Category: picture books

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Ode to a Bad Day: We’ve all got them!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ode to a Bad Day, by Chelsea Lin Wallace/Illustrated by Hyewon Yum, (Apr. 2023, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781797210803

Ages 5-8

Related in a series of dramatic odes to the minor aggravations that make up a difficult day, Ode to a Bad Day puts a humorous, relatable spin on the moments that can push any kid – or adult, let’s be honest – to the edge. From the beginning of a Bad Morning (“All I see is gray ahead. / Can’t I stay inside my bed?”) that gets worse when there’s “Too Much Milk in My Cereal”, the slings and arrows of “Getting Dressed”, and being “Late Again”, through the trials of weathering the “Line Cutter” and discovering the “Missing Pudding Cup” at lunch, all the way through to the optimistic hope for tomorrow: “A day where fish are oopsy-free! A day where lines are led by me!” Soft pencil and watercolor artwork present an amusing, dramatic heroine in a tutu skirt, leggings, and green shirt; her facial expressions and body language are immediately recognizable to readers as she contorts and glares her way through each hurdle. Endpapers show the star of the show and various animals from her day in an aggrieved series of moves.

Hilariously adorable, this is a perfect rhyming accompaniment to Judith Viorst’s classic, Alexander the the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. A good addition to your storytime collections; great for a full readaloud or for short odes to enhance a storytime.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg Melts Down is all about anxiety and climate change

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Harold the Iceberg Melts Down, by Lisa Wyzlic/Illustrated by Rebecca Syracuse, (March 2023, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250830623

Ages 3-6

Harold is a head of iceberg lettuce with a bit of an anxiety problem, which he calms by watching documentaries. He watches a documentary on icebergs and climate change, though, and that sets off a series of worries: He’s melting! Can he slow it down? How can he survive longer? His friends lead him through some calming exercises in an attempt to calm him and finally help him understand that he has a head of iceberg lettuce, not an iceberg. Relieved that he isn’t melting, Harold now discovers a new worry: climate change! This time, though, Harold has the tools to help him calm down and take action. A delightful read with cartoon art produce, Harold speaks to children’s anxiety and fear while teaching self-soothing techniques and empowering them with ways that they can be part of positive change. Back matter includes helpful ways to “cool down” and tips on combating climate change. Endpapers show a colorful spread of food labels. Narration moves between an omniscient narrator and speech bubbles to denote conversations between characters. All in all, a fun readaloud for kids and a good choice for collections. Download a free activity kit and coloring pages to enhance a storytime.

 

Posted in picture books

Blog Tour: Outside Amelia’s Window

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got a beautiful book for you today, my friends, A story of a little girl who has to renegotiate her world, powered by her imagination, we have Outside Amelia’s Window, by Caroline Nastro and Anca Sandu Budisan.

Outside Amelia’s Window, by Caroline Nastro/Illustrated by Anca Sandu Budisan, (March 2023, Two Lions),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781542027854
Ages 5-8

Amelia is a young girl with brand new neighbors, and they have two children to play with! But Amelia isn’t ready to play with them: “Not like she used to”; we discover that Amelia uses a wheelchair and Nastro’s storytelling gently helps us understand that this is a recent development. Losing herself in fantastic stories of dragons, wizards, and magic, Amelia keeps to herself until the day a bird takes one of her ribbons from her treasure box. Amelia, fascinated as the bird builds a nest and the hatchlings appear, reads about birds and allows herself to be transported through their travels. If the birds can travel further and further, pushing themselves a little more each time, maybe she can, too.

An moving, uplifting story about overcoming fear, Outside Amelia’s Window is beautifully illustrated in watercolor and pencils, creating dreamlike spreads that let us lose ourselves in Amelia’s stories and in the scenes outside her window. You can feel the breeze in the air as you hear the sounds of Amelia’s neighbors playing in their yard, and the “cheeps” of newly hatched redstart chicks. Watercolor pages from Amelia’s research on the birds provide a fun way to educate readers and creates beautiful texture. Endpapers display notes, reading, and toys from Amelia’s collection. Amelia’s imagination takes readers all over the world and to fantasy lands, while her story – overcoming fear and navigating her new reality – makes for a powerful, motivating tale. An excellent choice for picture book collections.

