Tag: Ramona Kaulitzki

Posted in picture books

The story behind Tate’s Bake Shop® Cookies!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Cookie Queen : How One Girl Started TATE’S BAKE SHOP®, by Kathleen King & Lowey Bundy Sichol/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (July 2023, Penguin Random House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593485668

Ages 4-8

You’ve seen the green cookie bags, now read the book! Cookie Queen is the story of how Kathleen King’s determination and love for baking led her to create the Tate’s Bake Shop cookies so many of us know and enjoy: at the age of 11. King would wake up early to cook for herself and her siblings, especially when her parents worked late, but one morning, she decided to do what she really loved: bake. Her dad had told her that she could sell cookies at the stand and keep the money to buy herself clothes for school, so she whipped up some cookies and took them to her family farm stand, but they weren’t quite perfect yet. King visited other stands and played with her recipe until she finally hit on the perfect cookie; then she made them BIG. Cookie Queen incorporates trial-and-error, research, and determination into a story that inspires kids – and includes King’s own Molasses Cookie recipe to start kids off. Digital illustrations concentrate primarily on King and her father, moving between interior baking scenes and outdoor farm and market spreads. Endpapers show a variety of cookies dance across the spreads. A smart story that shows entrepreneurship has no minimum age.

Pair in a Cookie-ish display with books like Mo Willems’s The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?, Jory John’s The Smart Cookie, and Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Isabel and the Invisible World: Great for STEM Storytime!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Isabel and the Invisible World, by Alan Lightman/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (Apr. 2023, MIT Kids Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536223330

Ages 4-6

Isabel only wants one thing for her sixth birthday: something that will let her see “invisible things” that are invisible. Her scientist mother knows the perfect gift for Isabel: a prism, so Isabel can see the colors that make up light. This readable introduction to the science of light is a joy to read; Isabel is a curious young girl with a love of science, and the story conveys that sense of excitement and wonder to readers. The narrative builds the excitement leading up to Isabel’s birthday; Isabel’s mother explains how the prism works in an accessible, interesting way. Digital illustrations are warm and utilize the direction of light throughout the story; triangles show up throughout the spreads, and the rainbow spectrum shows up throughout the book. Isabel and her brother, Julian, are biracial: Mom is blonde and light-skinned; Dad is brown-skinned; Isabel is brown-haired, Julian is blonde; both are light brown-skinned. Back matter includes an explanation of light energy. A fun, readable choice for a STEM storytime or any time!

Hand out prism coloring pages for a post-storytime extension activity. There’s a good one from Science Workshop on TeachersPayTeachers. Try this prism experiment from Rosie Research either during a STEM program or hand out instructions for families to try at home: it’s easy!

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Welcoming Winter: Winter Lullaby

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Winter Lullaby, by Dianne White/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (Dec. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536209198

Ages 3-8

I’ve been on a bedtime story kick lately; I must be missing the days I put my own littles (not-so little now) to bed with a story or 3… or 4. This latest lullaby centers on Small Bear, who doesn’t understand – despite the snow falling to the ground! – why he has to get ready to sleep the winter away. After all, he’s seeing other friends running around, like Mouse, Skunk, and Hare; why can’t he stay up? Mama patiently explains each time that each of the animals is preparing for their own winter nap, whether they are gathering food or finding a warm, comfortable spot to bed down. She soothes Small Bear’s frustration by promising that they’ll wake up to a beautiful, green spring, and they’ll spend brighter, warmer days at play. But for now, it’s time to dream. Kids and caregivers alike will recognize Small Bear’s resistance to bedtime, and pointing out the injustice of having to go to sleep while other kids get to stay up. Rhyming couplets add a soothing cadence to a readaloud, and the digital artwork has gorgeous texture, using cool and warm winter colors to bring the story to life. Different sized fonts alert readers to the change between Mama Bear and Small Bear’s dialogue. Mama and Small Bear are playfully affectionate. Illustrations and verse teach readers about various animal homes as we see skunks bed down underground, hares sleeping in a hollowed out tree, and badgers snuggling in their dens. Pair with the humorous Hush Up and Hibernate! by Sandra Markle (2018) for a hibernation storytime or lesson. Author Dianne White has an activity kit for Winter Lullaby available on her website.