Month: January 2020

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

#readyourworld with Sumo Joe this Multicultural Children’s Book Day!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This year, I’m so excited to be shining a spotlight on Pragmatic Mom Mia Wenjen‘s book, Sumo Joe, illustrated by Nat Iwata. I was gifted this book to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day by the author, and am thrilled to talk about this fun, gorgeous book.

Sumo Joe, by Mia Wenjen/Illustrated by Nat Iwata,
(June 2019, Lee and Low), $18.95, ISBN: 9781620148020
Ages 3-7

A girl named Jo and her older brother, Joe, share breakfast together before she heads out and he welcomes students into his home dojo, where he teaches two boys the art of sumo. When Jo returns home and wants to join in, the boys push back against having a girl in their sumo space, but she puts her aikido skills up against Sumo Joe and his students!

Sumo Joe has all the best things about a good picture book: a fun, positive story, engaging text that introduces readers to new words (bolded for emphasis) and beautifully illustrated spreads to assist with context, and rhyming verse that just begs for read-alouds. Sumo Joe is a sweet older brother, as evidenced by Jo’s relationship with him and his attention to his students; Jo is a spunky young lady who wants to be in the room where it’s happening – in this case, “it” being sumo lessons”. Pastel illustrations make this a happy read that just wraps you up in good feelings. An author’s note and illustrated glossary on sumo and aikido make this a perfect book to have on your shelves. Publisher Lee and Low has a free, downloadable teacher’s guide on their website.

Thank you again to Mia Wenjen for sending me a copy of Sumo Joe, and to MCBD for inviting me to be part of another year of celebrating diverse books!

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.

Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.

MCBD 2020  is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board

 

Super Platinum

Make A Way Media/ Deirdre “DeeDee” Cummings,

Platinum

Language Lizard, Pack-N-Go Girls,

Gold

Audrey Press, Lerner Publishing Group, KidLit TV, ABDO BOOKS : A Family of Educational Publishers, PragmaticMom & Sumo Jo, Candlewick Press,

Silver

Author Charlotte Riggle, Capstone Publishing, Guba Publishing, Melissa Munro Boyd & B is for Breathe,

Bronze

Author Carole P. Roman, Snowflake Stories/Jill Barletti, Vivian Kirkfield & Making Their Voices Heard. Barnes Brothers Books,  TimTimTom, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee & Low Books,  Charlesbridge Publishing, Barefoot Books Talegari Tales

 

Author Sponsor Link Cloud

Jerry Craft, A.R. Bey and Adventures in Boogieland, Eugina Chu & Brandon goes to Beijing, Kenneth Braswell & Fathers Incorporated, Maritza M. Mejia & Luz del mes_Mejia, Kathleen Burkinshaw & The Last Cherry Blossom, SISSY GOES TINY by Rebecca Flansburg and B.A. Norrgard, Josh Funk and HOW TO CODE A ROLLERCOASTER, Maya/Neel Adventures with Culture Groove,  Lauren Ranalli, The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Dr. Sharon Chappell, Phe Lang and Me On The Page, Afsaneh Moradian and Jamie is Jamie, Valerie Williams-Sanchez and Valorena Publishing, TUMBLE CREEK PRESS, Nancy Tupper Ling, Author Gwen Jackson, Angeliki Pedersen & The Secrets Hidden Beneath the Palm Tree, Author Kimberly Gordon Biddle, BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN’S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 by Mia Wenjen, Susan Schaefer Bernardo & Illustrator Courtenay Fletcher (Founders of Inner Flower Child Books), Ann Morris & Do It Again!/¡Otra Vez!, Janet Balletta and Mermaids on a Mission to Save the Ocean, Evelyn Sanchez-Toledo & Bruna Bailando por el Mundo\ Dancing Around the World, Shoumi Sen & From The Toddler Diaries, Sarah Jamila Stevenson, Tonya Duncan and the Sophie Washington Book Series, Teresa Robeson  & The Queen of Physics, Nadishka Aloysius and Roo The Little Red TukTuk, Girlfriends Book Club Baltimore & Stories by the Girlfriends Book Club, Finding My Way Books, Diana Huang & Intrepids, Five Enchanted Mermaids, Elizabeth Godley and Ribbon’s Traveling Castle, Anna Olswanger and Greenhorn, Danielle Wallace & My Big Brother Troy, Jocelyn Francisco and Little Yellow Jeepney, Mariana Llanos & Kutu, the Tiny Inca Princess/La Ñusta Diminuta, Sara Arnold & The Big Buna Bash, Roddie Simmons & Race 2 Rio, DuEwa Frazier & Alice’s Musical Debut, Veronica Appleton & the Journey to Appleville book series  Green Kids Club, Inc.

We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.

Co-Hosts and Global Co-Hosts

A Crafty Arab, Afsaneh Moradian, Agatha Rodi Books, All Done Monkey, Barefoot Mommy, Bethany Edward & Biracial Bookworms, Michelle Goetzl & Books My Kids Read, Crafty Moms Share, Colours of Us, Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes, Educators Spin on it, Shauna Hibbitts-creator of eNannylink, Growing Book by Book, Here Wee Read, Joel Leonidas & Descendant of Poseidon Reads {Philippines}, Imagination Soup, Kid World Citizen, Kristi’s Book Nook, The Logonauts, Mama Smiles, Miss Panda Chinese, Multicultural Kid Blogs, Serge Smagarinsky {Australia}, Shoumi Sen, Jennifer Brunk & Spanish Playground, Katie Meadows and Youth Lit Reviews

FREE RESOURCES from Multicultural Children’s Book Day

TWITTER PARTY! Register here!

 

Hashtag: Don’t forget to connect with us on social media and be sure and look for/use our official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Max’s Box helps kids manage emotions

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Max’s Box, by Brian Wray/Illustrated by Shiloh Penfield, (Sept. 2019, Schiffer Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764358043

Ages 4-8

A young boy named Max receives a box from his parents; they tell him he can put everything in the box, so he starts putting his favorite toys in the box but quickly discovers that he can put feelings and emotions in the box, too. Unfortunately, as Max adds feelings to the box – hurt, embarrassment, frustration – the box becomes bigger and heavier to bear, and Max’s quality of life is affected: he can’t do things he used to enjoy, like riding a bike or climbing trees, because of the unwieldy, enormous box. Luckily, a prospective friend and a ladybug lead Max to a joyful, creative solution.

Max’s Box is a clean, easy-to-understand story about emotions, and how suppressing them can cast a shadow over everything we do. As the box first becomes loaded with Max’s physical clutter, his parents buy him a wagon to tote it around, asking him if the Box is getting too big for him. Max’s response, “I can carry it”, will resonate with adults and kids who feel like negative emotions can be a burden on others.  All it takes as a boy willing to keep Max company and a surprise visit from a ladybug to lift Max’s spirits and give him an idea: to create the image of a balloon, floating away; other see this and contribute their own balloons, communicating the value of creative visualization. The grey and white artwork gradually fills in with bright colors as Max and others lighten their loads, sending physical and emotional baggage free. As Max’s dad says, “It’s ok to have all kinds of feelings… but once you feel them, their job is done”. An author note about expressing emotion offers tips for adults who want to help children healthily manage and express their emotions.

A good read-aloud for younger grades that invites discussion. I’d love to see some parent-educator resources for this.

Posted in Uncategorized

Are you ready for Multicultural Children’s Book Day?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Friday is Multicultural Children’s Book Day, where we celebrate diverse stories by diverse authors. Visit the MCBD site to find links to all of the MCBD bloggers and the books they’re celebrating. Sneak peek: I’ll be talking about Mia Wenjen’s picture book, Sumo Joe, illustrated by Nat Iwata.

Newbery Winner Jerry Craft (New Kid) created this year’s poster. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Posted in ALA Midwinter, Conferences & Events, picture books

Bloomsbury Book Buzz and the Free Library of Philadelphia at #ALAMW20

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The first day of ALA Midwinter tends to be a little slow, so I was thrilled when my friend invited me to be her +1 at Bloomsbury’s Book Buzz, held at the Free Library of Philadelphia. I was planning on visiting the library during my Midwinter visit, so this was perfect! We got to enjoy the Our Five Senses exhibit, which included some beautiful picture book framed artwork and thought-provoking questions about the senses various art invoked in the kids.

Still one of my favorite storytime books: artwork from Aliki’s My Five Senses (1962).

 

A friendly, giant eyeball welcomes us to the exhibit.

Artwork from Angela Dominguez’s Maria Had a Little Llama (2013).

 

Sketches from Zachariah OHora’s Stop Snoring, Bernard! (2011), which is storytime GOLD.

 

Artwork from Lizi Boyd’s Flashlight (2014).

 

Ezra Jack Keats’s artwork for Ann McGovern’s Zoo, Where Are You? (1964)

 

Finally, it was time to go to the Book Buzz, where there were snacks! There were fun tattoos and swag bags for all, and we got to enjoy author Isaac Fitzgerald’s presentation about his book, How To Be a Pirate, and the four additional books being fêted.

I love this picture so much, but the actual photo it’s based on was underneath, and it is stunning.

The work that went into this book is incredible: look at the Google Image search, and look at how illustrator Laura Freeman used it to create this spread.

I love this series! Connie Schofield-Morrison and Frank Morrison are back with their upbeat young protagonist from I Got Rhythm and I Got the Christmas Spirit. Now, she’s showing readers her school spirit, and the artwork is just PERFECT.

I can’t even do this justice with photos. The artwork is gorgeous, with warm colors and the full run of facial expressions, from “Whoa, this school is big” to “I am not having this”. I love this relentlessly cheerful little girl and wish I could channel her positive energy every day.

A Way With Wild Things has the sweetest story of an introvert named Poppy, who will do anything to not stand out at family gatherings, including dressing like household fabrics… until she spies a gorgeous dragonfly at one backyard party. Sara Palacios’ artwork is just beautiful, and I love spotting Poppy in each spread. Didn’t get a photo of this spread, because I just couldn’t capture the textures in a way that made me happy with the photo.

This book is WAY too much fun. It’s a story about girls being pirates, about tattoos and their meanings, and love. The author and illustator are both tattooed and fantastic, and Isaac Fitzgerald’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. How To Be a Pirate reminds me a bit of 2016’s Tell Me a Tattoo Story, by Alison McGhee and Eliza Wheeler; I love the way each book illustrates the meanings we have behind our tattoos. Adorable, fun, and with gorgeous illustration with a definite tattoo flair.

Posted in ALA Midwinter, Conferences & Events

#ALAMW20 is in the books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I just got back yesterday from the ALA Midwinter Conference. I wasn’t there for the YMAs this year, but followed the award and honors announcements obsessively via Twitter and Instagram. Here’s a full list of the winners and honors, courtesy of School Library Journal. So excited that a graphic novel won the Newbery!

The conference was great. I got to blog for ALSC, and wrote a post about the awesome Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable Coffee & Comics breakfast. I had such a great time at the breakfast, I think I’ll be re-upping my roundtable membership; I think there’s some great opportunities to combine my NYLA Pop Culture Roundtable work with the GNCRT.

So I brought home SO. MANY. BOOKS. And since my poor husband was with me, he got to see my madness all at once – I normally conference on my own, so he sees boxes as they arrive one at a time. Not so this time!

Okay, pictures are worth thousands of words. So I give to you, my ALA Midwinter 2020:

This is just the Day 1 pile.

 

My little guy video-chatted me as I walked around the Exhibits Hall, which was so much fun. Especially when we started playing with filters.

He also loved seeing me pick up books for him as it was happening.

I saw this at the Pajama Press booth, and MUST. HAVE. IT. Also, I talked to the wonderful woman at the booth about cats, our cats, and the cats we’ve loved and lost. I am even more of a Pajama Press fan for life now.

 

Total fangirl moment as I meet Pippa Park author Erin Yun (center). My friend Nicole from Fabled Films has the best glasses ever!

 

Who loves being an ALSC Mentor? Meeee! Check out my fabulous mentee, Samantha, who killed it with her networking game and made time for her family, too!

She also got a picture of me, taking a bite out of my Hubs, as I am want to do.

Thanks for coming on a brief trip through Philly and ALA Midwinter with me. THE TBR CONTINUES TO BUILD.

Posted in Graphic Novels, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Two more DC original YA graphic novels to put on your TBR: The Oracle Code and Batman: Overdrive

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

DC Ink is knocking it out of the park with their original graphic novels for the YA audience! The next two coming up star Oracle and The Bat himself.

