Kid's Book Blog

simple text and beautiful illustrations make this a great bedtime read aloud story! three curious animals discover they are children of the moon! perfect addition to your nighttime reading.

PreS-Gr 1–Various animal babies interact with the full moon in this quiet charmer. Otter playfully "catches" it in order to give the orb a big hug, a raccoon plays with the reflection of its light, and an owl smiles at the stars and pretends she can balance the moon on the tip of her nose. There is very little text–only one sentence per spread–but it works well for this subject matter and mood. Sayles has primarily used dark blue and brown pastels with acrylic ink to set the tone for this peaceful night where all is well. Sweet dreams are sure to follow. Perfect for bedtime or evening storytimes

a softly illustrated book about a little rabbitt and his frustration with his mom! a good read aloud for when your having a bad day with your little one!

PreS-K–Sitting alone at the breakfast table while his mother sleeps in, a young rabbit begins to list his grievances: Mommy always sleeps late, never lets him watch cartoons, yells for no reason, is late picking him up from school, and says that she can't marry him even when he gets bigger. “So I'm really mad at you, Mommy,” the little rabbit announces, “So mad I'm gonna LEAVE. I'm going someplace far, far away. GOOD-BYE.” After two wordless spreads, where the clock indicates that only five minutes have passed, he returns to ask if his mother missed him. She replies with a reassuring “SO much!” With a sparsely worded text, the simple, muted watercolor illustrations, outlined with soft charcoal, communicate most of the emotions and provide the rest of the story. Like Anna Dewdney's Llama, Llama Mad at Mamma (Viking, 2007), this Japanese import, a follow-up to The Snow Day (Scholastic, 2009), conveys the sweet and satisfying message of a mother's unconditional love. Perfect for one-on-one sharing and for generating a discussion about feelings, self-expression, and forgiveness.

First the monster who lives under the bed wants to get on top with Jim. Then other creatures follow, until the bed gets so crowded that Jim ends up underneath it.

a fun and creative story about going to bed and the monsters under the bed actually ask to sleep with jim (the little boy in the story) a sweet bedtime read or fun for those kids who love monsters!

There once was a dog who had no name, and he had no home.” Thankfully, this down-on-his-luck mutt has cuteness in spades, which comes in handy the day he meets a lonely boy in a city park. Usually he is shooed away and called “fleabag”—the fleas are illustrated as little dots floating above his head—but this particular boy likes him anyway. In fact, as the weeks wear on, the two look forward to each meeting. But then comes terrible news: the boy is moving away. The sadness of the moment is beautifully evoked with a giant green crest of a hill minimizing the city and giving rise to a blue sky empty of all things save a single airplane. Stephens' paint-and-pencil artwork nicely muddles the messy gray areas of a gritty city and alternates multiframe pages with spreads that are surprisingly open. This being a story about loyalty, there is naturally a very happy ending in store.

adorable story of a lonely little homeless dog called Fleabag who finds a new family in a little boy he meets at the park! A perfect read aloud for dog lover's!

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—Leo's mom knows the extent of her son's fascination with trucks. He's driven them up and down her legs, lost one in her oatmeal, and used another to pour syrup on his pancakes. When they go outside to explore the neighborhood, he ignores everything but the trucks, and when she surprises him with a new cat, he exclaims, "This is not a fire truck!" The plump tabby will not be pushed away, though; she finds ways to interact with Leo and his trucks. With a cat like Lola in his life, the child eventually finds different uses for his toys and more time to spend with a new friend. This book is sure to be a hit at storytime. The colorful art is hilarious and full of the details in a child's everyday life. It's is fun from cover to cover, and the text allows readers to make themselves as loud as the trucks and as animated as Leo.

Leo receives an unexpected gift one day -- a cat rather than a truck but, his cat loves trucks too! A fun story to read to anyone who loves trucks and cats!

An adorable dancing book for a fun and active read with a young child! would perfect be paired with Wiggle By Doreen Cronin!

