Eight Picture Books

Little Buggies by Cindy Bracken 
A cute little book with wonderful rhymes that teaches children to look for specific insects. This is done in a fun and lyrical way.

Little Monsters It’s Time to Go to Bed by Olivia Longray
This is a very cute way to teach children the importance of brushing their teeth. The illustrations were bright and cheerful. The message is one every parent will love to read to their children. Children will rush to brush their teeth after reading this book to put their own little monsters to bed.

Little Red Writing by Joan Holub
This is a cute story of a red pencil who is challenged to write a story. But, this is not just a cute story. There is so much to learn throughout this book. When Mrs. 2 tells her class they are going to write a story she has the writing "story path" on the board. Little red is given a basket of useful words as she goes off on her writing journey. The book demonstrates the importance of using vivid words to spice up your story We learn how too many adjectives ca bog your writing down. Run-on sentences, as well as, chasing something new can lead to a wonderful ending. This is a wonderful take on the "Little Red Riding Hood" story with a twist. This is a great way to introduce story writing ot only to the youngest writers, but also to the reluctant writer. This is a bok I will definitely use in my classroom.

Rocks and Minerals of the World by Baby Professor 
I know this is just an introductory book. I purchased it because I have always loved rocks and minerals. Some of the words used in the book, such as igneous could have been defined in a glossary/dictionary in the back. I felt like the book just suddenly ended. Those are my only complaints with this book.

The Case of the Missing Money at the Zoo by Betty Smith
When a class gets the opportunity to take a trip to the zoo, one young boy makes a bad decision to steal money from the teacher. This author’s books are written to teach children valuable lessons. In this case it is the lesson of not taking what is not yours. A simple lesson told in a simple fashion.

The Moody Monster by Sarah Read
When Monster wakes up after a bad dream he finds himself mad. He doesn’t understand why. To make matters worse his mom isn’t home. His aunt fixes him a breakfast he doesn’t want and he decides he’s not going to school. When his mom comes home he tells her about his dream and the way he feels. His mom helps him learn to calm himself to make himself feel better.

The Pillow Parade by Edward Dron
Olive is a rabbit who loves to bounce. She bounces very high. One day she meets a sheep who also loves to jump. The sheep belong to a special club where they jump so children can count them and go to sleep. What happens to those children who live in very high buildings? Can Olive the bunny help? 

The Worry Unicorn by Sarah Read
When Lily has to start at a new school she worries about all of the things that could go wrong. She worries about it so much that she can’t sleep. When she tells her parents about her feelings her mom talks to her about the positive side. She reassures her that her feelings are normal and that she will do just fine.

Seven More Picture Books

A Song of Four Seasons by Helen H. Wu
I love books about the changing seasons. Living in Florida that is the one thing I miss after we moved from Indiana. My two most favorite seasons were and still are Spring and Fall. In this wonderfully illustrated book we see the four bears and their activities as they take us through the four seasons and the activities associate with each season. A wonderful book to read with the littlest reader or great for that early reader. Wonderful, lyrical sing-song writing.

African Animal Facts For Kids by Deborah Bradley 
This book is about 26 African Animals. There is one for each letter of the alphabet with just enough facts about each sprinkled in to hold the youngest child’s attention. The facts are not your common facts. They are very unique like a lot of the animals she listed. Wonderful book for young and old alike.

Get the Poop! The Diary of a Dung Beetle by Damiano Bernardo
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own. This was a cute book about a dung beetle who is out to get a ball of elephant poop so his mom can lay her eggs. Things don't go quite as planned. This was a cute story. The gross factor is definitely there for younger kids. The talk of eating, drinking and bathing in poop will cause children to giggle and gag.

Giggly Bear’s Fun Trip in the Yellow Bus by Kelly Santana-Banks
Giggly Bear is going on a trip to the funfair. He is riding a big yellow bus. There are my rules he must learn and obey while riding the bus. A great book to teac children about riding a bus and bus safety.

How the Movies Were Invented by Gerald Ewing
An absolutely wonderful book. The book is written in wonderful rhyme. This is a book young and old will read over and over again. There is so much packed into one little book. There is so much to discuss. You have the time period, the the idea of how pictures were taken compared to today. Most importantly you learn how still pictures morphed into moving pictures. I learned something I'd always wondered about. Such a wonderful way to teach something without the child realizing they are learning. I would definitely read more by this author.

Let’s Explore Austria by Baby Professor
The pictures are stunning in this book. Once again I felt that it stopped abruptly. It is almost like someone is showing you their vacation pictures and when they get to the last one they just put them away without saying anything. With so much potential I hope that the author will add more to this such as maps, a glossary and fix the ending of the books. I would still purchase these and recommend them.

Let’s Explore Germany by Baby Professor
Another book full of beautiful pictures. Once again I felt it could have used a map or a little more info. Since I am one of those people who would look things up to learn more. Maybe that is what the author was hoping the child would want to do.

Seven Picture Books by Various Authors

Peaceful Night Poetry by Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth

Peaceful, calming poems relax the mind and comfort the soul. These are all ingredients needed to help one sleep. In this book the author has taken familiar thing to a child; teddy bears, fairies, animals and more. The poetry is soothing. It carries themes of friendship, dreams, being happy. The poems were thoughtful, and like the author said, ‘for ages 3-103’.  The illustrations are simple yet beautiful. I definitely recommend this book.  

99 Bitcoins and an Elephant by Vincent Chen
A young girl with special glasses that allow her to interact with games and worlds she creates accidently breaks them. Her mom takes her to get her glasses repaired. When they are returned there is a bitcoin wallet that pops up. The repairman had used a hard drive from an old discarded pair of glasses to repair them. The little girl uses the bitcoins to show kindness to others.

Elphie Meets the End of the World by Hagit R. Oron & Or Oron Misgav
Elphie is playing hide and seek with his best friend. His best friend’s brother comes in and tells them he heard on the news that the world was ending. Elphie runs home to hide. His parents decide to throw and “End of the World Party”. Elphie learns it was fake news, but more importantly Elphie learns that there is nothing to fear when the family sticks together. It also teaches children to live each day to the fullest. With all that is going on in our world today this is a book to read to children to reassure them that they are safe.

I'm Just Like You by Sharon Cramer

Two orphaned cougar cubs go out one day and meet a stranger who claims to be just like them. He doesn't look like them. But the three of them have fun playing together all day. At the end of the day, they learn that you can have friends who look different from you.

Adventures of the Little Tiger and His Friends by Renate Logina

Little Tiger has always played by himself. As he grows older he wants friends to play with. Everything turns out disastrous. One day he sees an anteater. A boulder has fallen on his tail. Little tiger removes the boulder then plays with it. Unfortunately, it ruins the fun and gets broken. The anteater helps Little Tiger to find friends.

Babaroo the Alien Learns About Bullies by Kate Melton

Babaroo the alien leaves the gray planet and visits Earth. He meets a fox and skunk who make fun of him and his looks. Babaroo feels bad about himself until a snail tells him how to handle bullies. The first rule is to never believe what they say. The snail introduces him to some of his friends. They welcome him. He has fun playing. When Babaroo returns to his planet he knows how to handle bullies.

A Friendship Story: Heart & mind by Nishi Singhal

This is a story that teaches the role the heart and mind plays in our lives.  The lesson these two teach is that you need both to be balanced. You need heart to help you learn to focus on all kinds of things. You need mind to show you how to do it. It illustrates this through two friends, "heart" and "mind". When mind tries to do things apart from heart he finds he has accomplished little.

A Bevy of Books by Michael Gordon

I am starting this week off with a group of picture books by one of my favorite picture book authors Michael Gordon.  Every day this week I will review picture books. I have acquired so many of them to review and put them on the back burner to read middle grade and young adult books. I usually collect picture books on my Kindle to read with my grandchildren. Due to Covid-19 I could not see my grandchildren this year. So I decided to read them for my own pleasure. I want to share the wonderful picture books I read with those parents who may not know what to pick for their children.

When I Get Upset

Another wonderful book to help young kids recognize and deal with their emotions. Younger kids often don’t know how to explain their emotions and therefore can’t deal with them. In schools and pre-schools they are seen as being rude, obnoxious or bratty. Maybe they need to sit with that child and read them one of Michael’s books to help them out. 

You Are Kind                                                                           

Josh’s mom tells him they can’t go to the park to play because she has a lot of errands. On the way he asks what kindness is and if it is something you be or do. His mom demonstrates throughout the day what kindness is in all it forms. One of the most important lessons was when mom told him that he has to be kind to himself and learn to forgive himself when he falls short of the person he is trying to be. Parents need these messages as much as the children. As adults I believe we often forget some of these lessons. 

When I Am Worried 
Everyone worries. For children they often wake up feeling strange. It may be about something they know will happen that day. In the case of this story Josh had to get a shot. The fear of the unknown is what causes those worries to grow. This books shows Josh sharing those feeling with his parents so they can help him understand them.

The Way I Am by Michael Gordon
This is one of my favorite books by this author. I teach middle school and think every middle school student AND teacher should read this book. It seems that by the time kids reach middle school they forget who they are. They try to do what others do to fit in. Josh learns this lesson on the very first day of school. He bows to peer pressure and doesn’t enjoy himself. That is because he isn’t staying true to who he is. This book has a lesson that everyone of every age should learn.

Listening to My Feelings by Michael Gordon
Josh gets upset when his sister plays with one of his toys. He can’t control his feelings so he hits and shoves his sister. His mom explain to him why it isn’t right to do what he did. Then she and his dad explain some things he can try to help him when he feels like he is going to explode.

