Books like Hello, Mum — picked by fans

Love taught C.J. to see.

Nana never preaches or teaches with speeches. Nana helps C.J. learn to see the beauty where he didn't even know to look. From the kind bus driver to the blind man, each was respected for their uniqueness.

My favorite part was when they all closed their eyes to listen to the music. C.J. was transported by his imagination high above the city, into the clouds, tasting what he had yet to see.

The grace is evident throughout. When they end at the soup kitchen, and Nana shows her caring, that circle of grace is complete. From Nana's lessons to her laughing, to her caring, her ability to see is that beauty.

There is so much we love about this book. Every page stretches the imagination on how much one can love in physical distance form and it makes you realize that love, in a sense, has not bounds. You can’t guess how much Little Nutbrown Hare is loved, but he are loved endlessly. Not only is this book warm and fuzzy vibes, it makes you want to cry with this father and child relationship. Vivienne’s dad is a big inspiration in my life and it makes her realize how much she love him and hope to be just like him one day.

This is one of my all-time favourite books. I’m a big fan of Lane Smith, I love his books and his illustrations are gorgeous – he has a wonderful ability to tweak his style to fit the specific book and storyline perfectly. Visually an intriguing delight, and a deeply touching narrative about shared time, memories, and love between Grandpa and Grandchild.

Grandpa Green wasn't always a gardener. He was a boy who lived on a farm and a child who had chickenpox. He was a soldier, a husband, and, most of all, an artist.

Richly illustrated, this tender book depicts a conversation between a father and daughter; the promises he makes to her, the worries and reassurances, and the hopes and dreams. Oliver Jeffers books are always wonderfully unique and beautifully lyrical.

A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work; building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe, and love to keep them warm. A heartfelt poignant story.

What shall we build, you and I? 

I’ll build your future and you’ll build mine. 

We’ll build a watch to keep our time. 

This hugely ambitious book by Indian cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty takes on the whole world, targeting audiences of all ages, from 8 to 88. It is composed of gag cartoons and comic strips based exclusively on wildlife and nature. A staunch advocate for Mother Earth, Rohan goes for the jugular on environmental injustice—on land, in the air, under the sea.

His witty caricatures target serious issues like climate chaos and the man-animal war zone. Rohan creates both concept and illustration, delving into the many reasons why the planet is in deep trouble. Human-caused trouble. This book is one-of-a-kind, meaning there is no other book to compare it to. Superlative!

If you are looking for a book to make children laugh without any other intention, this picture book will fulfill your needs.

The author and illustrator combine text with irresistible illustrations. While making children laugh, this book helps them improve their reading skills by using large letters. Be prepared to read this book again and again at bedtime. You may write to the author to write another one like this because your children will love it.

I enjoy this book because it teaches artists of all ages how to draw various simple facial cartoons in a twelve-step sequential style that is easy to follow. How to draw people with different expressions is essential for any cartoonist. I like how this book takes the artist from drawing happy faces to surprised faces while covering a variety of nationalities. There are many components to drawing faces, such as eyes, a nose, a mouth, ears, and hair, and I like how this book covers it thoroughly in 400 different variations of faces. “Face” the fact that I never take a book at “face” value.

It would be impossible to create a list of morbidly whimsical books without including Edward Gorey, the uncontested master in this realm. While virtually any of Gorey’s books could be added to this list, his Amphigorey treasuries are the most efficient way for new readers to browse through his books. Since I must make a choice, however, I am selecting Amphigorey Too since this was the volume that introduced me to Gorey’s work when I was seventeen. Furthermore, it also contains a couple of my favourite Gorey tales: The Beastly Baby and The Inanimate Tragedy.

I immediately loved Jake’s comics. The art style and humor is right up my alley.

They’re a perfect intersection of print comics like The Far Side and online ones like The Perry Bible Fellowship.

The internet seems especially suited for timely comics that don’t always age well, they’re scrolled past and never read again, but this collection is perfect for print because the comics are timeless and worth repeat reading.  

This book makes me smile because it's filled with a plethora of the cutest cartoons to draw step by step, from rainbows to cupcakes. Sometimes a person will tell me they don't like to draw certain types of cartoons, such as a cat. Still, I remind them that drawing something you are not interested in broadens your horizons and deepens your understanding of the world as you step out of your comfort zone. I like how author Takeshi Sugimori reminds artists to believe in themselves. Plus, he covers the artform of sketch hatching or shading, which is rarely covered in books. When I taught kids how to draw on my It's Curtoon Time TV show, I would remind them to add shading at the end of each cartoon. Sometimes life is about rainbows and unicorns!