Reading – Mom Read It

Back to School Picture Books

Posted on September 1, 2023August 31, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The end of Summer Break is nigh, but don’t fret. Here are some fun picture books to get readers into thoughtful school mode.

Marker, by Anna Kang/Illustrated by Christopher Weyant, (June 2023, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 9781542039611

Ages 3-7

The companion to Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant’s Eraser (2018) is every bit as playful, wonderful, and perfect for back-to-school reading. The teacher’s school supplies are having their meeting and getting ready for the first day of school. Marker has always been one of the teacher’s go-to supplies, but there’s a new supply in town: Pinking Shears! The decorative scissors make beautiful, decorative cuts and she quickly earns admiration from the other supplies, even taking Marker’s spot in the vaunted “Teaching is my Superpower” mug. Her self-confidence diminished, Marker makes a mistake, which upsets her so much, she makes another mistake! Her friends rally around her, and Marker’s fear comes out: she’s permanent. Her mistakes can’t be erased. Luckily, these supportive supplies are there to save the day, and help Marker understand that it is okay to make mistakes. Kids will love being reunited with their school supply friends, including Eraser, Pencil, and Sharpener. Kang uses character dialogue to tell the story, and creates a delightful character study using the familiar aspects of each of the supplies: Stapler, for instance, can’t wait to “sink [their] teeth into those math packets”, and Post-Its helps construct a play city out of their notes. Class Rules include familiar guidelines like, “Be respectful and kind”, “Include others, don’t exclude”, “Raise your hand to speak”, and “Listen”. Filled with school supply puns and wonderful messages about making mistakes, Marker should be on the top of your back-to-school purchases and read-alouds.

Twenty Questions, by Mac Barnett/Illustrated by Christian Robinson, (March 2023, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536215137

Ages 4-8

Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson join forces to present this thought-provoking and fun book, filled with questions – and the answers can go anywhere! Barnett and Robinson begin with a fairly straightforward exercise: a bright green tree with a bevy of animals in and around it, accompanied with a question: “How many animals can you see in this picture?” From there, the questions become more fun, more interesting: a tiger threads itself through a spread of leaves, and the question asks, “How many animals can you not see in this one, because they’re hiding from the tiger?” A police car meanders by a group of women, and Barnett asks, “Which of these ladies just robbed a bank?” Interesting, colorful mixed media illustrations punch up a series of questions that ask readers to stretch their imaginations. The final spread is a great conversation opener for students. A sense of fun runs through the book – share that feeling with the kids! An excellent choice for picture book collections. Download a Teacher Tip card at Candlewick’s website.

Twenty Questions has a starred review from Booklist and was an Indie Next pick.

Never Let a Diplodocus Draw, by Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Diane Ewen, (Aug. 2023, Kane Miller), $13.99, ISBN: 9781684645800

Ages 3-7

The third book in “Never Let a Dinosaur…” series from Sirdeshpande and Ewen is here! The imaginative young girl is back with a new dinosaur and a new adventure, this time, teaching her diplodocus to draw. In cumulative fashion, the diplodocus lets her imagination run wild, becoming a global art sensation; her artwork selling for “gazillions” of dollars and her scupltures in demand from mayors all over the world’s cities. What happens when the paint factory can’t hold any more paint? You’ll have to read to find out. The story touches on the many ways we create and enjoy art, and Ewen’s colorful illustations place humans and dinosaurs side by side. A fun readaloud with a playful conclusion, Never Let a Diplodocus Draw is a cheery art storytime readaloud and pairs wonderfully with its predecessors, Never Show a T-Rex a Book and Never Let a Stegosaurus Do Sums.

All the Wonderful Ways to Read, by Laura Baker/Illustrated by Sandra de la Prada, (Aug. 2023, Kane Miller), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684645473

Ages 3-7

Inviting readers to join the “most welcoming club in the world”, Baker weaves a rhyming tale about all the ways there are to enjoy a story: “Will you pore over / e…ve…ry / word in a hush? / Or speed to the end in / an almighty rush?”Animals and humans enjoy books in a variety of locales, from a tent under the stars to a hot air balloon in this paen to the joy of reading and imagination. Baker touches on favorite genres and formats, like graphic novels and poetry; the process of finding that just-right book; and the experience of reading: “Will you laugh out loud? Gasp out loud? Call out together?” Reading is an activity that unites readers, thus creating what Baker calls – with great reason – “the most welcoming club in the world”. de la Prada’s cheery illustrations show groups of readers together; parents and children, and solitary readers alike, all enjoying a story and showing everyone that there’s no one way to enjoy a book. Navy blue endpapers display a variety of outlined characters reading; books are a bright yellow, offering a beacon to adventure. An excellent readaloud choice for those first weeks of school, for library class visits, and storytimes alike. All the Wonderful Ways to Read was originally published in Great Britain.

Back to School Readaloud: Read Island

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Read Island, by Nicole Magistro/Illustrated by Alice Feagan (Oct. 2021, Read Island, LLC), $18.99, ISBN: 9781736523308

Ages 3-6

A magical celebration of books and stories, Read Island follows the adventures of a young girl and her animal friends who journey to “an island made of books” and spend time with all the literary animals who live there. The delightful rhyming story is filled with vibrant color and cheery rhyme; digital images use printed media, including maps and pages from classic children’s stories and songs, as part of the scenery: a sailboat’s sail; animals and trees in silhouette; the curve of the ocean. A raven has a book trapped to their back as they circle the water eaglets cheer from their nest, greeting their parent as they swoop in with a book in their talons; a grizzly emerges from a cave holding a mug and a book. Everyone gathers on the beach for a storytime, and the verse invites readers to sit and take part: “Can you join them? / Just be still. / Breathe in. / Breathe out. Listen well”. Perfect to greet new students for the beginning of a school year; perfect for a class visit storytime. Visit the Read Island website for activities including a coloring sheet and a word search.

Released last October, Read Island is a delightful choice for back-to-school storytime collections.

Uncategorized

Moose’s Book Bus brings book love to you!

Posted on December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Moose’s Book Bus, by Inga Moore, (Nov. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536217674

Ages 3-7

A wonderful love letter to libraries and book lovers everywhere, Moose’s Book Bus starts with Moose, who has run out of stories to tell his family. He heads to the library after none of his neighbors have stories available, and he discovers a wealth of books to bring to his family! The news about Moose’s storytimes spreads, and before Moose can say “Cinderella”, his house is simply stuffed with friends and neighbors, all waiting for his stories! Moose asks the librarian at the library for some advice, and the two work together to create a bookmobile! Moose fixes up an old bus, the Duck Librarian fills it with books, and Moose drives the bus to his neighborhood, where he also teaches his friends to read – and they teach other friends, until everyone is able to read and love books together. This is heartwarming book illustrates the power that stories have to bring us together. Inga Moore’s pencil, pastel, and wash illustrations are soft, and her animal cast of characters are a delight. Perfect for library storytimes, you may want to pair it with Inga Moore’s A House in the Woods (2011), the companion book to Moose’s Book Bus. Sepia endpapers have a wonderfully antique feel to them, showing the book bus parked in the woods, with excited animal friends racing toward it. Download a free activity kit to have ready to hand out at storytime.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Never Show a T-Rex a Book! Or else…

Posted on February 27, 2021February 26, 2021 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Never Show a T-Rex a Book!, by Rashmi Sirdeshpande/Illustrated by Diane Ewen, (Jan. 2021, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 978-1-68464159-8

Ages 3-7

In this adorable nod to cumulative favorites like Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a… series, Never Show a T-Rex a Book! warns readers against letting their T-Rexes get hold of a book… because then they’ll want more, naturally! A little girl starts the story off, reading to her dinosaur toys, when her imagination takes her on a thrill ride: her T-Rex becomes real, and demands a trip to the library – and an all-night reading marathon that will result in a VERY clever dinosaur. Which could lead to the first dinosaur in government, the education of other dinosaurs, and a WORLD DINOSAUR TAKEOVER. Imagine? Giggle-worthy, with illustrations that show the power of books exploding all over the spreads, Never Show a T-Rex a Book! is all about imagination and embracing the fun of reading. We get frightened librarians and towering T-Rexes holding stacks of books (pshaw, I say; like we’ve never seen dinosaurs in the library before); dinos holding court in classrooms and in Parliament, and demanding luxuries like larger seats in the movie theatre! Get your dinosaur toys out and let them read along with you as you take your Kiddos on this cartoonish, wild, book-loving adventure.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me…

Posted on January 8, 2021January 7, 2021 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Pirate Nell’s Tale to Tell: A Storybook Adventure, by Helen Docherty & Thomas Docherty, (Sept. 2020, Sourcebooks), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1492698678

Ages 4-7

This rhyming tale of literacy on the high seas stars an all-canine cast. Nell, a younger pup, is so excited to join a pirate crew, but Captain Gnash scoffs at her bookishness and saves the ickiest tasks for her to do. A treasure map in a bottle shows up one night, but Captain Gnash manages to get himself and his crew into big trouble until Nell, and her Pirate’s Almanac, save the day! They finally make it to the island and discover the best treasure of all. Smart and light, this upbeat tale of books and how handy a little extra knowledge can be is great for library visits. Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty always manage to create the best stories about book lovers: they also wrote The Snatchabook and The Storybook Knight; both wonderfully woven rhyming tales of books and how they make things better. The colorful acrylic artwork will attract all readers; who doesn’t love a rollicking pirate story with sea monsters and treasure? Endpapers show off a cross-section of a pirate ship before and after the plunder. See if kids can spot the differences! Pair with Ronan the Librarian for the ultimate class visit storytime. Visit Helen Docherty’s website for downloadable goodies including masks and coloring sheets!

Daniela and the Pirate Girls, by Susana Isern/Illustrated by Gómez, Translated by Laura Victoria Fielden, (Aug. 2020, NubeOcho), $16.95, ISBN: 978-84-17673-27-7

Ages 5-8

The second book to star Daniela the Pirate, Daniela and her crew spend a good part of this new adventure aboard their pirate ship, the Black Croc, tracking down a group of pirates called The Fearless Piranhas. They keep showing up to rescue sea folk just before the Black Croc arrives, and the crew is starting to get worried: what if they beat the Croc to the best treasure, too? Just as the Black Croc happens upon the Fearless Piranhas ship, they both get caught up in a dangerous storm: luckily, Daniela knows a friend who can help everyone out! The two crews finally meet and decide that teamwork is the best way to work! Upbeat and positive, this pirate story is all about sharing and teamwork, with the acknowledgement that sometimes, jealousy and competition can get in the way of how we perceive others. Gómez always uses bright, cheerful colors in her artwork; here, vibrant landscapes and pirates stand out against the light blue sea and sky, really giving the characters center stage. Originally published in Spanish, this English translation will appeal to pirate fans while teaching a lesson in kindness.

Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

#SummersCool: Concepts, Political Science, and MAD LIBS!

Posted on July 28, 2020July 27, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Summer marches on, and we still don’t know what Fall is going to look like. So let’s keep pulling together all the learning material we can get our hands on, because whether or not we realize it, we’re all learning alongside our kids these days. Let’s make it fun!

This or That? What Will You Choose at the British Museum?, by Pippa Goodhart, (March 2020, Nosy Crow), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536212235

Ages 3-7

First up, I’ve got a great concept book: This or That? is part of the Early Learning at the Museum series from Candlewick’s Nosy Crow imprint. Author Pippa Goodhart and the Trustees of the British Museum have curated 12 spreads of artifacts from the British Museum’s collection, each with a different theme in mind: would you rather wear a skirt or a shirt? Live in a tent or a tree house? Soar above the ground in a balloon or skim the water in a boat? There are hundreds of jumping off points for more questions, some posed in the text (“Do you see any vehicles pulled by animals?” “Do you see any buildings with a ladder?”), and endless questions you can come up with as you look through the pictures with your kiddos. This is serious I Spy territory for colors, shapes, and counting here. The index has numbered spreads that provide more information about each featured piece. This is just a gorgeous, fun book that always offers something new to discover.

Baby Loves Political Science: Democracy!, by Ruth Spiro/Illustrated by Greg Paprocki, (April 2020, Charlesbridge), $8.99, ISBN: 978-1-62354-227-6

Ages 0-5

And now, for political science! The Baby Loves… series of board books have been a hit at my library (Baby Loves Science titles include Baby Loves Quarks! and Baby Loves Aerodynamics!), so I’m especially interested in this latest offshoot of the series. The first book, Baby Loves Political Science: Democracy! introduces the democratic process to little ones with easy-to-understand explanations of choosing leaders and defining terms like “candidate”, “rally”, and “polling place”. Bright, colorful and cartoony illustrations appeal to the littlest listeners, inviting them to look at the action in the books and get used to hearing these new vocabulary words; the text is wonderful for explaining the political process to pre-K readers and Kindergarteners. Ruth Spiro and Greg Paprocki let kids know that there’s enough room for everyone to get involved and have a voice, including cheering parents on when they’re voting, stamping postcards, and coloring signs for rallies. Involve children early on so they’ll grow up knowing they have a voice! Charlesbridge has a free, downloadable activity kit with coloring sheets and more.

Baby Loves Political Science: Justice!, by Ruth Spiro/Illustrated by Greg Poprocki, (Sept. 2020, Charlesbridge), $8.99, ISBN: 978-1-62354-228-3

Ages 0-5

Coming in September, we have a new Baby Loves Political Science book, Justice! Here, a little boy learns that breaking rules come with consequences, when he breaks something at home; it’s a jumping off point to explain how laws are rules that keep our communities safe and fair, and touches on an explanation of the Constitution, three branches of government, and how lawyers and courts help interpret the law to keep things as safe and fair as possible for all of us.

Greg Poprocki’s artwork is adorably bright and sweet, creating expressive cartoon characters who lead readers through classrooms, public spaces, and the halls of the court and government. Ruth Spiro explains huge concept in an easy-to-understand way that kids (and, like me, some adults) will easily understand and appreciate. I’m a fan of this new offshoot of Baby Loves Science and look forward to seeing what else is on the horizon. (Psst… Baby Loves Civil Disobedience? Anyone?)

Mad Libs Workbook: Grade 2 Reading, by Mad Libs, (Apr. 2020, Penguin Young Readers), $8.99, ISBN: 978-0-593-09616-1

Ages 7-9

WOW, I never thought I’d see the day when Mad Libs was recognized as an actual ELA aid! Mad Libs kept me sane during many a summer road trip as a kid, and seeing these new workbooks now just make my ’80s kid heart happy. Remember Mad Libs? You created crazy stories by inserting random adjectives, verbs, names of animals, numbers, planets, you name it, into the dialogue, and then read it back? Hilarious! Well, now, my generation must be in the driver’s seat, because there’s a line of Mad Libs Reading Workbooks for Grades 1-4. I checked out a copy of Grade 2’s reading workbook, because I have a second grader (well, he’s a rising third grader now) at home, so why not?

WOW. So spiffy. Now aligned with State and National Common Core Standards, Mad Libs workbooks have phonics work, grammar and spelling explanations, comprehension exercises, and vocabulary words. There are rebuses throughout the stories, helping readers use pictures to look at columns and identify the types of words that get dropped in the slots. Rather than just note, “adjective”, for instance, there will be a picture that leads the child to a column full of descriptive words. There are phonics exercises, with work on prefixes and suffixes, plurals, digraphs, and more. This is a phonics workout wrapped in absolute fun, and my kiddo and I are having a ball with it. Mad Libs, I’m so glad you’re still with me. Parents and educators, use some of these for summer reading challenges – or rewards!

That’s all for this #SummersCool. More to come! Stay cool and safe!

professional development

Good for Parents & Professional Development: How to Raise a Reader

Posted on September 6, 2019September 5, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

How to Raise a Reader, by Pamela Paul & Maria Russo/Illustrations by Vera Brosgol, Lisk Feng, Monica Garwood, & Dan Yaccarino, (Sept. 2019, Workman), $19.95, ISBN: 978-1523505302

I like finding good books to recommend to parents and to add to my own professional development, so I picked up How to Raise a Reader. Written by two editors of The New York Times Book Review, How to Raise a Reader is all about inspiring parents, caregivers, and educators to promote a lifetime love of reading. Organized into four parts – Born to Read, Growing a Reader, Your Middle-Grade Reader, and A Reader for Life, with a fifth section providing book suggestions by themes and reading levels (not A-Z, more like age and grade) – this is a handy Readers’ Advisory volume to have at your fingertips, and a good suggestion to hand parents who want to work toward growing their own readers. There’s advice, tips and facts about early childhood learning, and booklists, booklists, booklists. Illustrated in full-color by popular children’s book illustrators, this is a book that will make you fall in love with reading again, too. It’s easy to read; easily skimmed if you need to look for one specific section or booklist; and filled with an upbeat, positive attitude: you can do this! You can get kids to love books!

Never overwhelming, the information is presented in easily digestible sections and fact boxes. Get yourself a desk copy to keep on hand, and consider adding this to your parenting sections. And encourage those parents when they come in, looking scared and lost. Remind them that reading kids’ books is fun, and tell them that they should never feel bad about reading along with their kids, too! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a parent confide that they “aren’t really readers”, or “haven’t picked up a book in SO long”. Kids’ books are the best way to get back into reading – let this book and your expertise be the pep talk bewildered or just plain tired caregivers need.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Go on a Big Book Adventure with two friends!

Posted on July 22, 2019July 20, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Big Book Adventure, by Emily Ford/Illustrated by Tim Warnes, (Sept. 2018, Silver Dolphin Books), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-68412-378-0

Ages 3-7

A pig and a fox excitedly tell each other about their reading adventures, having spent their day at a Mad Tea Party, swimming with mermaids, running from Big Bad Wolves, and more! The rhyming story communicates the transformative power of reading by placing the characters – and readers – into the middle of beloved fairy tales and exciting new adventures, including a spaceship voyage and a dragon ride. The two friends decide to share books and exchange adventures, their favorite new and old literary friends surrounding them.

The artwork is sweet and whimsical, using soft colors for the main characters and changing palettes to fit each story: bold, vibrant colors for a science fiction story; classic Alice in Wonderland artwork for the tea party; muted blues and greens for a mermaid swim. The endpapers continue the story, with the front endpapers showing Piggy sitting on a tree branch, reading; a library-like “book club” meeting place at the base of a tree, where Foxy leaves, with a wagon holding books. Membership cards for the “Maple Leaf Book Club” show Foxy and Piggy’s credentials. The back endpaper shows different literary characters – and the Maple Leaf Book Club’s owl mascot – reading.

This one is great for a library read-aloud, and a class visit storytime. I’d pair this with Nibbles the Book Monster for more fairy tale fun.

Preschool Reads

Kisses for Kindergarten starts them off right

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Kisses for Kindergarten, by Livingstone Crouse/Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan, (June 2017, Silver Dolphin Books), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-62686-703-1

Storybook Knight: Great messages on many levels!

Posted on July 3, 2016June 17, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Storybook Knight, by Helen Docherty/Illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Oct. 2016, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1-4926-3814-8

Recommended for ages 4-8

Bookish Leo would love to sit and read all day, but his parents insist that he must fight – he’s a knight, after all. Saddling up his horse, Ned, with books and sandwiches, Leo heads out into the world to find a dragon in need of taming, and encounters a host of other storybook beasts, all of whom learn that sometimes, a good story is the best diversion of all!

The Storybook Knight is written and illustrated by the same duo that gave us The Snatchabook, now an award-winnign storytime standard. Kids will love the rhyming text and fantastic story of a gentle knight who finds a less violent way to bring peace to a nearby village. There’s a sense of excitement as Leo embarks on his quest, where he proves, time and again, that a good book can remedy most ills. It’s a gentle story that makes for a great bedtime, storytime, or anytime story.

Thomas Docherty’s acrylic inks and watercolors, on hot pressed watercolor paper, provide a real fairy tale look and feel to the artwork, with pastoral scenes and fantastic creatures. I love his griffin (even if he is a bit vain), and the dragon is big, orange-red giant with a heck of a temper. When Leo finally arrives at his destination, he discovers a huge mess, with dragon poop-lined streets that will get the kids giggling even as they cringe at the stinky destruction wrought by the fiery brute. Mr. Docherty has a gift for wonderful facial expressions – we see the grouchy dragon soften immediately, once Leo threatens to toss a book with lots of dragons into the trash unless he cleans up his act. The griffin and troll each start out fierce, but turn into smiling, even preening, gentlemen once presented with a book starring someone like them.

And that’s the final gift that Storybook Knight gives us: it shows readers how wonderful it is to find yourself represented in a book. In its own way, The Storybook Knight is a fantasy championing of the need for diversity in children’s lit. Read this book with your fantasy books – maybe Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great or If I Had a Gryphon – and display books for your community nearby, so kids can find pictures of families that look just like theirs.

Great addition to storytime collections!

Helen Docherty’s author website includes free, downloadable resources that work with many of her books. You can also learn more about school visits and author talks, and find more information about her books.