Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Armchair Traveling? Take Australian Baby Animals with you!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Australian Baby Animals, by Frané Lessac, (Aug. 2021, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536215274

Ages 2-5

Animal lovers are going to flip for this adorable book full of Australian baby animals and their parents. Fun facts run throughout the book, grouping animals together by their baby names (kangaroo, wombat, possum, koala, and Tasmanian devil babies are all called “joeys”‘) and how they interact with their parents. A sea dragon dad carries fry eggs (baby sea dragons!) on their tails until they hatch and drift away; echidna puggles (one of the cutest baby animal names ever) don’t have any spines, and flying fox pups get all the cuddles when  mom wraps her wings around them like a blanket. Bold fonts, fluid text that moves around the artwork, and colorful gouache artwork will delight readers. Spare text is informational and fits in well for an animal storytime.

Pair this with Frané Lessac’s 2018 abcedary, A is for Australian Mammals, for a unit on Australia, and check out this virtual field trip to the Australia Zoo, courtesy of Teach or Travel on TeachersPayTeachers.com.

Posted in Intermediate, picture books

The weight of a moment: Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More, by Johanna Schaible, (Sept. 2021, Candlewick Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536222135

Ages 5-9

Collage artist Johanna Schaible’s debut picture book weighs time in terms of the universe and our place in it. Beginning with the formation of our world, the first half of the book catalogs time, inviting readers to consider all that has happened; the second half invites readers to consider their place in time, asking them thought-provoking questions about their future. As readers move through time, the pages decrease in size, then increase as they move through the present into the future. The collage artwork is breathtaking, spanning eons of time: volcanoes erupting in the earth’s formation; Pteranodons soaring across a prehistoric sky; a steamship traversing an ocean.  It’s a wonderful book that plays with perspective and thought on large and small moments, with the big stuff: the formation of the planet, the construction of the pyramids, hopes for the future, laid out on larger pages; progressively smaller moments fit into smaller pages. It’s a wonderful visual explanation for small moment writing, and encouraging introspection.

Once Upon a Time There Was and Will Be So Much More has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books

The fascinating is often right in front of you: The Collectors

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Collectors, by Alice Feegan, (May 2021, Kids Can Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781525302046

Ages 4-8

Two friends go on a nature expedition to find the perfect piece to complete their collection, only to discover a most outstanding wonder right outside their window in this STEM-inspired story. Alice and Winslow are two exploring friends who have their treasures on display in a magnificent treehouse, but they need one final piece to complete it. They go on an expedition where they discover amazing things, from a giant crystal to a buried T-Rex skull, but each new discovery is out of reach for one reason or other. When their last discovery – a very cranky bear! – sends them running back to their treehouse, they look over the accomplishments of the day and celebrate what they were able to achieve; an exciting noise outside draws their attention and reveals the most exciting discovery of all, right outside their window. The book has a great message about tenacity, discovery, and friendship. Budding naturalists and researchers will appreciate the collaboration and teamwork the girls exhibit, and the fact that they plan, journal, and catalog their findings. Alice Feagan’s cut paper collage illustrations add depth, encouraging the reader’s attention and capturing the varyious textures of different landscapes, like gritty stalagmites and stalactites to rough trees. The endpapers show off Alice and Winslow’s cabinet of curiosities.

The Collectors is great readaloud for STEM and science classes. Encourage kids to make their own nature journals and observe their own surroundings. Ask kids what they like to collect – my son has a rock collection with interesting-shaped rocks and pebbles that he’s kept for years – and if they have a special place to show them off.

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

Fearless: Daphne Caruana Galizia’s story

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Defender of Free Speech, by Gattaldo, (Sept. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536219180

Ages 7-10

Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist who exposed corruption at all levels of government and organized crime, gets her moment in this powerful picture book biography by one of her close friends, award-winning creative director and illustrator Gattaldo. Fearless introduces readers to Caruana Gallizia, whose love of books inspired her to think for herself and the courage to speak out through protest. The story follows her career in journalism, depicting her as a warrior fighting a many-headed hydra of corruption; her headlines proving that the pen is mightier than the sword. Gattaldo uses soft mixed media illustration to create powerful images: Daphne, in colorful clothing, clutching a fountain pen, stands out in a dreamlike sea, illustrating her determination to stand out among those too fearful to speak up. Later, she stands proudly among a group of protestors inspired by her voice and her work. Endpapers feature bay laurels; symbols of strength and victory, and known as “daphne” in ancient Greece. An author’s note includes photos of Caruana Galizia and discusses her assassination, with a touching note about the author’s friendship with her.