The Oracle Code, by Marieke Nijkamp/Illustrated by Manuel Preitano, (March 2020, DC Ink), $16.99, ISBN: 9781401290665

Ages 12+

Marieke Nijkamp, whose book, This Is Where It Ends is still one of the most intense books I’ve ever read, brings her intensity to a creepy mystery in the Bat-Family universe. The Oracle Code centers on Barbara Gordon, (later known as Batgirl), hacker and daredevil daughter of Gotham’s own James Gordon. Deftly creating her own entry in the DC Otherworlds universe by having Barbara’s gunshot paralysis occur while witnessing a police chase a suspect – as opposed to being shot, point blank, by the Joker, as was established in the 1988 graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke – we get a younger, Barbara whose personality is still in adolescent flux, and will be formed by the events she experiences in The Oracle Code. Barbara enters the Arkham Center for Independence, delivered by her father, to learn how to navigate her new normal and undergo physical, mental, and emotional rehabilitation. Barbara is slow to come around, and we feel her anger and her despondence as powerfully as we feel her sense of loss. When she meets a fellow patient who insists her brother is also at Arkham, Barbara thinks, at first, that the girl is dealing with her own loss: until her gut tells her otherwise. Barbara opens up her own investigation, which could put her at even greater risk.

I loved The Oracle Code. Big shoutout to one of my favorite colorists, Jordie Bellaire, for creating a somber, almost sinister mood with Manuel Preitano’s fantastic artwork. The story builds as we wonder who’s reliable and who isn’t, and Barbara doesn’t escape judgement here, either. Seeing Barbara reclaim her agency is an incredible thing; readers will appreciate her frustration as she is blown off and questioned time and again. Another home run for DC Ink and for Marieke Nijkamp.

Batman: Overdrive, by Shea Fontana/Illustrated by Marcelo Di Chiara, (Feb. 2020, DC Ink), $9.99, ISBN: 9781401283568

Ages 10+

DC Superhero Girls writer and illustrator Shea Fontana and Marcelo Di Chiara turn their powers to a pre-Batman Bruce Wayne in Batman: Overdrive! Bruce Wayne, angry and struggling to come to terms with his parents’ deaths, turns his skills to detective work and automotive work: he decides to rebuild his dad’s first car. There’s an interesting new spin on his origin with Catwoman as the teen Bruce makes two new friends; Selina Kyle and Mateo Diaz, and we see young Bruce laying the foundation for the man who will become Batman.

Overdrive gives us a Bruce Wayne fraught with conflict. Alfred isn’t in his confidence yet; he pushes back and argues with him at every turn. He’s working through his anger and learning to trust here, and framed within the story of his father’s car, Batman: Overdrive is a solid Batman origin story. This skews toward a slightly younger audience in both writing and artwork; middle schoolers will enjoy this as much as a teen audience. Frustration with parents and a strong desire for freedom will resonate with all readers.

 

Posted in picture books

Freedom Soup celebrates an important New Year tradition

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Freedom Soup, by Tami Charles/Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara, (Dec. 2019, Candlewick), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763689773

Ages 5-10

Belle and her grandmother, Ti Gran, are making soup – but it’s not just any old soup, it’s Freedom Soup. As the girl and her grandmother dance and cook, Ti Gran tells Belle the history behind the Haitian soup: it’s the history of Haiti, the history of revolution and freedom, and the history of family, as the recipe is passed from generation to generation. As the two create the recipe, readers are witness to a celebration, watching grandmother and granddaughter dance and cook, the girl learning from her grandmother about food, history, and life.

The very story in Freedom Soup teems with rhythm and movement. Belle and Ti Gran listen to Haitian music as they prepare the soup; the two dance as they cook, and the ingredients come alive with their own movement: garlicky herbs click clack as Belle mashes them; ribbons of steam dance; the soup’s delicious scent swirls around the kitchen, all coming together to set the stage for Ti Gran’s story about Haitian slaves making soup for their masters and finally, triumphantly, making soup for themselves to celebrate their independence. Belle and Ti Gran celebrate Haiti’s freedom, too, as does the rest of their family, who arrive to eat soup, dance, and celebrate. The story reads like a poem, inviting the reader in by tempting their senses with sights and smells. Jacqueline Alcántara’s mixed media illustration creates a warm, homey setting, with prominent yellows and browns, calming blues and childhood kitchen whites. There’s movement on each spread, making this a book you’ll want to move with as you read it (and you should!). Back matter includes a recipe for Freedom Soup, and a note from the author about her husband’s Ti own Gran, who inspired the book.