 

“An uplifting tale of birds and bravery.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A gentle reminder of the joy to be found in embracing adventure and expanding horizons.” —Booklist

 

Caroline Nastro was born and raised in New York City. Her first picture book, The Bear Who Couldn’t Sleep, illustrated by Vanya Nastanlieva, has been translated into three languages and was chosen as a Bank Street Best Picture Book of the Year in Spanish. Outside Amelia’s Window is Anca Sandu Budisan and Caroline Nastro’s second collaboration. Their first book, Fly, Little Bird, Fly!, was published in 2021. Caroline attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and has a master’s degree in theater from Stanford University. She is an award-winning theater director and playwright. Learn more about the author at www.carolinenastro.com.

Anca Sandu Budisan was born in Romania and studied children’s illustration at Cambridge School of Art in England. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books Churchill’s Tale of Tails and The Astonishing Case of the Stolen Stories. She is the illustrator of the Lana Lynn series, written by Rebecca Van Slyke; Gnu and Shrew, written by Danny Schnitzlein; and Fly, Little Bird, Fly!, written by Caroline Nastro. She currently lives in Oregon. Learn more about the artist online at www.ancasandubudisan.com.

Instagram: @ancasan

Posted in picture books

A musical tale: The Note Who Faced the Music

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Note Who Faced the Music, by Lindsay Bonilla/Illustrated by Mark Hoffman, (March 2023, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645676317

Ages 5-8

Half Note doesn’t feel like she measures up to the other notes. She can’t fill a whole measure like Whole Note, and she doesn’t have a cute little flag like Eighth Note. Whole Note suggests everyone have a nap, and Half Note decides to run away, deciding that it’s “time to face the music. I’ll never measure up. The staff will be better off without me”. Composer discovers Half Note is missing and panics: she’s integral to the whole piece! Composer comes up with a brilliant idea that will lure Half Note back and assure her that she’s an important part of her musical staff. Filled with musical terminology and puns, anthropomorphic illustrations of friendly-faced musical notes, and colorful artwork, The Note Who Faced the Music is a fun story about teamwork and realizing one’s own worth. A glossary and explanation of musical terms fills the back matter. A good additional purchase where musical books do well.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Great storytime fun: Watch Out for the Lion!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Watch Out for the Lion!, by Brooke Hartman/Illustrated by Anna Süβbauer, (Feb. 2023, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645676287

Ages 4-7

Interactive storytime fun and a silly narrator (that’s you) make Watch Out for the Lion! just too much fun. There’s a lion prowling within the book, and the narrator is very nervous! Warning readers to keep an eye out, the narrator provides a helpful picture pointing out how to spot a lion. Following spreads feature a “brushy bristly tail”; “curvy claws”‘, “twitchy ears”, and more, but is it the lion… or a slightly less intimidating animal? Camouflaged illustration invites readers to guess along with the reader, and laugh out loud at the reveals. Final endpapers and the cover underneath the book jacket show the lion and a lion cub, giving more context to the story. Bold, colorful digital illustrations and bright, large fonts make this an easy readaloud; bring your best dramatic skills to the reading and let your Kiddos be part of the story. An excellent choice for collections. Pair with readalouds like Bill Cotter’s Don’t Touch This Book! or Jory John’s I Will Chomp You!

Watch Out for the Lion! has a starred review from School Library Journal. Download an activity guide here!

Posted in Non-Fiction, picture books, Women's History

Focus on Women’s History Month: Shakti Girls by Shetal Shah and Kavita Rajput

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Shakti Girls: Poems of Inspiring Women, by Shetal Shah/Illustrated by Kavita Rajput, (March 2023, Shakti Girls LLC), $17.99, ISBN: 9798986954509

Ages 5-10

Shakti is the Hindu word that refers “to the [female] power and energy that creates and maintains the universe”. Inspired by the concept of shakti, Shetal Shah created 13 poems about groundbreaking, inspiring Indian women. Women like author Jhumpa Lahiri, of whom Shah writes “Nilanjana, meaning ‘one with blue eyes’, / merges two worlds on the page (though it’s hard in real life” and freedom fighter Kasturba Gandhi, who Shah praises by writing “Inspired satyagraha (fair advocacy), / she resisted with peace and equality”. Shah includes arts and sciences, politics and sports, to spotlight how Indian women have been changemakers in every area: actress Mindy Kaling shares space with tennis star Sania Mirza, mathematician Shakuntala Devi, and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Full-page colorful illustrations bring these outstanding women to life for readers, and each portrait includes fun details that readers are invited to find. There is new vocabulary to discover, with new words defined on each page. Back matter includes a page for readers to illustrate their own shakti and a word search – if you’re putting this into circulation, photocopy these pages and have some ready to hand out. Visit Shetal Shah’s webpage for additional downloadable activities. A nice new voice with an interesting collection of poems, this is an additional purchase for strong biography collections.

