Tag: friendship

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The art of friendship: An Adventure for Lia and Lion

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

An Adventure for Lia and Lion, by Al Rodin, (Oct. 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593903322

Ages 3-7

Lia is a little girl who wants a pet to go adventuring with. Lion is a lion who also wants a pet that he can lead on an adventure. The two meet and clash: they both want to be in charge! Through listening and talking, each learns what the other hopes to gain on their journey and slowly, the two learn that each one has something exciting to contribute. Maybe they can lead and follow at the same time. Mixed media illustrations feel dreamlike: Lion is yellow-orange with a fuzzy mane; Lia is a small girl with a red hat and a net. The size difference makes for an adorable partnership, set against large forestlike settings. Their disagreements are communicated through body language, as Lion twists his body away from Lia; she leans in aggressively. Lion’s tail thrashes; she stands her ground. When a storm threatens, the two stick closely together, sealing their friendship. A gentle, enjoyable story about the evolution of a friendship, the importance of listening to one another, and working together.

 

“A new friendship, tested and affirmed through adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
AL RODIN is a writer and illustrator from London, England. He studied children’s book illustration at Cambridge School of Art and received the 2019 Sebastian Walker Prize. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries across Europe and Asia, and he was selected for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in 2019. Learn more at alrodin.com and find him on Instagram at @alrodin.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Big Bear and Little Fish return!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bear’s Big Idea, by Sandra Nickel/Illustrated by Il Sung Na, (Sept. 2024, Carolrhoda Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9798765610176

Ages 4-7

Big Bear and Little Fish have become such great friends in the two years since their first book. In their new adventure, it’s Bear’s turn to come up with a fun new idea, which gives her a bit of anxiety. Usually, it’s Fish that has the great ideas, but now it’s Bear’s turn, and everywhere she turns, she sees remnants of activities left over from the week with Fish. With a little creativity and an open mind, a great new idea is just waiting for Bear – she just has to let herself open up to the possibilities. Nickel’s storytelling sweetly pairs with Na’s digital illustrations, bringing a touch of humor to a story about the pressure of choosing the “just right” activity for a friend. Nickel captures the stress of coming up with a blockbuster activity with phrases like, “What if she couldn’t find an idea? What if that meant she wasn’t a good friend?” Readers familiar with Big Bear and Little Fish will appreciate Bear’s caution with Fish as they climb trees and splosh in puddles. Endpapers show Bear and Fish in a variety of poses. A sweet companion to the original story and a good addition to storytime collections. Download a curriculum guide for Bear’s Big Idea from Sandra Nickel’s author page.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy Book Birthday to The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox, by Ana Velez, (Aug. 2024, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645678694

Ages 4-8

This spin on the classic tale is set in Andean South America, featuring 3 guinea pigs who have to rebuild after floods destroyed their homes. Like the classic, they each build their home from straw, sticks, and stone, and are suspicious when a fox shows up, exhorting them to come with him. They run from house to house as condors and bears wreak havoc on the sticks and straw, but is Fox really up to no good? The sweet story reaches a delightful conclusion that praises teamwork, friendship, and community. The rhyme scheme makes for a run readaloud, with sound effects in larger, bolder fonts to invite reader participation. Digital illustrations have cultural details, including the endpapers, which feature animals from the story woven into an Andean textile pattern. The story includes words in Spanish and Kichwa (also knows as Quechua), with a glossary in the back matter. Back matter also includes a note on animals of the Andes and a shaved ice recipe. The fox wears a woven scarf and the guines pigs sport hats and sweaters. A very cute addition to storytime collections, and psst… If you need a younger selection to feature and read for Civic Awareness Month, this would be a good choice!

There are some great Andean worksheets and activity sheets on TeachersPayTeachers. I really like this Andean fabric coloring sheet from Tierney Phillips.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Linden: where the giving tree gets love, too

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Linden: The Story of a Tree, by Colleen Muske, (Apr. 2024, Marble Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781958325100

Ages 4-7

If you’ve ever read that other book about the tree and wanted a happier ending for that steadfast friend, have I got a book for you. Linden: The Story of a Tree is the story of a tree, and it’s the story of a community that loves and gives love. Planted as a sapling, Linden grows in the courtyard by a building, where animals and people alike adore him. The bees love Linden’s flowers; people curl up in his branches and play music in the courtyard where Linden can sway his branches in the breeze, dancing with his neighbors. During the holidays, his neighbors dress him up with lights and sing songs with him. But Linden isn’t forever, and when he becomes ill, his people rally around him, writing poetry, knitting scarves, and playing music for him, and Linden leaves behind a precious gift before he goes. Muske writes a gentle, bittersweet story about the life of a tree and its place in the center of a community; she imbues the people in the story with a sense of responsibility and with care, and breathes life into Linden so that he becomes a loving, feeling, central part of the community.  Watercolor and gouache artwork show a thriving community; Linden’s bark and branches have gorgeous texture and make him stand out from the rest of the story. Endpapers show a series of photos of Linden’s life; black and white and color photos show the passage of time. Linden is more than a story about the life cycle of a tree; it’s a story of love, loss, and moving forward. I loved this book.

