Candy is an elementary school librarian in Shelton, WA at the school where she was a student (so many years ago!). Her library is unique in that she brings her background and love of biology to her students in many ways. Not only does she have an awesome selection of science books; she also has a beaver, bobcat and mink sitting on her shelves and a variety of jarred specimens for her students to study. When she's not in the library, she is taking care of her baby trees on her tree farm and hanging out with her family and many pets.
The story of a deciduous tree’s life in reverse, beginning with the giant tree in the “kingdom of trees” is a unique change from typical nonfiction life cycle books. Told from the tree’s perspective and working backwards, the spare text explores each step of the tree’s life. Accompanying illustrations are from a variety of perspectives – looking up, down and even underground.
Young readers will enjoy this ‘counterclockwise’ life cycle book. There are just a sentence or two on each page. So, there is no chance of getting bogged down in facts. There is a fairly technical author’s note that goes much more in depth. This is better shared with an adult, who can explain some of the more difficult concepts. A resource list of books, videos and websites are also included for further exploration. Recommended.
This story follows a brother and sister, who become bored one stormy summer day and start to argue. Their grandmother offers advice “Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing.” They come to realize that their imaginations can take them anywhere as they imagine themselves flying over their city, which is full of color. They relive this experience many times over through the fall and winter and they realize that they can use their imaginations in a wonderful way.
Grandmother “had learned to fly from the people who came before. They were aunts and uncles and cousins who were brought here on huge ships,their wrists and ankles cuffed in iron.” She reminds them “But, nobody can ever cuff your beautiful and brilliant mind.”
They move to a new neighborhood and remember their grandmother’s advice when they feel lonely. They aren’t alone for long as they share with their new friends, who ‘One by one they too learned to fly.”
This is a poetic piece that reminds all of us to close our eyes and use our imaginations. There are so many possibilities and the challenges can be overcome. We have that power to look to a brighter future.
Text is accessible and accompanying illustrations are bold, bright and engaging. The author’s afterward gives credit to Virginia Hamilton’s “The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales” for her inspiration. The Main characters are Black and supporting characters are diverse. This is the second book by the author/illustrator duo of Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez (“The Day You Begin”) and it is just as richly created. Highly recommended.
“A is for Oboe: The Orchestra’s Alphabet” is a poetic journey through music and instruments. Each letter is on a page or two page spread with at least one musical word. Many are recognizable, such as drum and clarinet. Others are less obvious, like meter and motif. We are introduced to the notion that musical instruments can be a ‘he’ or ‘she’ or even somewhat gender-bending (glockenspiel) because to musicians the instruments are ‘beings’ with character and mood.
Illustrations are vibrant and full of detail, with a great diversity in orchestra members. Text flows and is rich in tone and meaning. This book, while not necessarily a quick read for a student, will be a wonderful read aloud for music teachers as an introduction to the orchestra and all its members/instruments. Recommended
Thunder and Cluck are an unlikely pair of friends. Of course, they don’t start out as friends, as told in this easy-to-read graphic novel. Big, toothy dino Thunder comes upon small, birdlike dinosaur Cluck and prepares to eat him. But, Cluck doesn’t do what he is supposed to do – run! A discussion ensues, with Cluck attempting to strike up a friendship and Thunder giving all kinds of excuses about how this can’t happen. Suddenly, another large, toothy dinosaur sidles up to eat Cluck and Thunder protects his “little buddy” (his words). He finally acquiesces to a friendship experiment, muttering something about hanging out with Cluck will be …interesting.
This beginning graphic novel is a perfect starting point for new readers. The book’s introduction explains how to read a graphic novel, describing panels and word versus thought bubbles. Each page has one to three panels on it and the colors are bright and bold. The main characters are cartoon dinosaurs – can it get any better? Buy this one for your youngest readers. They will be hooked! Highly recommended.
A small boy and his tiny pet elephant are turned away from the Pet Club. There’s even a sign that specifically states “Strictly No Elephants” (No se permiten elefantes). They walk away sadly, only to come upon a dejected girl and her pet skunk, who were also turned away (“He doesn’t stink” she says). Together they form an inclusive Pet Club at a tree house and make it official with a sign that says “All Are Welcome”. And, others come with their unusual pets, like a bat, giraffe, armadillo and tiny narwhal.