 

Posted in picture books

Tales from the TBR: A Persian Passover by Etan Basseri & Rashin Kheiriyeh

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Persian Passover, by Etan Basseri/Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh, (March 2022, Kalaniot Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781735087566

Ages 4-8

 

Siblings Ezra and Roza live in Iran and are helping their family prepare for the big Passover celebration. They’re both very excited to be part of things, but Ezra accidentally trips and falls, spilling all the fresh matzah into a big puddle! A kind neighbor steps in to save the day: and the seder! Basseri describes the excitement and anticipation of the holiday, with everyone busily working on cleaning, cooking, and baking; Ezra and Roza exhibit childlike joy as they speed around everyone with their own mission to bring flour to the bakers who will make the matzah. Basseri, lovingly recalling his father’s memories of growing up Jewish in Iran, creates a warm family story while providing learning about Passover. Colorful artwork will appeal to readers. Back matter includes a note on Jews in Persia, a glossary, a word about Passover, and a Hallaa recipe. Visit the Kalaniot website for a free downloadable activity guide!

 

 

Posted in picture books

Biographies for Women’s History Month

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got some great bios for Women’s History Month. Add these to your displays!

Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe, by Kate Messner & Margaret E. Powell/Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, (Oct. 2022,. Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781452161600

Ages 5-8

How do you tell the story of the first nationally known African-American fashion designer? You assemble an award-winning author, a costume historian, and a fashion designer and illustrator. Ann Lowe, granddaughter of an enslaved seamstress and daughter of a designer for society ball gowns, learned her craft at her mother and grandmother’s sides. Refusing to be overlooked, even when her white employers took credit for her work, she made a name for herself, catching the eye of Jacqueline Bouvier, fiancée to John F. Kennedy. Messner and Powell reconstruct Lowe’s life from various sources, including interviews with Lowe, to create this picture book biography of a woman who knew her worth. Robinson’s digital artwork uses color and texture to create spreads that look like they were created from mixed media; she sets stages that Lowe’s life plays out upon for readers. When readers see Ann Lowe standing at last in front of her own store front, arms raised in victory, they will rejoice along with her. An author’s note, quotations, and photos make up the back matter, and there is a bibliography for further reading. Endpapers show a textured rendering of scissors and fabric flowers, for which Ann Lowe was so well known. A stunning book and an excellent choice for picture book biographies.

Only the Best has starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Kirkus. The National Museum of African-American History and Culture has an extensive webpage on Lowe; The New Yorker and The Vintage Woman both have detailed articles with photos.

 

Courage in Her Cleats: The Story of Soccer Star Abby Wambach, by Kim Chaffee/Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu, (Jan. 2023, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645676294

Ages 5-8

This picture book biography on U.S. Women’s soccer player Abby Wambach is a study in perseverance and determination. Beginning with Wambach’s childhood, Chaffee draws a verbal picture of an outspoken competitor who refused to give up when the going got tough. As Chaffee emphasizes throughout the story, when things get tough, “Abby was tougher”. The narrative follows Wambach through high school, college, and the U.S. Women’s Olympics Team; her 2008 injury and rehabilitation, and her return. Wambach emerges as a dedicated teammate who is quick to share the spotlight and encourage her teammates. Badiu’s colorful illustrations bathe Wambach in colorful, star-studded waves, setting her apart from everyone else. Badiu’s rendering of Wambach’s iconic pose, holding the American flag, greets readers at the title page. Facts on Wambach, a brief glossary of soccer terms, and a bibliography round out back matter. A good choice for sports collections.

Interested readers and sports fans can visit Abby Wambach’s webpage for more info. She also has a biographical page on the U.S. Women’s Team webpage.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tales from the TBR: Detectives, Nightmare Bugs, Fetching Cats, Cities, and Geraldine!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I know, it’s been a month. Crazy, right? It’s one of those moments when you just don’t realize how fast time goes until you realize… well, how fast time goes. But let’s jump right back in, since I’ve got a stack of books to talk about and some cool library programs to share. Let’s start with the books. Here’s a round-up.

The Upside Down Detective Agency, by Ellie Hattie/Illustrated by Brendan Kearney, (Aug. 2022, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684644148

Ages 4-8

Welcome to Super Sleuth HQ! Meet Stella and Stan, two crime-solving sloths who may look similar but who have different personalities that will help readers tell them apart. A famous race car driver gives them a big case, and they need help from the reader to solve it! With interactive prompts and visual clues throughout, this fun book combines an entertaining story with a seek-and-find activity to keep readers engaged and sharpening their observation and problem-solving skills. A variety of colorful landscapes take readers to a race car garage, a lavish mansion, and a race track; friendly anthropomorphic animals stand shoulder-to-shoulder with people, and the villain sports a monocle. Endpapers show Stella, Stan, and the key to the mystery. I’d love to see Stella and Stan solve mysteries in different locales!