I Am Mindful by Michael Gordon
Understanding your feelings is the first step to dealing with them. For children they know they feel funny but don’t always know why or how to help themselves. This book shows several different feelings and how to deal with them. Although many of his books are similar I know that while one may not reach a child another might.

Today I Am Brave by Michael Gordon
Bravery comes in all forms. In this book we see James being brave in many ways. He accidently breaks a plate and tells his mom and apologizes. He stands and speaks in class even when he is scared. He stops kids from being mean to a new kid, he keeps trying at something he’s not very good at. He asks questions in class when he doesn’t understand. He learns that being brave isn’t easy, but it is the right thing to do.

When I Feel Frustrated by Michael Gordon
I believe children feel most frustrated at a young age when they see other kids do things they can’t yet do. In this book Josh can’t win a race against his older sister. His dad says that being a winner isn’t always about winning. Being a winner is about the trying. He tells him that one day he will be older and stronger and that things will even out and he will win. He learns that sometimes fear holds us back and sometimes we need to focus and push on if we are going to succeed. I love these books that teach such life affirming lessons.

When I Am Angry by Michael Gordon
This book depicts Josh when he is angry. The tantrums he throws when he is angry reminded me of my children when they were young and my grandchildren now. The problem is that a lot of times parents get angry at their children’s anger and this just escalates the situation. This book show the parents remaining calm and talking with Josh. It also show practical ways they can help him deal with his anger. These are books that every new parent should be given when their first child is born. It will be there for them to help guide them when their children start expressing their feelings.

The Dead Girl Under the Bleachers by Donna M. Zadunajsky

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions I expressed here are my own.

I sat and read this book in one sitting. The opening chapter hooks you. It starts from the perspective of a girl who is being attacked. The books is written from three unique perspectives. You have Scarlet, the queen bee of her school, Rachel who hangs with Scarlet, and Laura, Rachel's one time best friend. Although the author put the name of the character with the chapter number the reader quickly learns the voice of each character.

Scarlet is a snarky rich girl who loves taking people down. She has a boyfriend named Kyle who is just as mean. They are the type who plans whose life they will ruin.

Rachel comes from a loving family. She follows Scarlet because she likes her, the popularity, and because she doesn't want to be on the receiving end of Scarlet's meanness.

Laura is a nobody. She and Rachel were at one time best friends. She tries to stay hidden at school. She wants to stay off of Scarlet's radar. Scarlet has decided that she will be her next target. Laura has learned to trust no one. After the death of father and brother in an accident, she learns she can't even trust her own mother. Things change after Scarlet and Rachel go to Laura's house to study. Things get worse at home. Rachel and Laura reconnect their friendship and this makes Scarlet mad. But things aren't always what they seem.  This book is full of secrets and lies. Can you really justify murder?  I would definitely read more by this author.

Did You Hear That? by Alfred M. Struthers

Genre: Children, beginning chapter book

Source: Purchased

A wonderful book. Four hens overhear a conversation between the farmer and the farmer's son. They hear the farmer say they need to take the bull by the horns. They try to warn the bulls only to learn that "take the bull by the horns" is an expression. The hens hear many expressions they don't understand. The other animals laugh at them. However, the hens know an expression the rest of the farm animals don't.  

I loved this book. It took me back a few years when I was teaching students who were learning English. I looked out the classroom window one day and said, "Wow, it's raining cats and dogs out there." One of my Vietnamese girls jumped up, looked out the window, and said, "I no see no cats or dogs." That was the beginning of my lesson on idioms.  This is a great way to start younger students learning about common idioms. 

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source: Purchased

What amazes me about this book is that it came out in August of 2019. This could have been ripped from recent headlines.  This story has so many layers to it. It is told in alternating perspectives. We have Lena, an African American and Campbell a white teen.  Campbell has moved in with her dad because her mother moved to Venezuela. She hasn't spent much time with him over the years. A few months into her new school year she has been guilted into running the concession stand at the football game. Her dad is letting the teacher in charge take her home so that he can get to his weekend fishing cabin before nightfall. Things take a disastrous turn when a fight breaks out between the two teams. Lena has gone to the concession stand to get a soda while she waits for her overaged boyfriend to pick her up. When things turn violent she finds herself inside the concession stand with Campbell. As they try to leave and get to safety they realize they have to rely on each other. What made this so wonderful was the preconceived ideas that both of them had about each other. Lena kept calling Campbell a rich white girl because her father owned a hardware store. Campbell makes statements out of ignorance.

