As the weather turns warmer and lures us outside with pretty cherry blossoms, beautiful hyacinths and dazzling daffodils, it can be difficult for our children to hunker down and study all day long. This is why spring break is super important, it gives our children the much-needed opportunity to breathe in the fresh floral scents and crisp spring air. But at the end of the day, when you’re trying to get them to relax and calm down so they can go to bed and you can get your much-needed break, it might be helpful for them to have a few new books to devour. Of course, keeping in mind that spring break is also a chance to have a mental break, none of the books in this list are serious. They are all funny and light-hearted and I hope you enjoy them.
First off, we have Pugs Cause Traffic Jams by Jennifer McGrath and illustrated by Kathryn Durst (Kids Can Press, 2022). In this story, we learn that all dogs have special abilities or traits. Huskies like to sing. Chihuahuas like bling. Basenjis won’t bark. But pugs, well, pugs cause traffic jams. And you can follow along as Kirby the pug does just that while his owner runs all over the neighbourhood trying to find him before he gets into too much trouble. If you choose to get this book, don’t be surprised if your children start telling you random facts about dog breeds you might not have known existed. For ages 4 to 7.
Next up is Chickadee Criminal Mastermind by Monica Silvie and Elina Ellis (Kids Can Press, 2022). I know what you might be thinking: Do we really want our children to read about criminal masterminds? Well, let me assure, Chickadee wasn’t always this way. Everything was fine and dandy during his first spring, summer and fall. But, once the winter came, all the food went away. The only food he could find was locked away in a box dangling from a post in someone’s backyard. If you enjoy crime capers and want to introduce your children to the genre with an age-appropriate story, Silvie and Ellis have you covered. This tiny caper tale is hilarious, and the illustrations are fantastic. If you’ve ever wondered how the birds scope out your backyard, you will need to wonder no longer because you will have a chickadee drawn map. For ages 4 to 7.
The third book on my list is I Am Not a Tin Can by Barroux (Kids Can Press, 2022). We all meet friends in strange and sometimes silly ways. The two characters in this book are no exception. In fact, they become friends by arguing about whether the robot is a tin can. One downside to this book is the font can be a bit difficult to read when it is the robot speaking, so your child might need some help until they memorize the simple story. If you have two children, you could even encourage them to act it out to give you a break from listening to them argue about who was sitting on the couch first. For ages 4 to 7.
The fourth book is Garden of Lost Socks by Esi Edugyan and illustrated by Amelie Dubois (HarperCollins, 2023). In this book we meet Akosua, who is a very curious child, or, for those who are annoyed by her curiosity, a very nosey child. Akosua is also an expert finder, which is a good thing because socks are turning up missing all over the place. To find them, Akosua teams up with a budding journalist named Max and together they wander all over the place. This book is beautifully illustrated and even if your children can’t read all of the words by themselves yet, they may enjoy studying the pages and seeing all of the details Dubois has included for them to find. For ages 4 to 7.
While the first four books on this list are all picture books, the final book, Izzy’s Tail of Trouble by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Kelly Collier (Kids Can Press, 2022), is a short novel. This means, if your children read at a relaxed pace, they might even get more than one night out of this book. In this story, Izzy and her friend Zoë love dressing up Izzy’s dog Rollo in baby clothes and playing Baby Stealer with Zoë’s older brother Lionel. Unfortunately, good things can’t last forever and suddenly Lionel is a teenager and he doesn’t want to play anymore. What’s worse is that Rollo isn’t a baby anymore either. He doesn’t fit in the doll clothes, the baby bed or the stroller. And Rollo keeps causing trouble too, it’s like he’s a teenager. Your children can follow along with Izzy and Zoë as they try to find a way to cope with all of these changes. For ages 6 to 9.
There you have it. While I hope you and your children can get outside and enjoy spring, I also hope you find some time to calm down, cozy up with a book and giggle your way through some of these silly stories.