Strong words about a strong figure who wouldn’t be silenced, this is a necessity for your biography shelves. You can view Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Running Commentary blog here, where she pulled no punches with her commentary. You can read about her death here, and can follow the latest news on bringing her murderer(s) to justice here.

Posted in Conferences & Events

The Library of Congress National Book Festival starts THIS FRIDAY!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Library of Congress’s National Book Festival starts in two days! Are you ready? This year, the LOC invited blog subscribers to be Festival Ambassadors, so here I am, talking to you, about attending.

What’s good this year, you ask? SO MUCH, I answer. The expanded Festival has videos on demand, author conversations in real time, and live Q&A sessions. There’s a new NPR podcast series, live virtual events with the Washington Post, and a PBS special hosted by LeVar Burton (with Librarian of Congress rock star Carla Hayden)! Featured authors this year? How do Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Angie Thomas, Michael J. Fox, Jason Reynolds, Martha Wells sound for a start?

I can’t wait for the Spider-Man Origin Story in Art and Comic Books, happening online on 9/23 and the live Q&A with The Magic Fish author and illustrator, Trung Le Nguyen on the 25th. Derrick Barnes is going to be talking about I Am Every Good Thing, and Dan Gutman will be chatting about Houdini and Me on the 26th. There’s something for everyone over the next 10 days!

Check out the Schedule At A Glance right here, and print out a copy of this little game to play online with the LOC and your friends.

 

 

Handy-dandy links to bookmark and follow:

National Book Festival Website: loc.gov/bookfest

National Book Festival blog: https://blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/

Library of Congress Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/librarycongress/

Library of Congress Twitter: https://twitter.com/librarycongress

Events at the Library of Congress Twitter: https://twitter.com/events_loc

Carla Hayden’s Librarian of Congress Twitter: https://twitter.com/libnofcongress

Library of Congress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libraryofcongress

Library of Congress on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/loc

Start planning!

Posted in Uncategorized

I Wish You Knew… a teacher’s question turns into a movement

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I Wish You Knew, by Jackie Azúa Kramer/Illustrated by Magdalena Mora, (May 2021, Roaring Brook Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250226303

Ages 4-7

In 2016, educator Kyle Schwartz wrote a book called I Wish My Teacher Knew: How One Question Can Change Everything For Our Kids, based on a getting to know you class exercise where she asked her third graders to write something they wanted her to know about them. She received the usual, adorable responses like, “I love my family” and “I love animals”, and she also received deeper feedback that gave her insight into the children in her care: “my mom and dad are divorced”; “I live in a shelter”; “my mom might get diagnosed with cancer this year”. Kids are dealing with a lot; we need to be better at listening.

In the spirit of Ms. Schwartz’s book comes Jackie Azúa Kramer and Magdalena Mora’s  I Wish You Knew. A girl named Estrella’s father was not born here, so he has to leave; she misses him, and helps care for her brother while her mother works long hours. A teacher wants her kids to know that she cares for them. She creates a space for them, in the space where their little school wraps around a 100-year-old tree; a sharing circle, where they can tell her what they wish she knew: one student is hungry. One student’s mother is serving in the military. One student lives in a shelter. And Estrella misses her father. The group shares and finds comfort and support in one another, and Estrella waits to see her father, surrounded by the sunflowers that he helped plant. A touching story, I Wish You Knew is great for welcome back to school reading and to let your kids know that with you, there is a safe space. Mixed media illustrations in soothing pastels show a diverse group of children and a teacher of color among sunflowers and in the warm greens of the area outside school. Estrella and her father are affectionate, leaning toward one another as they sit in a giant sunflower when he tells her he must leave, but that he’ll be back. A beautiful book to engender compassion and empathy.

