A Pocket Full of Rocks
I have jars and dishes of shells, rocks, feathers, and dried flowers — all made priceless by my children having gathered them, and explaining what they meant to them before gifting them to me. This charming picture book reminds us that the difference between trinkets and treasures is our imagination. In the book, a child gathers treasures over the four seasons (often sharing them with some nearby fairies, in a recurring aside). At the end of the year, the child transforms them into treasured gifts for (often complaining) family members. This is a magical book that helps children appreciate their imaginations and the power we have to calm and transport ourselves anywhere.

The Lonely Goose
This is a moving story of a female goose and her brave mate, doing the different things geese do, like bathing, cuddling, and raising goslings together. One day, the male becomes ill. The story explains how geese cope with grief, especially when their lifelong mate passes away, and how they eventually (after a year or two) will find another mate. The book includes a non-fiction appendix that explains the life cycle of Canadian geese, including the hazards of lead poisoning in the environment. I think the power of this touching book is in the metaphorical explanation it offers for our grief, especially after a death, and our ability to continue to live well afterward. I think, for families in grief, this beautifully illustrated book could be a godsend.

Crack Goes the Cascarón
This delightfully fun book celebrates the mischief and mayhem caused by a little boy who fancies himself the king of cascarones, a Mexican and Latino tradition, where eggshells are filled with confetti and thrown or broken on others, something like a party popper. Cascarones are often used during Easter, Carnival, and Cinco de Mayo and are meant to bring good luck — but that doesn’t undermine the rascally (yet harmless) fun they can be. When the King of Cascarones fills his with flour, “slime,” and other surprises, he imagines the triumph the holiday will bring — yet his family has other ideas. The colorful and exciting illustrations, and well-written, first-person text, help make the tradition (and the book) appealingly fun.