Tag: kindness

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

New Earth Day Reads!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Earth Day is right around the corner! There are some great new books to have ready for a great readaloud. Let’s take a look.

Miss MacDonald Has a Farm, by Kalee Gwarjanski/Illustrated by Elizabet Vuković, (March 2024, Doubleday Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593568163

Ages 3-7

It’s a new spin on an old favorite! Miss MacDonald has a farm, and she loves to grow her own food in this ode to farm-to-table food. Kids are going to love this easy-to-learn song, with repetitive phrases like “Miss MacDonald has a farm. / She loves things that grow” and “E-I-E-I-GROW”. Miss MacDonald grows all sorts of yummy food, like tomatoes and green beans, sweet corn and pumpkins, and she “shuck-shucks” and “thrish-thrashes” her way through her fields, planting and harvesting her wares to bring to a farmer’s market and feasting at a community table with a diverse group of neighbors. It’s a fun way to illustrate where our food comes from and how it gets to the table, with colorful and appealing illustrations that show a young female farmer of color growing and harvesting her food. Back matter includes vocabulary that explains the steps in getting food to grow from seed to table, and a recipe for a harvest vegetable bake included in the story. I sang this story to a pre-k class during a school visit this week, and they loved it! This is a great story for anyone who’s doing flannel storytimes, too – get those colorful sheets out and make yourself a vegetable garden.

Chicken Soup for the Soul KIDS: The Sunshine Garden: Being a Team Player, by Jamie Michalak/Illustrated by Jenna Nahyun Chung, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $14.99, ISBN: 9781623542863

Ages 4-7

The Sunshine Squad returns in this sweet story about kindness, teamwork, and gardening. The Sunshine Squad are six friends who loves to pretend they’re superheroes, and do some pretty great everyday superhero stuff. Mia, one of the Squad, learns that her grandma’s friend, Mr. Angelo, is sick and unable to tend to his community garden and steps in to help… but it’s a much bigger task than she realized. The rest of the Sunshine Squad step in and use their “superpowers” to get the job done and save the day! It’s a sweet story about helping one another and being kind, while showing kids that kindness can be a superpower. Back matter includes tips on being part of a team, with suggestions that work nicely within an Earth Day setting. It’s a good additional add to picture book collections, especially where Chicken Soup for the Soul books do well.

 

 

You Are a Little Seed, by Sook-Hee Choi, Translated by Jieun Kiaer, (March 2024, Charlesbridge), $15.99, ISBN: 9781623544287

Ages 2-5

Originally published in Korean in 2013, this is a gentle story that reads like poetry, describing seven types of flowers that bloom from different types of seeds and became beautiful flowers: “A seed, a seed blowing / in the wind… / took root in / the wild and bloomed / as a dandelion”. Children show up in the flowers as seeds and fully bloomed, showing readers that we can bloom under all sorts of conditions. A soft color palette creates a soothing setting, and the flower illustrations are breathtaking. A wonderful metaphor for how we grow and our beauty in diversity. My only concern is a pssage that describes a seed as “ugly and wrinkled”, which reads more like the author is referring to the child as unsightly; I’m hoping it was more of a moment where the child may feel that way but blossoms into themselves? Other than that, You Are a Little Seed is lovely.

You Are a Little Seed has starred reviews from Kirkus and Foreword Reviews.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: Willow and Bunny, by Anitra Rowe Schulte/Illustrated by Christopher Denise

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A bunny who needs a home, a welcoming willow tree, and the power of kindness. This is the moving story of Willow and Bunny.

Willow and Bunny, by Anitra Rowe Schulte/Illustrated by Christopher Denise,
(Oct. 2023, Two Lions),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781542025690

Ages 4-7

 

A Bunny finds home in the loving branches of a willow tree, who keeps him warm and safe. When a stormy spiral tears through the forest, terrified animals run in search of shelter and find it within Willow’s embrace. With Bunny to help soothe them, Willow holds and protects all the animals from the storm, holding steady and strong in the face of the storm’s rage. After, when the animals discover the disastrous effect the storm has had on Willow, they come together to help her heal, and to spread her love. Using soft natural colors, Caldecott Honor artist Denise creates cozy settings using a soft, maternal glow of sunlight against the backdrop of warm greens and browns, creating the embrace of nature taking in the lone Bunny. Willow appears massive compared to the tiny bunny, but never overpowering; she is welcoming, beckoning, protective of her new charge. Schulte’s story weaves itself around the reader, creating a tale of mutual love and respect, of community, and empathy, while describing the chaos and terror of a disaster and the hopeful aftermath as members come together to heal and rebuild. This is a Giving Tree for a new generation, where everyone contributes to the benefit of all.

