The Blue Stone by Jimmy Liao

A large blue stone lives happily in a forest for a very long time, until an artist has the stone broken in two so that half can be used for a sculpture. The book chronicles the journey of that broken stone as it transforms again and again, but still holds the simple desire of returning home. Ultimately it does go back to it's forest, and it's other half, to live again for countless ages, though in a very different form.

The simplicity of the story matched with the depth of the illustrations makes this one of my all time favorites. The vibrant colors are captivating, and you can immerse yourself in them so easily because the story feels like it's already a part of you. Find it, read it, love it.

[click here to see if it's available]

by Scott

Lost Worlds by John Howe

The rich illustrations by John Howe, famous for his depictions of Middle Earth, are well suited for these real and imagined civilizations that have been lost to time, but not our imaginations. With his detailed renderings and compelling summaries, John Howe provides a wonderful introduction to such cities as Troy, Pompeii, and Atlantis, as well as many others. This book will likely stimulate further investigations of these lost worlds, it certainly did for me!

[click here to see if it's available]

by Scott