Posts

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: The Day the Crayons Made Friends by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

Image
THE DAY THE CRAYONS MADE FRIENDS written by Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers Philomel, 2025 ISBN: 979-8-217-04039-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-9 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Duncan’s crayons just can’t seem to stay put! After convincing one group of crayons to go back to work after they wanted to quit and rescuing another group who got lost in the most inconvenient places, Duncan’s crayons have disappeared once more. But this time they’ve gone out into his room to make friends. From Red Crayon who fulfills his dream of driving a firetruck, to Blue Crayon, who meets a fashion doll desperately in need of a head, to fan favorite Esteban, who is off to tame a teddy bear (or as he would call it, a wild beast), each crayon has an exciting story to share about the new objects they’ve met and the new adventures they’ve had. REVIEW What a delightful addition to an already popular series. Duncan...

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: A Gift of Dust by Martha Brockenbrough & Juana Martinez-Neal

Image
  A GIFT OF DUST: How Saharan Plumes Feed the Planet written by Martha Brockenbrough, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal Alfred A. Knopf, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-42842-9 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From two award-winning creators comes a picture book that reveals the hidden wonders of how Saharan Dust impacts the from slowing a hurricane to nourishing a rainforest. This dust . . . of what lived once sustains what lives today and what will be born . . . tomorrow. An ancient catfish becomes a fossil, and as the lake where it lived dries up, the fossil turns to dust--but this isn't ordinary dust. This dust begins in Chad, West Africa, but winds carry it across the continent, over the Atlantic ocean, to nourish and replenish the Amazon rain forest and beyond. A Gift of Dust takes readers on a journey that shows just how interconnected our planet is, and how so...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Fall is for Beginnings by Rajani LaRocca & Abhi Alwar

Image
  FALL IS FOR BEGINNINGS written by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Abhi Alwar Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-4197-7740-0 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 5-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Ravi can’t wait for the start of the new school year! Fall is for cool weather, new school supplies, and spending time with his best friend, Joe. But when a new girl named Ellie joins their class, Ravi and Joe’s duo suddenly becomes a trio. Ravi’s not so sure about Ellie—she plays her horn too loud in music lessons and gets them lost on the way to class. Worst of all, she keeps saying she’s Joe and Ravi’s best friend. All these big changes are challenging for Ravi, but with time (and a little help from his wise older sister) he realizes that fall is the perfect time to begin a new friendship. From the award-winning team behind Summer Is for Cousins, this heartwarming pi...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe

Image
  AGGIE AND THE GHOST written & illustrated by Matthew Forsythe A Paula Wiseman Book Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-5344-7820-6 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher for review. ABOUT THE BOOK From Matthew Forsythe, the creator of the acclaimed and beloved Pokko and the Drum, comes a surprising and pleasing picture book about rules. And sharing. And an epic game of tic-tac-toe. Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food. But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house. REVIEW In this rather unusual book, Aggie moves into a house only to discover that the place is haunted b...

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Beansprout by Sarah Lynne Reul

Image
  BEANSPROUT written & illustrated by Sarah Lynne Reul Charlesbridge, 2025 978-1-62354-475-1 Source: publisher for review Ages 5-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK What happens when you do everything right, but it doesn’t work out? When classmates start having success with their seeds, one student's just won't sprout. A picture book about planting and growing, where grown-ups and kids can talk about disappointment, emotions, and second chances. It's seed-planting time in Ms. Greene's classroom! One of the kids has big predictions for their mystery seed and does everything just so to make sure it grows. But as all the other seeds start to sprout, theirs . . . doesn't. So they proclaim they'll never try to grow another seed again! But when they learn the leftover seeds will be thrown out, they start to think about second chances and enlists their classmates to hel...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : The Interpreter by Olivia Abtahi & Monica Arnaldo