 

“This tale provides a vehicle for conversations both about weather catastrophes and, more generally, about strong bonds that endure through change.” —Publishers Weekly


“The cozy, kindhearted story is beautifully told, mixing moments of sweet simplicity and light peril with a gentle hand. . . . A gratifying glimpse of generous friendship.” —Booklist

Anitra Rowe Schulte is the author of Dancing with Daddy, which won the Christopher Award and the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. She has worked as a journalist for The Kansas City Star and the Sun-Times News Group, as a staff writer for Chicago Public Schools, and as a publicist. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and their three daughters. Visit her at http://www.anitraroweschulte.com or @anitraschulte on Twitter.

Christopher Denise wrote and illustrated Knight Owl, a 2023 Caldecott Honor winner and New York Times bestseller. He is also the illustrator of many critically acclaimed children’s books, including Anika Aldamuy Denise’s Bunny in the Middle, Alison McGhee’s Firefly Hollow, and Anne Marie Pace’s Groundhug Day, as well as several in Brian Jacques’s award-winning Redwall series. Christopher lives with his family in Rhode Island. Visit him at http://www.christopherdenise.com and @christopherdenise on Instagram.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Memo and the Unexpected Gift delights!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Memo and the Unexpected Gift, by Funda Özlem Şeran & Ezgi Keleş/Illustrated by Ezgi Keleş, Translated by Amy Marie Spangler, (Sept. 2023, Amazon Crossing Kids), $17.99, ISBN: 9781662512926

Ages 3-7

A lonely young boy named Memo lives with his grandmother and adopts an unlikely pet in this adorable story, translated from the original Turkish and available in the U.S. Memo loves his grandmother and tries to help her around the house, but she can’t see very well and gets tired very quickly, so Memo’s alone a lot of the time: until he finds a small kitten outside his house on a rainy night. He quietly moves the kitten into their home – Grandma can’t see it, right? – and cares for it, and the kitten grows strong and healthy. And BIG. In fact, Memo realizes, he hasn’t adopted a cat: he’s found a lion! As much as Memo loves his new friend, he also knows that a little cottage in a small town is nowhere to live for a lion, so he makes a decision that will bring unexpected, sweet surprises. Adorably narrated, with gentle and colorful illustration that show slice-of-life moments that become increasingly more humorous, this is a story that will win giggles and “awwwwww”s aplenty during readalouds. An unexpected hit for collections.

 

Funda Özlem Şeran is a Turkish author. Born in Istanbul in 1984, Funda received both her BA and MA degrees in political science and international relations from Marmara University. Her published works include horror anthologies, adult urban-fantasy novels, sci-fi novellas, and various children’s books. Her short stories have won several national awards, and she is published in Italian and Dutch anthologies. Follow her on Instagram: @fundaozlemseran

Ezgi Keleş is a Turkish author and illustrator. She was born in Istanbul in 1984. Ezgi graduated from the Department of Graphic Design at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and has worked as an art director at several advertising agencies. Now she writes and illustrates children’s books and magazines. She is a mom to one child and one cat. See more of her art on Instagram @ezgikeles.

Amy Marie Spangler is cofounder of the AnatoliaLit Agency in Turkey and the commercial and literary translator of numerous books and short stories. From 2007 until 2015, she headed the fiction-translation group of the Cunda International Workshop for Translators of Turkish Literature, and she has taught in the translation-studies departments at Boğaziçi University and Istanbul Okan University.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Bears Don’t Cry reminds us to have empathy

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bears Don’t Cry!, by Emma Chichester Clark, (March 2023, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684645145

Ages 3-6

A young girl named Clementine and her mother have a lovely friend named George, who also happens to be a bear. He’s “no ordinary bear”, as Clark states: he loves to read and spend time with Clementine and her mother, sitting in their garden or helping around the house. When George ventures out on his own to visit the library, though, he learns that not all people are like his two friends at home. Terrified of a bear wandering their streets, they react… well, kind of how you’d expect. George’s feelings are hurt; he’s humiliated, and bursts into tears, but Clementine comes to the rescue and gives the crowd a lesson in kindness. A sweet way to start off the new school year, readers will be reminded not to  make judgements based on appearances and predetermined ideas; when someone’s feelings are hurt, the best way to react is to show empathy and care. Expressive illustrations will pull at heartstrings. Clementine and her mother present as white, and there is some diversity in the crowd as George explores the town. Originally published in Great Britain in 2022, Bears Don’t Cry is available in the U.S.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Look to the animals: How Can We Be Kind?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

How Can We Be Kind?, by Janet Halfmann/Illustrated by Darla Okada, (July 2022, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780711268791

Ages 3-5

In my Great TBR Read-Down, I found a perfect addition to my Summer Reading collection: if you’re in a library system that’s part of the Collaborative Library Summer Reading Program, we’re doing All Together Now, featuring books on kindness. How Can We Be Kind? looks to the animal kingdom for ways we can be kind to one another: “We can make everyone feel welcome, like capybaras do. And we can share with one another, like jackdaws do”. Spread after spread shows different animals caring for one another, from capybaras relaxing and providing ducklings and monkeys with a sunny place to sit, to zebras defending one another from a group of hyenas. Soft, cartoony digital illustrations and bold fonts make this a soothing, easy readaloud, and a diverse group of humans bookend the story with thought-provoking question: “How can we be kind?” and “How will you be kind?” Back matter provides more information on the featured animals from the story. If you haven’t had the chance to add this story to your SEL, kindness, and storytime collections, consider adding a copy.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

Love is the muse in Maurice

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Maurice, by Jessixa Bagley, (May 2023, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781797211732

Ages 5-8

Maurice is a canine concert musician-turned-busker, motivated by love in this moving tale about the ultimate inspiration. Introducing Maurice as a musician who once played to large music halls until “times and things changed. They always do”, Maurice now brings joy to everyone around him as a street musician. He lives a quiet, kind life and draws inspiration from the many birds who share his apartment: “Though his own joys were small, they were his whole world”. He has named them all; he speaks lovingly to all of them, and they inspire him. Sadly, as “the melody of life change[s] once more”, Maurice’s busking cup runs dry and he must let the birds go, leaving his heart empty. Bagley’s stunning gatefold spread shows the beauty the birds flying off into the sunset and the devastation on Maurice’s face as he watches them leave. Moving toward a resolution, we learn that “hearts remember” kindness. In concert, Maurice is surrounded in the darkness of the concert hall and alone under the spotlight; as a busker, he is bathed in warm colors, surrounded by other canines who delight in his music, really delivering the message that Maurice is motivated by love and sharing his gift. A good choice for collections.

Maurice received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

…and a reluctant wombat shall lead them: Wombat, the Reluctant Hero

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Wombat, the Reluctant Hero, by Christian Trimmer/Illustrated by Rachel Gyan, (March 2023, Roaring Brook Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250788573

Ages 3-6

Inspired by the real-life events wrought by the devastating Australian wildfires in 2019 and 2020, Wombat the Reluctant Hero is all about being a good – if sweetly curmudgeonly – friend. Wombat likes her home and her appearance organized and just so, but she can’t say that about her neighbors, who look all out of sorts. Wombat notices that their watering hole is running a little low, so she pulls on her gardening gear and digs down until she hits water, reluctantly accepting their thanks. When Koala shows up at her door in a panic one night, she discovers that the forest is on fire, and quickly moves to gather her neighbors into her fireproof burrow, giving them food and water as they ride out the fire. When they emerge from the burrow, they work together to rebuild their home. Gyan’s digital artwork is colorful and reflects her moods through facial expression and clothing; going from dusky rose coveralls at the beginning to warm tangerine coveralls to show her enthusiasm and hope. Trimmer’s storytelling gives readers some insight into Australia’s problems in 2019 and 2020, and notes from the author and illustrator provide deeper context.

A good way of explaining world events to younger children while also delivering messages of community and empathy. An excellent choice for collections.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Best Kind of Mooncake is one you share

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Best Kind of Mooncake, by Pearl Au-Yeung, (Oct. 2022, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645675563

Ages 4-8

A young girl sits by her family’s booth in a busy Hong Kong market, waiting patiently for her end-of-the-day treat: a mooncake with a double-yolk center. The best kind! A stranger comes charging into the marketplace, exhausted and hungry after leaving his village, sleeping in trees, and stowing away on a ship to cross the border. At first, no one pays attention to him until the girl’s mother gives him the very mooncake the girl was promised, which he hungrily gobbles up. At that point, he becomes visible: people begin speaking with him and offering him kindnesses. The girl’s mother explains that seeing someone receive a kindness often reminds others of when they received kindness. A warm story of compassion and gratitude, AuYeung’s story is inspired by true events, explained in an author’s note, alongside pictures of the author’s family. Digital illustrations have an animated feel to them, with movement, big expressions, and texture. The Best Kind of Mooncake is a story of kindness and compassion, with a poignant observation about seeing what stands in front of us even when we are tempted to look away. Endpapers show the bustling street market referenced in the story. An excellent story for Lunar New Year readalouds and for the winter holiday season – the emphasis is not on the mooncake (usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival); rather, on empathy and kindness.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Books About Kindness

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

We’re heading toward the holidays, which means my library system is gearing up for their annual “It’s Time for Kind” campaign, where we encourage our communities to show kindness to one another. This year, it means a LOT. I won’t get on too much of a soapbox here, but I will say that I live in a state where people are arriving scared and alone, and need kindness more than ever. These books have been out for a few months, so consider these when you’re putting together readers advisory lists or book displays, or planning storytimes this season.

