Hands on Science: Geology by Lola M. Schaefer

“Hands-On Science: Geology” by Lola M. Schaefer is an excellent resource for young scientists eager to explore the fascinating world of rocks and minerals. This book offers a perfect blend of informative text and engaging activities that make learning about geology fun and interactive. Schaefer’s clear explanations and vivid illustrations help bring complex concepts to life in a way that is accessible for elementary students. This is a great book for its ability to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for geology. It’s a fantastic addition to any classroom or library, providing an interactive information that encourages young learners to explore and discover the wonders of geology.

My House, My Family by C. Hope Flinchbaugh

“My House, My Family” by C. Hope Flinchbaugh is a delightful exploration of family life and home. The book celebrates diversity by showcasing different types of families and their unique traditions. Flinchbaugh’s engaging text, paired with warm illustrations, makes this an inviting read for young children. I recommend “My House, My Family” for its heartwarming depiction of family and the way it encourages children to appreciate their own homes and family dynamics. It’s a wonderful addition to any library collection.

Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi

“Little Shrew” by Akiko Miyakoshi is a beautifully illustrated and heartwarming tale that will charm young readers. The story follows a small but determined shrew on a big adventure, teaching valuable lessons about courage, perseverance, and self-discovery. Miyakoshi’s delicate illustrations perfectly capture the charm and emotion of the narrative, drawing readers into Little Shrew’s world. I highly recommend “Little Shrew” for its engaging story and stunning artwork. This book is an excellent choice for storytime, fostering a love for reading and appreciation for the delicate beauty found in nature and determination.

Super Gross Night Creatures by Maria Le

Learn about some of the creepiest nocturnal creatures in this sixth book in the nonfiction Level 2 Ready-to-Read series. This book explores fascinating and slightly icky creatures of the night, perfect for young readers who love a mix of gross and cool facts. The engaging text and vivid illustrations make learning about these nocturnal animals fun and accessible. I recommend “Super Gross Night Creatures” for its ability to introduce young readers to nonfiction text while building their reading skills and sparking curiosity.

Interrupting Cow and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Jane Yolen

This is author Jane Yolen’s fifth book in the hilarious Interrupting Cow series. This book is a level 2 in the Ready-To-Read series which includes longer sentences, simple chapters, and high interest vocabulary words. This charming story follows the interrupting cow as she helps a new friend find her flock. It’s a cute story of friendship and self-acceptance. Yolen’s engaging writing, filled with clever wordplay and light-hearted humor, makes it a perfect choice for young readers transitioning to independent reading. The illustrations complement the text beautifully, bringing the whimsical characters and their antics to life. I am a fan of the Ready-To Read series and I recommend this book for its entertaining story and its ability to encourage a love of reading in early readers.

The Giants Go Camping by Jane Yolen

“The Giants Go Camping” by Jane Yolen, with illustrations by Tomie DePaola, is a delightful and humorous story perfect for beginning readers. The book follows five friendly giants from Fe-Fi-Fo- Farm as they embark on a camping adventure as they encounter amusing mishaps along the way. 

Yolen’s engaging narrative is filled with playful language and fun situations that will keep readers giggling and eager to see what happens next. Tomie DePaola’s illustrations are a perfect match, bringing the giants and their antics to life with expressive details.

“The Giants Go Camping” would be a great addition to any library especially for beginning readers. It’s a wonderful book that encourages imagination and the joy of friendship.

The Boy Who Said Wow

What a sweet book celebrating the power of music to move us! Based on a true story, it tells of a young boy who is non-verbal, rarely speaking, accompanying his grandfather on an outing to the symphony. When the music ends, in that moment of silence, Ronin bursts out with his first, “Wow!” Obviously impacted by the music he’s just heard, his Wow is a celebration, which further impacts the rest of the audience in its genuine, uninhibited joy. Ronin returns to being quiet, but the final page of the book shows him going to sleep night, and ponders what he may still be listening to in his dreams.

