Category: picture books

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Big moves, big thoughts in A New Home

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A New Home, by Tania de Regil, (April 2019, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536201932

Ages 4-7

A boy from New York City and a girl from Mexico City are each moving, and nervous about their new home. Readers quickly understand that the kids are swapping places: the boy is moving to Mexico, and the girl, to New York. They voice their worries about everyday things they will miss: an after-school snack on the way home; cheering on a local sports team; having places to play. Optimistically, they also think about the new friends they will meet, and hope they enjoy their new home.

A New Home speaks to kids’ concerns and fears over leaving the familiar and starting over somewhere new, as it reassures those fears by illustrating another child enjoying those same things. The boy from New York stands under a T-Rex skeleton in the American Museum of Natural History as the girl from Mexico City stands in front of the Sun Stone in the Museo Nacional de Antropología, each hoping there will be places for their classes to explore their past. The book touches on some of the challenges of city life, including homelessness and poverty. Back matter provides more information about the places and images that come up in the book; everyday images like hot dog carts and street music all get their moment here. Soft, yet bright illustrations make big city living a little less overwhelming.

A New Home is a good addition to your books about moving. Brightly and Moving.com offer reading lists with further book suggestions. There’s a free, downloadable activity kit available through the publisher.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

When Mom and Dad say no, Baby takes matters into his own hands… Baby’s First Bank Heist

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Baby’s First Bank Heist, by Jim Whalley/Illustrated by Stephen Collins, (March 2019, Bloomsbury), $17.99, ISBN: 9781547600625

Ages 3-7

Baby Frank is a cute little baby who loves animals and would love to have a pet, but Mom and Dad each say no. This doesn’t sit well with Baby Frank, who devises his own moneymaking scheme: he’s going to rob a bank. Hey, he’s already rocking black and white striped pajamas! He’s little, so he can crawl his way through laser beam alarm systems and past dozing guards. One Frank starts raking in the cash, he amasses quite the animal collection – but how much longer can he hide things from his parents? Frank’s cover is blown, and his parents devise a suitably adorable plan to repay the banks and put Frank to work.

Originally published in the UK, Baby’s First Bank Heist is a cute rhyming story that preschoolers and kindergartners will enjoy; they’ll appreciate Frank’s taking matters into his own hands, and they’ll get a laugh out of the different ways he tries to hide his growing menagerie from his parents. Cartoony gouache, ink, and Photoshop artwork is appealing, and makes for a fun pet storytime. Put some stuffed animals around the room and let the kids gather a few wild pets of their own.

YouthLitReviews, Imagination Soup, and Pre-Kinders all have really good pet picture book lists – add some to your pet storytime! Boss Baby is a good readalike, for stories about babies who are more than meets the eye. I also like Crackerjack Jack for a fun rhyming story about a robber waylaid by his duck. Hey… he kinda looks like Frank, come to think of it…

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Babymoon celebrates that magical bonding time with a new baby

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Babymoon, by Hayley Barrett/Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, (March 2019, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763688523

Ages 3-7

“We’ll invite the world in soon, but for now – we’re on our babymoon”.

When new parents bring home their little bundle for the first time, there’s usually a line of well-wishers waiting to get in the door and visit, cuddle, and gush over the new arrival(s), but those days are also a big adjustment, too. Sometimes, you just want – need – some more time in that intimate bubble; more time to cuddle, gaze, and enjoy your new family, before letting the outside world in. It’s a time many refer to as The Babymoon, and Hayley Barrett and Juana Martinez-Neal have come together to create a gorgeous book celebrating that magical time.

Told in a gentle rhyme, this story of a mom, dad, and new baby is just gorgeous. It’s a celebration of discovery as a family; of “delighting in each small surprise”; of cuddly naps; of nursing; of lullabies and yawns; of connecting and figuring out one another. I adore award-winning illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal’s artwork – her book, Alma, is a beautiful look at the origin of a child’s name, and here, she uses warmly colored, soft, acrylic, colored pencil, and graphite artwork on handmade textured paper to capture the sheer wonder – and sleepiness, and even confusion – of this exquisite moment in time. Ms. Martinez-Neal creates illustrations that speak to readers; reaching up through the page and drawing them in, heart-first, to the story.

Babymoon is a lovely read-aloud and gift to new siblings, and assures kids (and adults alike) that it’s okay to keep the world outside for just a little bit longer, as they navigate this new little person. It’s a perfect baby shower gift, inviting new parents and parents-to-be to relax and enjoy this new time: everyone else can, and will, wait.

