I have been working on a curated children’s book database for 8 years; diligently entering every title that we love, but only the ones we loved, with the ISBN, the author’s and illustrator’s names, and keywords. And it’s working (for the most part)! I hope it helps connect some children and adults with some great books. A big thank-you to my husband for his web expertise!
I wanted to start off by sharing one of our favourite authors: Maria Parr. She is a Norwegian author whose books are loved worldwide, have been translated into at least 26 languages, and have won many awards. We have read her Adventures with Waffles/Waffle Hearts, Lena, the Sea and Me, and Astrid the Unstoppable. We love all three so much. They are heartwarming and wholesome, and filled with lovable characters. They are also really fun and funny, and make us laugh. These books warm the soul. They are middle grade novels, and are great read-out-louds. I think the ideal age range is 6-12, but I’m in my 40s and love them. Unfortunately, and bafflingly, her books aren’t widely known in Canada ⎼ and that must be fixed!
In a translated interview Maria Parr said “…now I think children’s books are the most important books. And it’s very inspiring to write for children. You ask people which book really made an impact on their life, very often the answer is a children’s book. Something they read when they are young. Children really deserve good books. It’s very motivating to write for them!”
I couldn’t agree more that children’s books are important and can have real impacts, which is why I started this database many moons ago. So, if you go to the database and type Maria Parr in the author search bar, her books that we have read will come up. Or you click on the book images above to go to the book database to read more about them. You can also read more about Astrid the Unstoppable here.
Thank-you Maria Parr for your books, and happy reading, Kate
A bit more about the database and Maria Parr’s Waffle Hearts: