Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Some Dinosaurs Are Small… but some are quite large!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Some Dinosaurs Are Small, by Charlotte Voake, (Aug. 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536209365

Ages 3-6

Some dinosaurs are small. Some dinosaurs are big! A small dinosaurs wanders through the jungle with a little shopping basket, gathering food to munch on. Three bigger dinosaurs start following our little friend, looking for their next meal. Those bullies are in for a big surprise, though… An adorable story with factual text for beginners – “Some dinosaurs are small. / They have tiny flat teeth for munching through fruit and leaves. / Some dinosaurs are big. / They have huge pointy teeth and sharp claws” – the story takes a very satisfying turn that will leave readers giggling and cheering. The watercolor and ink artwork tells a playful story, while the text gives readers the facts; together, they create a fun story that will delight dino fans.

Charlotte Voake is an award-winning author and illustrator.

Education.com has some fun dinosaur worksheets, including this A to Z activity, a lowercase alphabet dot-to-dot, and an uppercase dot-to-dot.

Some Dinosaurs Are Small has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

Posted in Non-fiction, picture books

A look at an ecosystem in crisis: If You Take Away the Otter

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

If You Take Away the Otter, by Susannah Buhrman-Deever/Illustrated by Matthew Trueman, (May 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763689346

Ages 5-8

A moving look at how ecosystems are connected, If You Take Away the Otter begins with a discussion on the kelp forests in the Pacific Coast waters. Towering kelp trees can grow up to a foot a day, and are full of living creatures: abalones, clams, sea stars, and more find their shelter within the kelp. Sea otters hunt in these waters, requiring about a quarter of their own body weight in food to keep warm (kids would need to eat about 24 hamburgers a day as an equivalent!). Otters keep the food web in balance. In the 18th century, the international fur trade came to the Pacific waters, and otters were hunted for their pelts: which caused a disastrous fallout in the ecosystem. With the otter population decimated, sea urchins proliferated, eating the kelp forests to their bottoms, forming “urchin barrens”. When people above noticed the change, they enacted laws to protect the remaining population; the otters returned, got control of the urchins, and new kelp once again flourished. As the story says: “Those forests are homes again for crabs and snails, sea worms and shrimps. They make safe places for the fish and their eggs. There is food for the seaweed eaters; there is food for the hunters. There is just enough of everything to help the kelp forests, and all that depend on them, thrive”. An author’s note highlights the importance of food webs in our ecosystems, and how a change in one part of the web affects both the ecosystem and the people – in this case, the Indigenous Peoples of the northern Pacific –  who depend on them to survive and thrive. There are resources available for further reading and research.

Mixed media illustrations run primarily blue and green, showing both a thriving and a struggling underwater world. The otters are rendered in beautiful detail, and the floating kelp is almost tangible as it dances across the page. The artwork is just brilliant and gives real life to the factual text. Small callouts throughout offer deeper reading about the effects of environmental change.

A solid book to have in your natural history collections. When my Corona kids come in looking for food webs/ecosystems information, this is a book I want to have handy for them.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

It’s Fox vs Sloth in My Book (not yours)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

My Book (not yours) (Lento & Fox), by Ben Sanders, (Sept. 2020, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-68464-065-2

Ages 3-6

Lento the sloth has a heck of a story for us readers… after a little nap, that is. But while Lento snoozes, Fox decides to steal the show! The book is a comical back-and-forth between the two as Fox and Lento jostle one another out of the way to take center stage, breaking the fourth wall and making this a great read-aloud for two readers, or for one reader to get some voice practice on. Lento dons Valkyrie horns and braids to sing about being the book’s star, while Fox does a soft-shoe with hat and cane to say otherwise; Fox takes off in a hot air balloon as Lento pleads with the audience to stick with him. Can these two figure out a way to share the page? You have to read and find out!

A giggle-worthy book, My Book (not yours) will leave the littles in stitches as Lento and Fox become more outrageous in their attempts to take control of the book. Bright red Fox and teal Lento come alive off the spare white page, with minimal design to take the focus off the two. Their actions speak louder than their words: hilariously so.

Toddlers and preschoolers will recognize themselves as the two jockey for attention in progressively wilder ways, each proclaiming that “it’s MY book!”, and adults will get a laugh as they see their own littles in Fox and Lento. For readers of a certain age (ahem), the book evokes memories of the old Mad comic Spy vs. Spy – albeit a much kinder version. Enjoy.

Originally published in Australia in 2019, Lento and Fox have another book, My Pet (not yours), which looks like it’s another laugh-out-loud read. Let’s hope they visit the U.S. shores soon!

