picture books
Published by Charlesbridge
Hardcover Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-62354-652-6
Ages: 3–7
Available July 14, 2026
Everything Grandma Needs
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
When Grandma announces she is moving from her big old house to a little new condo, she and her family realize she has too many things. They just won’t fit in her new place! Luckily they have a solution: everyone will help Grandma downsize! But while they sort through, they realize that everyday items like art supplies, jewelry, and books possess unique memories and stories that they hold dear.
The family finds the solution in creating three piles: Keep, Donate, and Throw Away. As each pile grows, Grandma realizes it will be okay, so long as she saves space in her new condo—and her heart—for those she loves most.
Booklist, starred review
A little girl’s grandmother is preparing to move from a large house to a small condo, but it’s difficult for her to let go of the furniture, clothing, treasured objects, family photos, and other mementos of a life well lived. Written from the child’s point of view, this moving tale shows how sharing such a difficult task can make it easier for the person who must make the hard decisions about what is important to keep and what can easily be thrown out or given away rather than moved to one’s new home. Watching her grandmother struggle with indecision, the girl shares some advice that she has learned from her teacher: “If you’re overwhelmed by something tricky, start with the easiest part and work your way up.” This bit of wisdom helps Grandma make the tough choices that are filling her day. Both the first-person narrative and the warm, detailed illustrations contribute to the story’s broad appeal. The book concludes with practical advice from Griffin, who helped her mother downsize before a move, as well as tips for helping children let go of some possessions. A captivating book that celebrates empathy, practicality, and an intergenerational family’s shared experiences.
Kirkus Reviews
When Grandma feels overwhelmed by the enormity of downsizing from her large home to a small condominium, her grandchild makes an important suggestion.
The grandchild, who narrates, isn’t so sure about Grandma’s move: “Trouble is I like that big old house with the porch swing and the deep bathtub and the canopy bed where I sleep when I visit.” The youngster, Mom, and Grandma, all of whom are pale-skinned, start grouping items into three categories—keep, donate, and throw away—but the “keep” pile becomes unwieldy. But the narrator remembers a teacher’s wise words: “start with the easiest part and work your way up.” Beginning with tangled electrical cords and rolls of tape, over the course of a week the trio eventually declutter the house all the way to an acceptable outcome. All three characters exhibit warmth and respect for each other: Mom proposes a storage unit when Grandma’s reluctant to throw things out, and, later, the little one insists that Grandma keep a pendant that was a gift from Grandpa. Sensitive, quietly humorous text is well matched by softly colored pen-and-ink drawings. Together, they capture subtle mood changes as three generations sort through years of accumulated belongings, all steeped in emotion. The tale ends sweetly and without drama—reminiscent of the late Robert McCloskey’s picture books but with a contemporary feel.
A gentle, useful, and empathetic resource for anyone facing the often painful prospect of decluttering.
School Library Journal
A little girl with pale skin and her mother help Grandma with the difficult task of downsizing. They have the usual Keep, Donate, and Throw Away piles, but choosing what goes where is overwhelming until the child remembers her teacher’s advice to tackle a tricky project by starting with something easy. It’s easy to say goodbye to random power cords, extra rolls of tape, and china for 12. With the easy stuff out of the way, the sentimental decisions aren’t as challenging. The bin of puppets will go to the girl’s house. Grandma will keep the cookbook with her mother’s handwriting in the margins. They have some fun with a fashion show, and, in the end, everything, including Grandma, fits into her new condo. Endearing illustrations crafted with an assured pencil line and colored with washes show a vigorous grandma in sweatpants with only a little gray in her straight black hair. It is refreshing to see a child being the support for her grandmother when picture books often depict grandparents as the wise elders. An author’s note and clutter-clearing tips, while sensible, seem of most interest to adults. VERDICT Pictures and text create a warm and satisfying story that should appeal to a wide audience.
Everything Grandma Needs
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
When Grandma announces she is moving from her big old house to a little new condo, she and her family realize she has too many things. They just won’t fit in her new place! Luckily they have a solution: everyone will help Grandma downsize! But while they sort through, they realize that everyday items like art supplies, jewelry, and books possess unique memories and stories that they hold dear.
The family finds the solution in creating three piles: Keep, Donate, and Throw Away. As each pile grows, Grandma realizes it will be okay, so long as she saves space in her new condo—and her heart—for those she loves most.
Booklist, starred review
A little girl’s grandmother is preparing to move from a large house to a small condo, but it’s difficult for her to let go of the furniture, clothing, treasured objects, family photos, and other mementos of a life well lived. Written from the child’s point of view, this moving tale shows how sharing such a difficult task can make it easier for the person who must make the hard decisions about what is important to keep and what can easily be thrown out or given away rather than moved to one’s new home. Watching her grandmother struggle with indecision, the girl shares some advice that she has learned from her teacher: “If you’re overwhelmed by something tricky, start with the easiest part and work your way up.” This bit of wisdom helps Grandma make the tough choices that are filling her day. Both the first-person narrative and the warm, detailed illustrations contribute to the story’s broad appeal. The book concludes with practical advice from Griffin, who helped her mother downsize before a move, as well as tips for helping children let go of some possessions. A captivating book that celebrates empathy, practicality, and an intergenerational family’s shared experiences.
