his right hand. The way he is holding it is similar to the way one would hold a sheathed sword.
January 30, 2025 at 7:12 PM
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Today’s book: “Mothman Baby!”. Written by Elias Barks and illustrated by Zoe Persico.

As someone who grew up near Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia, Mothman (WV’s Cryptid) is near and dear to my heart. This lift-a-flap book is ridiculous and ridiculously cute.
A colorful 2-page spread from “Mothman Baby!”, written by Elias Barks and illustrated by Zoe Persico. The background is a street in a small town at night, including a marquee that says “Now Playing: The Graduate” and a storefront window that says “Point Pleasant Register”. On the left side of the page is a stylized Mothman: Black with feathered wings, a fluffy cowl, moth-like antennae and large red eyes. Two white rats are at the mothman’s feet. Above the Mothman, white text reads: “Who’s behind the men in black suits and ties?” On the right side, two government figures (one white, one POC) in black suits, black ties, white shirts, sunglasses, and black fedoras stand in the lit doorway. The white figure is waving to the Mothman. The image of the government figures is on a flap that, when lifted, will reveal an additional picture below.
January 29, 2025 at 7:02 PM
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Today’s book: “This is a Book of Shapes” by Kenneth Kraegel.

No, I didn’t post the wrong picture. This is truly from a book about basic shapes. I’m as confused as you are.

#PictureBook #shapes #emu #pancakes
A two-page spread from Kenneth Kraegel’s picture book, “This is a Book of Shapes”. On the right is black text against a white background that reads, “This is an emu pushing a pancake wagon down a hill.” On the left is a blue and purple emu pushing a 6-wheeled red cart heaped with pancakes down a green grassy hill dotted with orange flowers.
January 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM