Picture Book Friday

The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung with illustrations by Hanna Cha is a delightfully imagined story that delves into the mysteries of dragon lore from both European and Asian cultures through the eyes of a young biracial boy. 

Inspired by his mother’s bedtime story, the child enters into a quest through an elaborate world of hobgoblins and will-o’-the wisps. His search brings him to a wise woman who feeds him sugar cookies and apple cider while she regales him with a tale of dragons—fearsome and fire-breathing, who hoard gold in caves underground. “And that would be one truth about dragons.”

 This is only half the journey, his mother says. For in another forest of towering green bamboo, the young traveler will encounter nine-tailed foxes, converse with a white rabbit and come upon a palace overlooking a waterfall. There he finds another wise woman who serves him chrysanthemum tea in delicate porcelain and tells him dragons are majestic creatures who rule in the skies and rivers and command the rain to fall. “And that would also be a truth about dragons.” 

Leung’s two narratives weave a spell of enchantment all by themselves, but the true essence of this heart-warming story is revealed in the mother’s final words.  She reminds her child that many adventurers have only one story, but he has both worlds to explore. 

This celebration of dual cultures is beautifully enhanced by the elaborate illustrations that pair rich colors with vivid detail to create a tapestry worthy of this extraordinary tale.

Here is a splendid book (Caldecott Honor winner and Asian Pacific American Award for Literature winner) that shares the joy to be found in discovering diverse cultures.

Highly recommended for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

 

I'm Going to Build a Snowman, written and illustrated, by Jashar Awan is a delightful winter treat that is sure to be a favorite read aloud.

"Mom! It snowed! You know what that means…” For this little boy it is building the perfect snowman. He imagines it will be easy. He knows all the steps—roll three perfect balls of snow and decorate to create the iconic top-hat wearing snowman who can sing, dance and fly!

But, as life often teaches us, perfection can sometimes be out of reach. Despite his determination and effort, the child’s creation falls short of his expectations…until he adjusts his goal to embrace the success of building the best snowman YET!

This ALA 2023 Notable Book is a charming reminder to find joy in the journey of creation regardless of the result.

Awan’s minimalist narrative utilizes simple vocabulary and short sentences to keep the text tightly focused and accessible for young readers. An imaginative use of onomatopoeia will be sure to bring forth giggles—”ziiiip” and “fwump” as he closes his jacket and pulls on his cap is later followed by “Sssssslump” as the snowman threatens to fall. Bold colors and high contrast imagery provides powerful visual impact with every turn of the page.

A perfect picture book for the season.

Highly recommended for both home and school libraries.

Picture Book Firday

 

When You Can Swim, authored and illustrated by Jack Wong, is a wonderful exploration of the many ways swimming can appeal to children.

It is also an invitation to encounter water in its varied forms. Inspired by the first line “When you can swim, first I’ll take you to the ocean” Wong offers the reader a thoughtful look at what each moment might entail. From sandpipers at the shore’s edge and water splashing only ankle deep to a long-distance swim to an island, Wong builds the narrative to highlight an ever-growing confidence with each new experience.

He brings a feast for the senses—the quiet bliss of floating, the enchantment of standing beneath a waterfall, the clinking of waves over a pebbled beach, treading water at dusk as fish leap in a pond to catch hovering bugs.

The characters bring a multi-generational and multi-ethnic richness to the narrative that feels all encompassing.

The vividly imagined illustrations add another layer of richness to the story as scenes appear in a variety of perspectives. A dragonfly hovers overhead silhouetted in marvelous detail against the sunlit sky. Movement fills the pages as swimmers dive beneath the surface or jump from above. A double page spread highlights a daring island swim. The final scene brings the story full circle with a young child at a public pool, probably for lessons, being encouraged with, “So swim, little one!”

Inspired by his own early fear of the water and lack of swimming skill, Wong taps into his experience and emotions and offers young readers an empathetic and encouraging invitation to discover the joy to be found by cultivating this skill.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

 

Mi papá es un agrícola / My Father, the Farm Worker by J. Roman Perez Varela with illustrations by Jose Ramirez is an award-winning tribute to the thousands of harvesters whose labors allow us to put food on our tables.

The life of a farmworker is portrayed in a deeply personal telling as a son relates a typical day in his father’s life from sunrise to long past sunset as “He walks, leaving thousands of steps over Mother Earth.” Back bent, hands cracked, he toils on. Even when there is defeat in his eyes, there is also hope for his family’s future.

The language is simple, but this heartfelt story is rich with a depth of understanding that comes from Varela’s own experiences as a first-generation Mexican American who hand-picked crops to survive, while working hard in school to secure a better life.

