Tag: babies

Posted in Uncategorized

My First Milestones kicks off with Ready to Walk

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ready to Walk (My First Milestones), by Lee Wildish, (Oct. 2025, Workman Kids), $8.99, ISBN: 9871523529063

Ages Birth-2

This book made me squeal! An adorable toddler is ready to take her first steps, and lets readers share the excitement with her. With rhyming text and counting to three – and a little help from Daddy and her dog – the little girl stands up and takes her steps: 1, 2, 3! Walking is new, so she has a little bit of a fall, but that’s okay; she’s ready to get up and go again, and when she masters that… it’s time to run! The first in a new series from Workman Kids, Ready to Walk has simple, brief sentences and bright, colorful illustration. The girl and her father are brown-skinned. Perfect for lapsits or cuddle time, these are great for library collections and home collections.

 

Posted in Toddler Reads

A baby lays it all out in I’m a Baby!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m a Baby!, by Terry Pierce/Illustrated by Volha Kaliaha, (May 2025, Familius), $9.99, ISBN: 9781641709507

Ages Birth-3

An adorable baby takes readers through their day, from wakeup to bedtime, with key moments like the diaper change, a walk, the dreaded nap, bath time, and bedtime. The family cat shows up on spreads to give readers an extra chuckle is the cat’s expressions let readers know what they think. Readers will get belly laughs out of the baby fighting off a nap (the cat has no such issues), splish-splashing in the tub as the wet cat dashes to safety, and wearing a bowl of food (the cat isn’t thrilled). The short rhyming text is playful and easy to read; bold orange lettering over the light backgrounds make this a great lapsit read. Cartoony characters with expressive faces will grab a little one’s interest for sure. Fun for lapsit storytime, sibling storytime, or anytime! Learn more about Terry Pierce and her books at her author website.

For a fun lapsit storytime, pair I’m a Baby! with This Baby, That Baby by Cari Best and Rashin Kheiriyeh, or Mem Fox’s classic, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes. I posted a successful Baby Storytime I held in June, if you want some more ideas.

 

Posted in Graphic Novels, picture books

Indie spotlight!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I haven’t done this in a bit, so let’s shine the indie spotlight on a few books! I’ve been catching up on Mount TBR, and I’ve got a few that may have missed your notice in the last year. Let’s meet some new-to-us, folks, shall we?

Play for Me, Peter, by Carol Selick/Illustrated by Blueberry Illustrations, (July 2023, Carol Selick), $11.99, ISBN: 979-8218190521

Singer, songwriter, and novelist Carol Selick tells a gentle story of love, loss and music in her story about enduring love and the connection we have through music. Peter is a young boy who loves hearing his grandfather play jazz on the piano, but when his grandfather dies and the music stops, Peter is devastated. Slowly, with the help of his grandmother, a kind piano teacher named Mr. Wally, and a final gift from his grandfather, Peter begins to play the piano and to further his grandfather’s legacy. The story touches on the connection we all have to music and one another and is a touching story of love, loss, and moving on.

Visit Carol Selick’s website for more information about her music and writing.

 

 

Captain Baby, by Kaylynn Miller & Nathan Miller, (Feb. 2024, Independently Published), $11.99, ISBN: 979-8872966982

Ages 3-6

Written by a 7-year-old and her father, Captain Baby is a cute story about a pirate who encounters a baby while on his pirate ship. The baby initially attacks the ship – with sharks! – and turns the pirate’s crew against him, marooning him on an island. When the baby is marooned shortly after – pirates don’t change diapers, after all – the grizzly captain discovers that he’s got a soft spot and takes on the mantle of protector. The two have adventures, including fighting off crocodiles and angry, poo-flinging monkeys while questing for gold coconuts. It’s a madcap tale that only a 7-year-old could tell, and the graphic novel format fits the storytelling nicely. The authors encourage readers to read the story in their most pirate-like voice, with little “arrr” puns cropping up in the text. A sweet collaboration between parent and child.

