Hey, everyone! Sorry I’m late with the post this morning!
I want to take this moment to say that next Friday (June 14) will be the last official Perfect Picture Book Friday until September, but I know many of you carry on throughout the summer. Please feel free to continue adding your books to next week’s PPBF list (June 14), or add them in September to the first list that goes up then!
Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy today’s breathtaking selection!
Title: You Are Home: An Ode To National Parks
Written & Illustrated By: Evan Turk
Atheneum Books For Young Readers, June 4, 2019, nonfiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (though anyone can enjoy the gorgeous illustrations and language!)
Themes/Topics: nature, respect and appreciation of the land and all that inhabit it
Opening: “To the chipmunk in her burrow, sleeping beneath the leaves to keep warm; to the resilient bison in the steaming oases of an endless winter: you are home. to the wildflowers painting the warming hillsides; to the pronghorn chewing the grass of her first spring: you are home.”
Brief Synopsis: (From the jacket): “From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawai’i, Evan Turk’s stirring ode to nature and the nation reminds us that every animal, plant and person is an integral part of what makes this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.
Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, picturing approximately 27 National Parks and the flora, fauna, geographic formations, and people that exist (or have existed) there; the back of the book includes A Note From The Author which gives a lot of information about the National Parks and the author’s connection to them and purpose in making the book; the back of the book also includes a map of the United States showing the locations of all the National Parks (not just the ones pictured in this book) and additional information about the parks and animals in the book. If you have the opportunity to visit one or more National Parks, take advantage of it! 😊
Why I Like This Book: the book is a celebration of the United States, a gorgeous tour in pictures and language of this amazing and beautiful country. The art is full of light and dappled shadow and velvet darkness, rocky crags, lush forest, grassy plains, the animals that inhabit the parks and the people who visit – it brings to life the concept of “America the beautiful from sea to shining sea.” And the language matches the art:
“Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,
and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,
from every river, star, and stone
comes the eternal refrain:
you are home.”
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Fabulous book to celebrate possibly the greatest American achievement, IMHO!
I love the echo “you are home” – how perfect. And what a wonderful way to celebrate our national parks.
I love Evan Turk’s illustratons & have been eagerly awaiting this picture book.
This looks like a fabulous book! Thanks for sharing!
This book looks lovely. It would be a wonderful companion to the book I wrote about Hidden City. We live in an incredible place and are so fortunate to have the National Parks.
Looks gorgeous! And his words have the lyrical grandness of Diane Siebert’s HEARTLAND. Looking forward to reading this one. Thanks, Susanna!
I love our National Parks. I can’t wait to read this book. Thank you so much for featuring it.
Gorgeous pick!
Love love love this! I’m a fan of National Parks and definitely need to get this book, Susanna!
And all good wishes for a very successful book signing tomorrow!!!!
Susanna, this looks wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Love your choice today… Seems like we have the wonders of nature in mind, in our choices. What! Oh no PPBF is closing down 😦 I will curl up in front of my tv and heater with heaps of books from the library while you enjoy your summer season. 😉 Enjoy your weekend.
This book sounds like a treasure!
I have thought more than once about writing a book on the national parks. This sounds absolutely beautiful. It needed to be written! Thanks for showcasing it, Susanna.
What a lovely pick today, with so many families planning trips to the many national parks around the country. So important for children to visit a the majesty of a park and experience nature first hand.
I will have to get this book! I’ve been to many national parks and I’d like to introduce my children to them!!
This book looks amazing! I can’t wait to read it with my kids and talk about all the parks we will someday visit! Thank you for sharing, Susanna!