Don’t forget to visit Marble Press’s Resources page for Linden activities and coloring pages.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Tales from the TBR: The Adventures of Penguin & Panda

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Surprise!, by Brenda Maier/Illustrated by Fanni Mézes, (Apr. 2024, Marble Press), $9.99, ISBN: 9781958325056

Ages 6-10

Geared toward emerging readers, this sweet graphic novel is the first in a new series and perfect for readers who love Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie and Ben Clanton’s Narwhal and Jelly stories. Penguin and Panda are best friends who go on easygoing adventures. Surprise! contains four short stories, all with an emphasis on friendship and gentle humor: the two go on a picnic, play hide and seek, take an art class, and try to keep a surprise secret from the other. Penguin is little bit high-strung and Panda is imaginative and kind, always looking out for Penguin. The dialogue between the two characters is lively, funny, and kind. Illustrations are adorable, with Penguin sporting ponytails and a pink sweater, and Panda’s body language is open and expressive. Consider adding this to your intermediate graphic novel sections if you haven’t already. There are two Adventures of Penguin and Panda available now; a third will be on shelves in October. Visit Marble Press’s Resources page for free downloadable worksheets and activities.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy Book Birthday, Somewhere in Between!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Somewhere in Between, by Laan Cham, (July 2024, Random House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593651568

Ages 4-7

Once upon a time, a child fell from the sky and make two friends who didn’t get along. Pink, a little girl, arrives in a bright, colorful placed called the Land of Sunshine, where a friendly creature named Fireball welcomes her and shows her around, but cautions Pink never to visit the nearby glacier; he tells her it’s “full of trolls”. Pink’s interest piqued, she finds a way onto the glacier where she meets Snowball, a friendly snow-person, and sets off on a day of play until Fireball sees her and begins arguing with Snowball. Determined to make her new friends get along, Pink creates her own Pink Land and invites the two new friends to visit, where they discover that they enjoy playing together after all. A playful story about friendship, jealousy, and conflict resolution, kids will easily relate to Pink’s dilemma as she tries to negotiate friendship with two bickering parties. Cham incorporates word bubbles and graphic novel-like panels into her narrative storytelling, giving readers multiple points of interest. The chibi-like digital illustrations are colorful and adorable; immediately eye-catching for readers and varying size fonts convey emotion and emphasis. Endpapers include extra details, including Pink’s explosive arrival and later, band-aids crossed over her entry point as she frolics with Snowball, Fireball, and her little rock friends. Kids will clamor for this sweet story.

Laan Cham is a first-generation Singaporean-British-American illustrator from New Jersey who currently lives in Vancouver. Somewhere in Between is her author-illustrator debut, and she is the illustrator of the forthcoming chapter book series Camp Scream.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Secret Elephant… based on a true story!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Secret Elephant: Inspired by a True Story of Friendship, by Ellan Rankin, (Apr 2024, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593703267

Ages 4-8

Inspired by the true story of Denise Weston Austin and Sheila the Elephant – a female zookeeper and her young charge, whom she kept safe during the bombing of Belfast in World War II – The Secret Elephant is a story that animal lovers of all ages will love. Told from Sheila’s point of view, we learn that Austin and Sheila were very close before the War, and that the young elephant was terrified and alone during the bombings, prompting Austin to stay with her and calm her. Weston had the idea to hide Denise at her own home after the Zoo closed for the day, allowing Sheila to live in her home, safe and comforted. When she was discovered, she had to go back to the Zoo, but Austin stayed with her, refusing to leave her friend alone. Rankin’s storytelling is warm, charming, and emotional; she uses brief sentences and evocative language to help readers empathize with the frightened elephant. Rankin’s brush illustrations provide texture and look like paintings with slight aging, letting readers feel the passage of time. Details include photos of Austin and Sheila in Sheila’s enclosure, and before-and-after moments show the chaos of living with a growing elephant: photos are askew, rugs bunched up. Rankin also shows the love between animal and person, as she shows Sheila playing with Austin’s yarn as she knits; Austin holding Sheila’s trunk as she leads her home; the hug between Sheila and Austin, reunited years down the line, both with “a few more wrinkles now”. An author’s note is smartly written as a series of newspaper articles, adding more texture to the story and engaging reader interest. Readers will love this story of light in a dark time of history.

