My Little Heart, Ruthie by Toni Jannotta, Illustrated by Jennifer Mones
Composed with victims of emotional abuse in mind, My Little Heart, Ruthie encourages and inspires with poetry and drawings. Toni Jannotta, actress and dancer, now branches out to write children’s books, in this case using limericks as her poetic medium.
Ruthie is a heart who plays a harp, but her hopes have been crushed by cruel words. When she tried to soothe people with her gentle sounds, they “barked and snapped.” She’s convinced she’s “stinky” and “ugly,” too lonely to make beautiful music—until she hears a song on the breeze that shakes her from the cold prison of her self-denigrating […]
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If it’s an interactive fantasy you’re seeking as the next bedtime story for your little one, look no further than The Melting Pot, a wonderful picture book by Marc Denholm, with superb artwork by Darren Yeow.