I could really identify with her because I came from an all-white school in Indiana my sophomore year. We moved to Florida. I was told when we moved down that the school I would attend had just had a race riot. This terrified me. I was use to talking to and playing with people who were different. My parents never let me believe there were differences. I always assumed that the reason some games in Junior High were held earlier in the day was because they had to come so far. I didn't know it was because the town had a rule not allowing African Americans in town after sundown.  Sometimes I think I was blessed living out in the country. We went camping every year and a kid was a kid, not a skin color. So I didn't understand prejudice. At the same time I was afraid I would say something out of ignorance that would offend someone. My best friend from day one was a girl with whom I rode the bus. My answers to her questions were so short she thought I was being rude. I told her I didn't mean it that way I just didn't want to say something stupid that might get me killed. I thought she was going to stop breathing she was laughing so hard. She took me under her wing.  

Lena and Campbell both had to  learn that a lot of what they  thought about the other race was false.  Some of the language was a bit more than I usually put on my school shelves. However, I will put a warning on the front and place it there because the message is one that is so important. Maybe this book will start a conversation among students. Conversations, not violence is what we need today.  I read the book in a little under two hours because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book.

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

Genre: Adult, Christian, Historical Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

In simplest terms this is a creative retelling of the story of Esther from the Bible. The author has taken some creative liberties that do not destroy, but enhance the original story. We see Esther as a woman who reluctantly marries a man she never would have because of their differences in beliefs. The author took this opportunity to explore the love between Esther and the King. This is important because during that period in history we know that the King had many wives. Yet we see how much he loved Esther.  The author also shows the king as a wise man and a kind man.  Haman is a man with a hate for Jews and a grudge against a Jew the King likes named Mordecai. Mordecai is the uncle of Esther. In this book Mordecai is shown in a different light. His reasons for Esther’s marriage to the king come across as self-serving. The Bible shows him as a calm and peaceful man who is very loyal to the king. If I had one complaint that would be it. However, this was not enough to take away from the book. It is well written  and I really enjoyed it.

Three Books By Sarah Read

Often children don’t know how to handle emotions. Sarah Read has come up with books that discuss several emotions. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that lately I have posted reviews of several books dealing with emotions. This seems to be a time when we need it the most. With the recent quarantines, schools and daycares being closed down, children have had problems expressing their emotions. I know my middle school students at the end of the school year expressed how stressed they were. This was often added to by them having to take care of younger siblings and they didn’t know how to deal with the younger child’s fears and emotions. Books like these would have helped. These are simple reads that anyone can use when dealing with a child who doesn’t know how to handle or understand a new emotion they are feeling. I highly recommend this author’s books.

The Impatient Dinosaur by Sarah Read
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Danny the dinosaur is like a lot of young children. They don’t want to wait for anything. They want everything now. They get upset and frustrated when they are told they have to wait. Danny is the same way. He has a birthday coming up and his parents tell him he will have to wait for a big surprise. He tells them that they know he hates waiting. Will he learn to be patient and wait for his surprise?  I love the book and its message. The illustrations are wonderful. I have a grandson who loves dinosaurs and is a lot like Danny. This is a book I know he will love.

 

The Moody Monster
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: Purchased

When Monster wakes up after a bad dream he finds himself mad. He doesn’t understand why. To make matters worse his mom isn’t home. His aunt fixes him a breakfast he doesn’t want and he decides he’s not going to school. When his mom comes home he tells her about his dream and the way he feels. His mom helps him learn to calm himself to make himself feel better.

 

The Worry Unicorn by Sarah Read
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Source: Purchased

When Lily has to start at a new school she worries about all of the things that could go wrong. She worries about it so much that she can’t sleep. When she tells her parents about her feelings her mom talks to her about the positive side. She reassures her that her feelings are normal and that she will do just fine.

Mythical Girls by Alex McGilvery

Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I really enjoyed this anthology. All of the stories are about girls who find a magical object. I found it interesting that two of these stories had characters that found an object that was a version of Excalibur.  One of my favorites was a world where magic had been outlawed. When the young girl finds a magical bracelet and is found out, the bracelet is to be destroyed. Fortunately, it isn’t and the girl has to use it to help save her land.

One of my favorites was “An Unexpected Weapon” by Kandi J. Wyatt. Kandi has long been one of my favorite authors. Her story resonated with me for several reasons. Her main character had previously gone through a tornado that destroys everything she loved. Her character and her behavior when a storm comes up reminded me of a former student. Mallory had gone through a tornado over the summer while visiting relatives up north. The terror haunted her. Since we get a lot of storms in Florida she lived in constant fear. She needed to sit facing a window to watch the sky. I would have to have my students pull out a book to read and then sit and talk with her until she calmed down. Kandi’s character Karli reminded me of my student Mallory. Both of them had to face their fear to overcome it.

Each of these stories empower girls. Each of them has a relic of magic. There is a wonderful look at different cultures and beliefs through this book. I really loved how these authors demonstrated both the good and bad sides of magic. I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.