Posted in Middle Grade, Middle School, Non-fiction, Tween Reads

Outdoor School is in session!

I’m excited to be a super influencer in Macmillan and Odd Dot’s Outdoor School campaign! Outdoor School is a series of books that’s going to help kids (and us grownups!) “re-wild” our lives, by helping reacquaint us with the outdoors and the world around us. Launching at the end of April, Outdoor School will have three definitive, interactive nature guides: Animal Watching; Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting, and Hiking and Camping. There are also two smaller, pocket Essentials Guides on Animal Tracks and Survival Skills; made with durable Tyvek material, these little guides are waterproof and tear-proof. Finally, there are Spot and Sticker books on Animals, Plants, and Birds, each with over 400 illustrated stickers for kids to use as decoration; plus, the book folds out into a checklist poster where kids can keep track of animals they discover along the way.

It’s been a heck of a year, and one thing we have started doing more is embracing the outdoors. I know, during the initial lockdown, we started walking around more because it was somewhere to go, somewhere to be able to see our friends and let my Kiddo run around and have while being able to keep a safe distance. Being able to take this a step further, with these guide books and sticker books, will make the spring and summer even more fun for my Kiddo and for my library kiddos: think of your local green spaces, like public parks. Think of local wildlife – we found raccoon footprints the cement over by a house near Kiddos’s school, which made us laugh, thinking about a raccoon leaving his little mark on wet cement in the middle of an urban borough. These books are beautifully constructed, with colorful pages and artwork, and it fosters a real respect for and love of the outside.

This is just the beginning of the promotion, so keep an eye out for lots more content and challenges until the books publish at the end of April. Watch this space for more.

Posted in Preschool Reads

Meet Petra, a rock with Zen

Petra, by Marianna Coppo, (Feb. 2018, Tundra Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9780735262676

Recommended for readers 4-8

Meet Petra. She’s an eternal, unmoving mountain. But, wait – a dog picks Petra up and brings her to its owner, who tosses her into a bird’s nest. No worries. She’s an egg, loaded with potential, once she hatches. Oops, nope… Mama Bird has returned, and tosses Petra into a lake. No problem. She’s an amazing island! Oh… now, she’s in a young girl’s room, where she’s transformed… into something new and exciting. You see, Petra isn’t stressed about it: she’s all about the present; experiences; potential and becoming. And that’s what makes this book, and this rock, such a wonderful read. Petra is along for the journey, not the destination. She is laid back, and lives in the moment. She’s happy with herself and in whatever situation she finds herself, because she’s able to find the excitement and joy – thanks, in part, to her vivid imagination – in everything. Can you think of a better outlook?

This is a great book to read to kids, especially preschoolers, who are still learning to transition from one task to another. It allows for a lot of interactivity: ask questions like, do you think Petra is a mountain? Is that a really, really big dog? What do you think will happen next? Where do you think Petra will go next? Let them draw their own Petras, and see where their imaginations take them. Talk to them about emotions and feelings: is Petra angry when she gets picked up and moved? What does she do? Talk about being positive and seeing new experiences as an exciting adventure.

The artwork is just adorable. It reminds me a bit of Jon Klassen’s artwork, which drew me to the cover in the first place. It’s rendered in digital collage, pastels, and tempera, giving a soft, textured feel to Petra and her surroundings. The endpapers look like close-ups of rock, inviting readers to guess what they’re looking at before we start the story. Think of this as Zen Shorts for the preschool set.

I’m going to read this one during my yoga storytime, for sure. Petra has starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus. You can see more of Marianna Coppo’s illustration at her Tumblr. Originally published in Italian, Petra is available in English in February.