 

 

Would You Rather?, by Anna Avelino, (Jan. 2024, Independently Published), $14.99, ISBN: 979-8871075081

Ages 7-12

Would You Rather presents 350 questions that will provoke giggles as easily as they’ll provoke thought and discussion. We started playing “Would You Rather” when my youngest was 7, coming up with questions like “Would you rather swing on webs like Spider-Man or run like Sonic the Hedgehog?” It was a fun way to start conversations, and it helped me encourage my little guy to elaborate (his English teacher was thrilled). Here, Anna Avelino offers choices like “Would you rather arrive to school or work in a hot air balloon or a horse-drawn carriage?”. Questions are organized into areas like “Feathers, Fangs, and Furry Friends”, “Hilarious and Silly Questions”, and “Around the World”. Fun for circulating and reference collections!

 

Look at the Picture and Write the Name Coloring Book, by Canette Arille, (Dec. 2022, Independently Published), $9, ISBN: 979-8367455830

Ages 2+

A cute hand-drawn collection of images for kids to color. Images are large, black and white, and make for easy coloring by younger learners. Each picture sports a line where kids and write the name of the image. A nice gift idea.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Baby and Toddler Storytime is the best time!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Since our children’s librarian is on vacation this week, I get to be a children’s librarian again – and boy, have I missed it. Today, I did our weekly storytime and I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it more than the kids. Here’s what we did:

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
We clap and sing hello,
We clap and sing hello,
With our friends at storytime,
We clap and sing hello!
(Stomp and sing hello; jump and sing hello.)
Credit: Storytime Katie

 

It’s Your Time to Shine, by Dianne White/Illustrated by Nanette Regan, (March 2024, Little Simon), $8.99, ISBN: 9781665932035

Ages 0-3

The Littles enjoyed this story about a little girl growing up and learning that life is full of ups and downs: “Sometimes you’ll feel nervous, embarrassed, or small. / Soon you’re back on your feet with a smile, standing tall”. The child goes from a baby to a young woman, gaining confidence as she goes; she learns that it’s her time to shine and embrace all that she is. Adorable for a graduation or an inspirational readaloud, the verse is empowering and realistic, letting readers know that life is never a straight path, but it all contributes to building resilience and character, making us all ready for our moment to shine. Regan’s colorful illustration sets the characters and settings off against the white background of each page. The main character has light-brown skin and curly reddish-brown hair. A sweet addition to board book collections.

 

Song Break!

Active Rhyme: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Bubble Bubble Pop (I pick colors the Littles are wearing to incorporate into my song)
One little red fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
One little red fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Two little blue fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
Two little blue fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Three little yellow fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
Three little yellow fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Credit: Jbrary

This Baby, That Baby, by Cari Best/Illustrated by Rashin Kheriyeh, (Feb. 2024, Anne Schwartz Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593564639

Ages 3-7

This went over so well! The story of two babies who live across from each other really clicked with my Littles. Two city-dwelling babies live in apartments across from one another on a “beep-beep street” and happily greet one another from their windows. The day goes on and the two play with their parents, have diaper changes, eat, and nap, only to discover each other on a walk in the afternoon. It’s a sweet story that reminds me of Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, with its joyful storytelling and recognizable moments in Baby’s day; having it set in a city, with all the “beep-beep streets”, “bumpy sidewalks”, and various neighbors visible in their windows, made it something the kids in my community can relate to. Best hits a homer with her descriptive storytelling, and Kheiriyeh’s mixed media illustration creates two adorable, expressive children and a cozy and bustling city. With starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and BookPage, this is a book that should be in your storytime collections.