Each season brings its own challenges to the workers at the Village Garage. In spring, they clean up winter's debris from the roads and wash their trucks. In summer, they patch potholes, deal with damage from a thunderstorm, and host a Fourth of July party. Autumn brings falling leaves, sucked up by the Elephant Truck, and a broken pipe to mend. In winter all is quiet until a big snowstorm comes, and they must clear the roads. Children will enjoy watching this amiable crew balancing work and play as the year cycles through the seasons. Adding bits of fun along the way, the simple text explains their tasks without too much detail. Nicely varied in composition, the appealing pencil, gouache, and acrylic illustrations offer wonderfully childlike depictions of the workers and their machines. Great for kids fascinated by outdoor workers, this picture book offers a welcome change of pace from more basic volumes on trucks.

A perfect read aloud to the boys or girls who love trucks - dump trucks, wood chipers, street sweepers, backhoes etc. It's all about trucks and the things they do during the different seasons of the year.
A cute story!

The Little Princess wants to have two birthdays! Very well, says the prime minister. Of course, when the princess sees how much fun two birthdays are, she must have three. Then four. Then more! But the more birthdays she has, the less special they are. Fortunately, the king has a clever solution up his royal sleeve.


Who doesn't love a fun birthday party with cake and presents.  An adorable story of a little princess who wishes for more birthdays ! In fact she decides she wants one every day! But then she changes her mind after she gets tired of getting cleaned up for her special days!
A great read aloud or at family sharing time.

Nell's birthday is in August, and as soon as it's over, she starts to feel as though her next one is never going to get here. But then her mom reminds her that the year is packed with different reasons to celebrate, as each month in the calendar brings another holiday—from Labor Day to New Year's to the Fourth of July. And when there's always a different special day just around the corner, the time between birthdays really flies!


With a bouncy text and sweet, stylishly retro illustrations, this one-stop holiday book is guaranteed to be enjoyed all year long.
cute story about a little girl counting down to her brithday by remembering the holidays throught out the year!

Kissing a bunny might be funny, but kissing a mop has got to stop!
It's giggles galore when one fearless baby goes on a kissing adventure. There are plenty of kissable characters to meet along the way as our mischievous little kissy-face is quick to pucker up. And at the end of the day, when he is all “puckered” out, it's Daddy who gets the last kiss good night. Parents will love reading this winning, silly-sweet story aloud, and preschoolers will go gaga for Liza Woodruff's adorable illustrations.

an adorable rhyming story about a baby and kisses! a fun read aloud or a great book for personal one on one sharing!

PreSchool-K–A little elephant wonders what he can do with a plain cardboard box. He comes up with all sorts of ideas, transforming the object into a hat, a container for toys, and a hide-and-seek haven. Finally, he decides to make a book box, and the rest of the story provides insight into the limitless possibilities of such a creation. Single- and double-page paintings show the elephant and his small frog friend enjoying the contents of the book box from breakfast to the bathroom to bedtime.




this book is an adorable story about an elephant and frog on an imaginative adventure with all the ways you can imagine using a box-- a car, table, book box, pasta box, pizza box, bug box, hat box, and atoy box just to name a few! colorful illustrations give this story a wide appealfor younger audiences or even family reading.

It's Halloween, and Splat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. Unfortunately he's just too much of a scaredy-cat. He's afraid of a little spider, and everyone says his costume looks more silly than scary. And when Mrs. Wimpydimple tells a ghost story in the dark, Splat gets so frightened that he tips over his jack-o'-lantern. But when the lights go back on, the entire class is scared silly by a small, black, furry creature with a big pumpkin head. Whooooo can it be?

an adorable addition to the Splat the Cat series by Rob Scotton! This halloween story would make for a great read-aloud at a Costume Party!

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 2—The defensive, domesticated tan-and-white cat is back in this sequel to Bandit (2008). He has a new roommate, a little gray kitten, and he is not happy. Mitzy drinks and eats from his bowls, uses his litter box, and, worse of all, plays with Fuzzy Mouse. He swipes at Mitzy's face and is scolded by his owner. In response, Bandit says, "I'm outta here" and leaps through an open window. Later, when he is stuck outside in the rain, Mitzy comes to the rescue and Bandit reluctantly shares some of his precious belongings with her. The story is told through brief narrative and dialogue balloons that are filled with cat witticisms such as calling Mitzy "Tattletail" and "Fish Breath." To children, Mitzy is like a new sibling who steals their toys and attention, and they will identify. The clever pencil and ink illustrations are digitally enhanced and capture Bandit's frustration and annoyance and his misery when he is locked out. Both felines' humanlike expressions give feeling to the text. Bandit's story will console children with an attention-getting younger sibling and entertain them with the laugh-out-loud dialogue and situations.