Babymoon has a starred review from Booklist.

Posted in picture books

Year One with Type One works on demystifying Type 1 diabetes

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Year One with Type One: A True Story of a Boy with Type 1 Diabetes, by Mike Suarez/Illustrated by Olsi Tola, (Dec. 2018, Independently published), $11.99, ISBN: 978-1730703492

Ages 4-7

Inspired by the author’s son, Andrew, this rhyming story takes some of the mystery out of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) for children and families. Beginning with the big symptoms: excessive thirst and bathroom use – Andrew’s parents take him to the doctor and discover that he has Type 1 diabetes. But what does that mean? Author Mike Suarez explains a big word in easier to understand language. He soothes parents’ potential worries, too – Andrew’s parents wonder if they allowed their son too many sweets, but the medical staff quickly lets them know that Type 1 diabetes is nobody’s fault: Andrew’s pancreas has stopped producing insulin, but there are ways to live a happy, healthy, active life. Andrew’s family gets on board with technology, using apps, alarms, and emails to keep up to date on his blood sugar and keep his medical staff notified. He has healthy food, labeled with nutritional info (10g sugar each or a juice box and for a yogurt) and an emergency kit for when his blood sugar drops (lollipops). Andrew and his family also learn about the supportive community they’ve become part of: there are T1D camps and events, where kids and families can come together.  Andrew says it best when he sums up his first year with Type 1: “Diabetes is work from shots to blood samples/But there’s still time for fun/There’s lots of examples”.

The cartoony artwork is kid-friendly and helps mitigate some of the scary feelings a diagnosis may come with. The hospital is depicted as a bright, friendly place, with silly roommates, visiting therapy dogs, and giant fish tanks to see. The page with Andrew’s foods is laid out clearly, so families can see, and perhaps emulate, packing lunchboxes, travel snacks, and emergency sweets. A handwritten thank you note from the real-life Andrew concludes the story.

I loved seeing Andrew active and having fun. My niece was diagnosed with T1D as a preschooler; she’s now a junior in high school and a competitive gymnast. Going to a T1D camp was a fantastic experience for her. I’m so proud of her, I could burst. She – and her family – have come a long way from those first scary days. Books like Year One with Type One go a long way in dispelling myths and giving families a starting point after a diagnosis. It’s important to read these stories to all kids, too, so there’s no unknown to fear.

There are some good T1D resources online for kids and families. The American Diabetes Association has links to information about food and fitness, advocacy, awareness programs, and a chat line. They also have education resources for grades K-6 and 7-12. Endocrine Web has information for parents of children’s with T1D, including how to manage sick days, meal planning, and working with schools. There are also a number of e-alerts available for subscription.

Posted in picture books

Blog Tour: You Can Call Me Katelyn

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ever wish you could change your name? A young girl decides to do exactly that in Keri T. Collins’s new picture book, You Can Call Me Katelyn.

 

You Can Call Me Katelyn, by Keri T. Collins/Illustrated by Marcia Adams Ho, (May 2019, Purple Butterfly Press),
$19.99, ISBN: 978-1948604185
Ages 5-7

Inspired by Collins’s daughter and told in the first person from Katelyn’s point of view, readers learn that Katelyn was never thrilled with her name. Her parents didn’t even have a first named picked out for her in the hospital! Her parents settled on Carly, which she is NOT a fan of – and even less of a fan when she discovers that people can’t spell her name right. Katelyn decides to take charge of her happiness, which means changing her name: she likes Katelyn; a mashup of her two best friends’ names, and starts telling everyone around her to call her by her chosen name. Don’t want to call her Katelyn? She doesn’t want to answer you. She’s upbeat and enthusiastic, and lets readers know that all it takes is some determination and a little bit of sparkle to make the world a better place.

At some point, most kids aren’t in love with their names. It’s not like we have a choice when we’re born, after all. You Can Call Me Katelyn delivers a big message in a little story: overcome your fear and make changes where you can. It’s an inspiring message, and I’m sure this will be a popular read-aloud. I enjoyed the bigger message in this story – overcome fear and look within yourself for the power to effect change – and the author’s tips, available at the end of the book, for taking action and moving past fear. There’s a crown coloring sheet that kids can cut out and color; if you don’t want to damage your book, you can receive a coloring sheet via email at the author’s website.