 

Classics Song Break!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star

I finished up with Finding Grateful, which brought things to a gentle close. We brought storytime to an end with one final song – Yo Te Amo, courtesy of Jbrary – and then we did our Goodbye Rhyme, Tickle the Clouds, courtesy of Laptime Rhymes:

Tickle the clouds (we reach up high)
Tickle your toes (we reach down low)
Now reach up and tickle your nose (tickle noses, make a sneezing sound)
Reach down low (we reach down low)
Now reach up high (we reach up high)
Storytime’s over for now, so let’s wave goodbye! (wave goodbye)

That was it! My first storytime in a while, and I felt pretty good shaking the rust off. I’m hoping to fit some more storytime programming in during Summer Reading. I’ll keep you posted.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Melody tells a beautiful, layered story

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Melody, by Oded Burla/Illustrated by Assaf Benharroch/Translated by Ilana Kurshan, (March 2022, Kalaniot Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781735087559

Ages 4-8

First published in Hebrew in 1996, this lovely layered tale spins dual stories: a melody seeking an audience, and the story of the Torah. A melody comes into existence and seeks someone to listen to them. Offering to share its song with the mountains and trees, stones, the river, and animals to listen, Melody is turned down time and again: the trees have their own song they share among themselves; the rocks cannot sing; the animals, all set in their own ways. But Melody discovers a mother and child in a garden together and enters the mother’s heart. The mother begins singing a lullaby to the child, and the song is Melody. An inspirational story about love, the story is also an ancient Jewish fable about God offering the Torah to the peoples of the ancient world. When the Jewish people were the only ones to accept the Torah, the song became theirs; like the mother and child, the song is passed to each generation. Digital artwork comes alive with rich color and texture, and a fluid narrative assures that readers will return to this book often. A lovely addition to collections, particularly where Jewish culture and themes are of interest.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Board books make great stocking stuffers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

They’re portable, they’re sturdy, they fit in a stocking as easily as they do a purse or a toddler’s hands: board books are great gifts!

The Sun Shines on the Sea, by Michael Slack, (Sept. 2021, Candlewick Press), $9.99, ISBN: 9781536215694

Ages 3-5

The gentlest way to introduce the concept of the food chain to preschoolers, The Sun Shines on the Sea is a lift-the-flap board book that lets the flaps do the talking. While the sun shines on the sea, phytoplankton grow, and hungry krill snack on the phytoplankton as they soak up the sun, and that’s where the flaps take over: the story makes reference to a predator moving, swirling, and gliding past, and flaps reveal what’s in their bellies: “A shoal of fish swirls around the krill”, and a flap reveals a krill in a fish’s tummy. The story is factual, easy to understand, and begins and ends with the sun shining on the sea. The digital artwork is colorful, the sea life are kid-friendly, and the flaps are sturdy.

If you’re using this in an underwater story time, this is a great time to sing “Slippery Fish” and use some flannels. I really like this recycled cardboard aquarium craft, and you can easily make it a grab and go. Don’t have a cheese box? Trim some cardboard from cereal boxes, glue into a circle, and back it with construction paper.

 

Where’s Brian’s Bottom? A Veeeerrrry Long Fold-Out Book, by Rob Jones, (Oct. 2021, Pavilion), $9.95, ISBN: 9781843654667

Ages 0-3

Weiner dog fans will love this hilarious fold-out book. Brian is a dachshund who can’t find his bottom! Readers can help him as they unfold the book to search through five rooms, meeting a variety of Brian’s acquaintances to help with the search. The concertina book folds out into over 6 feet of Brian, and takes readers through different rooms of the house, his body streeeeetching along the way. Kids can identify different rooms, animals, and sounds, and repetitive questions invites readers to chime in. The endpaper at the front of the book features a wall of framed photos – Brian, naturally, takes up two frames – with animals that readers will meet during the course of the story. Each side that folds out tells a different story: one takes place during the day, one at night, with different events that you can invite readers to tell you about. The bold, cartoon artwork is eye-catching, and readers will love discovering something new with every turn of the flap. Absolute fun.

Where is Brian’s Bottom? is the first in a board book concertina series from Pavilion; I’ll be keeping an eye out for more.