Put Freedom Soup on your shelves and add it to your New Year’s storytimes. With relatively little about the Haitian revolution available for children, particularly younger children, this is an excellent start – or addition – to collections.

Freedom Soup has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath, by Todd Tarpley

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Even ninjas have bathtime! This picture introduces us to a ninja who sees danger lurking everywhere – with hilarious consequences for his father, at bathtime!

Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath, by Todd Tarpley/Illustrated by Vin Vogel,
(Jan. 2020, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 9781542094337
Ages 3-6

Will the Ninja heads home after a training session covered in mud, leaves, dung, and with flies swarming around him. It’s hard work being a ninja, and he’s worked up a heck of an appetite, but Dad and Mom are not having it – he stinks! It’s off to the bath with Will before he can get some chicken nuggets, but… WAIT! Are those poisonous flies he sees, just waiting to attack his father? “…you’re not going to say ‘Ninja to the rescue!'”, exclaims dad: “Whenever you say that, something bad happens!” But it’s too late. And sure enough, as Will defends his father from deadly flies, angry alligators, and an invading army of samurai, Will yells his trademark phrase, causing catastrophe and hilarity. Dad eventually gives in and enjoys the wacky fun, and even get Mom in on the laughs.

This is an adorably fun book that kids who love (or loathe) bath time will get a kick out of. The repeated phrase, “Ninja to the rescue!” just begs for readers to squeal along during a readaloud: teach your kids some fun, wacky karate poses to affect when they yell it, with a hearty “Hi-YAH!” to signal when it’s time. The digital illustrations are bold and bright, with expressive characters and and constant motion on each spread. Pair with a bathtime book like Laura Gehl and Joyce Wan’s I’m Not Taking a Bath, or a ninja story like Todd Tuell and Tad Carpenter’s Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop!

There are oodles of rubber duck and ninja crafts available online, too. I’ve used this adorable ninja shape craft from No Time for Flash Cards, and the kids love it – just a little prep, and you’re good to go. Glued to My Crafts has a cute paper plate duck craft. Give it a whirl!

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Dewey Fairchild, Sibling Problem Solver, is on the case!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Dewey Fairchild, Sibling Problem Solver (Dewey Fairchild, Book 3), by Lorri Horn, (Aug. 2019, Amberjack Publishing), $13.99, ISBN: 9781948705417

Ages 8-12

Dewey Fairchild is a kid who likes to solve problems and eat cookies. He’s solved kids’ problems with parents and problems with teachers; in his third adventure, he sets his sights on solving sibling problems, even taking on parents as clients! Together with his assistant/cookie supplier, Clara – kind of the Alfred to Dewey’s Batman – and her dog, Wolfie, Dewey’s third adventure will make him look at his own relationship with his own siblings as he takes on new clients.

This is the third book in the Dewey Fairchild series, but you don’t need to have read the first two to enjoy this one. Dewey is middle grader who likes to solve problems and has a secret office that allows him to get some headspace from his family and enjoy the cookies that his 94-year-old assistant, Clara, bakes up as he puzzles out cases. The book emphasizes the problem-solving process, as Dewey interviews new clients, stakes out spaces to see client and sibling interactions for himself, and consult his notes as he works on solutions. As Dewey works through sibling problems, he sees shades of his own interactions with his older and younger sisters – and puts his own theories into action.

Dewey is a likable character, and his emphasis on observation and problem-solving will score big with parents and kids alike. Black and white illustrations of cookies in the process of being nibbled away head up each chapter and will make you hungry. Bake up a plate or two of cookies for a discussion on this one; there’s a lot to discuss here. Give this to your kids who enjoy light mysteries (and have aged up from intermediate titles like the A to Z Mysteries and Cam Jansen) and encourage them to see their own relationships with parents and siblings in a new light.

Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver received a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Storytime is book review time! Something For You, With All My Heart, C Jumped Over Three Pots and a Pan

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m a #SaturdayLibrarian today, so I figured that best way to catch up on book reviews was to put them in front of my toughest audience: TODDLERS. See, on Saturdays, I do storytimes in my children’s room’s Family Place center, which, in Corona (my library), is a little area full of learning toys for the kids to explore. So this is an audience that’s not always going to be riveted to my every word, ya know? I have to be on top of my game for Saturday Storytime, and I need books that are going to keep the kids and parents entertained. These three fit the bill.