Kirkus Reviews
When Grandma feels overwhelmed by the enormity of downsizing from her large home to a small condominium, her grandchild makes an important suggestion.
The grandchild, who narrates, isn’t so sure about Grandma’s move: “Trouble is I like that big old house with the porch swing and the deep bathtub and the canopy bed where I sleep when I visit.” The youngster, Mom, and Grandma, all of whom are pale-skinned, start grouping items into three categories—keep, donate, and throw away—but the “keep” pile becomes unwieldy. But the narrator remembers a teacher’s wise words: “start with the easiest part and work your way up.” Beginning with tangled electrical cords and rolls of tape, over the course of a week the trio eventually declutter the house all the way to an acceptable outcome. All three characters exhibit warmth and respect for each other: Mom proposes a storage unit when Grandma’s reluctant to throw things out, and, later, the little one insists that Grandma keep a pendant that was a gift from Grandpa. Sensitive, quietly humorous text is well matched by softly colored pen-and-ink drawings. Together, they capture subtle mood changes as three generations sort through years of accumulated belongings, all steeped in emotion. The tale ends sweetly and without drama—reminiscent of the late Robert McCloskey’s picture books but with a contemporary feel.
A gentle, useful, and empathetic resource for anyone facing the often painful prospect of decluttering.
School Library Journal
A little girl with pale skin and her mother help Grandma with the difficult task of downsizing. They have the usual Keep, Donate, and Throw Away piles, but choosing what goes where is overwhelming until the child remembers her teacher’s advice to tackle a tricky project by starting with something easy. It’s easy to say goodbye to random power cords, extra rolls of tape, and china for 12. With the easy stuff out of the way, the sentimental decisions aren’t as challenging. The bin of puppets will go to the girl’s house. Grandma will keep the cookbook with her mother’s handwriting in the margins. They have some fun with a fashion show, and, in the end, everything, including Grandma, fits into her new condo. Endearing illustrations crafted with an assured pencil line and colored with washes show a vigorous grandma in sweatpants with only a little gray in her straight black hair. It is refreshing to see a child being the support for her grandmother when picture books often depict grandparents as the wise elders. An author’s note and clutter-clearing tips, while sensible, seem of most interest to adults. VERDICT Pictures and text create a warm and satisfying story that should appeal to a wide audience.
Published by Charlesbridge
Hardcover Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-62354-652-6
Ages: 3–7
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
Hardcover
32 pages
10 x 10 inches
ISBN: 978-1-68134-343-3
Available October 2026
The Babysitter Tree
Story by Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell
Young black bears tumble and spar, rest and recharge, and—most importantly—find safety and security in the shaded sanctuary of a white pine tree.
When a mama black bear goes foraging, she leaves her cubs with their babysitter—a huge white pine tree—where they’ll be safe until she returns. They are sad to be left behind, but soon they are playing in the shade of the tree. All is well, until a coyote’s scent sends them climbing high into the branches. Will mama come back? Will she scare the danger away? The cubs discover that their mama will always take care of them, even when that means leaving them with another trusted caretaker.
Based on the real behavior of black bears in the wild, The Babysitter Tree is for every child who has been left with a sitter and has missed their grown-up. It is for all of us, at any age, who appreciate reassurances that we will be cared for, protected, comforted, and eventually reunited with the ones we love most. And it is for all the wonderful babysitters and caregivers who help our little ones feel safe—and who make parenting possible.
Charming illustrations in acrylics, graphite, and colored pencil capture the roly-poly playfulness of bear cubs and the expansive, protective branches of that icon of the northland, the white pine, their babysitter tree.
The Babysitter Tree
Story by Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell
Young black bears tumble and spar, rest and recharge, and—most importantly—find safety and security in the shaded sanctuary of a white pine tree.
When a mama black bear goes foraging, she leaves her cubs with their babysitter—a huge white pine tree—where they’ll be safe until she returns. They are sad to be left behind, but soon they are playing in the shade of the tree. All is well, until a coyote’s scent sends them climbing high into the branches. Will mama come back? Will she scare the danger away? The cubs discover that their mama will always take care of them, even when that means leaving them with another trusted caretaker.
Based on the real behavior of black bears in the wild, The Babysitter Tree is for every child who has been left with a sitter and has missed their grown-up. It is for all of us, at any age, who appreciate reassurances that we will be cared for, protected, comforted, and eventually reunited with the ones we love most. And it is for all the wonderful babysitters and caregivers who help our little ones feel safe—and who make parenting possible.
Charming illustrations in acrylics, graphite, and colored pencil capture the roly-poly playfulness of bear cubs and the expansive, protective branches of that icon of the northland, the white pine, their babysitter tree.