Text is simple and illustrations are warmly detailed using block print, Photoshop and colored pencils. Observant readers will notice that the boy, girl and their pets are colorful, while everything else in the background is teal and black on one double page spread. They might also notice a few unusual pets peeking out windows as they walk by on their way to start their new club.
This is a message of inclusion and caring friendship. Characters and pets are diverse. The boy and his elephant have a special bond as noted when the boy helps the tentative elephant over cracks – “I always go back and help him over. That’s what friends do: lift each other over the cracks.” “Siempre regreso y lo ayudo. Eso es lo que hacen los amigos: apoyarse en medio de las grientas.”
This is a lovely book with a wonderful message. It may lead to some great discussions about what friendship looks like for children and what it means to be included. Highly recommended.
“Ten fat sausages, sizzling in the pan…” begins a fresh take on a familiar nursery rhyme, with every other sausage refusing to go “bang” or “pop” and attempting escape instead. Most are not successful, due to a cat, fan, blender and so forth. But, at the end, two escape – not unscathed.
While the notion of a redo of a nursery rhyme is fun, this particular rendition is rather dark and somewhat unpalatable, so to speak. Illustrations of whirring blenders full of pulverized sausage and sliced or bitten sausages are just…yucky. The accompanying text explains each sausage’s end to the general rhyme of “Ten little monkeys”, but falls short on occasion in its faithfulness to the original rhyming sequence.
There are other “food” picture books out there that might be more fun. Or, buy this one and wait for the reactions when you read it aloud. That might be fun, too.
Fred has learned so much in obedience class, things like “sit”, “stay” and “fetch”. But, there is one word that he can’t figure out…”Fred”. What does this mean? How can he do it if he doesn’t understand it? Perhaps the dog in the mirror or in the water knows? Oh, no! He falls in! Luckily, his person saves him and whispers the word “Fred” again and again. A light bulb goes on inside Fred’s head. It’s his name! And, boy, is he excited!
Told in short, accessible sentences, this story is told from Fred’s point of view. He is a pug-like dog, drawn with some pretty spiffy sweatbands on his legs. Expressive illustrations add to the story, which will resonate with young dog owners. A solid purchase, given the popularity of silly dog picture books. Recommended.
Poor Wolf! Sometimes, he gets really angry and the only way he knows how to calm down is to huff and puff. Unfortunately, he often blows things down in the process and other animals become afraid of him, which makes him feel sad when he should feel some relief from his anger.
One day, he loses his huff and puff. So, he looks for help and comes upon a piggy yogi posing outside her straw house. She tried to help him through yoga. But, he becomes frustrated and they move on together to the second yogi’s wood house. That yogi suggests cooling breaths and it works for a moment, until the wolf remembers he had lost his huff and puff. Together, they head over to the third yogi’s brick house (yep, brick) and there the wolf learns the way to calmness.
This book, with its recognizable story line, is a nice introduction to yoga and the benefits of breathing to calm oneself. Text is simple and illustrations are clean and colorful. An author’s note at the end explains the yoga positions and breathing addressed in the story. Use this story to introduce other ways for students to calm their anger and frustration. It is also a great addition to a fractured fairy tale unit – the whole class can practice breathing and yoga! Recommended
This is the story of Rockefeller, the famous little owl, whose story entranced a nation in November, 2020. Each year, a tree is chosen and cut for placement at the Rockefeller Center in New York City. Sometimes, it is trucked from many miles away. In this case, the tree had an inhabitant, a tiny saw-whet owl. This small creature came down with the tree when it was cut and traveled on a truck to New York City. It wasn’t until the tree was being prepared for placement that the owl was discovered by a kind man, whose wife drove Rockefeller to a wildlife rehabilitation center. The owl was given food, water and shelter until she could be released back into the wild. Television and radio stations, newspapers and online news programs followed the story of this tiny owl and people everywhere cheered when it was reported that she was back in nature where she belonged.