Posted in Librarianing

This year, Banned Books Week is more important than ever.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I was planning on taking today off from the blog to get my next round of picture books ready to go, and then a friend and colleague sent me this article from Book Riot. The Central York, Pennsylvania school board has put in a wide-reaching ban on books – from picture books through YA – that are culturally relevant and embrace diversity. This list was originally created by the district’s diversity committee.

Some of the books on this list include Andrea Beaty’s Sofia Valdez, Future Prez; Alexandra Penfold’s All Are Welcome; Matthew A. Cherry’s Hair Love, and Grace Lin’s A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Look at those books and tell me what makes these contentious, problematic, or scandalous, except for the fact that they target people of color. What about a book called All Are Welcome could possibly be an issue? The issue here is racism.

Another book on the list, A Boy Called Bat, by Elana K. Arnold, has a main character who appears to be on the autism spectrum. Banning this book sends a message every bit as dangerous. Is the school board in Central York, PA, suggesting that nonwhite, neurotypical characters and creators should not be put into children’s hands?

There is no apparent reason for any of these books to be on a banned list except for the glaringly obvious one. Is this truly the world we want to create for ALL children? Is this truly the world we want to live in ourselves?

Banned Books Week is coming up in less than two weeks. This year, it’s more important than ever to understand that our freedom to read is coming under attack Educate yourselves. Educate the families around you. Read broadly and encourage others to read different viewpoints.

You don’t have to love everything you read. You don’t have to agree with everything you read. But it is not on you, or on me, or on anyone, to tell others what they are forbidden to read. In a society where Mein Kampf remains on bookshelves but All Are Welcome isn’t, Banned Books Week is still necessary.

I’ll be making sure to keep reading and writing about books that represent the world I want to live in, and I’ll be working on displays for my library – I’d love to see yours, if you create some, too. You don’t need a library or a classroom, either: let your bookshelves show off who you are!

To view the Diversity Committee Resources, now banned by Central York, PA’s school district, click here. The equity list of banned books is here in Word format.

Time to get to reading and sharing, my friends.

Posted in Middle Grade, Non-fiction

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Ultimate Book of African Animals!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Welcome to the Ultimate Book of African Animals Blog Tour!

Looking to get away? Spend the week on a virtual safari with Emmy Award-Winning Filmmakers Beverly and Dereck Joubert as your guides! Featuring exclusive excerpts from their latest title, Ultimate Book of African Animals (National Geographic Kids Books, ages 8-12), Beverly and Dereck share their intimate stories of life on safari and provide a unique, behind-the-lens perspective on their passion and mission — to save the wild places of Africa and protect the creatures that depend on them.

Journey with the Jouberts

 

Click to enlarge

 

And now, for your moment of “awww”…..

Credit: Beverly Joubert

 

*****

Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Ready for an adventure of a lifetime? With National Geographic photographer-filmmaker duo Beverly and Dereck Joubert as their guides, readers are transported to the plains of the Serengeti, the sands of the Sahara and the shaded nooks of the rainforest. Dereck and Beverly are eight-time Emmy award-winning filmmakers, National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and wildlife conservationists who have been filming, researching and exploring Africa for over 35 years.  By sharing their stories of life on safari and Beverly’s jaw-dropping photography, this dynamic duo gives the reader unique, behind-the-lens access to Africa’s wildlife, how they live, play and hunt and how they have adapted to their wild, one-of-a-kind environments.  A big, beautiful guide to animals that roar, race and “totally rule,” this gift-worthy book is overflowing with facts, stats and photos of animals of all behaviors, shapes and sizes — including the tiny bombardier beetle, the sneaky desert viper, mischievous monkeys, elusive Ethiopian wolves, as well as fan favorites like lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, hippos, gorillas, rhinos, and so many more.

Follow the Jouberts: Website | National Geographic | Beverly’s Instagram | Dereck’s Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

About the Authors: Dereck and Beverly Joubert are globally recognized, award-winning filmmakers, conservationists, and National Geographic explorers-in-residence based in Botswana. Their mission for more than 35 years has been the conservation of key wildlife species, with a focus on large predators.  The Jouberts have published 12 books, produced 36 films for National Geographic, and written half a dozen scientific papers as well as many articles for National Geographic magazine. Beverly is also an acclaimed photographer for National Geographic.  Their efforts have one aim: to save the wild places of Africa and to protect the creatures that depend on them.