My Book (not yours) has a starred review from Kirkus.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Blue Giant needs your help to save the oceans!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Blue Giant, by Katie Cottle, (June 2020 Pavilion), $16.95, ISBN: 9781843654452

Ages 3-7

A young girl named Meera and her mother head to the beach to have a relaxing day, when a large, friendly, blue giant emerges from the water. He’s made up of water and sea life, and he tells them that he needs their help! Meera and her mom put on their scuba gear and head underwater, where the giant swirls around, showing them all the pollution underwater: bottles, plastic bags, fast food containers, it’s just a mess! Meera and Mom immediately start pitching in, but they realize this is too big a job for just two people: once back on land, Meera and Mom recruit others, who also recruit others, to clean up the beaches. Like the book says, “…when everybody helps out… even the biggest messes can be fixed!” A note at the end offers ways to reduce single-plastic usage, including easy ways for kids to help out, like taking a canvas bag to the store or carrying a reusable water bottle.

This is a companion to Katie Cottle’s 2019 book, The Green Giant, and examines a different area of pollution this time; where The Green Giant looks at deforestation and destruction of green spaces, The Blue Giant pleads the case for our waters, which are horrifically polluted, primarily by single-use plastics.

The illustrations are primarily rendered in shades of blue, with sweeping underwaterscapes that show incredible levels of junk floating around. A particularly moving panel shows the Blue Giant swirling around Meera and her mother, stirring up a whirlwind of garbage to surround them. Keep both this book and The Green Giant together for natural-world storytimes and Earth Day storytimes, activism and social justice storytimes.

Posted in picture books

The Paper Boat chronicles a family’s journey

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Paper Boat, by Thao Lam, (Sept. 2020, OwlKids), $17.95, ISBN: 9781771473637

Ages 6-9

Inspired by her own family’s refugee journey from Vietnam to Canada, Thao Lam’s newest book, The Paper Boat is an intensely personal narrative, entwined with a story about an ant colony. The wordless story is told through gorgeous collage art in shades of gray with moments of bright color: a spotlight, the red of an army flag, green of military uniforms, or the pink of a paper boat struggling to stay afloat in tumultuous waters. At home in Vietnam, a young girl rescues ants from bowls of sugar water set out to trap them. Later, as the girl and her family flee from their war-ravaged home, the ants lead them through the moonlit jungle to the boat that will help them escape. As they board, the girl folds a paper boat and drops it into the water; the ants climb on, setting out on their own journey. The two parallel narratives tell the story of a daring escape and the hope of starting life in a new, safe, land. Thao Lam’s author’s note provides deeper context for the story. Endpapers depict newspaper headlines from the Vietnam War and subsequent flight of the refugees.

A moving, thoughtful story that brings home the pain of leaving home and the hope of starting over. The Paper Boat has starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, and the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. (And it should be nominated for a Caldecott, just sayin’.) Publisher OwlKids has an excellent educator and parent’s guide available for free download.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

That Dog! is an extraordinary sleuth!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

That Dog!, by Emma Lazell, (Apr. 2020, Pavilion), $16.95, ISBN: 9781843654476

Ages 4-7

Emma Lazell’s follow-up to last year’s Big Cat is just as hilarious! Penny is a lady who loves dogs, and her assistant, Pat, is charged with getting them. But THEY’RE DOGNAPPERS! Penny tells Pat about the latest dog on her mind: he’s spotty all over. The thing is, Pat isn’t too bright; he brings back a spotty.. snake. Pat doles out a different character trait, and each time, Pat brings back the wrong animal! But That Dog is on the case, because the police are on the hunt for these kidnappers and the dogs they’ve stolen; and That Dog is putting together lots and lots of clues!

Loaded with sight gags and moments just begging for kids to call out, “THAT’S NOT A DOG!”, That Dog! is a comic story of observation and following directions. The watercolor artwork is cartoony and silly, with clues not-so-hidden around the spreads: Penny’s Wanted! poster is framed on her wall; That Dog reads a newspaper where Pat is the cover story; he even completes a crossword puzzle that lets readers know that he’s no ordinary mutt!

Originally published earlier this year in the UK, That Dog! is here on U.S. shores, and I can’t wait to see what Emma Lazell has for us next. In the meantime, publisher Pavilion has some great free That Dog! downloads: a free weekly planner, an activity kit, and a how to draw That Dog! sheet.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Biggest Story is all up to YOU!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Biggest Story, by Sarah Coye/Illustrated by Dan Taylor, (March 2020, Kane Miller). $12.99, ISBN: 9781684640454

Ages 3-7

What do you do when you’re in the mood to hear a story, but Mom is just too busy to tell you one? Errol is a little boy who finds himself with that very dilemma – until Mom tells him to make up one on his own! But where to start? Errol is stumped, until an ant in his garden suggests he puts some ants in his story. That gets Errol’s wheels turning… and then the cats weigh in! As Errol’s story comes together, it seems like all sorts of animals within earshot – and then some – want a piece of the action! Mom finally sits down with her tea and is ready to hear Errol’s story… are you?

How much fun is this story? (Hint: SO much fun!) Errol is a little boy who just needs a little guidance in unleashing his imagination, and gets it from his mom and a big bunch of new friends. The ending begs for a sequel, and so will readers. In fact, after storytime, ask your kiddos how they’d continue the story and be prepared for some great answers. The Biggest Story is here to help, too: there’s a story generator at the end of book to guide kids into thinking up their own adventure. The digital artwork is bright and cartoony, with comic book panels and word bubbles used during Errol’s story to set it off from the overall book. The animals are all friendly and chatty, ready to help and get their 15 seconds of fame.