PreS—Short lines of bouncy, rhyming text describe how several adorable, chubby babies and toddlers participate in their local Hispanic celebration. For instance, "Fiesta Babies march on parade/wearing coronas Mamá has made." These lines of text stand alone on a page, embellished with the detail of a gaily decorated lamppost that echoes the street scene opposite. The length and rhythm of the text make this book an excellent choice for toddler and preschool storytimes. Córdova once again demonstrates how her award-winning style brilliantly brings an author's words to life. Her bold acrylic colors and brisk brushstrokes capture the fiesta's energy and good cheer. The images of sombreros, serapes, and papel picado are firmly rooted in Mexican culture, and the artist shows black, brown, and white babies celebrating this fiesta together. A short glossary explains the Spanish words in a child-friendly context.

a simple text book about  babies, toddlers and fiestas ! A perfect simple read aloud or for one on one sharing!

On the first day of school, the teacher gathers her students into a circle to share their wishes for the coming year. Some are negative (“I won’t be a vegetable in our school play”), some rosy (“I’ll look good in my school picture”), and some perhaps overly optimistic (“We’ll have SKATEBOARD DAY”), but as a group, they reflect a great many facets of the elementary-school experience. The text concludes with the teacher’s wish to “get to know each one of you,” which falls a bit flat. The final, wordless double-page spread, with happy children holding crayon pictures emblematic of their wishes, creates a more satisfying ending for this picture book. And, in the classroom, it could lead straight into the year’s first art project.

An adorable addition to read to any classroom about the start of school! It reminds of the Book May there always be sunshine by Jim Gill as the children in the book's wishes for the school year are illustrated in a fun way in this great simple read aloud!

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Bridget loves to draw, but she needs her black artist's beret as her muse. One day as she is outdoors working, it flies off into the wind, and she believes that her inspiration has flown with it. Other hats don't help and she stops drawing. But when her little sister begs her to make a sign for a lemonade stand, Bridget agrees. Once she starts painting, she finds that the art was inside her all along; in fact, her new paintings are more sophisticated and draw on the works of recognizable artists. Lichtenheld's ink, colored pencil, and watercolor cartoon illustrations, heavy on line and filled with childlike drawings, add humor and character to the story.

A great read aloud story about a little girl and her "art" and her love of drawing! Its a fun read for the family or to you budding little artist!

Follow the life cycle of an apple: from fruit growing on the tree to market, to picnic, to seed, to sapling and tree, and finally to a new apple. This simple, joyful book with radiant illustrations introduces readers to the amazing and delectable way the earth provides food.

Beautiful illustrations express the life cycle of the apple! The perfect fall book to read before visiting the apple orchard or to get ready for fall!

The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here! With soft colored art, adorable children, and colorful outdoor scenes, LET IT FALL celebrates all the seasonal awe of autumn.

Soft illustrations and simple text describe what fall is like! A fun read aloud when preparing for fall or getting ready for fall's outdoor activities!

Once upon a time, a naughty little girl named Goldilocks stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. She didn’t wonder. She didn’t ask. She walked straight into the Three Bears’ house and made herself at home. "Disgusting and cold!" she proclaimed of a bowl of porridge. "Awful!" she groaned, sinking into a too-soft chair. "Bullseye!" she cried, snuggling up in a bed that was just as right as right could be. And then the bears came back. . . . With humor and warmth, Emma Chichester Clark brings new life to a much-loved fairy tale.


a softly illustrated version of the orginal story of Goldiclocks and the three bears! A fun read aloud using some modern phrasing! and funny ending that you would not expect! a familar but creative family read!