Something for You, by Charlie Mylie, (Nov. 2019, Farrar Straus Giroux), $17.99, ISBN: 9780374312350

Ages 2-6

A sweet book about friendship, Something for You is about a mouse who wants to cheer up a sick friend. He searches for something to make her smile, but things don’t always go as planned. Mouse learns that just being a friend is all we need. The watercolor artwork brings a delicacy to the story, and the characters are drawn with kind, expressive faces; their movements also delicate and nurturing. The mouse who searches for something for his friend gently wraps a scarf around a cold pigeon and shares a flower with a bee – even if he’s a little grumpy about it! The story incorporates panels into the storytelling, allowing for a nice sequential feel, while showing small moments coming together to create a story.

This was the first book up, and the kids were intrigued. The cover caught their eye, and I asked, “Isn’t it nice when someone does something for you? Don’t you feel good when you do something nice for Mommy or Daddy?” Moms and dads smiled, and toddlers looked at them skeptically, but seemed to go along with it. The framed window, giving readers a view into the mouse caring for his sick friend, also caught the kids’ eyes: we’re natural spectators, right?

Something for You is adorable, and perfect for stories about kindness and empathy. Toddlers and preschoolers are the spot-on audience for this one, but older kids – Kindergarten and first grade, especially – will enjoy this one, too. Reading this book can lead to some wonderful discussions about friendship.

 

With All My Heart, by Stephanie Stansbie & Richard Smythe, (Dec. 2019, Silver Dolphin), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684129102

Ages 2-6

This is the sweetest book about parent-child love. A big bear and little bear cuddle together, splash, explore, and enjoy making memories together in this ultimate cuddle-sit rhyming story with die-cuts throughout the book. The verse reads with a soothing cadence and is a love letter to caregiving, to parenthood, to loving a child: “I saw your sweet smile/and I knew from the start,/I’d love you forever/with all of my heart”; “Each day, more than ever,/I love your sweet smile,/And feeling you close/as we cuddle a while”. Die cuts on each spread spotlight words in hearts, leaves, and star shapes.

The parents loved this one, and snuggled their little ones (still clutching their toys) into the laps and pointed out the bears, the diecuts, and details like the warm sun, the soft and silvery moon, the little moments between parent and child. This is a nice storytime/lapsit-cuddlesit/bedtime book to have in your collection, and would pair nicely with Anna Pignataro’s Our Love Grows, Margaret Wise Brown’s A Long Time That I’ve Loved You, and the classic Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney.

I’ll be reading this one again and again.

 

C Jumped Over Three Pots and a Pan and Landed SMACK in the Garbage Can!, by Pamela Jane/Illustrated by Hina Imtiaz, (Oct. 2019, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764357954

Ages 2-6

I had to end on a silly note! After a rousing rendition of the Alphabet Song, I launched into a spirited reading of this hilarious rhyming story. The alphabet letters are at camp, when C, trying to show off to A and B, decides to leap over  – you guessed it – three pots and a pan. C jumps a little farther than expected, though, and lands – SMACK! – in a garbage can, sending the rest of the alphabet into a tizzy as they search for the letter E, who has three arms and can help pull C out. But E’s gone missing, along with three other letters! We have an alphabet mystery with dramatic tension here, and the repeated phrase, “C jumped over three pots and a pan and landed smack in a garbage can” make this a laugh-out loud book to read aloud. This is made for silly, emphatic reading out loud: I smack my thigh to emphasize the word “smack”, which gave the kids an extra giggle. It’s a fun take on concepts, and is PERFECT for kids who love Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr.

The artwork is fun, adorable, and bold, with large letters that have arms, legs, and expressive faces. The primary colors are bright and playful, set against a camp setting complete with tents, boats and rivers, and grass.

Parents and kids alike enjoyed this one, and I’ll be coming back to this book again and again. If you do storytime crafts after your storytimes, there are loads of ideas to enhance your program. There are Do-a-Dot printables (perfect for little hands), letter crafts (my second grader did these in preschool, but the teachers used construction paper and cut out the shapes for the kids to decorate), and hundreds of alphabet coloring sheets. A quick Pinterest search or Internet search will lead you down the wonderful rabbit hole of alphabet coloring and crafts. Enjoy.

And that was my storytime today!