Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Ahmed’s Journey is a study in mindfulness

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ahmed’s Journey: A Journey of Self-Discovery, by Jill Apperson Manly, (Jan. 2019, Jabu Books), $16.95, ISBN: 978-0-9980220-0-0

Ages 4-7

Yogi, author, teacher, and award-winning author Jill Apperson Manly creates a quietly eloquent tale of mindfulness against a backdrop of the Arabian peninsula. A boy named Amend and his family have traveled across the desert to race their camel in the famous camel races. As Ahmed feeds the camels, he start to feel anxious about the race. As he meditatively rubs his favorite camel’s ear, he stands still, in the moment, and senses his surroundings, and his place within his surroundings. He senses a sandstorm building, and notices that his anxiety is causing a storm within him, too. He breathes, he takes an inventory of himself and his emotions, and rides out both the inner and outer storms. At the story’s conclusion, Ahmed feels strong, peaceful, patient, and wise; he’s confident that everything he needs within him.

Ahmed’s Journey uses techniques to walk readers through the process of mindfulness and being present. Ms. Manly uses visual and verbal cues to help readers get in touch with all of their senses, even bringing the tactile to life as she describes the grittiness of the sand, the discomfort of anxiety, and the warmth of love. The title refers to both the outer journey Ahmed and his family make to the races, and his internal journey to inner awareness. Gentle, earth-toned watercolor illustrations create a desert landscape and present a calming influence on readers. The text is brief and impactful, making this a wonderful story to read during a yoga or mindfulness storytime. A nice add to multicultural and yoga/mindfulness collections.

 

Award-winning author of Nothando’s Journey, Jill Apperson Manly’s second book, Ahmed’s Journey, deepens the themes of exploring thoughts, emotions and sensations. Manly uses international cultural festivals to educate the reader and teach the importance of  self-love. Jill is a certified iRest® teacher and Somatic Yoga Therapist and loves sharing yoga and meditation with children and adults, coaching girls’ high school basketball, and being a mom to her four children. She lives with her husband and children in Newport Beach, CA.

 

Some questions for Jill, courtesy of JKS Communications:

How important is it for kids to explore and know their own emotions?

Jill: There is nothing more important.  It is essential to learn and value who you are.

Do you think that emotional lessons can be integrated into school studies?

Jill: Yes, Absolutely! Globally and in the U.S. we are seeing this done right now. My first book, Nothando’s Journey, is part of part of an SEL curricula created by Think Equal (www.thinkequal.com) currently in 147 schools across 15 countries. The pilot program is being evaluated by Yale Center for Emotional Learning. Kids live in present. There is no better time to discuss how a child is feeling then when  it is occuring. Of course, you cannot disrupt the class to deal with each emotion so therefore, it is better to have a set time within a lesson, for example in social science, to include a SEL lesson.

How did your experience teaching and studying in Saudi Arabia affect the writing of Ahmed’s Journey?

Jill: My overseas teaching experiences with children gave me great joy. Picking stories from “far-away places” gives a different perspective and we all benefit by learning about others. It’s fun to think about riding a camel. Kids in America don’t get to do that. It is even more fun to think about racing one!

 

 

What aspects of yoga do you bring to writing children’s books?

Jill: Yoga is seen in mainstream America as primarily a form of exercise, in my books, some of the deeper benefits of yoga or any mindful (peaceful) practice are explored.

How were the emotions and sensations that Ahmed experienced in the book reflections of your experiences traveling abroad or those of your own children?

Jill: I hope my experiences do not create experiences for others. I hope they are only a springboard for a discussion of everyone’s self potential. There is SO MUCH in our kids and in ourselves that gets stuffed down or swallowed up or is undervalued. I hope my books encourage and support kids and adults to value who they are on the inside.

Why is it important for kids to experience cultures different from their own?

Jill: We are more alike than different. As we see others, we see ourselves.

What is some advice you can give to parents who have children experiencing fear and anxiety like Ahmed?

Jill: The best advice is to have the conversation around these topics. Our children have lots of anxiety and being able to help them address their anxiety around their fears is very empowering. My website has additional resources both for the child and adult on this topic.

 

How is Ahmed’s Journey a continuation of your first book, Nothando’s Journey?

Jill: It takes kids and parents to another place in the world to learn about others and, at the same time, to learn about themselves.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Tween Reads

Bah! Humbug! is Michael Rosen’s modern-day take on Scrooge

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bah! Humbug!, by Michael Rosen/Illustrated by Tony Ross, (Sept. 2018, Walker Books), $15.99, ISBN: 9781536204797

Ages 8-12

A Christmas Carol enters a new century with Michael Rosen’s middle grade update, Bah! Humbug! Harry Gruber is so excited to be Scrooge in his school’s production of A Christmas Carol, but he wishes his father, workaholic Ray, would muster even a little bit of interest. Ray sees Harry’s event as one more thing keeping him from work, which keeps everyone in Ray’s family fed and living comfortably, and he never misses a chance to let everyone know it. The family – Harry, his sister, Eva, mom Lisa, and Ray – pile into the car and drive to school, with Ray grumbling all the way. While Harry shines on stage as Scrooge, Ray sneaks off to work – and gets some Christmas visits of his own.

Bah! Humbug! uses the school performance as a parallel to Ray’s own Christmas Carol, where he experiences some ghostly visits – after a fashion – of his own. A Christmas Carol is more relevant than ever in this 24-hour society, where we can all work nonstop and chase after the next big thing: a new PlayStation; a new car; a new vacation. The story moves between the play, letting readers relive Dickens’ holiday classic, and the present, as Harry’s heart breaks time and again over his dad’s seeming ignorance and Ray wrestles with his own demons, past and present. Kids may recognize their own families in this one, but remember: Dickens wrote the story to show readers that there’s always time to change the future.

A section called “Party Like a Fezziwig” has tasty recipes, games, jokes, and Christmas carols. There’s a note about the tradition of Victorian holiday storytelling, and a biographical note about Dickens and A Christmas Carol. Tony Ross’s black and white illustrations throughout the story keep readers engaged in the story and the school play. A nice add to your middle grade holiday collection. Read a sample chapter at Candlewick’s website.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Kwanzaa Books to brighten your holidays!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve finally got some of my Kwanzaa holds coming in, so this is a short first post for the season, but I’ve got more on the way! Let’s enjoy a couple of books celebrating Kwanzaa, its message of togetherness and peace, and its seven guiding principles.

The Sound of Kwanzaa, by Dimitrea Tokunbo/Illustrated by Lisa Cohen, (Oct. 2009, Scholastic Press), $16.99, ISBN:  978-0-545-01865-4

Ages 3-7

What a wonderful way to welcome the holiday: The Sound of Kwanzaa invites readers to “come close, gather round. Listen to the sound of Kwanzaa” on each page, by introducing the different ways families gather to celebrate the principles of Kwanzaa: “loving words and greeting family” celebrate Umoja (unity); working hands and ancient stories herald Kujichagulia (self-determination); banging hammers and sweeping brooms usher in Ujima (collective work and responsibility); laughter and chants from shoppers and merchants alike announce Ujamaa (cooperative economies); the sounds of sharing dreams and goal-setting get readers ready for Nia (purpose); the rhythm of beating drums and singing voices praise Kuuma (creativity), and the harmony of praying voices and calls of Harambee signal Imani (faith), the concluding principle. Every verse speaks to a night celebrated, providing an example of the sounds, the principle, and the color candle added to the Kinara.

The verse moves through each spread, with the repetitive opening phrase gently encouraging a family or close group reading. Lisa Cohen’s bright illustrations celebrate families and communities working and celebrating together, in barber shops and grocery stores, creating art and singing praises together. Purple endpapers with silhouettes create a feeling of celebration and kinship. In an author’s note, Dimitrea Tokunbo talks about meeting Dr. Maulana Karenga, who began the celebration of Kwanzaa, in 1966, and remembers the “No-Cook Kwanzaa Brownie Bites” created to share at a karamu feast. There’s a recipe, too, perfect to make with the kids and share at your own feast.

Add this one to your holiday collections, and if you can find a copy – it seems to be hard to find a new one, which makes me sad – add this to your gift list.

 

Santa’s Kwanzaa, by Garen Eileen Thomas/Illustrated by Guy Francis, (Sept. 2009, Jump at the Sun), $15.99, ISBN: 978-0-7868-5166-9

Ages 3-7

Santa’s Christmas Eve shift is over, and now the fun begins! Every present’s been placed, all the cookies indulged, and now, Santa heads home to the North Pole where his elves and Mrs. Claus gather to give him gifts: It’s Kwanzaa at the North Pole! Santa takes off his hat to reveal white dreadlocks, and relaxes into his chair as a banner proclaims “Welcome Home, Santa Kwaz!” and Mrs. Claus spreads a comfy kente wrap for him to snuggle in. His seven elves – each named for a Kwanzaa principle – present him with gifts of their own, and gather ’round the table for a tasty feast. Santa bundles everyone back into the sleigh for one last trip, where Santa lights up the sky with Kwanzaa wishes for all.

This is a cute intersection of Christmas and Kwanzaa, told in familiar, comforting rhyme that begins, “‘Twas the night before Christmas. The very last hour”, following Santa on those last few stops before heading home, ushering readers right into the end of one holiday and the beginning of another (Kwanzaa begins Dec. 26, the day after Christmas). Guy Francis’ artwork is engaging and charming, and evokes warmth with his images of Santa getting some pampering for a change: he sits in a comfy chair, soaking his feet, surrounded by his elves and Mrs. Claus in one spread; in another, the elves surround him with hugs and gifts. Children of diverse backgrounds watch his peaceful message unfurl across the skies at the story’s end. Back matter invites readers to celebrate Kwanzaa “just like the Kwazes” and introduces each elf, named after a Kwanzaa principle and exhibits personality traits similar to each one: Umoja’s pride, for instance, unites the family, while Ujamaa cooperates and trades fairly. The cover is equally eye-catching, with Santa’s iconic red and white coat, black belt, and gold buckle are framed by a pair of kente cloth mittens.

Santa’s Kwanzaa is a fun holiday read, perfect for storytimes.

Find Kwanzaa coloring pages and activities at Crayola and DLTK-Kids. Scholastic has a lovely Kwanzaa wreath project, and SheKnows.com has some adorable Kwanzaa craft suggestions for kids.

Posted in picture books

More Hanukkah books to brighten your celebrations!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got two modern classics to get into today, both by authors I’m a big fan of. Let’s jump in!

The Story of Hanukkah, by David A. Adler/Illustrated by Jill Weber, (June 2012, Holiday House), $6.99, ISBN: 9780823425471

Ages 5-8

My biography shelves are loaded with books by David A. Adler. He does phenomenal nonfiction writing for kids, and his Story of Hanukkah is a wonderfully comprehensive history of the holiday helped me understand more about the Hanukkah celebration. Adler’s factual text is enhanced by Jill Weber’s acrylic illustrations, portraying life in Biblical Judea, the Greek push to dominate, and Mattathias’ refusal to worship the Greek gods, along with his flight into the hills and subsequent rebellion against the Greeks. The bright, primary color artwork shows an epic battle between the Greek soldiers and the Maccabees, with a spreads featuring charging horsemen and war elephants, and hand-to-hand combat (the combatants look more knocked silly than anything else, for more delicate readers), and there are heart-warming modern family moments to conclude the story, as today’s families celebrate, Adler writes, “one of the first fights for religious freedom”. A tasty latke recipe and instructions on how to play the dreidel game round out the back matter, and blue endpapers with Hanukkah symbols – dreidels, scrolls, menorahs, gelt, and more – make this a lovely addition to your nonfiction holiday collections, and a great gift for your younger celebrants.