This is a lovely, simply written account of Rockefeller’s story. The accompanying illustrations are soft and cozy, with a lot of purples, greens and blues. An author’s note at the end of the story give details about the event as well. This is a sweet addition to holiday story collections. Teachers could add online news segments that followed Rockefeller’s story as well as information about that the saw-whet owl species. Highly recommended.
Cactus and Flower are best friends. They watch the sky as it changes color throughout the day. They visit with their desert animal friends and they watch the stars. These are “Butterfly Days”. One day, one of Flower’s petals drops and then another and another, until…flower is gone. Cactus is so sad. Even the beautiful butterflies can’t cheer him up. But, sadness eventually changes to sweet memories of his friend, Flower. One day, a little green bud appears on Cactus and it turned into a new Flower. “Butterfly Days” are back.
This is a simple, sweet rendition of the life cycle. While the botany might not be totally accurate, the desert animals are there and the basic story line works. Illustrations are bright and simple. Endpapers add interest with clouds in the front and their constellation counterparts in the back. This would be a nice introduction to plant life cycles.
Miss Mallard is in Paris visiting her nephew, Inspector Willard Widgeon. They decide to go to the theater performance of Claudine, granddaughter of family friend (and retired performer) Lily Pilet. In her day, Lily was a famous dancer, who was even rumored to be courted by royalty and showered with jewels. They are especially excited to see Claudine’s recreation of Lily’s famous “Rain of Light” dance. Claudine enters the stage and is swept up and ducknapped! Fortunately, Miss Mallard and Willard quickly discover her tied up in the attic of the theater. Unfortunately, they also discover that her dressing room has been ransacked by the ducknappers.
Upon further discussion, Claudine tells them that her grandmother sent her her bejeweled costume for the show. This costume is studded with real gems. Lily has some later misgivings and sends her a reproduction of the costumer and asks Claudine to hide the real one. Claudine has a claim ticket for the suitcase with the costume, which is at the railroad station. The problem? The ticket is torn and only Claudine’s assistant, Marie, knows the station name. A rush through all the major Paris landmarks ensues and they find Marie in a cafe. They “hatch” a plan to catch the thieves with a fake suitcase and claim ticket before retrieving the real bejeweled costume and their plan works. The thieves/ducknappers are apprehended and the valuable costume is back with Claudine.
This book is intended for those students that are ready to move on from picture books to early chapter books. The font is large and there are numerous half page illustrations. There is also a glossary and question page in the back of the book. The only sticking point of this story is the unfamiliar setting (Notre Dame, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower, etc.) of Paris. Young readers might become bogged down a bit, instead of just enjoying the story. Otherwise, this is nice stepping stone to chapter books.
Allie and Amy are best friends and live in neighboring buildings. They are ready for summer with a list of “Things To Do This Summer”. Unfortunately, they find out that they will be separated for much of the summer when Allie gets a spot at Camp Merry Moose. They spring into action, first tying their legs together (think three-legged race style), which doesn’t work out well. They then resort to accomplishing as much on their list as possible before Allie leaves. Pesky classmate (and eventual friend) Marvin seems to be in many of the same places they are and manages to get in the way most of the time. But, they do their best to work through the list. But, wait! There is good news ahead, because Amy gets to go to camp as well! The next morning, the girls couldn’t be happier as they settle into their bus seats for the ride to camp. And, who else is on the bus? Marvin! Summer camp will be so much fun!
Large font and numerous half page illustrations make this a fine book for early chapter book readers. While the story isn’t very elaborate or thought-provoking, it does what it intends to do – provide a book for those ready to move on from picture books. A word list and questions are in the back, providing some extra help for young readers. Characters are diverse – Allie and her family are Black and Marvin appears to be Hispanic (last name is Lopez). Buy this book for your collection if you are in need of those ‘bridge’ books.
Thomas is a beautiful baby and his sister, Mollie, makes a mistake one day and tells him that. People are never supposed to tell the children how wonderful they are, because the Kinde Folk (a group of evil fairies) will carry off the child and replace it with a horribly ugly and ill-behaved one of their offspring.