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
- Hardcover
- 32 pages
- 10 x 10 inches
- Fully illustrated
- ISBN: 978-1-68134-343-3
Available October 2026
Published by Teacher Created Materials
ISBN: 9798885549295
Ages: 3–7
36 pages
8 x 10 inches
Available October 2026
Your Fantastical Fort
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Chris Park
A story that inspires imagination and helps kids feel safe when life gets overwhelming
Forts are fun to build, and even the simplest materials—couch cushions, chairs, blankets, and cardboard boxes—can turn into sailing ships, dragon’s dens, or magical castles. In Your Fantastical Fort, children discover that forts have healing power, too. Through poetic text and expressive illustrations, this book shows how forts can become quiet corners and safe spaces where kids can take time out from the real world—especially when they feel sad, disappointed, or scared. When they need quiet, they can tuck themselves inside. And when they’re ready, they can invite the people who matter most to share their special world.
By celebrating imaginative play as a calming strategy and highlighting kids’ natural creativity, this book offers a reassuring, heartwarming reminder that every child can build a space where they feel safe, understood, and wonderfully themselves.
Your Fantastical Fort:
- Encourages independence and resilience through creative play during moments of fear, frustration, sadness, or overwhelm
- Offers support for kids coping with difficult news or family stressors, from climate change to divorce or financial strain
- Includes a note for adults and tips for building fantastical forts at home
- Your Fantastical Fort is ideal for anyone seeking support to help children navigate big feelings.
Your Fantastical Fort
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Chris Park
A story that inspires imagination and helps kids feel safe when life gets overwhelming
Forts are fun to build, and even the simplest materials—couch cushions, chairs, blankets, and cardboard boxes—can turn into sailing ships, dragon’s dens, or magical castles. In Your Fantastical Fort, children discover that forts have healing power, too. Through poetic text and expressive illustrations, this book shows how forts can become quiet corners and safe spaces where kids can take time out from the real world—especially when they feel sad, disappointed, or scared. When they need quiet, they can tuck themselves inside. And when they’re ready, they can invite the people who matter most to share their special world.
By celebrating imaginative play as a calming strategy and highlighting kids’ natural creativity, this book offers a reassuring, heartwarming reminder that every child can build a space where they feel safe, understood, and wonderfully themselves.
Your Fantastical Fort:
- Encourages independence and resilience through creative play during moments of fear, frustration, sadness, or overwhelm
- Offers support for kids coping with difficult news or family stressors, from climate change to divorce or financial strain
- Includes a note for adults and tips for building fantastical forts at home
- Your Fantastical Fort is ideal for anyone seeking support to help children navigate big feelings.
Published by Teacher Created Materials
ISBN: 9798885549295
Ages: 3–7
36 pages
8 x 10 inches
Available October 2026
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
Hardcover Picture Book
Grades K-6
32 pages
10 in H | 10 in W
ISBN: 9781681342320
Available now!
Rings of Heartwood: poems on growing
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Claudia McGehee
Growth is exciting—bigger, faster, stronger! But sometimes leaving behind our younger selves is hard. From bugs to bats to bears, the natural world shows us how to embrace transformation as part of life.
Growth is the excitement of something new, like a two-wheeled bicycle or a bigger pair of shiny shoes. In nature, growth shows up in new rings on a tree trunk, or a snake shedding its skin. Growing means a kid’s first day in a new school, and a baby bird’s first bounds out of its nest. We all grow, and sometimes, for all of us, it can be hard.
In Rings of Heartwood, twelve poems about woodland, wetland, and prairie dwellers explore different kinds of growth. A tadpole grows legs and lungs and transforms into a frog. A fern unfurls from fiddlehead to frond. A spotted fawn hides in dappled sunlight; soon its coat will grow darker and thicker, ready for winter—it will never sport spots again. Molly Beth Griffin’s playful yet meditative lines paired with scientific facts invite readers into the life cycles of plants, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, reptiles, and insects as they grow and change. Claudia McGehee’s vivid scratchboard and watercolor illustrations entice viewers to carefully examine whimsically detailed naturescapes. In words and art, Rings of Heartwood encourages readers of all ages to appreciate the challenge of change, and feel a deep kinship with the natural world.
School Library Journal, starred review
“Nobody asked me/ if I’d like to trade/ my tail for legs,/ my gills for lungs.” Commenting on his bodily changes in lines of blank verse, a large, partly developed tadpole introduces a factual explanation of the total metamorphosis that will transform him into a frog. Poems highlighting the growth patterns of 12 quite different plants and animals pair handily with a nonfiction page, the two parts spread in busy full-color scenes in strong line drawings and scratchboard. Griffin explains in an opening author’s note her intent to help children appreciate growth as a process of change in humans and other beings. And there are often humans, usually two children and an adult, present in the forest and other natural scenes. Reflecting the book’s title, the opening poem describes that inner growth activity of heartwood trees: “Here purrs the tender task/ of spackling over the scars/ of old traumas—building new/ growing thicker/ growing stronger.” The picture book format might suggest a younger audience, but the varied levels of text and concepts offer many possibilities for browsing, reading, and discussion with older children. This beautifully executed package might be used for the enjoyment of poetry, to introduce related books, or to encourage the observation of creatures seen in backyards, parks, or other settings. Back matter includes brief author acknowledgements and McGehee’s commentary on the art.Publishers Weekly review
“Height isn’t everything…/ while my twigs stretch upward/ here beneath this rough bark/ hums the quiet work of growing,” begins the first verse of Griffin’s latest, a nature-themed collection of 12 contemplative free-verse poems centered on the excitement and challenges presented by change. Each short poem is accompanied by scientific facts; the opener, “Heartwood,” for example, includes an explanation of how trees grow and introduces words including cambium and sapwood. Other subjects include the life cycle of frogs (“Nobody asked me/ if I’d like to swap/ my plant-tearing teeth/ for a bug-snapping tongue”) and the camouflage of young fawns (“My spotted fur is my invisibility cloak”). McGehee’s full-bleed scratchboard and watercolor illustrations add context to each page, resulting in a work that proves both rhythmically and visually soothing and educational. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Includes creators’ notes. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
Hardcover Picture Book
Grades K-6
32 pages
10 in H | 10 in W
ISBN: 9781681342320
Rings of Heartwood: poems on growing
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Claudia McGehee
Growth is exciting—bigger, faster, stronger! But sometimes leaving behind our younger selves is hard. From bugs to bats to bears, the natural world shows us how to embrace transformation as part of life.