 

Zigazak! A Magical Hanukkah Night, by Eric A. Kimmel/Illustrated by Jon Goodell, (Sept. 2001, Doubleday Books for Young Readers), $16.99, ISBN: 978-0385326520

Ages 4-8

A hilarious tale of Hanukkah magic, Zigazak! takes place on the first night of Hanukkah, in the Belarus town of Brisk. Two little devils – they’re more tricksters than flat-out evil – decide to have some fun by starting some trouble around the town. They make dreidels sprout limbs and dance, they make latkes fly, they even make candles explode! The people are up in arms! What can they do? They ask the rabbi for help, and help he does: he finds the fun in the devils’ mischief, and tricks them at their own game. When he offers to free the devils and turn them into spirits of light, they push back: they like being bad! But try as they might, the rabbi will not be intimidated, and manages to convince them to turn themselves into cockroaches. One crunch later, the town of Brisk is back to celebrating Hanukkah, devil-free.

Zigazak! is a story that’s just made for out-loud reading, with the repeated magic titular phrase providing the perfect opportunity for getting the kids involved. Expect squeals and shrieks, because cockroaches are just awful. Eric A. Kimmel (whose similar tale of Hanukkah mischief, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, received a Caldecott Honor in 1990) weaves a masterful tale of mischief and morality, with delightfully goofy goblins illustrated by Jon Goodell. Goodell’s realistic artwork gives readers expressive characters reacting in horror as Hanukkah icons come to life, and a wise rabbi who exudes calm and wisdom. The most important part of Zigazak? Eric A. Kimmel’s belief, via the rabbi of Brisk: “…if we look hard enough, we can find the good in all living creatures”.

If you’ve never enjoyed this tale before, run to your holds list and add it. You’ll be happy you did.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour Stop and Giveaway: Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

“It’s Christmas Eve morning, and everything’s set. So why hasn’t Santa Claus woken up yet?” Because he’s sick! He’s stuffy, he’s sneezy, it’s gross, you don’t want him around your Christmas gifts. Mrs. Claus has an idea, though – she’s going to go in his place!

Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins, by Sue Fliess/Illustrated by Mark Chambers,
(Sept. 2018, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1503936980
Ages 3-7

Mrs. Claus gets right to work, assembling teams, mapping routes, and checking the weather. The elves help her pack up, and she’s off into the night! Despite some weather mischief and a bird strike, Mrs. Claus has it under control and is having the time of her life, and comes home to a party in her honor!

Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins is a fun, upbeat rhyming tale that’s loaded with humor and a Mrs. Claus who ain’t just home baking cookies. She’s a wild-haired redhead with fabulous cats-eye glasses and a green cardigan (I’m a librarian, I notice these things), and she’s letting Santa know what’s what. When she takes to the skies, she does it in style, rocking an aviator cap, a green plaid coat, and a cup of coffee – no Santa clone here, she’s making Christmas her own! I love this hip departure from tradition.

The digital illustrations are cartoony and colorful,. The pages alternate between full-bleed and white backgrounds, with the artwork popping off the stark background to really draw readers to the action. The digital snow is fantastic, with a real 3-d feel to the flakes as Mrs. Claus navigates through a blizzard, and the rainbow fuel looks is muddled and smoky. Great effects that will get the kids pointing and talking.

Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins is absolute fun holiday reading – add this one to your Christmas Eve story pile.

Sue Fliess is the author of more than twenty children’s books, including Shoes for Me!, A Dress for Me!, and Books for Me!, all illustrated by Mike Laughead; and Let’s Build, illustrated by Miki Sakamoto. Sue loves the holiday season and hopes she made it onto Santa’s “nice” list this year! She lives with her family and their dog in Northern Virginia. Learn more about Sue online at www.suefliess.com.
Mark Chambers is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than thirty-five children’s books. In 2013, Mark won the Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Award and was short-listed for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. In 2017, his artwork entitled “We Will Remember” was short-listed for the AOI World Illustration Awards. Mark lives and works in the United Kingdom and once spent Christmas in the Arctic Circle. Learn more about Mark online at www.markachambers.com.

