Tag: animals

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The Smallest Bird is perfect for If You Give a Mouse… readers

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Smallest Bird: A Friendship Story, by Joy Belin/Illustrated by Sarah Hwang, (June 2025, Holiday House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823456994

Ages 3-7

To befriend a small bird, you have to be careful not to scare him. Be gentle and kind. Share your snacks. Bring him to your secret hiding place and show him you’re so happy to be his friend by singing a song, maybe even dance a little dance. If he is ready to go, remember that the smallest bird is meant to fly… but if you’re patient, know that he’ll come back to his friend. This sweet story is reminiscent of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and other cumulative tales. Each step the featured boy makes allows the smallest bird to feel more secure; their friendship progresses through a series of actions, briefly explained with Belin’s direct prose. The digital artwork is cheerful, bright, and unfussy. This was a popular selection for my latest readaloud. Try it with your groups!

 

 

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Jasper Rabbit goes Twilight Zone with Creepy Tales

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Troubling Tonsils! (Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales), by Aaron Reynolds/Illustrated by Peter Brown, (Sept. 2025, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $13.99, ISBN: 9781665961080

Ages 6-9

Kids (okay, and adults) who loved the earlier adventures of Jasper Rabbit, hero of Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Crayon!, and my personal favorite, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, get ready: Jasper is back with a new chapter book series, Creepy Tales. The first up is Troubling Tonsils!, the strange story of Charlie Marmot, an average, everyday marmot who lives in a house, wears clothes, and goes to school. Charlie’s looking forward to Halloween when he develops a sore throat; Mom brings him to the doctor, and the verdict is in: it’s tonsilitis, and the tonsils have to come out. Delighted at the prospect of having his red, inflamed tonsils kept in a pickle jar to show off at school, Charlie is all in. On the day of the surgery, though, the strangest thing happens: there are no tonsils to be found! Where did those fleshy lumps go? Things get creepier once Charlie goes home and heads to bed… Reynolds and Brown’s stories grow beautifully with their audience, graduating to chapter books with all the creepy humor readers loved in the picture books. Brown’s illustration, rendered in shades of grey with a punch of occasional red for impact, is a joy to look at. Jasper Rabbit, clad in a Rod Serling-like suit and wearing a grim expression, bringing readers into an intermediate reader-level Twilight Zone story. Reynolds injects his trademark humor into the narrative; for instance, Jasper encourages readers that “enjoy peeing their pants for a variety of reasons” to continue on with the story; Charlie’s mother believes his sore throat is due to his adenoids, which “is secret knowledge… imparted only to mothers and those in the medical community”. A brilliant introduction to what promises to be a popular new creepy chapter book series for readers. Don’t miss.

Troubling Tonsils! has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness. It was also an Indie Next pick.

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Tales from the TBR: Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians!!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians!!, by Kristi Mahoney/Illustrated by Chantelle Thorne & Burgen Thorne, (Oct. 2024, Gnome Road Publishing), $18.99, ISBN: 9781957655284

Ages 4-8

What happens when you walk into the library and see the new librarian, who happens to be an alpaca? This laugh-out-loud book has the answers. First things first: Alpacas make terrible librarians! Readers will learn fun facts about alpacas and laugh at why they are not cut out for librarianship. For example, did you know that alpacas will hide all of the books about other animals and only let you read books about alpacas? My friends, that is denying access and that is a straight-up violation of one of the five laws of library science, so that should be your first clue. If you need more, though, alpacas make clucking and humming noises all the time: terrible for people who need to concentrate on their book! Also, when they get mad, they make an awful screech, and they spit. Do you need to go to the bathroom? Don’t ask the alpaca. Trust me on this one. Playful, colorful illustration work with bold, colorful fonts make this a great class visit readaloud.

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Two adorable board books for babies and toddlers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

These books come Granddaughter approved! My littlest little, who I’ll refer to as Snuggles, gets very excited when she sees these books come out of my bag. Share them with your littles for lapsit fun!

My Animal Sounds (Baby Basics), by Xavier Deneux, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791036382086

Ages Birth-3

A high-contrast book with splashes of primary color, little fingers can this book features animal sounds on every page: littles can hear a cat meow; a bird’s chitter; the glub-glub of a fish; a frog’s croak; a rabbit’s nibble, an elephant’s trumpet (Snuggles’s favorite!); a sheep’s baaaa; a dog’s bark, a pig’s grunt, and a cow’s moo (her second favorite).  The illustrations are chunky and bold, with each animal’s name on the top of the page. A colorful disc calls the reader’s attention to it, where they can easily press and hear the animal sound. Pages are chunky and thick and will hold up to  multiple reads; there’s even an on/off switch so you can save your battery. A definite fun addition to your board book collections. My Animal Sounds is a companion book to Deneux’s other Baby Basics books, My Books (2024) and Animals at Home (2025).

 

Hoot Hoot, by Georgette, (Aug. 2025, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791027613632

Ages Birth-3

Another adorable animal sounds book, Hoot Hoot is a bold, eye-catching book that pops out against bright black backgrounds. Die cuts encourage readers to guess at the different animals making sounds by featuring pairs of eyes that reveal identities on the next page. An owl “hoot hoots”; a cat and kitten purr; bats flap, flap their wings, mice scurry, and a playful child tries to fool the reader with his own sound. With bold, bright colors that come alive against the black backgrounds and sturdy die-cut cardboard that will hold up to multiple reads, this is an engaging book that encourages exploration and learning. A must-add! (And a favorite of Snuggles, whose eyes grow like saucers when she sees the cover.)

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Survive This Safari – puzzles and adventure for Back to School mode!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Survive This Safari, by Natalie D. Richards, (Apr. 2025, Delacorte Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9780593644164

Ages 8-12

Get ready to shift your brain into Back to School mode with this fun adventure set in an Ohio safari park challenge! Lucy is a 12-year-old who loves animals and wants desperately to be a Wildlife Ambassador at the park. She has the chance to compete in a Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge, where only one person will be the newest Ambassador. Lucy and a team of hopefuls have to solve a series of animal fact-based puzzles in order to unlock animal habitats all over the park in a race with the current Wildlands Ambassadors in order to win, but things go haywire when the team runs into communication problems, malfunctioning electronics, and open animal habitats. Lucy and her group come to the realization that things have been sabotaged and the animals – particularly a baby elephant – are in danger! Lucy will learn to manage her panic attacks and the team will learn to work together in order to save the animals and themselves. Filled with puzzles and adventure, readers will get a kick out of this book; entertaining footnotes add some animal facts and provide further character development throughout. Lucy’s character is immediately likable and her efforts to manage anxiety will resonate with many readers, as will fellow competitor Harrison, who is open about his ADHD (which leads to some amusing conversations). Themes of teamwork and friendship with some medium-stakes situations will appeal to readers. This would make a good book club choice.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Baby and Toddler reads!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got such a cute collection of baby and toddler books, most tested with my storytime kids and/or my little grandgirl. The grand is only a couple of months old, so the best reaction is the big eyes and kickie feet, but that means the world to me. Without further ado, here we are, new books for lapsits.

Animals Everywhere: A Lift, Look, and Find Book, by Stéphanie Babin/Illustrated by Robert Barborini, Marie Caudry, Jessica Das, & Marie Kyprianou, (Aug 2025, Twirl Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9791036381454

Ages 3mos-5

Twirl is on my short-list of go-to baby and toddler reads. They put out such fun and interactive stories, and they’re nice and durable, standing up to multiple reads. Animals Everywhere is so much fun, because it’s got lift the flips AND gatefold pages, really laying out a fun experience for emerging readers and lapsitters. The book takes readers to six areas where animals abound: In the Country, On the Ice, In the Forest, On the Farm, In the Rainforest, and In the Backyard. There are seek and find challenges on each spread, inviting readers to look for different animals. There are lift the flaps that give readers a peek at who’s sleeping or playing in each area, and gatefold spreads open, showing readers the full area where people and animals interact together. Brief text provides a little bit of information on each area the animal inhabitants. Pages are sturdy, but if you’re putting this into circulation, buy two; the gatefolds are going to take some abuse. Absolutely adorable for board book collections!

Want to print some seek and find coloring pages for post-storytime activities? You can’t go wrong by visiting Highlights, the grandma/grandpa of seek and find!

 

The Greatest Gift by Emma Dodd, (May 2025, Candlewick Press, $17.99, ISBN: 9781536241174

Ages 2-6

Emma Dodd’s parent-and-child/caregiver-and-child books are just beautiful. Her verse is heartfelt, the interaction between adult and child animals is so gentle and loving, and the foil-accented pages bring a touch of magic to every read. Here, an adult zebra frolics with their child and speaks about all that they wish they could give: “I would give the world to you, / if I only could. / I’d give you the sun, the moon, / and everything that’s good”; “I’d give you the mountains / and the glittering stars up high / shining far above us / in the dark night sky”. The savanna stretches out before them as they cross streams, run through fields, and snuggle together. The adult concludes their verse by stating that the greatest gift they can give the gift of love. It’s a comforting sentiment and statement about love and the desire to give our kids everything, but the knowledge that we will always give them love. I always recommend Emma Dodd’s books because she always manages to figure out a new way to tell children what’s in their parents’ and caregivers’ hearts.

 

 

Our Gorgeous Baby, by Smriti Prasadam-Halls/Illustrated by Eve Coy, (March 2025, Candlewick Press), $8.99, ISBN: 9781536239324

Ages Birth-3 years

Narrated by an elder sister, Our Gorgeous Baby is a sweetly amusing celebration of a new baby: “Our baby’s eyes are not brighter than the sun. / And no, she’s not as light as a feather. She weighs a ton!” Sister is always with her baby sister as she makes messes, acts silly, wakes everyone up at night, and has the stinkiest diapers! Our Gorgeous Baby is a humorous warts-and-all look at the truths of having a new baby in the house: and how we adore every second of them. The rhyming verse makes for an easy readaloud and the mixed media illustrations are warm. A good addition to board book and new baby collections.

 

 

Maisy Big, Maisy Small: A Book of Rhyming Opposites, by Lucy Cousins, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $15.99, ISBN: 9781536236293

Ages 2-5

I love a good concept book, and who doesn’t love Maisy? Maisy Big, Maisy Small is a rhyming book of opposites that will be a winner on shelves. The bright colors and bold outlines are a beacon to young readers, and the big, bold black lettering is so easy to read. There are tons of sight words in this book that will add to readers’ burgeoning vocabularies. Cousins gets joyfully creative with her interpretations: “Maisy Stripes” and “Maisy Spots” show Maisy covered in stripes and spots; “Maisy One” shows a singular Maisy on the page against a bright yellow background; “Maisy Lots” show a cheerful plethora of Maisies across a bright blue background; “Maisy Round” features Maisy with a round belly and legs, “Maisy Square” shows Maisy as she may look on a Minecraft screen. The book is just fun, and that’s the point of learning. An excellent choice for concept collections.

Need more Maisy? Visit Maisy’s Fun Club for coloring sheets and activities.

Posted in Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

More books for your Earth Day displays!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Earth Day is coming to a close, but we can celebrate our Pale Blue Dot all year ’round. Let Earth Day be the kickoff to a Spring full of environmental awareness for your libraries and communities!

The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle, by Maddalena Bearzi/Illustrated by Alex Boersma, (May 2025, Roaring Brook Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781250901675

Ages 6-10

There’s bits and pieces of knowledge most of us have about sea turtles: they lay eggs on the beach, the hatchlings hatch, and there’s the “race for life” to get to the ocean before the predators get the hatchlings. What happens after a turtle hatchling makes it to the water? Bearzi, a marine biologist and conservationist, details the life of a sea turtle for readers. Beginning with the hatching, Bearzi continues the story to show readers that making it to water isn’t the end of a sea turtle’s struggle; there are predators in the water and there are humans, whose fishing nets don’t always allow for a turtle to escape. Bearzi also discusses migration patterns and brings the turtle’s life full circle by having the main sea turtle return to the same beach where she hatched, this time to lay her own eggs. Boersma’s realistic illustrations are breathtaking, evoking emotion and awe with each spread. Back matter includes a section on spotting the different types of sea turtles, ways to protect sea turtles, information about sea turtle researchers, and a bibliography. A must-buy for your nonfiction collections. The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle has a starred review from Kirkus.

 

Together, a Forest: Drawing Connections Between Nature’s Diversity and Our Own, by Roz MacLean, (March 2025, Henry Holt & Co), $18.99 ISBN: 9781250864512

Ages 4-8

A class trip to a forest is a study in interconnectivity. Each of the class interacts with their environment in their own ways, illustrating how we each relate to our surroundings. Sasha, a student with a white cane who codes as being blind, listens to the differences in bird sounds as they change position; the surrounding trees and plants creating “sound shadows”. Angel, a student who gets “caught up in the moment” and “often misplaces things”, is much like a squirrel, who buries more seeds than he will need to get through winter, just in case he forgets where he saved everything. Student Joy appears to suffer from anxiety, is worried about her class assignment, but the soothing network of her classmates – her ecosystem – sustains her just as the orchid sustains its environs. A moving meditation on how we all come together to create a diverse and vibrant world and how we are connected to our planet. A good addition to picture book collections. Mixed media illustration includes a diverse and inclusive group. Use this book to encourage discussion. Together, a Forest has a starred review from Kirkus. Download a free activity kit from MacKids School and Library.

 

How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up, by Ruth Spiro/Illustrated by Teresa Martínez, (March 2025, Charlesbridge), $17.99, ISBN: 9781623546205

Ages 4-8

You know, sometimes it’s just up to kids to get things done, especially when grown-ups don’t want to listen. That’s where this “How to Explain” series comes in handy, and climate change is a particularly important one for kids to be aware of AND about how to talk to grown-ups. Written with the assumption that kids are in charge, Spiro – whose Baby Loves Science series we love! – offers comic book panels, simple and factual explanation (so grownups can understand!) and Pro Tips to fall back on when stubborn adults insist that climate change isn’t a real thing. Martínez’s illustration offers helpful diagrams for visual explanation and comic book dialogue to keep everyone engaged. It’s a tough job, being a kid, especially when you have to explain everything to those spacey grownups: stock your collection with this series to help a kid out. Download an educator kit, a Kid Expert certificate, and badge from Charlesbridge’s website.

 

History Smashers: Earth Day and the Environment, by Kate Messner/Illustrated by Justin Greenwood, (March 2025, Random House Books for Young Readers), $9.99, ISBN:  9780593705308

Ages 8-12

This series does gangbusters in my library, which is no big surprise, because it’s penned by Kate Messner. Here, Messner gets to the truth behind the Earth Day history and myths. Messner gets into the first Earth Day in April 1970, but gets to the roots of the holiday with discussions on Indigenous populations who developed sustainable farming practices, environmental activists going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and the science behind global warming. Messner’s straightforward discourse has the ability to empower a new generation to take up the cause: plant a tree, throw out some trash, recycle the bottles! Greenwood’s black and white illustrations go from the realistic-factual to comic book panels depending on the ideas he communicates. A home run for graphic novel fans and more visual readers that will find a great home in nonfiction collections.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Friends Forever! So-Hee and Lowy

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

So-Hee and Lowy, by Anna Kang/Illustrated by Christopher Weyant, (Apr. 2025, Two Lions), $18.99, ISBN: 9781542036658

Ages 3-7

So-Hee is a kid who desperately wants a pet she can hug, but she’s allergic to just about everything with fur or feathers. She happens upon a big yellow snake at the pet store’s “giant non-furry pet sale” and she brings Lowy home. Weyant’s adorable illustrations show the two becoming friends: sunbathing, going on rides, playing together. One cold winter day, though, the unthinkable happens: Lowy is nowhere to be found! As So-Hee mobilizes her building in the search, Lowy is ultimately found in the most amusing of places, and So-Hee has widened her social circle. Another great story about friendship from Kang and Weyant, whose You Are (Not) Small series is still one of my go-to recommendations. Kang deftly incorporates narration and dialogue to place readers right in the story, and Weyant’s colorful illustrations are expressive and downright lovable. Their message – that friendship can be found anywhere, as long as you’re open to it – is positive and upbeat. So-Hee appears Asian; neighborhood characters are diverse. An absolute joy to read, this will fit in nicely with picture book collections.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures 2: Dentistry and Dreams