A small red fox joins playmates Goose and Polar Bear, introduced in A Splendid Friend, Indeed (2005)-setting up a "three's a crowd" conflict that even the still-diapered set will quickly recognize. Initial shyness dissipating quickly, Fox repeatedly announces "I want to play a new game." But Fox's hopscotch squares are too small for Bear, checkers is a two-player game and the telescope is a one-at-a-time sort of toy. Off Bear stomps in a huff, leaving Goose to make a choice. As before, Bloom poses shaggy figures against a rich blue color field and artfully uses body language rather than text (which runs to fewer than 100 words) to crank up the emotional intensity. Fox's sharp nose and bushy tail are particularly eloquent at expressing bossiness, lonely remorse after Bear and Goose depart and relief after Fox is invited back into the fold ("Bear is my big, old, sometimes grumpy friend," says Goose. "You can be our new friend") and curls up in Bear's lap to share a book. Another splendid outing, indeed. (Picture book. 3-6)

Adorable new adventure with the big white polar bear from author Suzanne Bloom. A perfect adventure to share as a read aloud with a little one. Bright illustrations will attract many young toddlers and preschoolers to this very simple story of friendship and games.

PreSchool-Grade 2—In this heartwarming picture book, a grandmother shares stories with her grandson about his dad, who listens and watches with a smile. Once she opens the photo album, readers are engaged in a tender trip down memory lane. Grandma points out the similarities in appearance and behavior between father and son. Both are "puny and red-faced" when they are born. They begin school with trepidation, but with practice learning becomes easier. Some days, Dad could be "sweet," "wild," bossy, or raise a "ruckus," just like his son. Walker's use of layers of acrylic paints creates soft, gentle illustrations. Small details, such as black corners on the photos, provide authenticity to the time span. Characters' facial expressions and body language successfully capture emotions, actions, and reactions. Children will laugh at the spreads of Dad as a baby joyously singing in a bubble bath; pretending to be a race car, a gorilla, a cowboy, or a masked bandit; moping through a time-out; and coping with the disappointment of losing a baseball game.

a softly illustrated read aloud that's perfect for little ones or to share with the family! Also would make a special gift or a great story to share with a new father or even a grandparent!

PreS—An eager little dog is looking for someone to play with when her ball bounces down a hill into town. A colorful spread shows the park and four buildings set around it, with many children and adults playing and going about their business. Maggie searches for her ball everywhere, circling the town and looking in all the shop windows. The illustrations are bright and big, as is the minimal text, making the oversize book a winner for preschool storytimes as well as for individual perusings where the ample small details will fascinate children. Eventually, Maggie ends up disconsolately resting near a bench occupied by a girl reading—but wait—is there a yellow ball next to the bench? The little girl asks Maggie to play ball with her, and the pup delightedly complies. The pictures of the dog bursting with joy and happiness when she finds her ball and a friend are priceless.

An adorable companion book for a little one or any dog lover! a fun search and find read aloud story for young children!  Check this book and see if you can help Maggie find her little ball!

PreSchool-K
As the title indicates, this is a silly book about the first day of kindergarten with one's own buffalo. The analogy here is that kids react and behave differently, and that there is a place for all of them in school. The story prompts readers to remind the buffalo that finger painting is fun and it's okay to get messy; those hooves could create a masterpiece. Buffaloes (and children) learn how to get along without using their horns. "Cooperating and taking turns are both Very Big Deals in kindergarten." This wacky picture book, with its bold cartoonlike illustrations of a buffalo that snorts, dances, and makes faces, may help apprehensive youngsters to be more at ease about going to school. "Everyone's special in his or her own way. That's the kind of thing you learn in kindergarten." Vernick's amusing tale will prove handy as a first-day-of-school book recommendation for children and teachers alike.

By Claire Alexander
Preschool-Grade 1
Cinderella meets American Idol in this charming little tale. Small Florence is intimidated by her older sisters, never more so than when she tries singing in front of them. She has dreams of being a pop star, but it is her sisters who take singing lessons. When an Idol-style TV show comes to town, her sisters are ready to audition immediately. Florence wants to try out, too, but when the duo commands her to “sing us a song right now!” she can barely emit a squeal. On the day of the tryouts, the big sisters get their chance—but blow it big-time. The judges and the audience render them small and shy. Meanwhile, a voice belts out from the background . . . Alexander, a talented artist, gets this spread exactly right—two black pages and a spray of golden spotlight with a tiny pig singing a swirl of notes. All of the pictures, in fact, are sturdily illustrated and executed with verve and humor, drawing readers right into a story that will feel happily familiar.

by Deborah Heiligman
PreSchool-Grade 2
Tinka, a golden retriever, is "a joy dog,/a boy's dog,/a chews-a-brand-new-toy dog." She loves her boy and doesn't like being left at home when he boards a bus on a fall morning. When Mom isn't looking, the "spring-and-sprint-and-streak dog" races to school, runs through the halls causing mayhem, and ends up finding her boy in his classroom. Although she makes the teacher unhappy by messing up the room, the students are delighted by Tinka's presence and find that the pup loves a read-aloud. In the end, she's "a please-come-every-day dog."