Want a chance at winning a copy of Mrs. Claus Takes the Reins? Check out the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Posted in Non-Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

We Are Here to Stay gives you the real story

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults, by Susan Kuklin, (Jan. 2019, Candlewick Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9780763678845

Ages 12+

Award-winning author and photographer Susan Kuklin conducted extensive interviews with nine undocumented young adults who all came here as children. They come from Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, and Korea, and they – and their families – came here for the chance at a better life and education. They fled poverty. They fled violence. They left family behind.

Originally slated for publication in 2017, Susan Kuklin originally planned to feature full-color portraits and the subjects’ names in this book, but the Presidential election and subsequent repeal of DACA, makes it unsafe to identify these young adults. Identified only by a first initial and represented by empty frames, these are hard stories to read. They will move you: they will upset you, they will make you angry, and they will make you feel for the young people who live in the shadows, terrified that at any moment, they’ll be sent away. They’ve crossed through hellish deserts, been taken advantage of by people that were supposed to help them, and turned away by their families in some cases. Working in their communities to bring about positive change, they are here, and they want to be part of the America we know we can be.

We Are Here to Stay offers a lot of food for thought and discussion. These individuals face an uncertain future, and they know it. We Are Here to Stay is a must-read, must-have book for young people everywhere, and it’s a must-read for every person whose lives touch young people: parents, caregivers, educators.

Susan Kuklin is the Stonewall Honor-winning author of Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out.

Posted in Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA Crossover Fiction: New Dark Ages

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

New Dark Ages, by Warren Kinsella, (Dec. 2018, Dundurn), $14.99, ISBN: 9781459742154

Ages 16+

The second book in Warren Kinsella’s X-Gang series, while set in the ’80s, sees the rise of a candidate that’s eerily familiar: Earl Turner is an all-American guy running for President on a “White is Right” platform, and the country seems to be eating it up. His numbers are going up, his rallies are teeming with supporters, and, most distressing to Kurt Blank and the rest of the X Gang, their former drummer, Danny Hate, is right smack in the middle of it. He went “conservative” after incidents from the first novel (Recipe for Hate, 2017), but to be showing up at political rallies as Earl Turner’s right-hand man? Meanwhile, dead punks are being discovered in cities right after the Nasties’ – the X Gang’s band – shows, and Kurt’s drug habit is starting to become a problem.

Set in the ’80s, New Dark Ages is a reminder that we haven’t come as far – or is it fallen as far? – as we thought we may have. Earl Turner has that jock appeal that went over so well at the time, with the current administration’s open malice for anyone not like him. The narrative tends to jump around a bit, though, and while there’s some good punk culture fiction happening here, along with potentially interesting political intrigue, there are too many balls in the air to keep a cohesive storyline in play.

Is New Dark Ages YA? Not necessarily, but it’s got crossover potential. The characters are in the age range, and confronting issues that will most definitely affect their futures. It’s an additional purchase if you’ve got readers interested in punk culture (including us Gen X readers who were around at the time) and politically charged fiction.

 

Posted in picture books

Chilly DaVinci is a Renaissance penguin… sorta.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Chilly DaVinci, by J. Rutland, (Dec. 2018, NorthSouth Books), $17.95, ISBN: 9780735842830

Ages 6-8

Chilly DaVinci is a penguin who’s not like the other penguins on his iceberg home, DaVinci. He builds things while the others do more “penguin” things. But his machines don’t always work, so when his latest contraption cracks the ice and puts the group in danger from a nearby orca, Chilly knows he has to make things right. After some trial and error, and taunting from Chilly’s nemesis, Vinnie, Chilly manages to save his group and land them safely back on Vinci. Chilly’s inventions are inspired by Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions, including a flying contraption. An afterword reminds readers to think about the process rather than the reward, like DaVinci, and to think outside the box (or ‘berg).

