The last couple of years have been hard on the world and it has taken a toll on all of us in different ways, especially educators and their students. As we move away from masking and social distancing toward the end of this pandemic, I find myself having a bit of difficulty in adjusting. Masking… Continue reading Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl
Tag: picture book
Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki
Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki When I first encountered Dad Bakes on the “New Picturebooks” shelves of my local library I didn’t have any expectations beyond a read-aloud to compliment a cold weekend after some father-son baking time. When flour finally returned to shelves a few months into the initial on-set of the pandemic, baking… Continue reading Dad Bakes by Katie Yamasaki
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham is a book about the sudden shifts that occurred during the pandemic. It is not just a tale of going inside, it is a tale of coming together, withstanding troubling times, growing, and emerging stronger and better. The illustrations beautifully capture the stark difference between life inside and life outside.… Continue reading Outside, Inside by LeUyen Pham
Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume by Kwame Alexander
When the kids came home from their day of hybrid learning with boom sticks and recorders, I knew the perfect book to get us in the musical mood. Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume written by one of my favorite authors, Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Tim Bowers, was the perfect fit. Based on… Continue reading Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume by Kwame Alexander
Going Up by Sherry Lee
Going Up by Sherry Lee reviewed by Susan Kennedy As we are going back to school in whatever form that is taking, hopefully we are returning to writing. I love writing with students and hearing them storytell their narrative plans. Returning to school this fall, I hope we'll start with some narratives: small moments, memoirs,… Continue reading Going Up by Sherry Lee
I Have Missed Books
A Sharing of My Best Friend by Julie Fogliano & Jillian Tamaki This was a different kind of reading summer. Normally, I go to local libraries on hot days, browse the recent releases in the children's section for hours, and check out stacks upon stacks of beautiful books. I visit small, local bookstores and linger… Continue reading I Have Missed Books
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Kids love Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae, but they love it even more when it has sounds and songs. After reading this aloud to a first grade class recently, the students all stood up and cheered. The book was front and center at their meeting place on the rug, but Novel Effect, a free,… Continue reading Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
I Wonder by K.A. Holt and Kenard Pak
Do tires ever get tired? How does a clock know what time it is? These are just some of the questions children ponder in author K.A. Holt's I Wonder picture book. With beautiful, whimsy illustrations by Kenard Pak, both the text and the images capture the questions we all have thought, but didn't dare to… Continue reading I Wonder by K.A. Holt and Kenard Pak
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Margarita Engle is one of my favorite poets! Elementary children love Drum Dream Girl and Bravo!. Middle schoolers love her memoirs Enchanted Air and Soaring Earth. She writes in a lyrical fashion that is so beautiful it causes your breath to catch. Dancing Hands, like her other work, does not disappoint. A picture book told… Continue reading Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln by Margarita Engle and Rafael López
Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
"You saved my life!" "And you saved mine!" They said to one another. And in a flash, to each it felt, there simply was no other." Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis is Haack's debut picture book with a happy ending. A modern take on a traditional tale of finding the… Continue reading Prince & Knight by Daniel Haack
I Will Be Fierce!
I Will Be Fierce! By Bea BirdsongIllustrated by Nidhi Chanani I Will Be Fierce! by Bea Birdsong captures one young girl's journey as she takes on the world around her in valiant ways. Our protagonist finds that she has all the tools she needs to take on the things that frighten her. Author Bea Birdsong… Continue reading I Will Be Fierce!