Bowers's vivid acrylic illustrations are full of expression, from the pup peeking through a screen door while waiting to make her move to the smiling children and teacher waving good-bye at the end of the day. Youngsters will like learning with each turn of the page just what makes this dog so special.

by James Howe

PreSchool-Grade 2

This is a great story about acceptance and pursuing one's dream. When Brontorina Apatosaurus appears at the door of Madame Lucille's Dance Academy for Boys and Girls, she faces rejection. Young Clara and Jack tug at Madame to accept her, while naysayers jeer at her lack of proper shoes. Finally, Madame admits Brontorina, and humorous scenes show little boys and girls doing arabesques, relevés, and jetés, while enormous Brontorina gracefully crashes into the ceiling.

Madame concludes that the new pupil is just too big. Brontorina turns to leave, a dinosaur-size tear falling from her eye. Then the teacher has a realization: The problem is not that you are too big. The problem is that my studio is too small, and the academy gets relocated and renamed.

A quiet fusion of pathos, comedy, and passion is echoed in the painterly, softly textured, muted oil illustrations. The final picture of the orange dinosaur perched like a bird atop a dancing triceratops, silhouetted against the setting sun, is priceless.

by Kat Yeh
Grades Pre-K to 2nd

The little bunnies had been naughty and everyone was tired. Mama Bunny told her little bunnies that none of that mattered because she will love her bunnies no matter what. After the bunnies were put to bed, Mama Bunny sat exhausted on the couch until Grandpa Bunny came over and told Mama that when a papa loves a bunny, he still loves her when she's grown and has bunnies of her own.

The illustrations present a busy family in a cozy atmosphere. The childlike actions and emotions displayed by the bunnies will be familiar to most children as they examine the pictures. The dainty drawings were done in a pastel palette with lots of white background, reflecting the mood and simplicity of the story. From the soft illustrations to the tone of text, there is an overall sense of gentleness. However, while children will understand the message of mother's love, the grandfather's tender feelings for his daughter may be a bit beyond their ken.

The story gives me goosebumps. It is a story of enduring love and unconditional love.

A Preston the Pig Story
by Colin McNaughton
Ages 4-8

Preston was walking home from school when SUDDENLY...Preston avoids the scary wolf by chance when he forgets to do one thing or another. The wolf, who is lerking around every corner is left without his afternoon snack while Preston safely navigates home to his mother who gives him a big hug.

Young readers will delight in knowing more than the happily oblivious porcine hero. The art is ideal for group sharing. This story will make a good combination with other fairy tales in which all the pigs might not experience such a happy ending, and is a refreshing relief from the classic tale where the only way to save your hide is to be smart, industrious, and build a very strong house. Zany fun that's perfect for young audiences.

by Nancy White Carlstrom
Pre-K to Kindergarten

Annie Claire is worried about her first day of school. What if she is too tired, spills her milk, falls asleep, etc. Annie Claire's mother talks her through each situation and then gives her an explaination why that isn't something to worry about.

Soothing watercolors, outlined in pen on cold press paper, create soft illustrations that emphasize the fun, excitement, and positive aspects of this milestone. The animal classmates, teachers, school staff, and Mom and Annie Claire are portrayed with subtle facial expressions and gestures that support the text.

What gives this tender title depth is the relationship between mother and daughter. The mother's comments are messages of love and encouragement. Annie Claire poignantly brings the story to its conclusion with a question about what her mother's day will be like when she is at school. This is a great book for kids heading off to pre-school, kindergarten, or day care.

Animals in Groups from A to Z
by Marjorie Blain Parker and Joseph Kelly
Ages:4-8

This is a great alphabet book that shows animals and relates the name of that animal group. It is interesting to find out all the group names, like a bask of crocodiles and a crash of rhinos.