Chilly DaVinci is inspired by Leonardo DaVinci, with sepia-toned blueprints paced with the penguins story. The storyline itself is a little jumbled, with side conversations and random thoughts popping up throughout the text; readers may tangent off on these. The watercolor-style artwork makes for cute penguins, and DaVinci is especially wide-eyed and rocks a pair of giant glasses, giving him an egghead-type of nerdy cool.

Better for independent reading than storytime, but fun for penguin fans.

 

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship bring folktales from India to the States

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India, by Chitra Soundar/Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy, (Dec. 2018, Candlewick), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536200676

Ages 7-10

Originally published in the UK as two separate books: A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom, and A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice, this collected volume of eight Indian folktales introduces readers to Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, who stand in for Veera’s father, King Bheema, and preside over cases brought to the king’s court. Suku is a farmer’s son who studies with the prince as a scholarship student, and Prince Veera is a clear-headed tween who respects his family and seeks his friend’s opinion on matters. These “trickster tales” are inspired by traditional Indian folktales and have a wry sense of humor that kids will love. Together, the two will unmask a greedy man who leases a well to his neighbor – but charges him for the water; humble a merchant who attempts to charge people for enjoying the delicious smells coming from his sweets shop, and prove to the populace – including Veera’s own father, the king – that bad luck is not contagious, nor can a man’s bad luck rub off on anyone.

The book is illustrated throughout by award-winning author Uma Krishnaswamy, who creates beautiful, eye-catching artwork. Chitra Soundar’s stories are small morality plays, with strong messages to deliver, delivered with humor and warmth. I love this book and can’t wait to get it on my shelves. I’m looking forward to more Indian mythology, folk, and fairy tales in the coming year or two, especially with the success of mythology-based fantasy by Sayantani Dasgupta (The Serpent’s Secret) and Roshani Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time), Read a sample chapter courtesy of Candlewick Press here.

Posted in Fiction, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, picture books, Teen, Toddler Reads, Tween Reads

Need a gift? Give a book!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Now that the discount coupons are hitting inboxes, it’s a great time to stock up on books to give for the holidays. Here’s a look at some more books that will delight the readers in your life!

For the Little Ones:

Baby’s First Cloth Book: Christmas, Ilustrated by Lisa Jones & Edward Underwood, (Sept. 2018, Candlewick), $18, ISBN: 978-1-5362-0275-5

Ages 0-2

It’s Baby Boo’s first Christmas! This 8-page book is soft and squishy, perfect for exploring little hands and mouths. Baby Boo enjoys the snow, builds a snowman with Daddy, goes back inside to warm up by the fire and gaze at the Christmas tree, and at night, Santa drops off presents! The plush book is soft, and the page featuring the snowman is crinkly; perfect for play time and engaging your little one’s senses. The colors are bright, with gentle-faced animals and people. The book comes in its on add Park, Farm, and Zoo to the list.

 

Ten Horse Farm, by Robert Sabuda, (Apr. 2018, Candlewick Press), $29.99, ISBN: 978-0-7636-6398-8

Ages 5+

You don’t have to be a kid to love Robert Sabuda; his paper engineering is stunning to see. Ten Horse Farm is a full-color, pop-up counting book where each spread stars a different horse engaging in some kind of activity: racing, resting, jumping, or bucking. Let your kiddos count the horses as you go, and use this book in storytime to bring wonder and surprise to your readers. This fits in nicely with a horse storytime, farm storytime, animal storytime… any time storytime. Inspired by rural America, Robert Sabuda even named his upstate New York art studio Ten Horse Farm. Sabuda books are timeless gifts.

Ten Horse Farm has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

For the Dinosaur fan:

Dragon Post, by Emma Yarlett, (Dec. 2018, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-61067-818-6

Ages 6-10

If you’re a regular reader here, you know I LOVE Emma Yarlett. Her Nibbles the Book Monster books are required reading in my home, and the kids at my library and my son’s Kindergarten class can’t get enough Nibbles. Dragon Post has the same fun spirit as we meet Alexander, a young boy who finds a dragon in his home. He’s excited, naturally, but he’s also a little concerned about fire safety. So he writes a series of letters, as different questions pop up for him. The best part? We get to read the letters!