Growth is the excitement of something new, like a two-wheeled bicycle or a bigger pair of shiny shoes. In nature, growth shows up in new rings on a tree trunk, or a snake shedding its skin. Growing means a kid’s first day in a new school, and a baby bird’s first bounds out of its nest. We all grow, and sometimes, for all of us, it can be hard.
In Rings of Heartwood, twelve poems about woodland, wetland, and prairie dwellers explore different kinds of growth. A tadpole grows legs and lungs and transforms into a frog. A fern unfurls from fiddlehead to frond. A spotted fawn hides in dappled sunlight; soon its coat will grow darker and thicker, ready for winter—it will never sport spots again. Molly Beth Griffin’s playful yet meditative lines paired with scientific facts invite readers into the life cycles of plants, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, reptiles, and insects as they grow and change. Claudia McGehee’s vivid scratchboard and watercolor illustrations entice viewers to carefully examine whimsically detailed naturescapes. In words and art, Rings of Heartwood encourages readers of all ages to appreciate the challenge of change, and feel a deep kinship with the natural world.
School Library Journal, starred review
Gr 3-5–“Nobody asked me/ if I’d like to trade/ my tail for legs,/ my gills for lungs.” Commenting on his bodily changes in lines of blank verse, a large, partly developed tadpole introduces a factual explanation of the total metamorphosis that will transform him into a frog. Poems highlighting the growth patterns of 12 quite different plants and animals pair handily with a nonfiction page, the two parts spread in busy full-color scenes in strong line drawings and scratchboard. Griffin explains in an opening author’s note her intent to help children appreciate growth as a process of change in humans and other beings. And there are often humans, usually two children and an adult, present in the forest and other natural scenes. Reflecting the book’s title, the opening poem describes that inner growth activity of heartwood trees: “Here purrs the tender task/ of spackling over the scars/ of old traumas—building new/ growing thicker/ growing stronger.” The picture book format might suggest a younger audience, but the varied levels of text and concepts offer many possibilities for browsing, reading, and discussion with older children. This beautifully executed package might be used for the enjoyment of poetry, to introduce related books, or to encourage the observation of creatures seen in backyards, parks, or other settings. Back matter includes brief author acknowledgements and McGehee’s commentary on the art.Publishers Weekly review
“Height isn’t everything…/ while my twigs stretch upward/ here beneath this rough bark/ hums the quiet work of growing,” begins the first verse of Griffin’s latest, a nature-themed collection of 12 contemplative free-verse poems centered on the excitement and challenges presented by change. Each short poem is accompanied by scientific facts; the opener, “Heartwood,” for example, includes an explanation of how trees grow and introduces words including cambium and sapwood. Other subjects include the life cycle of frogs (“Nobody asked me/ if I’d like to swap/ my plant-tearing teeth/ for a bug-snapping tongue”) and the camouflage of young fawns (“My spotted fur is my invisibility cloak”). McGehee’s full-bleed scratchboard and watercolor illustrations add context to each page, resulting in a work that proves both rhythmically and visually soothing and educational. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Includes creators’ notes. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
Published by Charlesbridge
ISBN: 978-1-62354-363-1
Hardcover
Ages: 3–7
32 pages
11 x 81/2 in
Far, Far Away
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Bao Luu
Mom and Mama are taking Rowan on his first camping trip far, far away from the city where they live. Rowan is excited to see all kinds of wildlife, maybe even a bear or a moose!
But canoe camping is hard work. Before long, Rowan is tired and hungry, itchy from mosquito bites, and downright grumpy. In fact, he wants to go home.
Mom and Mama listen to his complaints and show him something truly special that they don’t have at home—something that makes Rowan glad they worked so hard to go far, far away, where the wilderness is really wild.
Published by Charlesbridge
ISBN: 978-1-62354-363-1
Hardcover
Ages: 3–7
32 pages
11 x 81/2 in
Far, Far Away
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Bao Luu
Mom and Mama are taking Rowan on his first camping trip far, far away from the city where they live. Rowan is excited to see all kinds of wildlife, maybe even a bear or a moose!
But canoe camping is hard work. Before long, Rowan is tired and hungry, itchy from mosquito bites, and downright grumpy. In fact, he wants to go home.