This is exactly what happens to baby Thomas and the family is left with a biting, screaming changeling that Mollie calls “Guest”. This being throws the family into an upheaval as it wears Mollie’s mother down and drives her father away. Granny Hedgepath advises to keep the child safe and happy, so that the Kinde Folke will possibly (although highly unlikely) return Thomas. Mollie and her mother are near the breaking point, when Mollie decides to travel with Guest to the Darklands and hopes for a trade to bring her brother home.
Her journey is dangerous and may end in death. But, Mollie is determined to reclaim her brother, return Guest and make things right again for her family. Along the way, she meets some that may help and others that will try to kill her and keep her brother. The ending is a twisting and turning series of events that will surprise the reader almost as much as Mollie herself.
This is not a typical ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn. It is based on Irish myths and appears to be set in a village in the middle ages. Therefore, there is magic, both evil and good. An afterward explains the background of the story and might lead to further exploration. The fantasy elements work well and the story moves along. The scary parts are just scary enough and the reader’s imagination will paint some wonderfully dark pictures as the story progresses.
Recommended for libraries looking for more scary stories that have a bit of fairy dust (not the good kind!). Students will become invested in the journey and eventual, somewhat surprising, ending.
Luz Jimenez was born in the late 1800’s in the village of Milpa Alpa, a short distance from Mexico City. She was part of the indigenous Nuahac people and learned the language, stories and customs of her ancestors. She suffered the same fate as many indigenous people of her era – placement in government run schools where she had to speak Spanish and wear unfamiliar clothing. Her father was killed during the Mexican Revolution in 1911 and her mother moved the family to Mexico City. It was here that Luz realized her dream of becoming a teacher. Her teaching role was not as a typical school teacher, but as a teacher of her ancestral culture and language to the world. She became a model for many of Mexico’s leading artists of the time, including Diego Rivera, who saw her classic Nuahac beauty as something to capture on canvas, in a photograph or as a sculpture. She became friends with these artists and others – scholars and anthropologists, who wanted to learn about her culture and language. She took them back to her village and taught them her ancestors’ stories, language and customs. This knowledge is part of the history of Mexico and Luz is often referred to as the “Soul of Mexico”.
This well-written, informative book tells the story of Luz’s life in an accessible way without being too text-heavy. Accompanying illustrations by Duncan Tonatiuh are reminiscent of indigenous Mexican artwork and add a rich tone to the story. An author’s note, artist’s note, glossary, bibliography and timeline of Luz’s life are important added features. I appreciate the photo of Luz modelling for a group of artists on the artist’s note page. The only pieces missing are some examples of the artists’ work with whom Luz worked. It did lead me to research her life and find those examples. So, perhaps readers will do the same.
You can find just about any answer you need to your questions in this fast-paced nonfiction book about the human body. It begins with the head and moves its way through the systems, stopping here and there to deliver some facts that will add a “Wow” factor (actually, more of a “Gross” factor) to the information. It is illustrated with cartoon-like characters and body parts. The characters are diverse, with differing skin tones and abilities.
A glossary, bibliography and source notes are available. Something really cool to note is a page of QR codes that lead to relevant episodes of the authors’ podcasts of Wow in the World on NPR.
There is a lot of information to take in through these 188 pages. But, kids will likely be engrossed in the gross facts added to the information presented. A rather vivid description (and illustrations) of various types of poop on the Bristol Stool Scale is one example of the extra stuff that kids will love to read about and share with unsuspecting adults. Now, I know seven types of feces and I might just share that information, too!
This book is part of a series called “Wow in the World”, in which there are currently two books and a third due out in April 2022.
This is a story of things lost and found, although sometimes by someone else. It begins with a girl walking her dog, who is grasping stick in his mouth. He notices a squirrel nearby and breaks free to chase it. The girl loses her dog and her hair ribbon. The dog loses his stick and the squirrel loses his acorn. The hair ribbon is found by a bird, who adds it to his nest. A child watching the bird drops his teddy bear. And, so the story continues, finally coming to an end when the girl finds her dog and the squirrel finds his acorn.
This is a circular story that comes to an end near the beginning. It is gently written and illustrated, with the lost things bearing a similar color. The story shows us that sometimes lost things can be found and treasured by others who might need them. The story moves through the community and the characters are hinted at in the pages preceding their active participation. There is so much to see and notice in a book with few words and spare illustrations. It’s a gentle, lovely story that will encourage much discussion.