 

 

 

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth, by Emily Haynes & Sanjay Patel, (Aug. 2021, Chronicle Books), $8.99, ISBN: 9781797212524

Ages 3-5

I was so excited to see a board book release for one of my favorite picture books, Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth! The story of how Hindu god Ganesha and the poet Vyasa create the great epic, The Mahabharata, translates beautifully to board book. The illustrations are colorful, vibrant, and eye-catching; the storytelling pace works in this format, and the author’s note at the end explains the story behind the story: how Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth isn’t a literal retelling of the classic legend, but more of a kid-friendly reimagining that kids can relate to, like breaking a tooth on a jawbreaker sweet and learning to channel a meltdown into something more productive.

Publisher Chronicle has a Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth activity kit, with a coloring sheet and fill-in-the-blank epic poem.

 

 

Dog’s First Baby, by Natalie Nelson, (Oct. 2021, Quirk Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9781683692799

Ages 2-5

Told from a dog’s point of view, Dog’s First Baby is a board book with a fun spin on things as a family dog discovers someone new joining the household: a baby. Dog isn’t sure whether or not to be thrilled with this latest development, as baby’s front paws pull his ears and hurt; with time, though Dog sees that maybe the two aren’t so different after all: they both howl; they both like to play tug-of-war; they both enjoy a good stretch, and baby sure likes to share food, and, as Dog says, “I admire this”. A great book for new parents who may be getting ready or are in the early stages of introducing a new baby and a dog, Dog’s First Baby embraces the chaos of those early months: Baby dropping food all over the floor (which Dog happily cleans up); Baby and Dog howling and wailing together; Baby attempting to ride Dog; Baby and Dog making messes together. The book also captures those moments that are worth every mess: Baby asleep on Dog’s flank; the two sitting in a chair together, and Dog’s quiet presence whenever Baby is near, whether they’re walking together or sleeping in the same room. Deep, rich colors and textured lighter colors make this a beautiful book to look through.

Quirk and Natalie Nelson have a companion book, Cat’s First Baby, coming in March 2022. I can’t wait! In the meantime, this is a perfect storytime book and gift book. There’s a free, downloadable activity kit available, too.

Posted in Toddler Reads

Blog Tour and Author Interview: The Lovely Haze of Baby Days!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Lovely Haze of Baby Days, by Lindsay Kellar-Madsen/Illustrated by Mie Frey Damgaard, (Jan. 2021, Little Otter Press), $14.99, ISBN: 978-87-972507-0-9

Ages Birth-3

This lovely board book is a tribute to those heady, often hazy days that moms and caregivers often experience when babies enter their lives. Rhyming verse embraces both the wonderful and the challenging moments of parenthood, from the sheer awe (“I’ll forfeit sleep to watch you breathing”) to the wonderful forgetfulness our babies’ incredible cuteness instills in us (“Drooling, spit-up, purèed fruit, but oh my goodness, aren’t you cute?”). Lindsay Kellar-Madsen speaks from her heart to parents everywhere when she writes about the isolation; the time simultaneously crawling and flying by; unwanted advice from seemingly everyone one encounters, and the life-saving power of mom friends. Mie Frey Damgaard’s gentle artwork communicates the intensity of Ms. Kellar-Madsen’s emotions through gentle, loving illustrations of mothers and babies. A touching story of motherhood that lets moms know we’re not alone. The Lovely Haze of Baby Days was a successful Kickstarter and is available on the author’s website, along with free downloadable resources for new parents, including a nap scheduler.

Lindsay Keller-Madsen was kind enough to let me ask her a few questions about her new book: read on!

MomReadIt: Were you inspired by your own motherhood journey to write The Lovely Haze of Baby Days?

Lindsay Kellar-Madsen: I wrote the first draft of this book about 5 months postpartum after the birth of my twin girls. I was overwhelmed, and hearing stories of my friends who had struggled too. I found myself searching for a way to be honest about what life with babies really looks like, and to support the women I cared about.

As I spent time sitting on the floor reading with my little ones, I started wondering if there was a way through children’s literature to playfully depict our everyday life for little ones, while also sending an important message to mothers.Rhyme is such a fun and dynamic way to communicate, it’s also a great way to teach the rhythm of words and sentences to little ones. I had a lot of fun showcasing everyday moments of mothers with babies in a way that would support early language development!