Mom and Mama listen to his complaints and show him something truly special that they don’t have at home—something that makes Rowan glad they worked so hard to go far, far away, where the wilderness is really wild.
Just Us
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection
How can it be the holidays if everyone isn’t together?
One year, a storm prevents all the relatives from coming to visit for the holidays. No Grandma, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins. No fun! This family will have to adapt their traditions to versions that can be done on a smaller scale—a simpler stew dinner, a hike in the snow, and a game of cards instead of rowdy charades. Navigating disappointment with mindfulness and gratitude, the family pieces together a holiday full of new traditions, while still acknowledging that it’s okay to miss the old ones.
Charlesbridge
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-443-0
Ages: 3–7
Page count: 32
11 x 8.5
Coming August 27, 2024
Just Us
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection
How can it be the holidays if everyone isn’t together?
One year, a storm prevents all the relatives from coming to visit for the holidays. No Grandma, no aunts, no uncles, no cousins. No fun! This family will have to adapt their traditions to versions that can be done on a smaller scale—a simpler stew dinner, a hike in the snow, and a game of cards instead of rowdy charades. Navigating disappointment with mindfulness and gratitude, the family pieces together a holiday full of new traditions, while still acknowledging that it’s okay to miss the old ones.
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
September 6, 2022
Hardcover | 32 Pages | 10 x 10
3-7 years | ISBN: 9781681342030
The Big Leaf Leap
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Meleck Davis
The leaves are down. The rakes are out. But one girl can’t do it alone. Neighborhood kids join forces to build a big, huge, enormously enormous mountain of leaves. Ready, set . . . leap!
The girl wants a leaf pile to leap in. A big leaf pile, a huge leaf pile, an enormously enormous leaf pile! She rakes and rakes and rakes, but there are not enough leaves in her yard to make the leaf pile of her dreams. And she can’t do it alone. She will need some help.
In The Big Leaf Leap, playful phrasing evokes fall’s crisp air, warm sun, and rustling leaves. Energetic illustrations—with characters based on the illustrator’s own neighborhood kids—depict the satisfying effort of new friends working together to create something wonderful. A deep, soft, crunchy, springy leaf pile. A tall, wide leaf pile. A big, huge, enormously enormous leaf pile! And when all the work is done, it’s time to play. To count down together. To leap.
Published by Minnesota Historical Society Press
September 6, 2022
Hardcover | 32 Pages | 10 x 10
3-7 years | ISBN: 9781681342030
The Big Leaf Leap
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Meleck Davis
The leaves are down. The rakes are out. But one girl can’t do it alone. Neighborhood kids join forces to build a big, huge, enormously enormous mountain of leaves. Ready, set . . . leap!
The girl wants a leaf pile to leap in. A big leaf pile, a huge leaf pile, an enormously enormous leaf pile! She rakes and rakes and rakes, but there are not enough leaves in her yard to make the leaf pile of her dreams. And she can’t do it alone. She will need some help.
In The Big Leaf Leap, playful phrasing evokes fall’s crisp air, warm sun, and rustling leaves. Energetic illustrations—with characters based on the illustrator’s own neighborhood kids—depict the satisfying effort of new friends working together to create something wonderful. A deep, soft, crunchy, springy leaf pile. A tall, wide leaf pile. A big, huge, enormously enormous leaf pile! And when all the work is done, it’s time to play. To count down together. To leap.
Hardcover
Published by Charlesbridge
Jan 12, 2021 | 32 Pages | 11 x 8-1/2
5-8 years | ISBN 9781580899369
Board book edition available now!
Order from Charlesbridge
Ten Beautiful Things
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Maribel LeChuga
A heartfelt story of changing perspectives, set in the Midwest. Ten Beautiful Things gently explores loss, a new home, and finding beauty wherever you are.
Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily’s new home with Gram. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapidated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily’s anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gram and their love for each other.
Ten Beautiful Things leaves the exact cause of Lily’s move ambiguous, making it perfect for anyone helping a child navigate change, whether it be the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or moving.
Shelf Awareness, starred review
Discover: In this deeply touching story, Lily must move to Iowa to live with Gram, who suggests they find 10 beautiful things along the way.
Ten Beautiful Things is a gentle, affecting story about a young girl coming to terms with leaving her home behind to move in with her Gram.
All Lily knows about where she will live with Gram is the “X” marked on “an empty patch of land” on her map. Gram, knowing change is hard, suggests the pair work together to find 10 beautiful things along the way to Iowa. Lily doubts they will find beauty, but when dawn breaks, she’s awed by a magnificent sunrise–she’s found “number one!” They drive on and, just as Lily feels “the complaints starting in her belly again,” Gram points to number two: “spinning windmill blades” that gleam in the morning sun. Lily quickly finds number three, “a red-winged blackbird perched on a swaying stalk of last year’s corn,” and the two travelers continue their search for all 10 things, finding a “falling-apart barn,” the rich smell of mud and a swan-shaped cloud.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
Before dawn, Lily and her Gram, both white, drive out from a city to begin a life together on Gram’s Iowa farm. Lily’s in the backseat next to her purple backpack and a box marked “STUFF”; more belongings are strapped to the car roof. Readers aren’t told why Lily is headed to live with her grandmother, but as she looks around with anxious eyes, Griffin (Rhoda’s Rock Hunt) beautifully articulates her sense of displacement: “Gram’s car tires hummed against the pavement. Lily felt the vibration in her hollow chest.” Then Gram comes up with the game of finding 10 beautiful things along the way, and as their list grows — a rural sunrise, a wind farm churning under pink clouds, a thunderstorm breaking across the plains (“Cloud banks traded lightning back and forth, showing off”) — LeChuga’s (Seaside Stroll) digital drawings feel almost cinematic, alternating between dramatic vistas and intense moments of introspection and connection. When Gram tells Lily that the 10th beautiful thing is their love for one another, the girl realizes that while the changes in her life mean that “none of this was easy,” she is where she belongs — and readers will know they’ve been fortunate to accompany her on this life-changing, emotionally expansive journey.