 

 

GIVEAWAY

  • One winner will receive a hardcover of The Ultimate Book of African Animals
  • US/Canada Only
  • Follow the rest of the tour for more chances to win
  • Ends 9/26 at 11:59pm ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule:

September 13th – Mom Read It
September 14th – YA Books Central
September 15th – Always in the Middle
September 16th – Christy’s Cozy Corners
September 17th – Imagination Soup

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Let’s get the school year off to a great start!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You want books for back to school? I got books for back to school!

 

My First Ready for School, by Roger Priddy, (May 2021, Priddy Books US), $9.99, ISBN: 9781684491384

Ages 3-5

Priddy Books does it again; I’ve loved their board books and early learning books for babies since my own now-fourth grader (fourth grade!) was born. This preschool activity book is the perfect Welcome to School gift for preschoolers, and a great add to preschool shelves and collections in your classrooms and libraries. It’s all about concepts, early learning, and fun: there are pull tabs and flaps on every single page, all getting the little ones ready to experience a school day. Learn what to put in your school bag, with pull-down flaps that reveal what goes in your pencil case, lunch box, gym bag, and backpack; use the pull tab to discover all the great activities taking place at school, like playtime and storytime; learn about mixing colors, school shapes, patterns, and more! The book is tough, strong enough to stand up to repeated use, with bulky board pages, strong tabs, and secure flaps. Colorful and friendly animal characters will greet little readers and help them sharpen their pattern and shape recognition, counting skills, and sight words. Get a few of these in your collections if possible; they’re a great investment.

 

 

Let’s Be Safe, by Alice Le Henand/Illustrated by Thierry Bedouet (Oct. 2021, Twirl Books), $12.99, ISBN: 9782408028497

Ages 0-3

I am a big fan of Twirl Books’s Pull and Play series. This outing, Let’s Be Safe, teaches readers about safety while doing everyday tasks. Familiar animal friends from previous books in the series are back, like Little Kangaroo, Little Cat, and Little Monkey, and their parents gently guide them through scenarios that could end up with tears – but don’t, thanks to some smart thinking and safe action. Little Crocodile wants to come down the stairs by himself – great! – and Dad lets him, as long as he holds onto the railing. Little Kangaroo wants to stand up to play in the tub, but Mom cautions against it, because slipping and falling really hurts. Isn’t it better to sit and play? Pull tabs illustrate the before-and-after, with the Little Gang modeling safe behaviors as parents lovingly explain and stand by to help. Parents will appreciate the modeling on what to say to newly independent toddlers and preschoolers, and kids will love pulling the tabs and seeing their animal friends be safe. Win-win for all.

 

The New Kid Has Fleas, by Ame Dyckman/Illustrated by Eda Kaban, (June 2021, Roaring Brook Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250245243

Ages 3-6

Award-winning author Ame Dyckman’s story about welcoming the new kid is a study in kindness and discovery. There’s a new kid at school, and she’s a little… different. Naturally, the rumors fly when the mean girl tries to spread rumors, but our narrator, who ends up paired with the New Kid for a science project, discovers that she and her family are pretty cool, after all! The New Kid – who we discover is named Kiki – is different, with a different family and a different home. She doesn’t wear shoes, she howls, she chases squirrels, and her family seem to be wolves! After spending a day working on a school project, though, our narrator – a young boy – embraces Kiki’s family, tussles with her brothers and sisters, and, in a laugh-out-loud moment, “goes with the flow” when it comes to using the restroom. Turns out, welcoming the new kid is a far more fun way to go than being mean! Digital illustrations capture the fun spirit of the story and show the growing friendship between Kiki and her new friend, and I loved the use of a wolf’s shadow to illustrate the Kiki is more than meets the eye. What a great way to teach kids to extend a friendly hand to new students. Another win from Ame Dyckman!

Visit Ame Dyckman’s author page for more information about her books.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Flaps, folds, snaps, and pulls: Board Books to Explore!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Over the last couple of days, I’ve gotten a LOT of book mail (thank you!). The Fall is going to be AMAZING for kids’ books, and the board books? *Chef’s kiss* There are so many fun tabs, snaps, and flaps to be found in these new books – just perfect for toddlers and rising preschoolers to engage those little minds and hands. Let’s take a look at some, shall we?