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures Vol. 2: Dentistry and Dreams, by Sarah Davidson, (June 2025, Papercutz), $9.99, ISBN: 9781545818350

Ages 6-10

Jackson and his dad have moved from their house into a smaller apartment and are enjoying a quick lunch after unpacking when Jackson realizes he’s got a loose tooth! As he starts stressing about losing a tooth, his imaginary thylacine friend Irwin takes him on a journey to meet animals who loose dozens of teeth, from Nile crocodiles to bull sharks; he even gets to see the capybara, an animal who has to file its teeth down because they never stop growing. When Jackson’s tooth finally falls out, he asks Irwin to show him animals who sleep to help him fall asleep as he waits for the Tooth Fairy; Irwin takes Jackson to visit Yakushima Island in Japan, where they encounter the Ussuri Tube-Nosed Bat, who sleeps through the winter in a deep sleep called torpor; the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, where they see a Wood Frog, who can can create a protective film that keeps their internal organs safe as they freeze into a layer of ice for the winter, and Joshua Tree National Park, where they discover the Little Pocket Mouse, who also enters torpor to sleep. It’s a fun and educational look at animals and habitats, with activities like mazes and rebuses throughout.

Jackson’s Wilder Adventures is a fun graphic novel series that combines fiction and nonfiction with great success. Jackson and Irwin are illustrated as cartoon characters, but the animals and habitats are drawn more realistically, making this a good graphic novel series to keep in your collections.

 

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Three Board Books for Spring and Easter

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It is no secret that I love board books. Having a new grandbaby to share all these great new board books with? GOLD. Here are a few I’ll be tucking into her Easter basket – and reading at Spring storytimes!

Egg Hunt with Max and Moo, by Susie Lee Jin, (Jan. 2025, Schiffer Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9780764368851

Ages Birth-3

Max and Moo are having an Easter egg hunt, and you’re invited! Fun lift the flaps and a playful story show the two joining their friends preparing and enjoying the egg hunt. Doubling as a concept book, Egg Hunt helps reinforce colors as readers discover the eggs and the friends they’ll discover on the way. Characters from Max and Moo’s previous adventure, Peek-a-Moo!, show up here and will delight readers who are familiar with them. Bold, colorful illustration with bold, black fonts make for easy reading. Durable flaps will hold up to multiple reads. A fun read for holiday and board book collections!

Visit Susie Lee Jin’s website for fun and free downloadables and more about her books.

 

Oh So Sleepy Head to Toe, Illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama, (April 2025, Scholastic), $8.99, ISBN: 9781546139409

Ages Birth-3

This is more of a bedtime story, but there are adorable animals, including a bunny, so Spring it is! Animal friends are all getting ready for bed, and it’s up to readers to soothe them to sleep. Rub Little Sheep’s fuzzy tummy; smooth Little Pup’s blanket, pet Little Bunny’s ears: touch-and-feel pages and the repetitive “Goodnight” on each spread will soothe and relax readers and provide a gentle bedtime routine. If you’re holding a pajama storytime, encourage your attendees to repeat the behaviors on their own stuffed friends. Gama’s illustrations are adorable, with bright colors and cartoony animals, all curled up under their covers. A final directive to readers to “Wiggle your toes. Stretch your arms. Close your eyes” provides more interactivity and leads them into their own slumber (or the close of your storytime). Don’t miss this one.

 

Spring ABC, by Jannie Ho, (Jan. 2025, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536237689

Ages Birth-3

It’s a Spring alphabet! Filled with Spring images, this ABCedary is sure to be a hit. Cheerful, colorful illustrations will capture any reader’s attention, with playful alphabet choices like Apple Blossoms and Daisies; Ho thinks up creative ways to highlight other letters, like G, choosing the word “grow” and showing a worm next to a series of growing saplings; X for Extra Eggs, and Z for Zipper, showing the zipper of what could be a spring jacket. The book is well-constructed, with hardy pages that will hold up to multiple readings. A concept books essential, make sure to put this in your collections.

Spring ABC is the fifth book in Jannie Ho’s ABC series – visit her website to find out more!