This is an interactive book, with envelopes (lightly toasted) and letters you can pull up and read for yourself. The story is hilarious as Alexander’s predicament grows, and just when it takes a bittersweet turn, we get the hope of a sequel. The laser-cut correspondence is a fun addition to the story, and the full-color, cartoony artwork will appeal to readers. The scrawled black text reminds me of Oliver Jeffers’ lettering. Absolute fun for the holidays. If you’re buying this for your library, put it an extra copy in your storytime reference to keep one safe. This one will be loved quite a bit.

For the adventure seeker:

Atlas Obscura: Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid, by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco/Illustrated by Joy Ang, (Sept. 2018, Workman), $19.95, ISBN: 978-1-5235-0354-4

Ages 8-12

Here’s one for the kids who love the offbeat, quirky, and awe-inspiring things in life: Atlas Obscura is the kids’ companion to the website and adult guide book and is all about 100 of the most “weird but true” places on earth. Discover the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan (it’s a drilling accident gone terribly wrong), then head to Germany to ride a rollercoaster in the Wunderland Kalkar – an abandoned nuclear power plant. Check out the world’s seed bank in Norway, or visit an underwater museum near the Canary Islands.

Full-color illustrations offer an incredible point of view, and each site includes a locator globe and longitude and latitude (ahem… program in a book). A packing list – in case you’re so motivated – and explorer’s tips, along with alternate travel routes, methods of travel by speed, and height comparisons of attractions from biggest to smallest help with travel planning, and a list of further reading will have your world explorers putting up maps and pins in their rooms. This is just way too much fun. Give this to all the kids you normally hand your National Geographic gifts to, and you’ll be the favorite for another year running.

A World of Cities: From Paris to Tokyo and beyond, a celebration of the world’s most famous cities, by James Brown, (July 2018, Candlewick Studios), $25, ISBN: 9780763698799

Ages 8-12

Visit 30 of the world’s most famous cities with this book as your guide! It’s an oversize book with two- or 3-color tourism poster artwork and facts on each spread. Did you know Dubai has its own archipelago of artificial islands? Or that Albert Einstein’s eyeballs are stored in a safe-deposit box in New York City? There are tons of fun facts here, all assembled to create a stylized art book that takes armchair travelers to the bright lights and big cities of the world.

This is a follow-up to James Brown’s A World of Information, for anyone who’s a fan of infographics style information delivery.

 

For the animal lovers:

Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courageous Animals, by David Long/Illustrated by Kerry Hyndman, (Nov. 2018, Faber & Faber), $22.95, ISBN: 978-0-5713-4210-5

Ages 9-13

I loved the companion series to this book, the more human-focused Survivors, that came out earlier this year, so I dove into Heroes when the publisher sent me a copy. If you and your kids loved Survivors, you’re going to love Heroes, with 33 stories of courageous animals (and an epilogue about London’s Animals in War Memorial). It’s more than an “I Survived” starring animals; these are stories about how we rely on animals to survive and to thrive. There’s Rip, the terrier who rescued people trapped in the rubble of the London Blitz during World War II: “…somehow having Rip around made things more bearable… if Rip could cope with the war, so they [the people]”; and Mary of Exeter, a messenger pigeon who spent five years carrying messages back and forth between England and France during World War II and who’s buried alongside Rip and Beauty, another WWII hero dog profiled here. Kerry Hyndman’s illustrations are all at once intense and beautiful, and David Long’s tributes are filled with respect for these companions. Read with a box of tissues nearby. Give to your animal fans and your adventure story fans.