Booklist, starred review
The journey begins before dawn. Lily’s in the backseat of Gram’s small car with her backpack by her side, her luggage strapped to the roof, and a map of Iowa on her lap. When her grandmother proposes that they find 10 beautiful things along the way, Lily is doubtful. “You’d be surprised,” says Gram. Number one is sunrise. It’s a long day, and even the crackers Lily eats don’t fill the hollow place inside her. Still, she and Gram call out each new beauty: a wind farm, a red-winged blackbird, and flashes of lightning. When they reach Gram’s farmhouse, she hugs Lily and whispers, “We’re ten.” And Lily relaxes, knowing she belongs with Gram for now. While the child is clearly carrying a burden, her grandmother’s game gives her a technique for looking outside herself and connecting with the world. The looming question, why Lily needs to live with her grandmother, goes unanswered, allowing space for children to create their own answers. But for many, the fact that Lily has Gram will be enough. Griffin’s narrative is both plainspoken and pitch-perfect. From close-ups of characters to rural landscapes with shifting light, colors, and weather, Lechuga’s handsome digital pictures illustrate the story expressively. An emotionally resonant picture book.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The simple act of looking for beautiful things can help make life itself beautiful again.
Change isn’t easy, especially for a young girl named Lily who must move—without parents—from the city across Iowa to Gram’s farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The reason for Lily’s move is not explained, but all her things are packed in Gram’s car for the daylong journey. When Gram first suggests finding “ten beautiful things along the way,” Lily sees “nothing beautiful.” But soon Lily gasps at the “very moment…the sun [breaks] over the long horizon.” Beautiful thing No. 1. Lechuga’s emotion-laden cameos of Lily in the back seat capture the child’s grief and anxiety, described as “complaints starting in her belly again, coming up her throat, and nearly out her mouth.” Luckily, beautiful things change Lily’s mood. Lily breathes in the smell of mud at a rest area, and the smell “pour[s] itself into some of the empty spaces in her.” Other beautiful things help: a wind farm with white vanes whirling against a violet sky, a red-winged blackbird “perched on a swaying stalk of last year’s corn,” and even a “falling-apart barn” that may be beautiful even if it’s not pretty. Two consecutive spreads capture the force and drama of an Iowa thunderstorm exploding on the plain, which is beautiful thing No. 9. Arriving at Gram’s house, Lily understands that change will not be easy, but she belongs with Gram now: No. 10. Both Lily and Gram present as White.
Stunning illustrations and a quiet appreciation of the natural world combine to create a positive message about change.
Hardcover | $16.99
Published by Charlesbridge
Jan 12, 2021 | 32 Pages | 11 x 8-1/2
5-8 years | ISBN 9781580899369
Ten Beautiful Things
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Maribel LeChuga
A heartfelt story of changing perspectives, set in the Midwest. Ten Beautiful Things gently explores loss, a new home, and finding beauty wherever you are.
Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily’s new home with Gram. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapidated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily’s anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gram and their love for each other.
Ten Beautiful Things leaves the exact cause of Lily’s move ambiguous, making it perfect for anyone helping a child navigate change, whether it be the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or moving.
Shelf Awareness, starred review
Discover: In this deeply touching story, Lily must move to Iowa to live with Gram, who suggests they find 10 beautiful things along the way.
Ten Beautiful Things is a gentle, affecting story about a young girl coming to terms with leaving her home behind to move in with her Gram.
All Lily knows about where she will live with Gram is the “X” marked on “an empty patch of land” on her map. Gram, knowing change is hard, suggests the pair work together to find 10 beautiful things along the way to Iowa. Lily doubts they will find beauty, but when dawn breaks, she’s awed by a magnificent sunrise–she’s found “number one!” They drive on and, just as Lily feels “the complaints starting in her belly again,” Gram points to number two: “spinning windmill blades” that gleam in the morning sun. Lily quickly finds number three, “a red-winged blackbird perched on a swaying stalk of last year’s corn,” and the two travelers continue their search for all 10 things, finding a “falling-apart barn,” the rich smell of mud and a swan-shaped cloud.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
Before dawn, Lily and her Gram, both white, drive out from a city to begin a life together on Gram’s Iowa farm. Lily’s in the backseat next to her purple backpack and a box marked “STUFF”; more belongings are strapped to the car roof. Readers aren’t told why Lily is headed to live with her grandmother, but as she looks around with anxious eyes, Griffin (Rhoda’s Rock Hunt) beautifully articulates her sense of displacement: “Gram’s car tires hummed against the pavement. Lily felt the vibration in her hollow chest.” Then Gram comes up with the game of finding 10 beautiful things along the way, and as their list grows — a rural sunrise, a wind farm churning under pink clouds, a thunderstorm breaking across the plains (“Cloud banks traded lightning back and forth, showing off”) — LeChuga’s (Seaside Stroll) digital drawings feel almost cinematic, alternating between dramatic vistas and intense moments of introspection and connection. When Gram tells Lily that the 10th beautiful thing is their love for one another, the girl realizes that while the changes in her life mean that “none of this was easy,” she is where she belongs — and readers will know they’ve been fortunate to accompany her on this life-changing, emotionally expansive journey.