As the words came together, I could feel that I wanted to savor what my life looked like right then – The mess, the intimate love, the exhaustion, all of it. It also felt so important to remind mothers reading The Lovely Haze of Baby Days that we aren’t alone in all of that.

MRI: There are such relatable moments throughout the book, but I really appreciate your honesty about the rough times and yet, finding a kernel of joy in most of them, as with your phrase, “The longest days, the shortest years’ ‘. Were you able to see those moments at the time, or did you need some distance and reflection to realize them?

LKM: As a first time mom, I don’t think I realized how fast the moments disappear, and how quickly babies grow. There are certainly sleep-deprived times remind myself to cherish these days, but overall I find myself clinging desperately to these sweet little humans who charge around my house!

All of that said, I do think it’s important to preserve some space for yourself. At least for me, I am a more enthusiastic and dedicated parent if I schedule in time for my own interests or just a bit of time to be ALONE each week, and don’t spend every minute in mom-mode.

MRI: Thanks for including mom friendships in your book! I loved that you “thanked goodness” for other mamas, too. Did you find friendships with other moms helped you through some of the rough times of those early baby days/weeks/months?

LKM: My friendships with other moms have been a saving grace. Life with a baby can feel so lonely and isolated, and having women you can connect with any morning (or night!)  is an enormous sense of support.

I am eternally grateful for the women in my life who have supported me in my transition to motherhood, and every day since. While this book has focused on the women who are in the trenches wandering through early motherhood alongside us, my gratitude also runs deeply for my own mom, and the women who have wandered through motherhood before.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Santa Baby: Ho, Ho, WHOA

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Santa Baby, by Jonathan Stutzman/Illustrated by Heather Fox, (Sept. 2020, Henry Holt & Company), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250255617

Ages 4-8

Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox make magic together. The Llama books are some of my favorite picture books ever. Don’t Feed the Coos is hilarious. And now, Santa Baby, gives us a laugh-out loud look at a Christmas wish gone terribly, hilariously, wrong. Santa is tired, folks. He’s feeling every bit of his hundreds and hundreds of years old, and he just doesn’t have the Christmas spirit these days.

We can totally get on board with this, right, grownups? If we’re all feeling 2020, imagine what it’s like to be SANTA. No pressure.

So Santa decides, for once, to make a Christmas wish for himself: He wants to be young again. But, like most wishes, you have to really be specific, or the Powers That Be are going to mess with you. Sure enough, Santa progresses back through time, ending up as a baby. Elves freak out, but Santa, at first, is just fine. But when he tries to communicate this to the elves, all he can blabber is baby talk! He’s a baby, he’s eating the Naughty and Nice list, and the elves are stressed. Santa Baby pulls it together enough to brainstorm a grand plan with the elves to save Christmas, but when Santa falls stumbles down a chimney and falls on that diapered behind, he almost loses it: until Christmas magic shows up, in the most magical of moments, to save the night. A story about the true magic of the season – connection and empathy – makes this a readaloud you’ll want to return to again and again. Jonathan Stutzman’s prose is witty and silly, with a gentle final scene that makes the laughs and stumbles all worth it. Heather Fox’s artwork is a joy, from the stinky Santa diaper to Santa’s regression from old guy, to shirtless lumberjack, to disaffected youth. Illuminated letters add that whimsical holiday wink to the story. Last minute shopping? Put this in your basket, and visit the author and illustrator’s website to download free printable goodies.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

#BooksfromQuarantine: Baby Clown and Follow Me, Flo!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Baby Clown, by Kara LaReau/Illustrated by Matthew Cordell, (Apr. 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763697433

Ages 3-7

Parents and littles alike will love this book. Frieda and Boffo are two circus clowns who’ve just had a baby clown! Everyone is thrilled for them, especially the Big Boss, Mr. Dingling, who swears the new baby is going to be a star. There’s one eensy problem, though… Baby Clown cries all the time! Boffo can’t calm him down, Frieda can’t calm him down, and Mr. Dingling is getting frustrated. There’s no crying at the circus! Each member of the circus tries to lend a hand, but neither the trapeze artists, the animals, nor the wire walker are successful. Will Baby Clown calm down in time for his Big Top debut?