There are some fun seek and find worksheets available through TeachersPayTeachers, for an extension activity. This springtime sheet from Casey Wiggins is great for younger readers; The Speech Owl has an 18-card set to create a fun inferencing game.

The Nightmare Bug, by Hillary Daecher/Illustrated by Angie Hohenadel, (Sept. 2022, Schiffer Kids), $16.99, ISBN: 9780764364310

Ages 4-8

A child learns to confront their nightmare in this rhyming story. Every time the child is in the middle of a wonderful dream, the Nightmare Bug shows up and ruins it! Mom lets her little one in on a secret: she used to have a Nightmare Bug, too, but she learned how to conquer it: with a hug. As the child goes back to sleep, they take two stuffed friends in for company and wait for the Bug to show up. Black backgrounds set the nighttime tone for the story, allowing bold, colorful artwork to pop off and emphasize surrealist dreamscapes; Hohenadel plays with negative space, letting the inky Nightmare Bug form as a planet or a wrapped piece of candy. Sharp-eyed readers will enjoy keeping an eye out for the bug; invite them to let you know when he’s near! Daecher tells a soothing bedtime story and teaches a valuable “hurt people hurt people” lesson by showing readers that the best way to defeat a fear is not only to confront it, but embrace it. A good choice for collections dealing with bedtime fears.

Want a good extension activity? Have construction paper around and invite kids to create their Nightmare Bugs. Use black construction paper and scissors for bigger kids, or colorful construction paper and crayons for littler creators. Try giving the kids some chalk and let them create surrealist, dreamlike creations.

 

Fetch Cat, Fetch!, by Charles Ghigna/Illustrated by Michelle Hazelwood Hyde, (Sept. 2022, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764364600

Ages 4-7

Father Goose is at it again with this hilarious story about a little girl trying to teach her cat some new tricks… and the cat, who just wants to nap. Told in 3-word repetitive phrases: “Here, Cat. Here!”; “Speak, Cat. Speak!”, and “Dance, Cat. Dance!”, an adorable little girl attempts to get her cat to jump rope, climb a treehouse, take part in a tea party, and a number of other laugh-out-loud scenarios. Hazelwood Hyde’s illustration captures the spirit of the story, showing an enthusiastic child and a poker-faced cat determined to ignore her. Families with pets will likely see themselves in this story, especially when the little girl, tired from a day of playing with her reluctant companion, gives Cat the one command she expects him to follow, with amusing results. The girl’s dramatic body language communicates the frustration of a playmate who won’t join the game, and the cat’s determination to remain at rest will appeal not only to families with pets, but for every parent who’s wondered when their Kiddo’s battery will run down. An adorable story that makes for an amusing readaloud and a great choice for emerging readers to try on their own.

Visit Charles Ghigna’s website for more information about his books.

 

 

 

If You Were a City, by Kyo Maclear/Illustrated by Francesca Sanna, (Oct. 2022, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781452155197

Ages 3-6

A delightful celebration of cities and how they form – and are formed by – the people who live in them, this rhyming exploration invites readers to imagine what they would be like if they were a city. Colorful, vibrant illustrations show a variety of city settings with a diverse group of citizens at work and play, and each city has its own personality: “shiny, glassy, sleek and tall”; “wooden, squat, and nicely small”; a library shows a group of readers dreaming of cities that come from the mouth of a storyteller, and an explorer discovers Central American-looking pyramids in a “lost city”. The cities thrive with action, their societies interacting peacefully together. Verses prompt readers to consider the neighbors we share our space with, “leav[ing] them room for nest and lair”, a brown-skinned girl holding a fox safely in her outstretched hand as a monkey swings on her foot. As the story moves toward a close we see children creating their cities, using their own bodies to connect the pieces: arms connected to become a bridge; holding up a platform with buildings; covering a roof (maybe a library?) with a book. An uplifting, hopeful vision of who we can become. Endpapers feature a series of snowglobes with cities inside. An excellent storytime choice and a great STEAM storytime book: invite readers to create their own cities with blocks, construction paper, and soft toys.