Not My Cat

It’s all about the power of a cat to worm its way into our lives whether we like it or not. The narrator professes to not like cats, and when one starts coming around every day, she says she doesn’t like it, even though she gives it food, and she names it Not My Cat so that every knows it’s not her cat. She says she doesn’t know where the cat lives, or what it does at night, even though she wonders about it sometimes. But when Not My Cat doesn’t show up for several days in a row, she’s worried, and all her normal routines feel empty. When she does return, our narrator doesn’t know where she’s been, but she know she looks hungry and curious, and she looks like she’s hers. The logical, responsible pet owner in me wishes there was some sort of little afterward to comment that now she’s claimed the cat it will mean taking her to the vet and keeping track of where she is because there are so many dangers for cats left to stray, but the mushy side of me just feels warm and fuzzy, which is what the kids will feel.

Love Makes a Garden Grow

Some kids have a hard time with change, but it’s something we all have to face in life. As this author shares her own experiences of change, she weaves through a thread that keeps things connected. The story opens with her sharing her memories of time spent with her grandfather in his big garden, but then a time comes when he needs to move into a smaller apartment, and though he no longer has space for a big garden, he doesn’t leave all his plants behind. When the time comes that she must move far away from her grandfather, she shares that her new home feels lonely, until her grandfather sends her a gift in the form of a favorite plant from her childhood. Eventually, when she is grown, we see her returning to visit her grandfather’s little apartment with her own daughter in tow, and even though his potted plant garden is smaller than the big one from her own childhood, she is still able to share some of the same kind of experiences, so it still feels like home. It’s a comforting, reassuring kind of story as kids (or grown-ups) face changes, reminding us it’s still possible to maintain the ties that are important.

Rain

In the Pacific Northwest we can too easily fall into the habit of associating rain with words like cold and gloomy and dreary. But this book celebrates rain. The colors are bright and cheerful. It dedicates several pages to the anticipation of the rain, when so many creatures (including kids) hurry home when they sense it coming, but instead of a sense of dread, it offers a sense of the cozy. It mentions the dogs who don’t hurry home but wait to feel the drops just for the fun of it, and the ducks who are happiest of all enjoying a glorious day in the rain. It reminds us that rain is good for everybody, filling bird baths and creeks and helping things grow.

This Is the Planet Where I Live

I’m excited to write this review because it feels like a long time since I’ve been able to give a “Highly Recommended.” I’m excited about the prospect of sharing this one with my students. I think it would work great as a shared reading or readers’ theater, perhaps in April, near Earth Day. It’s a cumulative poem, modeled after The House that Jack Built, but describing the inter-connectedness of all who share this planet. The illustrations are vibrant mixed-media collage that celebrate our world. It really is a beautiful book!

Once Upon a Fairy Tale House: the true story of four sisters and the magic they built

It’s a charming book that tells of four sisters who grew up in southern California in the early 1900s, and each followed their own interests, right into careers that were uncommon pursuits for women of that era. As adults they brought their individual strengths and skills together to build cottages that captured the magic they remembered from the fairy tales they read as children. The end note in the back is just as well-written as the book itself, adding depth and detail to round out the story. I just wish kids actually read those parts.

The Library Fish

I was prepared to be hard on this one, thinking to myself, “Do we really need another book encouraging kids to learn to read? There are so many good ones out there already.” But who can resist a library fish who gets wrapped up in the joy of the library, watching books come and go, watching patrons search for just the right book, listening in during story our and getting caught up in the wonder and excitement and humor in books? When a book is shared during story time about a dog who learned to read, Library Fish is determined she can too. As soon as she’s alone in the library, “With plenty of hard work, determination, and, of course, imagination…” she creates a water bubble for herself around her head (think old-time diver’s helmet) that lets her venture beyond her bowl and explore the library, starting with the alphabet, building up to words, practicing night after night, until she’s ready to share all she’s learned with her book-mobile friend. It’s full of delight and determination and celebration. The illustrations are full of personality and express the joy found in persistence. I now want a library fish.