Booklist, starred review
The journey begins before dawn. Lily’s in the backseat of Gram’s small car with her backpack by her side, her luggage strapped to the roof, and a map of Iowa on her lap. When her grandmother proposes that they find 10 beautiful things along the way, Lily is doubtful. “You’d be surprised,” says Gram. Number one is sunrise. It’s a long day, and even the crackers Lily eats don’t fill the hollow place inside her. Still, she and Gram call out each new beauty: a wind farm, a red-winged blackbird, and flashes of lightning. When they reach Gram’s farmhouse, she hugs Lily and whispers, “We’re ten.” And Lily relaxes, knowing she belongs with Gram for now. While the child is clearly carrying a burden, her grandmother’s game gives her a technique for looking outside herself and connecting with the world. The looming question, why Lily needs to live with her grandmother, goes unanswered, allowing space for children to create their own answers. But for many, the fact that Lily has Gram will be enough. Griffin’s narrative is both plainspoken and pitch-perfect. From close-ups of characters to rural landscapes with shifting light, colors, and weather, Lechuga’s handsome digital pictures illustrate the story expressively. An emotionally resonant picture book.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The simple act of looking for beautiful things can help make life itself beautiful again.
Change isn’t easy, especially for a young girl named Lily who must move—without parents—from the city across Iowa to Gram’s farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The reason for Lily’s move is not explained, but all her things are packed in Gram’s car for the daylong journey. When Gram first suggests finding “ten beautiful things along the way,” Lily sees “nothing beautiful.” But soon Lily gasps at the “very moment…the sun [breaks] over the long horizon.” Beautiful thing No. 1. Lechuga’s emotion-laden cameos of Lily in the back seat capture the child’s grief and anxiety, described as “complaints starting in her belly again, coming up her throat, and nearly out her mouth.” Luckily, beautiful things change Lily’s mood. Lily breathes in the smell of mud at a rest area, and the smell “pour[s] itself into some of the empty spaces in her.” Other beautiful things help: a wind farm with white vanes whirling against a violet sky, a red-winged blackbird “perched on a swaying stalk of last year’s corn,” and even a “falling-apart barn” that may be beautiful even if it’s not pretty. Two consecutive spreads capture the force and drama of an Iowa thunderstorm exploding on the plain, which is beautiful thing No. 9. Arriving at Gram’s house, Lily understands that change will not be easy, but she belongs with Gram now: No. 10. Both Lily and Gram present as White.
Stunning illustrations and a quiet appreciation of the natural world combine to create a positive message about change.
Board book edition available now!
Order from Charlesbridge
Format: Cloth, Children’s Picture Book
Published by MHS Press
October 2014
32pp | 10 x 10 | fully illustrated
Ages 3-7 | ISBN-10: 0873519507
Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
Hike alongside Rhoda as she collects rock after rock, “red ones and blue ones and stripy ones,” from forest and river and lake, on a north woods adventure.
Rhoda is on a long, long hike with her aunt and uncle, each of them carrying backpacks of gear as they walk through the north woods. While Auntie June and Uncle Jonah watch for wildlife and set up their campsites, Rhoda is on the hunt for one thing: ROCKS.
She finds them in all shapes and patterns, from hearts and hats to stripes and sparkles. And every last treasure goes into her pack, making it heavier and heavier as they hike through forests and along streams. Soon Rhoda is sweaty, and tired of salami sandwiches, and wishing for her own bed. Then, on the last day, they come to the Big Lake. And its beach is covered in rocks. Rhoda can’t believe her luck.
After hours of play and even more rock discoveries, it’s time to head for home. By now Rhoda’s pack is too heavy to lift. Will she give up her rocks and return to the cabin for a real shower, a hot meal, and a soft bed? Or will she stay on the beach forever with her beloved collection? Her clever solution makes the most of her treasures–and offers delights for other hikers.