Snap! Chomp Your Jaws!, by Bob Barner, (Aug. 2021, Chronicle Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9781452179421

Ages 0-3

This adorable board book is all about animals who snap their jaws: lions, gorillas, crocodiles, hippos and sharks all chomp with powerful jaws, and this sturdy board book lets kids pull on those jaws and watch them snap back! Each animal includes a fun fact or two (female lions do the hunting; crocodiles carry their babies in those powerful jaws), and the jaw pull reveals sharp teeth to marvel over. Cut paper illustrations add texture and depth to the illustrations, and bold black font makes for easy reading during a lapsit reading. A companion to Bob Barner’s Snap! Stick Out Your Tongue! (2020), this is a book to have on your low shelves so the littles can find it on their own.

Bob Barner is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. Visit his author website for coloring pages, songs and videos!

 

Where is Everyone?, by Tom Schamp, (Sept. 2021, Prestel Junior), $14.95, ISBN: 9783791374505

Ages 2-5

Originally published in Dutch in 2020, this board book is full of fun lift-the-flaps. Guided by two ducks, each page challenges readers to use their imaginations to see beyond the everyday, whether it’s discovering that a raccoon is behind a washer, or that a pelican is behind a sink. Questions prompt the imagination by asking the reader who they think will be revealed: perfect for lapsits and small readalouds! A final flap is the most fun reveal of all, bringing everyone together. The artwork is colorful and the flaps are sturdy, holding up to repeated use. The animals have friendly expressions, and the everyday housewares are easy to recognize. Ask your readers what else they see on each spread, whether it’s a color, shape, or additional details, from a tea bag to a couch pillow. Then ask them what could be behind items in your home, class, or library: maybe there’s a giraffe behind a floor lamp, or an – ouch! – porcupine by that footstool.

 

Hide and Seek Peekabook (Beginning Baby), by Nicola Slater, (Sept. 2021, Twirl Books), $10.99, ISBN: 9781797203690

Ages 0-3

Twirl Books has more Beginning Baby books this Fall! Hide-and-Seek Peekaboo is a fun lift-the-flap version of the game, where you and a group of animal friends play together as you look for them under tables, behind chairs and curtains, and under blankets. If you have other Beginning Baby books, you and your little ones may recognize the familiar faces; animal friends like Riley the Narwhal, Mia the Monkey, and Gabriel the Giraffe are the same group we saw in earlier books. Questions on each spread get readers wondering who’s hiding, and guide them to the flap location: “Who is behind the curtain?” Who is behind the pillow?” Pair with Shasha Lv’s board book, A Little Snail Book: Hide and Seek, for more concept fun.

 

This Book Can Do Anything, by Tristan Mory, (Sept. 2021, Twirl Books), $13.99, ISBN: 9782408028527

Ages 0-3

This book is perfect for readalouds! Shaped like a fun little rectangular being with round, blue glasses, it’s a book that can do anything – and just begs for you and your readers to join the fun. Every spread asks a question: Can the book wink? Can it blink? Put a finger in its nose? The book rises to the occasion, and now it’s up to you to see if your readers can do all the fun things Book can do. The book is expressive, friendly, and just goofy fun, with a fun pull-tab surprise at the end. High contrast black and white expressions join with colorful bright blue glasses and bright red-orange pants and freckles to grab readers’ attention. Add this to your interactive storytimes (anything by Herve Tullet will do) and add a Simon Says game to the fun!

Donuts!, by Lea Redmond/Illustrated by Flora Waycott, (Sept. 2021, Chronicle Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9781797210827

Ages 0-3

Die-cut into the shape of a yummy donut, this sweet book is all about the ingredients! Each spread is a guessing game about a tasty ingredient, revealed on the next spread, just in time for the next mouth-watering question. Flora Waycott’s delicious illustrations will likely have little ones reaching for this book: and I’ve got board books with teeth marks to begin with, so I’ll probably be buying a couple of copies of this one. What goes into every donut, though? A die-cut heart reveals the not-so secret ingredient at the end. Absolutely adorable.