While You’re Asleep

It’s meant to be read aloud at bedtime. The narrator is trying to wax poetic about all the animals who are also going to sleep, but keeps getting interrupted by various nocturnal animals getting up to antics spoiling the go-to-sleep message. By the end of the book all the night-time animals are having a party. It ends with a question, asking how the listener can know it’s not all true, since they’re asleep? The illustrations give a lot of personality to the animals, and invited kids to open their imaginations to what goes on when they’re asleep. Who’s to know?

Willis Watson Is a Wannabe

It’s a book written with a definite purpose in mind, and it’s a purpose we need: to encourage more children of color to consider futures in the professions where we need more people of color (in this case specifically, doctors). It tells of a kid who loves his grandpa who is always telling him he can be anybody he wants to be, and encourages him to think beyond his neighborhood. But he also gets the sense from his peers that it’s not cool to be a wannabe. But when a medical emergency hits and his beloved grandpa is in the hospital, he’s grateful to the doctor who cares for him, and who grew up in his own neighborhood, re-energizing his dreams of being the kind of hero he sees around him.

Today

It’s a philosophical sort of book, intended to teach mindfulness to kids. It’s not necessarily the kind of story kids are going to pick up to read again and again as a favorite, but it could be useful as a teaching tool. The subplot that runs through the illustrations, showing a child on an excursion to visit grandparents at a summer lake cabin and enjoy the company of extended family while swimming in the lake and watching fireflies is not necessarily something every child will be able to relate to, but the sentiments expressed through the words will certainly by familiar to all — the way time goes so fast sometimes and drags at others, the joys of good food and laughter, the misery of having a joyful moment suddenly disrupted by a bee sting. Kids will probably ignore the extra information in the back offering tips one what to do when anxious or appreciating the here and now, but adults might use them intentionally with a child they know needs it.

Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain

The illustrations are really fun, with a cute little dog with great big eyes who sucks you in immediately. The story is one that will be familiar to anyone who has a short-legged dog, but from the dog’s perspective: he really wants to climb “Comfy Mountain” (i.e. the back of the couch), but he just can’t manage it. When finally realizing all he needs to do is ask his human for help, the rewards prove better than his imagination. It ends with a gentle reminder that though it’s great to do things by ourselves, sometimes doing them together is even better. Some kids need a reminder that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.

Patchwork Prince

The illustrations are vibrant and joyful and celebratory, even as the story is describing events born of poverty. Many students used to making the most of hand-me-downs may relate to the power of recreating something beautiful from that which has been discarded by others. They may be perplexed though at the idea that the narrator and his mother had to sneak through the night to scavenge the fabric scraps before they were set afire. Reading the author’s note at the end helps to give context, explaining that the book is based on his own childhood experiences growing up in St. Lucia, where wealthy factory owners made a point of having their scraps burned so that poor families couldn’t steal their trash, but that sometimes a kind worker would give them time to rummage before starting the blaze. We say books can sometime serve as mirrors, reflecting the reader’s own experiences, or sometime a window, showing the reader some aspect of the world beyond. This one may do both at the same time for some readers.

My Cat Does Ballet

It’s cute enough. It’s not a bad book. I’m just afraid it’s got a really limited audience. As far as I can see, the only readers who are really going to appreciate this book are cat lovers who are really into ballet. The narrator shares all the things his friends’ cats can do, and then goes on to explain how his cat does ballet, using French ballet term to describe his cat’s activities. When he invites his friends to bring all their cats over one day for ballet lessons, they all start spinning and twirling and leaping right away, while his cat takes a nap on the couch. If you have ballet enthusiasts with cats among your patrons, they’d probably enjoy this one.