Weston and Sheila’s story was made into a 2017 film, Zoo. You can find photos of Austin and Sheila at WartimeNI.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The best kind of friends are Even Better than Sprinkles

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Even Better than Sprinkles: A Story About Best Friends, by Linda Skeers & Heather Fox, (June 2024, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593705513

Ages 4-7

What makes a best friend – and what happens when that friendship is in trouble – forms the foundation of this relatable and charming story. Being a best friend means a lot of things: dressing up as a unicorn together (even when one person has to be the decidedly non-magical back of the unicorn); playing knight and dragon; even naming your favorite goldfish after your friend. Two friends illustrate these magical moments until one “accidentally-on-purpose” blows out the candles on her friend’s birthday cake before the birthday girl can make her wish, leading to a terrible split that can only be repaired with an apology. Skeers describes friendship in wonderful ways that kids will immediately understand, with phrases like, “Friendship feels like being hugged by a blanket right out of the dryer”. Fox’s digital illustrations are bright; characters are a white-skinned girl with curly red hair and a brown-skinned girl with top-knot bun, and they play joyfully together until the crisis occurs. Then, as Skeers notes, friendship feels like “being hugged by a porcupine while sitting on a cactus”; Fox shows the girls living their lives separately, sadly, until an apology card with three kinds of glitter and a lot of glue reunite the two. Themes of sharing, apologizing, and forgiveness will appeal to kids and adults alike.

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

YA LGBTQ+ romance: Navigating with You

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Navigating with You, by Jeremy Whitley/Illustrated by Cassio Ribeiro, (Aug 2024, Mad Cave Studios), $14.99, ISBN: 9781952303609

Ages 12+

Neesha Sparks is a queer, black, disabled community activist who loves costume design and manga. She’s moved from Queens, NY to North Carolina, and is not having a great first day of school. Gabby Graciana is a surfer girl from Florida, also new to North Carolina. She’s a friendly extrovert who is determined to make Neesha her first new friend at school. The two girls bond over their love of Navigator Nozomi, a same manga series, and set off on a challenge to locate copies of the book all over North Carolina. The girls discover deeper feelings for one another as they spend more time together, but each comes to the relationship with challenges to work through: PTSD, divorce, ableism, and toxic relationships are all addressed in Whitley’s masterful story of love, acceptance, and friendship. Whitley intersperses panels from the fictional Navigator Nozomi series to show parallels between the story and the girls’ lives, particularly focusing on the lead female character learning to stand on her own and separate from a toxic male influence. Whitley – the creator of female-led graphic novels like Princeless, The School for Extra-Terrestrial Girls, and Marvel’s The Unstoppable Wasp – has a gift for writing smart, relatable female characters; his dialogue flows easily between the characters and he has the ability to capture defining moments with skill and empathy. Neesha and Gabby each learn to trust one another as friends first, moving into something more, gradually letting each other in. Ribeiro’s illustrations beautifully capture each teen’s personality and the Nozomi panels will delight manga fans. It’s a moving romance that teens and young adults will love.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Another kids’ classic goes graphic: Amber Brown is Not a Crayon

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel, by Paula Danziger/Illustrated by Victoria Ying, (May 2024, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers), $9.99, ISBN: 9780593615706

Ages 7-10

Full disclosure: I don’t think I’ve ever read any of the Amber Brown novels, which is insane, considering I’m a kids’ librarian. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the graphic novel adaptation of Amber Brown is Not a Crayon, illustrated by Victoria Ying, who also wrote and illustrated last year’s YA graphic novel Hungry Ghost. Ying captures Amber Brown’s playful, quirky spirit and the close friendship she has with Justin, who is moving to Alabama, where his father has relocated for a better job. Ying uses bright, happy colors for Amber’s storytelling, with moody, purplish and green washes to denote painful memories: Amber’s parents arguing; her father leaving; Justin’s family packing up their home. Frustrated at trying to communicate her feelings, she and Justin have a falling out over a shared ball of gum, but reconcile right before the move; Justin confesses to having a hard time talking about his feelings, too. The art is appealing and the story stays relatable: themes of friendship, separating, and talking about our feelings will resonate with kids. Kids who love The Baby-Sitter Club and The Baby-Sitter’s Little Sisters will gobble these up.

Amber Brown is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel has a starred review from Kirkus.