What really makes this book are the incredible illustrations. Instead of calling the pictures illustrations, I want to say artwork. They are gorgeous and lifelike, except for the humor that the illustrator finds in words. For instance, for a run of salmon the artist puts little jerseys on the fish as if they were in a marathon and for a school of x-ray fish the artist puts mortarboards on the fish. It is funny and cute and wonderful.

By Sebastien Braun
Grades: PreSchool-Grade 1

Ed, an adorable mouse, loves his bedtime routine. But Ed does not like staying in bed. Night after night he wakes his parents and climbs in with them, ignoring the cries of "Back to bed, Ed!"

His exhausted parents can take no more and one night Ed discovers a "closed" sign on their tightly shut door. Dad emerges and escorts his son back to his own bed. But the unhappy mouse does not stay put. Instead he gathers up all his stuffed friends and brings them to bed too, declaring, "There's no need to be scared…I'm here now." Finally he is able to sleep in his own bed.

Braun's clean illustrations in India ink with markers and colored pencils are bright and bold. Set against plenty of white space, they show all the emotions of the characters and many interesting details. The simple text works in tandem with the illustrations to produce a great story that's fun to read. What's more, the book has an excellent representation of both Mom and Dad parenting.

This book is great for any dog loving child.

by Holly Hobbie
Ages 4-8
Fanny, who wears eyeglasses, a headband, a tutu, leggings, and sneakers, is no ordinary girl. More than anything, she wants a high-fashion Connie doll. However, her mother does not like the way the doll looks, so Fanny is unlikely to get one. Fanny attempts to resolve this situation by making her own rag doll, which she loves well enough until her friends make fun of it. Fanny decides she likes her doll and brings it on a playdate.

The soft watercolor illustrations show this protagonist to be an independent thinker as well as a talented seamstress. Sometimes not following the crowd can have unexpectedly wonderful results.

By Emma Garcia
Colorful cars beep-beep, toot-toot, vroom-vroom, and whoosh across these collage-like pages, inviting kids along on an entertaining trip. Little ones will love joining in with the sounds, reading them aloud as they watch a little red jeep, big blue van, sleek black sports car, long pink limousine, and big yellow taxi pass by. But what do you get when all these vehicles make their distinctive sounds at the same time? A lot of chugga-chugga, honk-honk noise! But in the end each vehicle finds its parking space and, like all good children, settles down for the night.


Toot Toot Beep Beep follows up on the highly successful Tip Tip Dig Dig. Recommended for any car obsessed child.

Grandpappy snippy snappies
His suspenders all the day
Snippy-snappy-snoo
What those suspenders can do!
A simple snippy snap of Grandpappy's suspenders always saves the day in a topsy-turvy way!
But what happens when Grandpappy's suspenders lose their snap?
Droopy draggy Grandpappy still has to come to the rescue—and he'd better make it snappy!




Humorous story of grandpappy and his fancy snippy snappy suspenders. A silly story to share with young children who like funny stories read to them.

If ever there were a perfect picture book for those so-called "reluctant readers" this is it. Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't) tells the story of Missy, a little girl who rejects just about every story that comes her way. She complains that "They're too kissy. Too pink. And too silly." The tireless librarian Miss Brooks is not about to give up, nor is Missy's mom. When Missy realizes she'd like to read about warts, Mom comes through with an inspired choice that sets this picky reader on the path to book bliss.

An adorable story perfect for that child that says they don't like to read! It is sure to make you laugh out loud and get you talking about some of the librarian's favorite book titles that are listed throughout this story!

PreSchool-K—DePaola offers a portrait of a little boy and his doting mother, who bakes cookies, sews Halloween costumes, and can even stand on her head. Each page offers one of her skills, with soft, acrylic paintings illustrating the full range of her abilities. This story acts as more of a nostalgic picture album of dePaola's childhood than as a fully developed story, but the simple sweetness of the vignettes both in text and illustration present a heartfelt tribute to one fabulous woman. While the story is an endearing celebration of one specific parent, it's unlikely to resonate with many of today's children.

A Book that is a must read for a mother and child together! It is the perfect celebration of everything a mother is good at and just knows! The perfect read alound to young children when talking about mothers or even for the special holiday of Mothers Day! A definite addition to a new mothers library or a perfect gift for mothers day!