Kirkus Reviews
It’s a haul-your-own-stuff and pitch-a-tent-in-a-new-place-each-night excursion, calling on Rhoda to reach deep into her reserve of gumption. Luckily, she really loves looking for rocks along the way. Her aunt smiles at the rock collecting, as long as Rhoda carries them in her own backpack. Rhoda likes the bucket shower in the cold lake, the salami sandwiches and old ratty sleeping bag, but as the hike continues—and her bag gets heavier with all those special rocks—Rhoda’s laugh disappears, and a decidedly grumpy girl emerges. But when she finally reaches her beach destination, Rhoda’s energy and enthusiasm return, especially when she thinks about the comforts of a cabin and the gorgeous beach rocks. But after some serious beachcombing, Rhoda cannot begin to move the heavy load of rocks. Young nature lovers and hikers will celebrate Rhoda’s creative solution. Droll, green-toned illustrations highlight Rhoda’s every emotion. She’s about 8, and readers see her body droop, eyebrows rise in frustration and even her socks fall, while her hair flies all over the place. Repetition and careful word choice (easy to decode and familiar) make this a picture book to share or read independently.
Rock collectors will smile at her cairns and will be better able to leave behind beloved rocks.
Publishers Weekly
“Quietly perceptive […] speaks to the importance of memories over materials.”
Format: Cloth, Children’s Picture Book
Published by MHS Press
October 2014
32pp | 10 x 10 | fully illustrated
Ages 3-7 | ISBN-10: 0873519507
Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
Hike alongside Rhoda as she collects rock after rock, “red ones and blue ones and stripy ones,” from forest and river and lake, on a north woods adventure.
Rhoda is on a long, long hike with her aunt and uncle, each of them carrying backpacks of gear as they walk through the north woods. While Auntie June and Uncle Jonah watch for wildlife and set up their campsites, Rhoda is on the hunt for one thing: ROCKS.
She finds them in all shapes and patterns, from hearts and hats to stripes and sparkles. And every last treasure goes into her pack, making it heavier and heavier as they hike through forests and along streams. Soon Rhoda is sweaty, and tired of salami sandwiches, and wishing for her own bed. Then, on the last day, they come to the Big Lake. And its beach is covered in rocks. Rhoda can’t believe her luck.
After hours of play and even more rock discoveries, it’s time to head for home. By now Rhoda’s pack is too heavy to lift. Will she give up her rocks and return to the cabin for a real shower, a hot meal, and a soft bed? Or will she stay on the beach forever with her beloved collection? Her clever solution makes the most of her treasures–and offers delights for other hikers.
Kirkus Reviews
It’s a haul-your-own-stuff and pitch-a-tent-in-a-new-place-each-night excursion, calling on Rhoda to reach deep into her reserve of gumption. Luckily, she really loves looking for rocks along the way. Her aunt smiles at the rock collecting, as long as Rhoda carries them in her own backpack. Rhoda likes the bucket shower in the cold lake, the salami sandwiches and old ratty sleeping bag, but as the hike continues—and her bag gets heavier with all those special rocks—Rhoda’s laugh disappears, and a decidedly grumpy girl emerges. But when she finally reaches her beach destination, Rhoda’s energy and enthusiasm return, especially when she thinks about the comforts of a cabin and the gorgeous beach rocks. But after some serious beachcombing, Rhoda cannot begin to move the heavy load of rocks. Young nature lovers and hikers will celebrate Rhoda’s creative solution. Droll, green-toned illustrations highlight Rhoda’s every emotion. She’s about 8, and readers see her body droop, eyebrows rise in frustration and even her socks fall, while her hair flies all over the place. Repetition and careful word choice (easy to decode and familiar) make this a picture book to share or read independently.
Rock collectors will smile at her cairns and will be better able to leave behind beloved rocks.
Publishers Weekly
“Quietly perceptive […] speaks to the importance of memories over materials.”
Hardcover
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers
March 2011 | 32 Pages
4-8 years | ISBN 978-0-547-25487-6
Loon Baby
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anne Hunter
Atop the rippling waves— the breeze ruffling his fluff— Loon Baby waits, alone, and wonders: Will his mother ever come back?
With sensitivity and a spare prose, first-time author Molly Beth Griffin navigates the quiet panic that Loon Baby experiences in the absence of Mama. Anne Hunter’s soft cross-hatched and watercolor paintings shape a serene lake-scape with varied scenes that amplify and illuminate the emotion this book captures.
Kirkus Reviews
“Guaranteed to hit the mark with anyone who’s ever felt lost and alone.”
Booklist
“This lovely picture book addresses a child’s fear of abandonment and offers the reassurance of a mother’s love.”
Publishers Weekly
“While understated, the story has a sturdy quality that should stand up to repeated read-alouds.”
Hardcover
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers
March 2011 | 32 Pages
4-8 years | ISBN 978-0-547-25487-6
Loon Baby
By Molly Beth Griffin
Illustrated by Anne Hunter
Atop the rippling waves— the breeze ruffling his fluff— Loon Baby waits, alone, and wonders: Will his mother ever come back?
With sensitivity and a spare prose, first-time author Molly Beth Griffin navigates the quiet panic that Loon Baby experiences in the absence of Mama. Anne Hunter’s soft cross-hatched and watercolor paintings shape a serene lake-scape with varied scenes that amplify and illuminate the emotion this book captures.
Kirkus Reviews
“Guaranteed to hit the mark with anyone who’s ever felt lost and alone.”
Booklist
“This lovely picture book addresses a child’s fear of abandonment and offers the reassurance of a mother’s love.”
Publishers Weekly
“While understated, the story has a sturdy quality that should stand up to repeated read-alouds.”