 

Geraldine and the Rainbow Machine, by Sol Regwan/Illustrated by Denise Muzzio, (Nov. 2022, Schiffer Books), $16.99, ISBN; 9780764364396

Ages 4-8

One of my favorite tinkerers is back! In Geraldine’s fourth adventure, she works to create harmony among her classmates when a new friend arrives at school. Hamid arrives from Pakistan and Geraldine immediately befriends him, but not everyone is as kind or welcoming. Frustrated by insensitive playground antics, Geraldine tinkers up a rainbow machine to show her classmates that everyone has something interesting about them; and when you combine the colors of the rainbow, they all blend together. There are lovely moments of kindness here, from Geraldine gently relocating a spider family taking up residence in one of her bowls to her statement regarding the Rainbow Machine: “When you spin it really fast, the colors all blend together. I think it shows that our differences don’t matter”. The class, delighted at Geraldine’s hands-on device, enjoys their differences and their similarities, and celebrates their uniqueness. Endpapers display a rainbow coming from what looks like one of Geraldine’s journals, the Rainbow Machine sketch laid open for readers. Regwan manages to keep the STEM/STEAM theme of the Geraldine series while delivering heartfelt story about acceptance and friendship. A good book to consider for SEL collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tales from the TBR: Heart Strings, Hedgehogs, and the Moon

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Heart String, by Brooke Boynton-Hughes, (Dec. 2022, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781452181653

Ages 3-6

A string connects us all together: parents and children; neighbors and friends, we are all connected to one another and our world through this Heart String. Written as an ode to connection, Boynton-Hughes loving, gentle voice could be a teacher reading to their classroom, a parent to a child, or a friend to another. The repetitive phrase, “My heart is tied to yours” brings home the lovely sentiment that we are all together: “Across the garden, across the street, over the city and through the trees”; sharing emotions like joy and sorrow, no matter how near or far; our hearts are tied to each other as we work, play, learn and live. It’s a comforting thought that dispels anxiety and fear; we are part of a family, a neighborhood, a community, a world. Endpapers show a variety of people from all walks of life interacting and engaging with one another. Pencil and watercolor illustrations are soft, gently colorful, conveying a message of warmth and hope, with a warm, glowing string that goes from one person to the next as they work together in neighborhoods; console one another in times of grief; enjoy tea parties, and celebrate being together. A delightful readaloud for storytime collections.

For a fun post-storytime activity, print out some person templates and get some yarn. Ask families to decorate them and use the yarn to connect them. Who are they connecting to?

 

 

Hedgehog and the Art Show, by Özge Bahar Sunar/Illustrated by Ceyhun Sen, (Oct. 2022, Schiffer Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 9780764364617

Ages 4-7

Little Hedgehog is all set to start school, but has an accident the day before. His little fingers need to be bandaged up, but the teacher has announced that there will be a class art show! Little Hedgehog cannot write… with his fingers! He refuses to miss out on his first big art show, and finds ways to create his art using his quills and some leaves! In fact, his creativity inspires his friends to create their own original artwork, making the art show even more exciting. A sweet story of ingenuity and determination that inspires readers to think outside the box, Hedgehog and the Art Show lends itself to a great readaloud, especially for Kindergarten and first graders. Sentences are brief but expand on the basics, adding more details. Sen’s illustrations are textured, with swirling backgrounds and shades of greens, browns, and oranges.

Add this one to your art storytimes, and have plenty of mixed materials to create with for an after-story activity.

 

 

Mending the Moon, by Emma Pearl/Illustrated by Sara Ugolotti, (Nov. 2022, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645675600

Ages 4-8

One night, the moon shines so big and so brightly that it becomes to heavy to hold itself up and tumbles down, shattering as it crashes into our world. A girl named Luna witnesses the fall, and, horrified, wakes her grandfather. Grandfather gravely worries about the Earth without a moon, and the two set about collecting the pieces to mend the moon, aided by a group of forest animals. A gorgeously illustrated story with the fantastic feel of a legend, Mending the Moon will delight readers and get a workout as a storytime favorite. Breathtaking illustration shows a cadre of animals working side-by-side with Luna and Poppy; a purple and blue-tinged white backgrounds bring the moon’s cool beauty to the pages, and vibrantly colored animals and people alike are cartoony and kid-friendly. There is magic in every turn of the page as readers will wait breathlessly to find out whether or not the moon will make it back to the sky. Endpapers show a cool, crisp night with moths fluttering around the moon’s light, and Poppy and Luna’s cabin atop a mountain. Mending the Moon is a lovely starting point to talk about legend, STEM (moon concepts!), and the larger idea of working with nature to keep our world safe.