Kids can be afraid of lots of different things - the dark, spiders, dogs, clowns, monsters. This book outlines the steps kids can use to deal with their everyday fears, and get back to the business of being a kid.

This is a good story to share with little ones who have different types of fears. It gives tips on how to make those fears seem less scary and gives information for parents on how to help their children with their fears.
We highly recommend sharing this book with those little ones becuase it is a good explaination of the many fears experienced and some simple tips to follow to help kids cope with their fears.

What better way to fancy Mom up for her birthday than to treat her to a super-deluxe beauty day created by Fancy Nancy herself? It's a pampering paradise, and right in the backyard! With relaxing music, fragrant lotions, colorful nail polish, and foamy mousse, Nancy gives her mom a total makeover. She even treats her to sumptuous refreshments and special entertainment. But when the pampering suddenly goes too far, has Nancy ruined her mom's big day?
Complete with tips and recipes for creating a super-deluxe beauty day of your own, Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It's Beauty Day will inspire budding beauty experts to open up shop and join in the deluxe fanciness!

An adorable story with fun ilustrations and cute beauty tip ideas! Another fun addition to the fancy nancy book series highly recommended for all little girls who love to play dress up and beautify themselves.

The vibrant illustrations and textured colors  boldly leap off the page against a background of ample white space. The sheer fun of the rhythmic text and the large alphabet letters work well for a read-aloud audience, but the busy, engaging details of the peas in their various worker modes are better suited for one-on-one exploration that young children will want to pore over again and again.—

A fun and simple story about a Pangolin (a scaly type of anteater). This a perfect story to share with little ones even though they will not recognize the animal right away. Thought out the story the little Pangolin is nervous and frightened of every day things and sounds. But soon realizes once he meets a friend just like him that things are not so scary when there is a friend to share it with. Adorable book with simple text and great pictures. A perfect addition to share by the same author as the Llama Llama series.


from the web some facts about Pangolin is--The physical appearance of pangolins is marked by large, hardened, plate-like scales. The scales, which are soft on newborn pangolins but harden as the animal matures, are made of keratin, the same material of which human fingernails and tetrapod claws are made. The pangolin is often compared to a walking pine cone or globe artichoke. It can curl up into a ball when threatened, with its overlapping scales acting as armour and its face tucked under its tail. The scales are razor-sharp, providing extra defence. The front claws are so long that they are unsuited for walking, and so the animal walks with its fore paws curled over to protect them. Pangolins can also emit a noxious smelling acid from glands near the anus, similar to the spray of a skunk. Pangolins have short legs, with sharp claws which they use for burrowing into termite and ant mounds, as well as climbing. (wikipedia)

Nancy Elizabeth Wallace continues to explore difficult topics while making them more accessible to young readers with her signature cut-paper illustrations and, in this book, photographs from NASA.


Minna is a stargazer. She looks at the nighttime sky and wonders, What are stars? Minna's friends wonder about stars too. How far away are they? Are they really shaped like stars? Is the sun a star? At the Children's Museum, Minna and her friends visit STAR SPACE. The children learn . . . and wonder . . . learn . . . and wonder. Then they go outside and stargaze! Recipes for star-shaped food and an activity page are included.
 
Adorable book with fun illustrations and great information about the sun and solar system and stars! A perfect gift that a star lover. I learned some new things about the sun and stars I did not even know. I highly recommend This book for sharing!

By Alison Jay

Grades Pre-K to 3rd

This is a colorful book that uses well known nursery rhymes to introduce color. Colors are only part of the story in this lively, handsome picture book that dramatizes 20 nursery rhymes with wild magic realism. Young children will enjoy spotting characters and scenarios from the rhymes that they know, from five pink piggies and Little Bo Peep's white sheep to a little teapot, short and stout.

Not all the featured nursery rhymes are sweet and merry. Miss Muffet is afraid of the big black spider for good reason; even though he only wanted to sit beside her, the picture shows that he is huge and scary. Something not very nice is happening to the three bespectacled blind mice, who leap across the double-page spread, away from a knife-wielding woman. Humpty Dumpty offers a sunnier view: it looks as though the king's horses and men may be able to help.