 

Fly With  Me: A Celebration of Birds Through Pictures, Poems, and Stories, by Jane Yolen, Heidi EY Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple, (Oct. 2018, NatGeo Kids), $24.99, ISBN: 978-1-4263-3181-7

Ages 8+

A compendium of all things bird for your bird-readers and watchers, Fly With Me has everything you’d want to know about birds: the physical characteristics, history (dino birds!), state bird profiles, songs, migration, and birding in your own backyard are just a few areas. There’s an emphasis on conservation and activism, and the section on birds in the arts is fantastic for your budding artists. The photos are jaw-dropping, with colors that burst off the page, and gorgeous illustrations. Endpapers are loaded with bird-related quotes, including one of my favorites: “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like  duck, it must be a duck”. Back matter is loaded with additional resources. Pull some of the poems out and use them in your storytimes!

 

For the poetry reader:

Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year, selected by Fiona Waters/Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, (Oct. 2018, Nosy Crow), $40, ISBN: 9781536202472

All Ages

There’s a poem for every single day of the year in this book. From January 1st through December 31st, greet each day with a poem and a beautiful illustration. Poets include Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, ee cummings, and John Updike, and poems are indexed by poet name, poem title, and first lines. This is a gorgeous gift: the illustrations are absolutely beautiful, with cold winter scenes, green fall forests, and colorful, shell-covered beaches. Start the day off, or end a day, snuggled up with a poem.

This one’s a great gift for grownups, too – librarians and teachers, put this on your wish list and you’ll be thrilled to add new poems and fingerplays to your storytimes. I’m currently trying to think of hand movements to add to Alastair Reid’s “Squishy Words (To Be Said When Wet)” (August 4th).

Sing a Song of Seasons has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

The Poetry of US: More Than 200 poems that celebrate the people, places, and passions of the United States, Edited by J. Patrick Lewis, former US Children’s Poet Laureate, (Sept. 2018, NatGeo Kids), $24.99, ISBN: 978-1-4263-3185-5

All Ages

This is another incredible poetry volume, all celebrating the United States: it’s a love letter to the country, compiled by former US Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis. Organized by region: New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Great Plains, Rocky Mountain West, Pacific Coast, and Territories, over 200 poems celebrate the natural beauty of our lands and our rich cultural and diverse history. “Never Say No” by Laurie Purdie Salas is all about the perfection of a Philly cheesesteak, while Linda Sue Park’s “Asian Market” – showcased here in both English and Korean –  is a tantalizing tribute to the smells and sights of eating at an Asian food market. Reuben Jackson’s haunting “For Trayvon Martin” is side by side with J. Patrick Lewis’ “The Innocent”, a poem for Emmett Till. “Spelling Bee”, an acrostic by Avis Harley, is a nod to the Scripps Spelling Bee, and Allan Wolf’s “Champion Betty” celebrates a competitor at the Westminster Kennell Club Dog Show. There are poems about beaches and forests, Disney and weddings; there are poems in Korean and Spanish, and poems that shine a light on how far we have to go. It’s America, and these voices are why it’s beautiful.

For your reader who loves the classics:

Into the Jungle: Stories for Mowgli, by Katherine Rundell/Illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams, (Oct. 2018, Walker Books), $24.99, ISBN: 9781536205275

Ages 8-12

The flap of Into the Jungle says it best: “To turn the page of The Jungle Book is to long for more tales of Mowgli the man-cub, Baheera the panther, Baloo the bear, and Kaa the python”. Into the Jungle is a companion to the classic Rudyard Kipling book, enriching readers with five more stories about Mowgli and his companions: “Before Mother Wolf Was a Mother, She Was a Fighter”; “Bagheera’s Cage”; “Baloo’s Courage”; “Kaa’s Dance”, and “Mowgli” all bring back fan favorite characters and deliver themes of empathy, kindness, and understanding across species, cultures, and genders. Katherine Rundell has given Kipling’s classic – and, by extension, his fans – new life, and new relevance in a world very different – and sadly, not so different – from 1894.

Illustrations are full-color and created in collage, using Victorian engravings, to give an historical feel with incredible texture. Humans and animals alike share expressive faces and body language, and the lush Indian jungle unfurls itself to readers, beckoning them to join them in the pages. A gorgeous gift book.

I hope that helps with some shopping lists! Happy Holidays, all!