We Let a 6-Year-Old Review Two New Washington Kids’ Books
First-grader Jack E. may be the greatest literary critic of our time.
By Seattle Magazine Staff September 27, 2017
This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.
It’s been said before: Kids are a tough and honest audience. So, what better way to judge a couple of new local children’s books than to ask a kid to weigh in? Here’s what Jack E., 6, the son of a Seattle mag staffer, had to say about two richly illustrated children’s books for ages 2–8, released in September.
Thank You, Bees (Candlewick Press, $15.99)
This colorful collage book is about gratitude and appreciation by Bremerton children’s artist and author Toni Yuly, a onetime pupil of the artist Jacob Lawrence. “A book about the earth and things nice about the earth—clouds, trees, dirt, earth—and being thankful for the environment,” says Jack. The pictures had “all the colors, basically. It made me feel good.”
The author reads from her book at 3 p.m. on October 1.
Elliott Bay Book Company, Capitol Hill, 1521 10th Ave.; 206.624.6600; elliottbaybook.com
Frank the Seven-Legged Spider (Little Bigfoot, $16.99) by Seattle illustrator and first-time children’s book author Michaele Razi.
Says Jack: “A silly story about a spider that loses his leg. The nose part was funny, when he went up that guy’s nose to look for his leg!”
Razi reads from Frank the Seven-Legged Spider at 10 a.m. on October 14.
Third Place Books, Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Ave. S; 206.474.2200; thirdplacebooks.com
Follow Us
Studio Sessions: Jo Cosme
The Seattle-based multimedia artist and 2026 Neddy Award winner challenges the postcard version of Puerto Rico and centers the persistence of its people.
Jo Cosme knows how seductive a postcard can be. The Seattle-based Boricua (Puerto Rican) multimedia artist works across photography, installation, video, sound, and interactive elements to examine and pull apart how Puerto Rico is seen, sold, and misunderstood from the outside. Trained in photojournalism, with a BFA in photography from Puerto Rico School of Fine…
Seattle’s Drag Brunch Has History
The city’s Sunday shows started long before the mimosas got bottomless.
There was a time not too long ago, when drag performances—now a mainstay of Seattle’s queer scene—were kept under wraps. And when brunches, complete with singing and dancing queens dressed in dazzling drag as you sipped mimosas, weren’t a Sunday staple. During the 1940s and ‘50s, an era largely shaped by restrictive laws and bias…
Studio Sessions: Sangram Majumdar
Working at the confluence of history, culture, and various painting traditions, UW associate professor Sangram Majumdar is one of this year’s Neddy Artist Award winners.
Discover the art of UW professor Sangram Majumdar, a 2026 Neddy Artist Award winner. Learn about his inspiration and upcoming Seattle exhibition at Cornish.
Rearview Mirror: A Georgian Dinner, Sidewalk Sips, and One-of-a-Kind Clothing
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
A new life for old clothes To celebrate one year in its current studio, the FXRY—a clothing repair service available via in-person appointments, home pickup, or mail-in drop off—is dropping its first collection. A small batch of reworked pieces, Second Mark will feature 13 vintage barn jackets, cropped, chain-stitched, and renewed into a completely unique, one-of-one…