Picture Book: "Wish" by Matthew Cordell

"This is not what we planned. We wish you were here."

Oh goodness. This book. I wept the first time and read this book and mist up pretty much any time I read it now. My mother sent us this book because it reminded her of our struggle with infertility and ultimate success in having our daughter. This sweet book tells the story of two elephants that dream of having a baby elephant of their own. They dream and wish and time passes. Eventually they give up and stop making plans. Cordell tells a beautiful story that speaks to anyone who has ever wished for a baby and struggled to see that realization. The illustrations are cute and I recommend this book 100%. Just read it with tissue!

Picture Book: "The Book of Mistakes" by Corinna Luyken

Oh, wait. That was a mistake!

Have you ever tried to create something and it comes out horribly wrong. For most of us our tendency would be to give up or throw away our mistakes. This beautiful picture book teaches the beauty in making mistakes and using them to create something wonderful. The fun and gorgeous illustrations show the reader that a mistake does not mean something is ruined. I definitely recommend reading this book with children, particularly 8 and up to teach resilience and that mistakes are okay.