All You Need, by Howard Schwartz/Illustrated by Jasu Hu, (Apr. 2022, Neal Porter Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823443291

Ages 3-7

Written as a poem, All You Need is a meditation on what one needs for a fulfilling life, from the basics – sun and rain, food and water – to the higher needs, like “a place where you are welcome” and “words to share your thoughts”. Illustrator Jasu Hu tells the story of a young woman who grows to be an artist, nurtured by the land and the people around her. Inspired by Schwartz’s story, illustrator Jasu Hu’s watercolor illustrations bring a tenderness to the work that fits beautifully with the gentle lyrics and leaves touches of Chinese culture throughout the story, including a swallow, ever-present in the tale, to deliver words of happiness and homecoming. Back matter from Schwartz and Hu each explains their motivation. The main character presents as Asian, with touches of Asian culture and landscape throughout. All You Need is a reminder of how simple and fragile our needs are and is a beautiful opening story for storytimes.

All You Need has a starred review from School Library Journal.

 

 

Luli and the Language of Tea, by Andrea Wang/Illustrated by Hyewon Yum, (May 2022, Neal Porter), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823446148

Ages 3-7

A group of parents file into an ESOL (English as a Second Language) class, while their children head into the free childcare area while their parents are in class. The children play alone, not understanding English, until Luli decides to bring everyone together with one word that they all understand: tea. She sets up a tea party around a table and calls out “Chá!”, the Chinese word for “tea”; the children recognize the word, which sounds similar to the word for tea in their languages: Russian, Hindi, Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Spanish, German, Swahili, and Portuguese. The children sit together and share tea while the caregiver watches, delighted. Showing that language brings us together more than it divides us, Luli and the Language of Tea features a group of children from all over the world coming together in friendship. Each time the word “tea” is spoken it is illustrated in a colorful font with a phonetic spelling in parentheses. Endpapers feature colorful cups of tea from different countries. Colored pencil illustrations add a childlike innocence to this joyful story. Back matter includes an author’s note, a note on the languages spoken in the story, and notes on immigrants living in the U.S. and how they enjoy their tea. Author Andrea Wang’s website includes a bibliography of sources and audio of various children’s literature creators speaking the word for “tea” in their own languages; there’s also a downloadable educator’s guide. An excellent storytime choice.

Luli and the Language of Tea has starred reviews from Booklist and Shelf Awareness.

 

 

La Casita de Esperanza, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Raúl Colón, (June 2022, Neal Porter Books/Holiday House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780823452033

Ages 4-8

This is the Spanish translation of a book I fell in love with when I reviewed it in July. Terry Catasús Jennings writes about a little home that welcomes a family new to the U.S., and how that family turns that little house into a sanctuary where they, and their extended family, can come, be safe, and begin a new life. The Spanish text is lyrical and makes for a beautiful readaloud; Pura Belpré medalist Raúl Colón’s pencil and watercolor artwork frames pivotal moments in the characters’ lives to create powerful moments, from arriving home to a bustling household to people coming together to forge a new life when they’ve been forced to leave the old one behind. I have copies of both the English and Spanish translations on my shelves. One of the best books you’ll read this year.

Visit Terry Catasús Jennings’s webpage to see more of her books and read her own story; the inspiration for La Casita de Esperanza.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Big Bear, Little Fish, Great Friends

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Big Bear and Little Fish, by Sandra Nickel/Illustrated by Il Sung Na, (Sept. 2022, Carolrhoda Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781728417172

Ages 4-8

Bear goes to a carnival hoping to win a giant teddy bear, but wins a goldfish instead. Worried that she is too big to play with, feed, or love the tiny fish, she stays as far away from it as possible, lamenting the fact that she’s saddled with this little fish instead of a big teddy bear. Fish helps Bear discover that the two are not so different after all. With a sweet look at relative size and ability, Big Bear and Little Fish is a story of looking past the surface and snap judgements to get to the heart of a situation. It’s a wise story of friendship and kindness that reads beautifully for a young audience and gives slightly older readers food for thought. Cartoon illustrations endear the animals to readers; cool shades of blue against a bright white background provide depth and texture; warm browns and golds on the animals add a warmth to the narrative. Sentences are brief and to the point, letting newly independent readers enjoy the book on their own or as part of a storytime. A good selection for storytime collections.

A free educator kit on the Lerner Books website offers discussion questions and activities.