By Maureen Tai, 31 August 2023

My two opinionated teenagers began their sibling relationship with a bunk bed, cuddles and bath-time play. To my dismay, they mostly bicker and bait each other these days, so much so that I lie awake some nights wondering how it all went so wrong. So maybe it was the Universe that led me to pull out Maya Tatsukawa’s delightfully humorous picture book, The Bear in My Family (3-7 years old) from the tightly-packed shelf of the local public library on a blistering, pre-typhoon day in Hong Kong. Tatsukawa’s soothing, pastel-coloured illustrations, reminiscent of Taro Gomi’s style (check out his wonderful picture books, in particular My Friends), are deceptively simple but full of thoughtful and clever details; the smooth pages irresistibly textured. The story opens with a stony-faced little boy’s statement: “I live with a bear.” Despite being part of the boy’s family, we learn that the titular Bear has some pretty undesirable traits and habits, and that this animal causes the boy no end of misery. What is the boy to do?

To say any more about this well-crafted picture book, would be to spoil it for any reader (and I’m not one for spoilers!). The Bear in My Family is definitely one to snuggle up to read together (preferably with siblings). We – yes, my teens read it too – came away with warm, fuzzy feelings and smiles on our faces. Unless I was imagining it, there was even a sister-brother goodnight hug that very evening, finally allowing me a rare good night’s sleep.

For ages 3-7 years old.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

By Maureen Tai, 12 December 2022

How do you welcome a baby brother or sister into the world? What words of wisdom can you dispense? (especially if you’re not that much older yourself, even if you look like your grandmother and your mother when they were your age, and you don’t think about it yet, but your children and grandchildren will possibly look like you when they become the age you are now). How do you tell your baby sibling about the small blue dot that is your home, your entire world, your universe? How do you explain the creations of Mother Nature (broccoli notwithstanding), the wonders of the human imagination, the marvel of being alive?

I’ll tell you how (and you don’t have to keep it a secret, in fact, you absolutely HAVE TO share this precious nugget of information): you pick up a lovely illustrated picture book called This Small Blue Dot (ages 3+) and you read it out loud – by yourself or with a grown-up – while gazing at the gorgeously pencil-drawn little girl with glasses on her black-hair-fringed face and admiring the crayon scribbles that look as if you could have drawn them (seriously!). When you’re done, you’ll feel this bubbly, happy feeling, and you’ll want to explore, and love, the world around you and everything in it! After all, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!

By Maureen Tai, 8 August 2022

In The Happiest Tree, a tender, quietly philosophical picture book (ages 3+) by Korean writer and illustrator, Hyeon-Ju Lee, a young gingko tree is planted next to a row of apartment buildings. As the tree grows taller, what it sees through the windows of the building changes. The ground floor apartment bustles with little children at piano class. Several years later, the tree discovers that its ramrod straight trunk and fan-like leaves are inspiration for the artist who lives on the second floor. By the time the tree reaches the third floor of the building, and is able to look into the Kong’s canine-filled apartment, it is seventeen years old and living its happiest days. But seasons change, as seasons must, and the tree now spends lonely hours as it continues to age. As the tree grows closer and closer to the top of the building, it wonders, what lies ahead? Through joy and sorrow, the gingko tree remains patiently resolute and quietly optimistic, arguably the best way to be, not only for a tree but for all sentient beings on this miraculous earth. The sparse, yet effective text and thoughtful, charming illustrations make this unusual picture book a keeper for any bookshelf.

NOTE: Thank you for reading my reviews! I’ll never take this website down, but in the interests of streamlining, from 1 January 2025, I’ll be posting new reviews on my writer website, www.maureentai.com, where I post lots of other bookish extras. See you there!