Publisher Kane Miller has a downloadable word search (and answer sheet) for readers. If you’re interested in storytelling activities, The Imagination Tree has some really good ideas.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Halloween(ish) Books: Witchy Things!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Witchy Things, by Mariasole Brusa/Illustrated by Marta Sevilla, (Aug. 2020, NubeOcho), $16.95, ISBN: 9788417673604

Ages 4-8

Oh no! The witch is furious! A potion explosion turned her hair blue! BLUE! Not Blood Red, or Ash Gray, or Booger Green, but BLUE FAIRY BLUE! The Witch is furious, so she’s off to prove that blue hair doesn’t make her any goody-goody: she’s going to snatch a kid. She discovers a boy named Adam playing in the park with some dolls and immediately thinks he’s some rotten kid stealing his sister’s dolls, but she discovers that making assumptions about others is just as wrong as people making assumptions about her! Adam proceeds to drop some wisdom on the Witch, telling her to stop doing what she thinks she’s supposed to do, based on what people think, and do what makes her happy. And isn’t that the best advice you’ve heard today?

Originally published in Italy in 2019, Witchy Things is available in Spanish as Cosas de Bruja. The text won the Narrating Equality contest. It’s a story about looking past appearances and assumptions and celebrating just being oneself. The artwork is cartoony fun, with a furiously blue-haired witch, complete with hairy wart (kind of looks like a cute spider) on her nose and her very expressive familiars, a black cat and two rats. Fun, sweet, and with a good message, Witchy Things/Cosas de Bruja is a Halloween story about which witch you want to be. (See what I did there?)

There are some great self-esteem activities for kids available online. Teachers Pay Teachers has a free, downloadable set of self-esteem bookmarks for kids to color in and use; 5 Things I Love About Myself are printables that allow kids to write about what they value in themselves. Education.com has a free, downloadable Venn diagram of differences and similarities than be used in conjunction with this book; ask kids to think about what makes Adam and the Witch the same and different.

Posted in Uncategorized

I’m MOMREADIT.COM!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hey, all! Quick update for today: after 9 years, I finally ran out of memory and needed to upgrade my blog, which came with a personal domain name. So now, I’m MomReadIt.com! (MomReadit.wordpress.com still gets you here, though.) This is exciting!

Okay, my book piles are looming, I just got book mail I need to look at, and I have 3rd grade STEM to play around with (with my 3rd grader). More posts – many more! – to come, including a tour through my other librarian friends’ Bitmoji-braries!

Posted in professional development, programs

The Bitmoji Library is done!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I completed my Bitmoji library this morning! Aren’t my colleagues and I adorable?

This was so much easier than I thought it would be. There are several good videos online; I primarily used Ms Farah’s tutorial and DJ Silene’s tutorial, which were super clear and helpful.

Again, I used Google Slides, and insert a background using a search for “floor and wall background”. I played around with different keywords, like “cozy”, “library”, and “study”, but the results came back more cluttered than I’d like, so I went with this space that I could personalize. Next, I did a Insert and searched for “transparent book case”, because I didn’t want a background that would break up the experience of the scene.

Next, I created the Bitmoji. The PC app didn’t work well with my laptop, so I downloaded the app on my phone and emailed myself the Bitmoji. So. Easy. You can even search different keywords to see your avatar in silly costumes, reading, hanging out with a dog, you name it. Click on the avatar you like, and you get the choice to send it to yourself via email.

My colleague, Esti, sent me a few Bitmojis she had of herself, but I altered my avatar to create my colleague Alicia’s, which I also texted to her to make sure she was happy with the image. She was! Hooray!

The thing about Bitmojis is that they will show up with a white background around them, and you want that background removed. Thanks to the tutorials above, I learned about Remove.bg, a site that lets you upload an image, and download the same image with the background removed. Huzzah!

After choosing book covers and linking them to the library’s website, like I did with yesterday’s bookshelf post, I dropped in the Bitmojis, and finally, used one of Hafuboti’s Libraries Are for Everyone posters to give my library space a little personal touch. Voila!

I sent a link to my colleagues, and told them to make copies and customize to their delight. All you’ll need to do is click File, Make a Copy, and you have your own copy to enjoy. I’m thinking of adding slides to create bookshelves for different topics and subjects, and I can switch up the Bitmojis while I’m at it. This will be fun for Outreach!

Other Bitmoji Libraries

This Bitmoji Library is Library Goals.

This School Library/Media Center has some fun links, including links to an online chess game and a design-your-own-mask activity.

Knowledge Quest: Can Brandi Hartsell become my Bitmoji guru, please?

Mrs. Korzi got a shout-out from School Library Journal for her Banned Books Library, and it is fantastic.