Opportunities to enjoy the natural world are an important part of being in Park Rapids. Here are three lovely picture books which do just that, two about our state bird, the loon, and one about fish.

Loon
Susan Vande Griek and Karen Reczuch

A poetic text and beautiful illustrations outline the early years of a loon’s life. The back material contains information for adults about the life cycle of loons, making this a book for the whole family to enjoy.

Good Morning Loon
Elizabeth Varnai and Kate Hartley

This lovely picture book is for younger children. A boy and his mother go for an early morning canoe ride, hoping to see a loon. They see many other birds and animals before finding a loon and then turning towards home and breakfast. The back material shares information about each of the animals they see on their canoe ride.

Fish Everywhere
Britta Teckentrup

This beautifully illustrated book starts “Fish are Everywhere.” In an entertaining format, it explains what makes a fish a fish and illustrates different kinds of fish. You won’t find walleyes and sunnies in this book, but there’s lots of information about their fishy relatives.

The Giver
Graphic Novel
P. Craig Russell, Lois Lowry

I’m continuing to read books turned into graphic novels. The Giver does not diverge from its source material and even manages to capture the dreariness of the original through a blue and black color palette. As Jonas starts experiencing color so does the reader, which adds a stark visual element the original is unable to achieve. I remember enjoying this book as a kid and loved reliving the familiar story through a different lens.

On the Come Up
Angie Thomas

As the daughter of a celebrated rapper, Bri struggles to make a name for herself in the rap game. That is, until she lands herself in an infamous rap battle spot called the pit and wins her match. But town-wide popularity isn’t enough to keep her family fed and warm or her from being targeted by the racist security guards at school. Things take a turn for the worse when a song Bri recorded is blamed for the increasing violence in her school. Does Bri really want fame if she’s hated? And what will happen if she doesn’t help her family get back on their feet?