Picture Book Review: This Is (Not) Enough by Anna Kang

This Is (Not) Enough by Anna Kang. Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. unpaged. Two Lions, March 1, 2022. 9781542018517. (Review of finished copy courtesy of Blue Slip Media.)

Happy belated book birthday to Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant! The sixth book in the You are (Not) Small series, This is (Not) Enough published on March 1. Our two favorite fuzzy-wuzzies are back. This time, they are shopping for the perfect gift and angsting like crazy. They both want to find the absolute best gift possible! I can relate. My husband was so hard to buy gifts for! He had very definite taste and if he wanted something, he usually bought it for himself. To make matters worse, he was also an amazing gift giver.

What makes this book such a treasure is its relatability and gentle humor. The best lessons are imparted gently and subtly. The bright palette, generous use of white space and minimal text capture and hold the reader's attention, making it a terrific book to share as a lap read or at story time. 

Still Looking for That Perfect Gift? Jon Klassen's Hat Box!

Image: Candlewick Press

Jon Klassen's Hat Box. I Want My Hat Back; This is Not My Hat and We Found a Hat in one slip-case. Candlewick Press, October, 2019. 9780763666972 (Review of finished copies courtesy of publisher.)

Over the years, I have purchased and read the three books in this subversively delightful trilogy. After the final book released, I had some thoughts, which I shared here. What genius to put all the books together in a handsome and hefty slipcase for triple the enjoyment. Unlike most boxed sets, the books are entirely enclosed. The top is hinged to allow removal of the books.

The front face of the slip-case shows three deadpan characters, a deer, a bear and a turtle. The rear depicts them from, well, the rear. One side panel states, "3 books about 3 hats." The other lists the names of the books in the Hat Trilogy. 

Books make great gifts. Candlewick has served up another terrific possibility.

Books Make Great Holiday Gifts! Candlewick Press Can Help!

Well, it's that time of year again! Actually, it has been for a little while. Once Thanksgiving Day passes, it's kind of hard to deny. I'm the "Book Aunt." My nephews and lone niece always received cash stuck in a brand new book at our annual family holiday gathering. I never thought too much about what they thought or whether they read the books I gave. Apparently, they did and looked forward to receiving them. 

If you are shopping for holiday gifts, books make great gifts! You have plenty of end-of-year "Best" lists to consult for possibilities. Boxed sets of books make for a great gift as well! Candlewick Press has redesigned the cover of Raymie Nightingale to match the gorgeous covers of Louisiana's Way Home and Beverly, Right Here. The Three Rancheros books nestle in a sturdy three-sided box that will look lovely on any book shelf. Another advantage of giving boxed sets is your gift recipient need not wait to continue on to the next book!

Image: Candlewick Press

I read but did not review Raymie Nightingale, which was a National Book Award Finalist, when it published back in 2016. I adored Louisiana's Way Home in July of 2018 and reviewed it here. A year later, I fell in love all over again with Beverly, Right Here. DiCamillo is a fearless writer who excels in spare writing that captures the emotional landscape of outsiders and the overlooked.