The artwork is colorful and the pages are loaded with activity, always giving readers somewhere to look. There are humorous moments that kids will get a kick out of: Katelyn’s mother, holding her new baby in the hospital, covered with sticky notes scribbled over with baby names; baby Carly’s pacifier popping out of her outraged mouth as she sees her name misspelled on the sign welcoming her home from the hospital.

Pair this with some books and activities on the importance of names. Brightly has a great list and ideas here.

 

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

Picture Book Nonfiction in May: Spirit Bears and Teddy Bears

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Voice for the Spirit Bears: How One Boy Inspired Millions to Save a Rare Animal, by Carmen Oliver/Illustrated by Katy Dockrill, (May 2019, Kids Can Press/CitizenKid), $18.99, ISBN: 978-1-77138-979-2

Ages 7-10

Simon Jackson doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids as a child; he was bullied over his stutter, and found himself most at home in the woods, exploring, photographing, and learning about wildlife. As a teen, he found himself fascinated by a rare subspecies of black bear called a Spirit Bear and became an advocate and activist for the bears when their habitats were threatened with deforestation. Jackson founded the Spirit Bear Coalition, met Dr. Jane Goodall, and hiked the Great Bear Rainforest, always using his activism to educate others and advocate for the Spirit Bears. A Voice for Spirit Bears tells Jackson’s story, and shows kids that one is never too young to advocate for change. The book is an inspiring call to action for young activists (suggest a letter-writing exercise for a cause they believe in!). I would have liked to see a little more on the indigenous T’simshian people, for whom the Spirit Bear is sacred, but all in all, A Voice for Spirit Bears is a good biography on a young activist, with lovely, muted artwork. There are discussions to be had on overcoming obstacles, environmentalism and conservation, and activism, and would be a good STEM read-aloud. Check out the downloadable educator guide for discussion questions and an activity.

The Spirit Bear Coalition concluded its mission in 2014, after 20 years of advocacy. Their website is still active and offers education and information.

 

Teddy: The Remarkable Tale of a President, a Cartoonist, a Toymaker and a Bear, by James Sage/Illustrated by Lisk Feng, (May 2019, Kids Can Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781771387958

Ages 6-10

Teddy brings together the story of the teddy bear in three parts. First, we have the legend: President Theodore Roosevelt refused to kill a “scruffy, no-account cub” while hunting. This story spread, and the Washington Post ran a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman, entitled, “Drawing the Line in Mississippi“, which led to husband-and-wife toymakers Morris and Rose Michtom creating a bear doll to honor “the President’s big warm heart”. They received permission from President Roosevelt to feature “Teddy’s Bears” in their shop, and an iconic toy was born. The book tracks the evolution of the teddy bear from those first bears, stuffed with wood shavings and with sewed on buttons for eyes, through today and notes how the teddy bear endures. It’s a happy, warm story, and the digital illustrations lend a realistic yet warmly colored feel to the tale. An author’s note mentions the differing versions of the Teddy Roosevelt story. It’s a cute book to have in your nonfiction collections, and would make a nice display with the Caldecott Medal-winning Finding Winnie.

For readers interested in learning more about Clifford Berryman’s political cartoons, the National Archives has a wonderful Clifford Berryman collection, which includes a great piece featuring Berryman drawing a bear, while a black bear stands next to him. The Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University has an interesting blog entry on the origin of the teddy bear, and a link to Berryman’s artwork in their digital library.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Mercy Watson gets a picture book prequel!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Piglet Named Mercy, by Kate DiCamillo/Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, (Apr. 2019, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9780763677534

Ages 3-7

Mercy Watson, star of six chapter books, gets her start in this prequel picture book by her team, author Kate DiCamillo and illustrator Chris Van Dusen. Here, we meet the Watsons, an ordinary married couple that feels maybe a little too ordinary. But when a piglet gets bounced out of a truck and ends up on the Watsons’s doorstep, it’s love at first sight. The neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, may not be thrilled, but her sister, Baby Lincoln, joins the love fest right away. Mr. and Mrs. Watson are over the moon with their new baby, swaddling her in a blanket and giving her a bottle of milk. Baby Lincoln even names her, calling her a mercy, and the name sticks. You don’t need to be familiar with the chapter book series in order to love A Piglet Named Mercy, and it will serve as a nice lead-in to the series, allowing young children to grow up with Mercy. The artwork is bright and cheerful, with a retro twist; Mrs. Watson rocks an apron and headband, and vaccums and sweeps the porch while Mr. Watson trims the hedges, mows the lawn, and washes the car; they have apple cheeks and big smiles. Eugenia and Baby Lincoln have old-school updos and sweaters with long skirts; for someone who’s a conformist, Eugenia is rocking some fabulous blue hair.