Sabrina Sue is an adventurous hen, who decides one day to see snow. She is too hot on the farm and wonders what snow is like (soft? crunchy?). Her fellow farm animals think it’s a bad idea and tell her that she is silly. She acknowledges the silly part, packs her bag and is on her way via truck, train and hiking. She and a frog that tags along finally find snow and have a glorious time. But, Sabrina Sue thinks about her friends and returns to the farm, bringing a snow globe and her froggy friend with her. She’s happy to be home, but she knows she’ll visit the snow again one day.
Bright, bold illustrations add to this fun story about this daring hen. Word bubbles add to the cartoon-like feel of the book. Text is simple and the font is large, which is perfect for new readers. The book is billed as a “Level One Ready to Read” book and it fills the niche nicely. This is one of a growing set of Sabrina Sue stories. Buy it for your early readers, because who doesn’t love a good chicken story?
A young artist, who can express himself so eloquently through his drawings is, by his own definition, “the slowest reader in his class”. While other students were turning the pages of their books, he is still on the first sentence. He was intimidated by the words and worried that his classmates will find out that he can’t keep up with them. A page of text seems like wall that he can’t get over.
He decides to take reading one word at a time, breaking down bigger words into smaller pieces and letting the words that he knew lead him through the story. Slowly, he gains confidence and reading is no longer scary. He learns that he doesn’t have to be a fast reader. There were lots of amazing people that were slow readers, like Albert Einstein and Picasso.
He learns that his pictures and words can be a powerful combination. He can draw horses and the words can make them breathe and run. While reading is still a slow process, he understands that they can carry him along on adventures. They are to be enjoyed, not feared.
This story beautifully describes the author’s struggle with dyslexia and his journey through the winding path of learning to read. Illustrations (watercolor, pencil and ink) provide perfect imagery for the author’s story. Aggressive-looking books, twisted word trees and huge walls of text slowly change to accessible stone word paths and an image of the boy tearing down the text wall.
An author’s note details his own struggle with dyslexia, which was a painful experience in a time when those with dyslexia were just called “slow”. This highly recommended book should be shared with students that struggle to read and their classmates, who will gain a better understanding (and empathy) along the way.
Dominguita loves to read, especially the books that remind her of the books her Abuela (grandmother) brought from Cuba and shared with her. But, her grandmother now lives in Florida with her sister, because she has a hard time remembering things. And, the class bully makes reading in peace difficult. So, Dominguita decides to become a knight (like the hero, Don Quijote, from her grandmother’s book). She figures that her knighthood will do two things: 1). show the class bully that girls can be knights and 2). help her feel closer to her brother and grandmother, because her brother agrees to write the story of her life as knight to send to Abuela.
Being a knight is hard work and Dominguita has some mishaps along the way. But, she has the encouragement and help of the adults around her. She also gains two new friends along the way. And, her trusty steed, aka dog, is a loyal sidekick in her adventures.
The characters are diverse and the story is accessible for younger readers, who will cheer for Dominguita (or Dom Capote, the fearless knight). Black and white illustrations help move the story along and an author’s note at the end explains the tale of Don Quijote and its connection to our heroine, Dominguita.
We’ve all heard the vocalized feelings about bedtime from kids, from “I’m not tired” to “I need a drink of water”. It’s pretty apparent how they feel about bedtime. But, have you ever thought about it from the bed’s perspective? Well, the bed in this book will fill you in on its opinion of the situation, from the drool on its pillow to the stickers on its face (headboard). While there are some major annoyances to be had as a bed; it seems to be just fine with the situation in the end when the reader notices a tenderness under that frustration (kind of like being a parent, right?).
Illustrations are colorful and the bed’s expressive features tell the story right along with the text. Readers will enjoy the story from this vastly different perspective and will nod knowingly at the pictures of kids jumping on the bed and leaving old socks and snacks under it. This book could lead very easily into a discussion about looking at situations from another side. There are some great opportunities to foster some empathy in kids. Plus, this bed is just hilarious!