Image
  THE INTERPRETER words by Olivia Abtahi, pictures by Monica Arnaldo Kokila, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-62044-1 Source: purchased Ages 6-10 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A sharp and heartfelt picture book about a young soccer-loving girl who’s an interpreter for her Spanish-speaking parents.Some kids have one to be a kid! Cecilia has two. When she isn't on the soccer field scoring goals, she's accompanying her parents to all kinds of grown-up places, like the DMV, the accountant's office, and the auto shop. She helps them translate from Spanish to English and from English to Spanish. It’s an important job, and it can even be fun. It’s also hard work. Sometimes Cecilia's second job is so much responsibility, it feels like she'll split in two! Is it time for Cecilia to blow her whistle and call for a time-out?Olivia Abtahi’s clever text and Monica Arnaldo’s charming illustra...

FANTASTIC FRIDAY: The Firelight Apprentice by Bree Paulson

Image
  THE FIRELIGHT APPRENTICE      written & illustrated by Bree Paulsen Quill Tree Books, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-06-326659-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK In a city powered by magic and still recovering from a bloody war, Ada is concerned about her younger sister Safi’s developing powers. She understands that Safi could learn how to control her magic under the apprenticeship of a king's magician. But with the memories of war still fresh, Ada is conflicted by this prospect—despite her knowing that she can’t keep Safi safely at home with the threat of deadly, power-thieving liches prowling the kingdom. When a traveling group of magicians comes to the city to perform, they immediately recognize Safi’s talents and offer to take her on as an apprentice. Safi is thrilled about her new adventure—even if that means leaving behind Ada and the...

PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Whoa Panda! by C.S. Jennings

Image
  WHOA PANDA! written & illustrated by C.S. Jennings Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-32478-3 Source: publisher for review Ages 3-6 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From “Whoa!” to “Way to go!,” this is a humorous and heartwarming look at the importance of communicating personal boundaries. Panda gets excited when he sees a potential friend. So excited, he’s apt to put his cold, wet nose right in their face! Eeek! Whoa Panda! Fortunately Panda has a friend to help him navigate how close is too close. And before long, he is able to say “Way to go, Panda” instead of “Whoa Panda!” With irresistible art and a simple, encouraging text, this entertaining picture book is perfect for helping little ones become more self-aware of personal boundaries. REVIEW After waving at the narrator, Panda runs and hugs the 'narrator' (shown in the illustrations with a closeup of Panda's fac...

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Hello, I'm a Toucan by Hayley & John Rocco

Image
HELLO, I'M A TOUCAN Meet the Wild Things #5 written by Hayley Rocco, illustrated by John Rocco G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025 ISBN: 978-0-593-85875-2 Source: publisher for review Ages 4-8 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK Meet the toucan in this clever, funny, and informative nonfiction picture book, part of a series that focuses on endangered species. Did you know a toucan's bill is four times the size of its head? But you might be surprised by how lightweight and strong it is. And did you know that toucans use their bills to keep cool when it's hot outside, by increasing blood flow from the rest of their body to maintain the perfect temperature? You can't get much cooler than that. But did you also know the toucan is endangered and needs our help? With humans chopping down rainforests and taking toucans from their homes to make them pets, these unique birds need our protecti...

BOARD BOOK REVIEW: Kitty-Corn Club--Parts of Us by Shannon Hale & LeUyen Pham

Image
PARTS OF US Kitty-Corn Club #2 written by Shannon Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham Abrams Appleseed, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-4197-6882-8 Source: publisher for review Ages 0-3 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK This original concept board book celebrates what makes our bodies unique—from head to toe and horn to tail. From the bestselling and award-winning Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn creators, author Shannon Hale and illustrator LeUyen Pham All are welcome in the kitty-corn club! Whether you’re long-tailed or short-tailed, furry or feathered, taloned or tentacled, you are just right. From head to toe and horn to tail, join Kitty and Unicorn—alongside Gecko, Parakeet, and a new Octopus friend—as they demonstrate, with humor and creativity, the many ways our bodies may be different, unique, and amazing. Teeny-tiny mini-moo Kitty-corns will read with you Silly-willy hardy-hars Let’s all look at body parts REV...