We often focus more on nursery rhymes rhythm and beat than on the sense in the words, and even older readers will have fun with these wry, literal looks at familiar rhymes and the stories they tell.

by David Catrow
Grades K-3

Max Spaniel is a daffy hound dog who decides to go on a dinosaur dig. He takes his trusty butterfly net and hard hat on the expedition. The silly dog mistakes a football for a dinosaur head, a Lincoln log for a dinosaur rib, a water hose for a dinosaur tail and so on. The dim witted dog puts the junk together and builds a dinosaur!

Kids will be endlessly amused by the silly dog and his adventure.  New readers will laugh out loud as they follow the fantastical thoughts of this kooky hound. The ingenious story, by David Catrow, is easy to read with lots of visual humor.

by Tedd Arnold
Grades K-3

Fly Guy and Buzz are back in this outrageously funny adventure told in three simple chapters. Buzz likes to play Hide-and-go-Seek with Fly Guy, his pet fly. Fly Guy usually hides in the trash can but disastor strikes when the trash collecter comes before Buzz can find Fly Guy. Fly Guy is carted off to the dump. When Buzz tries to find him, he is faced with a multitude of flies that look, act, and sound exactly like his pal. And every one of those flies can call his name—Buzz! Fortunately, the one and only Fly Guy thinks they are still playing the game. He has been hanging upside down from the visor of Buzz's cap, as close as any good friend can get.

This is a silly story that boys will like. The squiggly drawn pictures and the bright colors help to tell the story of a boy and his pet fly. The words are large and easy to read. Each pages has a couple of sentences and the great illustrations to hold early reader's attention. There's no mistaking Arnold's hilarious cartoon illustrations, and in this new addition to a popular series, there are plenty of them to enjoy.

by Eileen Spinelli
Grades PreS-2

 On a "cold and slushy" March day, a calico cat searches for a place to have her young. She finally settles into an abandoned building and gives birth to five kittens (a scene that's not pictured in the handsome illustrations). After nursing and resting, she leaves her brood to search for food; on her return, she finds the building in flames. Mother Cat is barely able to rescue her kittens, but she and her little ones recover, and the firemen celebrate her heroics and bravery.

Spinelli's simple, short sentences amplify the action and danger. The story is very exciting and Spinelli does not shy away from describing the danger. Young listeners will be reassured by the story of a parent's fiercely protective unconditional love, and the full-spread, realistic pastels offer an almost tactile sense of the felines and their tender bond.

On the last page, the reader is informed in a concluding note this story is inspired by a true story. There is a picture of a tired and singed cat resting with her cute, little, safe kittens. The cats were taken to the animal shelter and adopted into loving homes. It's a happy ending great for any cat loving child!

by Wong Herbert Yee
Ages 4-8

Mouse and Mole are very excited. Minkus the Magnificent is in town—ONE SHOW ONLY!—and they can’t wait to sit in the front row and see his tricks. After the abracadabras happen, though, something goes a bit wrong—and Mole is very disappointed to discover that magic is sometimes not exactly what it seems. But Mouse shows Mole that sometimes real magic takes time.

Frequent, small frames resembling comic-book cells are sprinkled among the full-page illustrations, pulling the reader forward. Warm nighttime hues make the magic of Mouse's natural world warm and inviting to new readers.

I liked the onomatopoeias! In the story, "He tossed a stone into the pond: PLOP!" And in the picture mole tosses a stone into the pond. In the illustration you can see the PLOP. The artwork nicely reinforces the story's action, the closeness between friends, and shared wonder in nature's magic. It is very well worked together and it's little details like this that makes the book more fun to read.

By Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud
PreSchool-Grade 1

"If you're having a bear over to play,
There are things you should know,
There are things you should say.
I'll tell you the rules--
Numbers one up to ten.
Then have Mom or Dad read them...
Again...and again!"

This cautionary guidebook provides readers with 10 important rules to follow when having a bear over to play. Bears are rambunctious, messy, and wild. The young boy's animal playmate behaves like a 400-pound toddler. This boisterous romp is good for reading aloud but explores no new ground.

The illustrations are full of movement and energy as they spill across the page. The bear's uninhibited strength and great size are conveyed through the illustrations use of perspective. Nearly every scene contains an object in midair and thus a sense of the bear's naivety regarding the rules.

If you like Laura Numeroff's If you give a mouse a cookie...then you will LOVE this one.