Love Is My Favorite Color

Some won’t like it, but I do, though I’m having trouble articulating why. It’s a poetical/philosophical sort of book, using both color and words in an unusual way. The skin may be blue and the leaves pink, yet the flowy, swirly illustrations somehow draw you in and pair nicely with the way the poem discusses big, intangible words in unusual ways: peace is my favorite song, and happiness is my favorite flavor??? Yet I think it invites students into poetry by opening them up to using words in new ways, giving them permission to play with words and still find meaning.

Just Because

It’s not a story to be read straight through from start to finish. It’s a poem to be read and pondered in bits and pieces — would be a really good conversation starter. It’s a series of rhyming couplets, each making a statement that seems on the surface to be self-contradictory, yet the accompanying illustrations sets forth a scenario in which it makes sense after all. “Just because I’m finished, doesn’t mean that I’m done” is matched with illustrations that show a girl all tucked up in bed, saying goodnight to the parent at the door, followed by the same girl reading with a flashlight under the covers once she’s alone; “Just because I’m sitting still, doesn’t mean that I’m not busy,” is illustrated with a girl sitting in a yoga pose. Some of them work better than others, and some could be argued, but that’s what gives it such potential to start meaningful discussions.

Hippos Remain Calm

I love Boynton’s artwork, with it’s clean lines and bright colors and familiar characters, and I know small children are drawn to them also. The rhyming text is in large print, with only a sentence or two per page, but I think this book really needs to be paired with Hippos Go Berserk, it’s obvious companion, in order for the story to make much of an impact. So if you have that one, and your readers are familiar with it, then this one would make a nice contrasting story. As a stand alone, it’s a bit flat, just describing two hippos having a rather calm day, and then inviting a couple friends over in the evening, and when more friends show up, the calm disappears as a party ensues. It’s fine, but is better when paired with the other to provide context.

Brave Little Bear

The illustrations are absolutely charming! The big eyes on the bear cub, Arlo, capture the reader’s heart from the start. The message may be a familiar one, that “Being brave when you feel afraid is the very bravest brave of all,” but because the cute little bear sucks us in at the beginning, we feel for him every step of the adventure that teaches him this lesson. He doesn’t want to leave his cozy cave all snug with his mom and sister, but mom tells him to be brave as they set out. He sees his sister as the brave one, until she gets lost in a snowstorm and he rushes out on his own to save her without even thinking about it. In the end, once they’ve all reached their destination safely, he once again finds himself snuggly curled up with mom and sister. It’s a feel-good story that leaves the reader comforted by the reassuring ending of everything turning out alright in the end, and the confidence that we all have the capacity to be braver than we believe when need arises.

Little Vampire

by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg

Tony loves scary stories and horror films. So, he’s quick to recognize his new friend, Rudolph, is a vampire. He showed up at Tony’s window one night after Tony’s parents went out (which they seem to do nightly, leaving Tony alone). Rudolph visits Tony most nights, borrows his books and loans him his uncle’s cape so Tony can fly to the cemetery with him to visit his crypt. Soon, Rudolph’s sister, Anna, joins in the fun. Eventually, Tony’s parents become suspicious and as, for Tony to invite his new friends over for tea. He tries to fool his parents with a substitute and it didn’t go well. Anna, who has a crush on Tony, and Rudolph come to tea and try hard to appear human with mixed results. Tony’s parents shake their heads at his new friends and decide they don’t need to visit again any time soon.

This story is translated from the original German and is part of a six book series. While the premise is interesting, the story lags a bit and its macabre theme isn’t terribly humorous. Kids who enjoy horror fiction might find this book interesting, although it’s not really horror. And, readers that enjoy humorous stories might not like it either.

A Day in the Sun

by Diana Ejaita

As the world travels around the sun and daylight shines in all the different places , we see how it affects us in the most positive ways. Each two-page spread highlights children in a noted country and what happens on a sunny day, whether it is covering their heads from the very hot sun to taking a swim to cool off. The bright, vibrant colors add to the story and the smiling children throughout remind us that we are all living on the same world under the same sun. This is a lovely book to share.