Kid's Book Blog

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.