March 8 – Genealogy Day

Happy Genealogy Day!

Looking into family history can be fun. Check out these children’s books about family, parents, grandparents, and cousins.

Family written by Isabell Monk and illustrated by Janice Lee Porter (2005)

The girl introduces the reader to all the members of her mother’s family. She only sees her aunts and uncles and cousins a few times a year, but when she does there is always plenty of food, fun, and stories. This time she brings her own surprise for the family dinner. Almost everything they eat comes from Aunt Poogee’s farm. At the end of the meal, she brings out her own surprise. It a treat from her father’s family, sweet and sour pickles. Pickles with a peppermint stick in the middle are a hit with the family and a new addition to the family meal. Aunt Poogee reminds her to always cook with a cup of tradition from her mama’s family and a cup of tradition from her papa’s family. Added with a lot of love and it’s the perfect recipe for a family.

Grandparents Song written and illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka (2003)

The girl sings a song of her family tree. Her mother’s parents were a Native American woman who rode an Appollosa horse and a European man who worked the railroad. Her father’s parents were a Mexican woman from the other side of the Rio Grande and an African-American man who people crossed the sea and were chained by slavery. From those four directions, the girl grows strong and free.

Weird Parents written and illustrated by Audrey Wood (1990)

This poor boy has weird parents. His mother blows kisses at the bus and leaves weird surprises in his lunchbox. His father shakes hands with everyone he meets. And every Saturday, they went out in their weird car and laugh out loud at the movies. And after they tucked him into bed at night, he could help but wish that his parents weren’t weird anymore and that everyone else had weird parents. But of course, non of that is possible so he just learns to accept his parents and their weirdness!