This book is SO RELATABLE. Who hasn’t tried to calm a baby who will not be soothed? The baby’s dry, not hungry, not sleepy, just cranky, and amount of juggling, antics, or soothing voices will do a darned thing. The artwork from Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell brings the story to life with his colorful inks and watercolors, giving us a baby who becomes, as Geisel Honor Winner Kara LaReau writes, “a big, wide, loud, mouth” in full meltdown mode. The characters take on frantic, manic expressions as the baby continues to scream; one of my favorite illustrations has poor Mom Frieda curled up in a fetal position next to the screaming baby, as Dad Boffo, kneeling, pleads for peace. Does Baby Clown get it together? Heck, you need to see for yourself, but I promise you: you’ll recognize yourself in this one right away if you’ve ever been around young children. Inspired by Kara LaReau’s own experience with colic, Baby Clown is a must for storytime.

 

Follow Me, Flo!, by Jarvis, (March 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536212709

Ages 3-7

Another book that is SO relatable to kids and grownups, Flo is a young duckling who loves to do her own thing, much to her father’s chagrin. When they go visit Aunt Jenna’s new nest, though, Daddy Duck lays it all out for Flo: she MUST follow him or she’ll get lost. He even makes up a song with directions for the trip, but Flo – you guessed it! – decides that she’s bored and decides to take a little side trip of her own. But when she finds herself in big trouble, Daddy’s directions will save the day!

Kids will immediately love Flo, an adorably bright, yellow duckling with some sass. She doesn’t want to follow Daddy’s boring instructions; he doesn’t even sing loud like she does! But, as we parents and caregivers know, when she strays off that path, things may look fun at first, but there’s always a moment when things aren’t quite so fun any more. After a brush with stranger danger, Flo quickly discovers that her dad’s directions are there for a reason, and thankfully, easy enough to remember! The pencil, chalk, and painted artwork is cheery and fun, and both Flo and Dad’s faces are expressive, communicating both the seriousness of Dad’s discussion with Flo, and Flo’s increasing impatience with him as they head out on their trip. Will Flo stick to the straight and narrow? In the short run, sure… but maybe, just maybe, Flo will be back with a new adventure? Follow Me, Flo! is a fun story for readalouds and a no-pressure way to broach the concept of stranger danger.

Follow Me, Flo! has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Jimmy Fallon’s This is Baby is adorable!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This is Baby, by Jimmy Fallon/Illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez, (Oct. 2019, Feiwel & Friends), $16.99, ISBN: 9781250245601

Ages 0-3

This is Baby is Jimmy Fallon’s third children’s book, and gets down to the business of naming all the important parts of a baby: eyes, nose, fingers, and toes are all accounted for, as are other baby parts, along with the biggest, most important part of baby. It’s the sweetest, most fun type of concept book, showcasing a variety of cartoony, big-eyed babies and animal counterparts, showing off heads, hair, tummies, and bottoms, and the rhyming text makes this a storytime favorite that you’ll come back to again and again. All of baby’s parts are extra-bold and in word balloons, so invite your readers to shout out the names as you point them out on yourself or the story as you read.

Jimmy Fallon’s books are made for reading out loud, and give the grownups as much fun as the kids. Your First Word Will Be Dada and Everything is Mama are all about how our kids view us (through our own eyes, of course). This is Baby is a fun spin on concept books that teach children about their bodies, and I love it. (I’m also the one that bought the Frankenstein board book to teach my kid about names for his body parts, so…) Make sure you have plenty of fun lapsit songs to accompany this book; Storytime Katie has a great collection of them. Hand out coloring pages from This is Baby and Everything is Mama afterwards!