A Piglet Named Mercy is sweet reading – a nice adoption story, too – and will bring in new Mercy fans while giving the existing fans a new story to enjoy.

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate, picture books

A change in perspective: Mr. Posey’s New Glasses

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mr. Posey’s New Glasses, by Ted Kooser/Illustrated by Daniel Duncan, (Apr. 2019, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763696092

Ages 6-9

Mr. Posey is an older gent who’s feeling down. When he puts his glasses on, everything looks boring. Everything is just the same, same, same, and he wants to do something about it! He heads to the thrift store with his young friend, Andy, and starts trying on glasses from a big barrel, with… interesting results. The star-shaped glasses transport him to a field, where he can see all the constellations in the night sky, but it’s much too dark for him. The stripy brown frames bring him underwater, where some mean-looking fish swim around him, menacingly. The big, round lenses send the room spinning, and the cat=shaped frames put him in a field, pursued by dogs! Nothing clicks for him, no matter how many frames he tries on – and then, Andy notices that his glasses are dirty. Once Mr. Posey cleans his glasses, everything is clear and colorful again! Mr. Posey’s New Glasses is all about how we see things; what filters we have in place that color how we enjoy – or are brought down by – the world around us. There’s a lovely inter-generational friendship between Mr. Posey and his young friend, Andy; Andy also helps give Mr. Posey some perspective, noticing his dirty glasses and rejuvenating his attitude. The story is fun, and meatier than most picture books; this one is good for first to third graders. The digital artwork is tinged with a tan overlay and muted colors for most of the book, letting readers experience things as Mr. Posey does, but once he clears his glasses up, color becomes more lively, with pink store signs, blue skies, and colorful buildings. The thrift store is eclectic and has a great feel to it. This is a great book to start a discussion on how one’s outlook can affect mood, and how imagination can help spice things up. (Psst… glasses craft!)

Ted Kooser is a former US Poet Laureate and has a weekly column on American life in poetry available on his website.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Croc and Turtle are supportive best friends

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Croc & Turtle! The Bestest Friends Ever!, by Mike Wohnoutka, (Feb. 2019, Bloomsbury USA Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781681196343

Ages 3-6

Croc wants to show off for his best friend, Turtle, but keeps getting one-upped: an elephant easily flips a rock he struggled to lift; a rabbit soars over a rock right after Croc manages to clear it, and do we even need to mention the cheetah racing Croc? Disappointed and sad, Croc laments that he’s “not the best at anything!”, but Turtle reminds him that he’s stronger, leaps higher, and runs faster than him, which makes Turtle feels sad that he’s not the best at anything, either. Luckily, there’s one thing Croc and Turtle are both the best at: being each other’s best friends. Croc & Turtle! The Bestest Friends Ever! is great for storytime and independent reading for new readers; it has a sweet message about supporting one’s friends, and not having to be the best at everything. The gouache artwork is kid-friendly; cartoony, expressive, and played for laughs. The colors are soft, and the text changes color with the narrator, to help kids keep straight who’s speaking. This one is a sweet addition to picture book collections.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

More Hazy Dell Monsters Fun with The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie Jeebies

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie Jeebies, by Kyle Sullivan/Illustrated by Derek Sullivan, (Apr. 2019, Hazy Dell Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781948931007

Ages 3-7

Hazy Dell won me over with a set of adorable monster board books last year, and now, they’ve got a full-length picture book! The Cyclops Witch Meets the Heebie Jeebies is all about a witch who isn’t afraid of anything… except a group of creepy Heebie Jeebies! The Witch tries to pawn them off on other monsters, but those Heebie Jeebies confound her at every turn! When the chips are down, and things get scary, though, those Heebie Jeebies may just be exactly what the Cyclops Witch needs.

I love this adorable rhyming story and these adorable monsters! Cyclops Witch learns to face her fear, and not to make rash judgements in this sweet story, and readers will love reading about monsters who aren’t really so scary after all. If you’ve read the previous Hazy Dell board books, you’ll notice a few familiar faces, and meet a bunch of new ones! The illustrations are gentle, with soft colors and adorable, wide-eyed expressions. Sesame Street introduced us to friendly monsters – Hazy Dell is keeping with tradition!

The Cyclops Witch and the Heebie Jeebies will be in demand, come Halloween, for sure – get your readers in on it NOW. More Monster Adventures, please!