A book reminiscent of the old “Your mama so…” sayings, but with some very surprising and positive twists. Told in rhyming text, this picture book looks at a mama that can do and be anything. She dresses beautifully, is a brainiac and fights injustice. She is as strong as a Marine and so funny. Yet, she can sometimes be “cray-cray”. But, that’s ok, because she wouldn’t have it any other way”.
Colors are vibrant and most characters are people of color. The universal theme of love and joy shared by a mother and child are celebrated in exuberant text and illustrations. My only caveat is the use of “your mama” over and over. Will young children understand that it’s a twist on a tired, old joke? I’m not sure. The illustrations are contemporary as is much of the language. Perhaps, young readers will overlook the redundant use of that tired phrase.
Every chick has a talent and Rocker Chick’s is music. She can play the guitar and belt out a tune better than any other chick. One day, she receives an invitation to headline a show and excitedly prepares for her big debut. On the big night, she steps on stage and freezes. Oh, no! Fortunately, her friends are there to support her using their unique skill sets. For example, Pop Chick teachers her dance moves and Artsy Chick does her makeup. My favorite is Zen Chick, who helps with stress. In the end, Rocker Chick overcomes her fear and rocks the crowd and thanks her “team”, who realize that they can achieve anything with the help of their friends.
This is a colorful, rollicking story told in rhyme. It moves along nicely and the end has a sweet message. This book is a nice addition to social-emotional collections.
What are the characteristics of dinosaur? That’s No Dino! Or Is It? takes the reader through several ancient creatures and compares their bodies to what scientists believe are true dinosaurs. An Anomalocaris may have lived 508 million years ago, but it didn’t have a backbone. Therefore, it wasn’t a dino. A Pleisiosaurus was old enough and had a backbone. But, it lived in the water and, therefore, was not a dino! The last animal to be described is a velociraptor and it has all the characteristics of a dinosaur and there are ten different characteristics! The author concludes with a list of those characteristics, a glossary, an index and a short list of extra resources.
Illustrations are cartoon-like and the writing is accessible for young readers. This book is a nice introduction to dinosaurs and budding paleontologists will take note of what makes a dino a dino after reading this book.
Newton and Curie are a pair of squirrels AND scientists. They spend their days near a school watching children on the playground and in their classroom. They observe the kids on the swings and seesaw and then watch the teacher’s lessons through the classroom window. Using what they observe, they build their own versions and discuss concepts like gravity, force and energy. One day, their bird friends’ nest falls out of the tree and Newton and Curie are to the rescue. They use a lever to enter the classroom and obtain materials necessary to fashion a pulley to return the nest to its place on the tree branch. And, they declare at the end “Science is fun!” . I have to agree!
This story is a great way to introduce some basic physics concepts in a fun, engaging manner. Illustrations are beautifully drawn and there is accompanying information about the real Newton and Curie, as well as a glossary and resource list. Author/illustrator Daniel Kirk, who gave us Library Mouse, creates a sweetly drawn, humorous and accessible introduction to scientific concepts that are exemplified all around us – especially on the playground!
Helga yearns to be a Viking, just like Ingrid the Axe. She begged for stories all the time – at bedtime, during her monthly bath and even fish-pickling time. Her parents tried to calm her ambition, telling her that she was a ‘farmersdotter’ and wouldn’t become a Viking. But, Helga didn’t let that squash her dreams – she and her pet wolverine spent their days doing all kinds of Viking stuff (at least she thought it was Viking stuff). One day, she heard that Ingrid the Axe was coming to town to recruit new members for her Viking crew. Ingrid and her wolverine headed down to town to pursue her dreams. She competed against other would-be Viking recruits and almost made it several times. She finally won a competition and just as Ingrid was about to speak, Helga’s parents ran up to apologize for their daughter’s silliness. Ingrid announced that Helga the Howler was invited to join her crew! The rest, as they say, is history. Helga the Howler and her trusty wolverine plied the oceans of the flat world, gaining fame and fortune as a might Viking Warrior!
This is a wonderful story of perseverance and following your dream, no matter how unlikely. Illustrations are cartoon-like and bright. The story moves along at a face pace with several chuckle-inducing asides along the way. There is also an author’s note and bibliography in the back that includes titles for further consideration and websites for exploration. Highly Recommended.
