Category: picture books

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Lost – a wordless romp about pets gone astray

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Lost, by Bob Staake, (Oct. 2024, Anne Schwartz Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593707029

Ages 3-7

A girl goes searching for her missing cat and helps her neighbors, also missing pets in this adorable story that will give readers a chuckle. When a girl notices that her cat is missing, she gets to work distributing “Lost” flyers; as she does, she meets neighbors who hand her their own flyers: for a dog, a bird, and a giraffe! Flashbacks show each person’s tale (or tail?) of woe as readers discover how each pet got away. As the girl searches her town, she ends up finding the lost pets – thanks to a tasty hot dog – and brings them together, while managing to find her sweet kitten! The retro art is playful, with exaggerated characters and skillful use of charcoal grey, white, and color. The pets are vibrantly colorful; muted blues pop up to denote skies, water, and a wall in the girl’s home. The girl has a rosy face, and the people missing their own pets show up with colorful faces to help them stand out; it’s a lovely way of showing readers how pets color our lives and how interacting with one another makes us seen. Lighthearted and humorous with a playful sense of adventure, Lost is a fun add for wordless collections and great for a story study.

Lost has a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Light of Home: Home isn’t always a place

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Light of Home: A story of family, creativity, and belonging, by Diana Farid/Illustrated by Hoda Hadadi, (Sept. 2024, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781338890617

Ages 4-8

Nur is a child who loves her home by the sea where she plays, enjoys time with her family, and fills her room with her artwork. Life drastically changes overnight when the family must leave right away; Hadadi illustrates the urgency of a family fleeing with the clothes on their backs, Nur grabbing a single painting off of her wall as her mother grabs her hand. On the next page, men bearing shovels and stick ransack the rooms and destroy what they can reach. Told in verse, Farid’s story of a family fleeing one home and moving to another is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. Her exquisite verse finds the beauty in pain; as Nur and her family find places to live, she remembers the sigts, smells, and textures of home: “Sometimes, / [the horizon] breathes tangerine orange and sour cherry clouds, / like the sunsets she used to watch from a picnic blanket”. As the family gets used to living in a new city, in a building unfamiliar and loud, Nur uses her painting, desperately torn from the wall on the night of their departure, as the inspiration to create once again, this time of the “glittery path she loves / even if it’s far away”. Hadadi’s paper collage brings texture that make the memories tangible to readers, using vibrant colors and evocative images. The growing body of work on the refugee/immigrant/migrant experience is incredible and such an important part of collections. Don’t miss this one. Display and read with other stories, including Nicola Davies’s The Day War Came, Yuyi Morales’s Dreamers, Hollis Kurman’s Counting Kindness, and Hannah Moushabeck’s Homeland.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Big Bear and Little Fish return!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bear’s Big Idea, by Sandra Nickel/Illustrated by Il Sung Na, (Sept. 2024, Carolrhoda Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9798765610176

Ages 4-7

Big Bear and Little Fish have become such great friends in the two years since their first book. In their new adventure, it’s Bear’s turn to come up with a fun new idea, which gives her a bit of anxiety. Usually, it’s Fish that has the great ideas, but now it’s Bear’s turn, and everywhere she turns, she sees remnants of activities left over from the week with Fish. With a little creativity and an open mind, a great new idea is just waiting for Bear – she just has to let herself open up to the possibilities. Nickel’s storytelling sweetly pairs with Na’s digital illustrations, bringing a touch of humor to a story about the pressure of choosing the “just right” activity for a friend. Nickel captures the stress of coming up with a blockbuster activity with phrases like, “What if she couldn’t find an idea? What if that meant she wasn’t a good friend?” Readers familiar with Big Bear and Little Fish will appreciate Bear’s caution with Fish as they climb trees and splosh in puddles. Endpapers show Bear and Fish in a variety of poses. A sweet companion to the original story and a good addition to storytime collections. Download a curriculum guide for Bear’s Big Idea from Sandra Nickel’s author page.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Clouds in Space: Meet Nebula!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us, by Teresa Robeson/Illustrated by Diāna Renžina, (Aug. 2024, MIT Kids Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536225372
Ages 7-9

The secret is out: there are things we can’t see beyond the clouds. But Nebula, our narrator, is here to tell us everything! Nebula means “cloud” in Latin, and she guides us – and a young astronomer featured in the story – through an outer space trip to marvel at the beautiful nebulae scattered across the universe. Stunning digital illustrations incorporate actual photos of nebulae to paint vibrant pictures across the black sky. Renžina adds shapes to Butterfly and Elephant nebulae and allows a kaleidoscope of color to shimmer forth from our guide Nebula’s entire being; Robeson creates non-fiction poetry to describe the incredible beauty of the universe with phrases like “You are grown from scattered stardust, / sprouted in a stellar nursery. / I AM THE STARDUST / AND THE NURSERY”. Back matter includes details about nebulae, with photos of the nebulae featured in the book, and resources for further exploration. A stunning book that works as a storytime selection as easily as it does a non-fiction resource.

Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Uncategorized

Tales from the TBR: The Bone Wars by Jane Kurtz & Alexander Vidal

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Bone Wars, by Jane Kurtz/Illustrated by Alexander Vidal, (Nov. 2023, Beach Lane Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781534493643

Ages 5-8

The Bone Wars! It’s a tale of friendship gone wrong! With dinosaurs! And exploding fossils! Kurtz writes history with a sense of humor that will catch a reader’s attention, describing the 19th-century race between two paleontologists – O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope – who go from friends to rivals. Marsh and Cope were besties – like Taylor Swift-level besties, writing letters to one another and naming dinosaurs after each other until the fateful day when Marsh deightedly poined out big mistake in a paper Cope had published. After that, they were DONE. Never, ever, ever getting back together. And thus began the Bone Wars: a race between the two paleontologists to make the next big discovery; and there were no punches pulled. Marsh and Cope pulled every dirty trick they could to get ahead. Spy on each other’s workers? Check. Leave fossils from different animals in the hopes of messing up a discovery? Yup. Blowing up smaller bones so the other team couldn’t have them? Yessireee. Did a final winner emerge from the Bone Wars? Yes: the public, because generations of people have benefitted from all of these discoveries, but the besties never made up. Kurtz gives readers the facts behind one of the more interesting rivalries in natural history, with wry commentary and reactions – “Hoo boy!”  – is a favorite – when discussing some of the duo’s darker moments. Vidal’s digital illustrations are cartoon realistic and easily move between history and modernity. Back matter includes notes from the author and illustrator and selected sources and reading. This is a fun addition to biography and natural history collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy Book Birthday to The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox, by Ana Velez, (Aug. 2024, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645678694

Ages 4-8

This spin on the classic tale is set in Andean South America, featuring 3 guinea pigs who have to rebuild after floods destroyed their homes. Like the classic, they each build their home from straw, sticks, and stone, and are suspicious when a fox shows up, exhorting them to come with him. They run from house to house as condors and bears wreak havoc on the sticks and straw, but is Fox really up to no good? The sweet story reaches a delightful conclusion that praises teamwork, friendship, and community. The rhyme scheme makes for a run readaloud, with sound effects in larger, bolder fonts to invite reader participation. Digital illustrations have cultural details, including the endpapers, which feature animals from the story woven into an Andean textile pattern. The story includes words in Spanish and Kichwa (also knows as Quechua), with a glossary in the back matter. Back matter also includes a note on animals of the Andes and a shaved ice recipe. The fox wears a woven scarf and the guines pigs sport hats and sweaters. A very cute addition to storytime collections, and psst… If you need a younger selection to feature and read for Civic Awareness Month, this would be a good choice!

There are some great Andean worksheets and activity sheets on TeachersPayTeachers. I really like this Andean fabric coloring sheet from Tierney Phillips.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

More Construction Fun with Pigs Dig a Road

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pigs Dig a Road, by Carrie Finison/Illustrated by Brian Biggs, (Sept. 2024, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9781984816542

Ages 3-7

A construction crew is getting ready to build a new road to the Hamshire County Fair. Headed up by Rosie, the crew chief, this crew of pigs is ready to work, but they can’t seem to get things quite right and rely on Rosie to fix things. But Rosie’s exhausted, and needs some help to pull it all off before the fair begins. It’s time for the rest of the team to pull together and get the road done on time! Finison’s lively rhyming text is fun with cheerful, while Brian Biggs created loads of sight gags to keep listeners giggling and invested. Teamwork is the heart of the story here and Finison shows readers that teams work best when everyone has a say. Vehicle fans will love the parade of excavators, dump trucks, pavers, and other machines trundling through each spread. Boldly outlined and brightly colored, the pigs and their surroundings will lift spirits and the expressive characters will keep readers smiling as listen to Rosie attempt to rally her crew: “Curly, Pinky—helmets, please!
Stinky, stick your feet in these.” Endpapers show a variety of pigs at the wheels of different machines. A win for storytime and for picture book collections, and a great first purchase.

