Bunnies by Kevan Atteberry

Bunnies written and illustrated by Kevan Atteberry was published in 2015. This cute story has a monster saying hello to the world: trees, clouds, butterflies, and bunnies. Of course the bunnies are terrified of the monster and run and hide from it.

This saddens the monster and he says hello to the bush, the stump, the rock, the slug, and the bunnies, but they run and hide again. The monster becomes more and more sad.

He sits and says hello to a log, a stick, the dirt, and the bunnies, watching, come out of hiding and say "hi" to the monster. They spend time happy and playing until the monster sees something else to say hello to. 

The illustrations are brightly colored and help a child learn colors. The facial expressions on all the creatures are darling. I can't wait to share this book with my grand kids.

We've received more donations for our NICU book project. Thanks to everyone who donates to this project.

This group was sent by Angela Jensen.

My Angie donated this group:

My friend, Michelle, sent this one over:

A mystery person dropped these off at the NICU. Thank you for thinking of us. 

Tayla Nash donated these:

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Friends of the NICU to the Rescue

Recently we ran out of books for the NICU babies, but some friends of the NICU came to the rescue.

I also wanted to show you a book that I recently bought for the NICU and wish I could have 500 of them, so that the next 500 NICU babies could get a copy of this book. It is completely perfect. It's a book about living, being loved, and remembering to breathe. Breathe

The pictures are wonderful and the words are peaceful and gentle. I need to get a copy for my own home, but when I saw this book, I felt it was perfect for the parents in the NICU who are willing their babies to grow, get well, and to breathe so it is in a packet for a NICU family.

Isn't the art just wonderful - and Beluga Whales - oh, my heart. I have all the feels about this book. I'll be getting another copy for myself soon. 

Check out these cute books that are headed to the babies because of the wonderful people who support our book project.

Caitie brought this one by:

My sweet neighbor and friend, Karyn V donated the money for us to purchase these 27 books. My sweet teacher friend, Marla, gives us any points or bonuses that our order generates, so we got two extra books.

The next two pictures show the 39 books that Michelle Aikeen and her family donated. She picked books that she loves to read to her own children. Mother Bruce is completely adorable.

 Angela Jensen sent these cute books. I love The Big Hungry Bear.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This is a new to me author, and I plan on reading more of her work. Tayari Jones is an excellent storyteller. I listened to the audio version of An American Marriage and felt like I was watching a movie in my head. Her words paint images that come alive for the reader.

An American Marriage was published in 2018.

Blurb from Barnes and Noble: Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by circumstances neither could have imagined. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit. Though fiercely independent, Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. As Roy’s time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy’s conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This stirring love story is a profoundly insightful look into the hearts and minds of three people who are at once bound and separated by forces beyond their control. An American Marriage is a masterpiece of storytelling, an intimate look deep into the souls of people who must reckon with the past while moving forward—with hope and pain—into the future.

I liked that this story shows what it is like to be Black in America today. I didn't particularly like the main characters. They are flawed and very real, but I liked their stories. Roy senior was my favorite character from this novel. He was a wonderful father to Roy and his scenes with Andre toward the end of the novel are incredibly well written.

I liked Celestial's career of making dolls and could imagine them in detail.

I liked that Roy stayed true to who he was. He had many good qualities; he was a flawed human, but he was not a rapist. I liked that he tried to get into the head of his accuser and see things from her point of view. I found his relationship with his roommate in prison fitting.

I found his mother's illness heartbreaking. So much of this story is heartbreaking. I think the ending was fitting considering Roy's character.

I like Tayari Jones style of writing and am glad I learned of her work. This is a book that will stay with me.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.