Visit Carrie Finison’s webpage to sign up for her newsletter and learn more about her books. Visit Brian Biggs’s website to see more of his illustration work and learn more about his books.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Linden: where the giving tree gets love, too

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Linden: The Story of a Tree, by Colleen Muske, (Apr. 2024, Marble Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781958325100

Ages 4-7

If you’ve ever read that other book about the tree and wanted a happier ending for that steadfast friend, have I got a book for you. Linden: The Story of a Tree is the story of a tree, and it’s the story of a community that loves and gives love. Planted as a sapling, Linden grows in the courtyard by a building, where animals and people alike adore him. The bees love Linden’s flowers; people curl up in his branches and play music in the courtyard where Linden can sway his branches in the breeze, dancing with his neighbors. During the holidays, his neighbors dress him up with lights and sing songs with him. But Linden isn’t forever, and when he becomes ill, his people rally around him, writing poetry, knitting scarves, and playing music for him, and Linden leaves behind a precious gift before he goes. Muske writes a gentle, bittersweet story about the life of a tree and its place in the center of a community; she imbues the people in the story with a sense of responsibility and with care, and breathes life into Linden so that he becomes a loving, feeling, central part of the community.  Watercolor and gouache artwork show a thriving community; Linden’s bark and branches have gorgeous texture and make him stand out from the rest of the story. Endpapers show a series of photos of Linden’s life; black and white and color photos show the passage of time. Linden is more than a story about the life cycle of a tree; it’s a story of love, loss, and moving forward. I loved this book.

Don’t forget to visit Marble Press’s Resources page for Linden activities and coloring pages.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Here and There brings connection

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Here and There, by Thea Lu, (Apr. 2024, Eerdman Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780802856234

Ages 5-8

Two people live very different lives, but happenstance brings them together for a moment. Dan owns a cafe on a coastal town, and Aki is a sailor, always on the go. Dan is a homebody who draws comfort from his routine, but every now and then, he wonders what more there is “out there”. Aki  “lives life like a nomadic gull, always on the wing”; he loves the color of his world, with all different sights to see, but sometimes he wonders what it might be like to have a place to call home. Each, in his own way, feels distanced from the world. They each find joy in the connections they make: Dan, with the travelers who visit his cafe, and Aki, from the people he encounters when he goes ashore. As each man looks over their keepsakes, readers will discover that Dan and Aki have crossed paths once, and that it is a special memory for both. Here and There is about connection and life: Dan’s keepsakes are like “little windows, each opening a piece of the world to him” and Aki’s photos are like “little houses, each bringing a sense of home”. Dan looks out, while Aki looks in, and the one time they met, they felt less alone. Dan’s illustrations are rendered largely in shades of brown, for his homebound-land living existence, and Aki’s are shaded mainly in blue, noting his oceanic life. The spare text reads beautifully, yet with an aching loneliness as each character goes about his solitary existence, warming as the two interact with others. A lovely story about yearning connection and a great addition to picture book collections. Here and There has a starred review from Foreword Reviews.

Visit Thea Lu’s website for some exciting ideas for kids’ crafts.

Posted in Early Reader, Non-Fiction, picture books

The Shape of Things: How we created maps to understand our world

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Shape of Things: How Mapmakers Picture Our World, by Dean Robbins/Illustrated by Matt Tavares, (Aug. 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $19.99, ISBN: 9780593479254

Ages 4-8

An extraordinary discussion on the development of maps, Robbins provides an insight into human history as Tavares illustrates how different eras created maps to make sense of their world. Beginning with the first cultures to make maps using cave drawings and mammoth tusks, Robbins describes how mapmaking developed with humans, going from rocks to papyrus and ink to digital technology; as humans explored the planet, maps became more detailed, including paths connecting cities, rivers, and oceans. Flat, one-dimensional maps gave way to globes and tools like the compass, Gunter’s chain, and satellites, and computers. Robbins skillfully explains how humanity came together with the goal to explore and define the world we share; Tavares’s digital illustrations show realistic depictions of people through different eras creating various maps, allowing readers to see the changes in landscape, cultures, and technology. The story of maps is the story of mankind, beautifully told here. Endpapers depict shards of an early map and a  car-mounted smartphone GPS. Back matter includes an illustrated mapmaking timeline, a bibliography, and notes on mapmaking. Developing mapmakers will return to this book again and again.

 

“Map lovers and readers interested in the development of knowledge and technology will be drawn to Robbins’ look at how we, over millennia, have documented Earth’s shape.” —Booklist

Dean Robbins is a journalist and children’s book author. His previous books include, The Fastest Girl on Earth!, Two Friends; Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, Miss Paul and the President, and Margaret and the Moon. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with his family. To learn more, visit https://deanrobbins.net/

Matt Tavares is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of over twenty titles. His books have been featured in: ALA Notable, Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, and twelve were chosen for the Society of Illustrators Original Art exhibit. His artwork has been exhibited at the Brandywine River Museum, the Eric Carle Museum, and the Mazza Museum. Matt lives in Maine with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters. Visit his website: matttavares.com

Instagram:
Dean Robbins: @deanprobbins
Matt Tavares: @tavaresbooks
Facebook:
Dean Robbins: @deanrobbins
Matt Tavares: @tavaresbooks
Twitter/X:
Dean Robbins: Dean Robbins
Matt Tavares:  Matt Tavares