Ramirez brings a sensitivity to the illustrations that enrich the narrative through the use of strong lines and bold colors.

The subject of this narrative is farm laborers; however, it speaks also to the shared dreams, and dedication of families from across a multitude of cultures who struggle to make a life for themselves.

Mi papá es un agrícola / My Father, the Farm Worker is an important reminder of what we owe to these men, women, and children whose work is often invisible. 

Highly recommended for home and school libraries.

A QUICK NOTE

I always love hearing from new folks who have discovered one of my books. And I had to share this lovely 5-star review of GRACIE JANE that was recently posted to Amazon by a reader who is a parent, teacher, and book reviewer.

She described the story as "Funny and Engaging Story, So relatable. 

You'll find the link HERE.

 Review of the Book: I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, teachers and anyone who loves a good story. Gracie Jane and Fifi La Rue's story is humorous yet interestingly engaging. This is the type of story every child would want to listen to or read to wind down before bed because it gives that feel good energy, or just to explore the relatable adventures of the dog and how its new owner felt about it. It actually feels like the reader is experiencing through Gracie Jane's eyes. The illustrations are colorful and enhances the story as it captures the expressions and actions of the characters in the story in a realistic manner. I laughed throughout the story and could not keep the smile off my face some minutes after.

I definitely will consider adding this to our library or buying as a gift for friends who have younger kids.

Picture Book Friday

 Hello everyone!

I'm delighted to announce that two of my picture books are now available as eBooks at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

GRACIE JANE has a heart as big as the Western sky, and she's always ready to lend a helping hand. So, she doesn't think twice about rescuing Fifi La Rue and taking the lost pup home.

After all, how much trouble could one little dog be on a great big ranch?

It's nonstop fun and excitement when one good deed turns this cowgirl's life upside down!​

​ WILL ROGERS MEDALLION 
AWARD 2019 

 JUST LIKE GULLIVER

The adventure of a young groundhog who is frightened of his shadow until a fun-filled
journey through the woods and farms surrounding his burrow allows him to discover his courage on Groundhog Day.

An author's note provides factual information about Groundhogs. Cross curriculum connections for: Folklore, Shadows, Groundhog Day, and Groundhogs.

    Mom’s Choice Awards® honoring   

   Excellence Gold Seal recipients 

Nonfiction Monday

 

Tumble, written and illustrated by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, tells a visual story of a tumbleweed’s journey.

The illustrations are the highlight here where the minimalist rhyming text (only about 25 words) provide a concise summary of the action. The narrative traces the tumbleweed through growing and flowering to the moment it breaks free to scatter seed as it races before the wind.

Following the story is a double page spread with names and images of plants and animals that share the habitat of tumbleweeds. An additional page provides more facts and a step-by-step illustration of the tumbleweed’s lifecycle.

The simplicity of word and picture makes this a perfect book for young readers and an excellent introduction to a study of this unique plant.

 Recommended for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

 

A River of Dust: The Life-Giving Link Between North Africa and the Amazon by Jilanne Hoffmann with illustrations by Eugenia Mello

 

"I am dust, the dust of North Africa. Not just any dust though. For I connect continents."

Hoffmann tells readers a wonderous story of how the dust of the Sahel makes its vital, life-giving journey from the plains of Africa to the rainforests of South America. The Sahel is a transitional zone between the Sahara Desert on the north and the savannahs to the south. It stretches unbroken from the Atlantic coast of Mauritania to the Red Sea coast of Sudan.

 Each year, winter winds lift 182 million tons of dust high into the atmosphere to begin a 6,000-mile journey. Much of that dust, about 85%, settles into the ocean to nurture sea life. But approximately 28 tons fall to earth in the Amazon basin. This dust is rich in phosphorus, a vital nutrient for plant growth. The heavy rainfall of the Amazon washes this mineral from the soil creating a deficit of up to 90% in some places. Without the annual renewal of this essential component the ecosystem could fail.

 Hoffman conveys this important information in a beautiful poetic voice told in the dust’s point of view that reads like the epic tale it is. Then she concludes the book with a section entitled Questions for Curious Minds. Here she delves deeper into a variety of topics:

How did dust help scientists solve the mystery of the Amazon’s lush rainforest?

How does dust from the Sahel affect Atlantic Ocean ecosystems?

How does NASA measure the river of dust high in the atmosphere?

How do scientists seek to understand our complex global ecosystems?

How did South America and Africa drift apart?

An Author’s Note shares Hoffman’s own story of how she became fascinated by this subject and came to create the book.

Mello’s lovely artwork deftly weaves word and image together with motion and color.

Hoffman demonstrates how the smallest thing—a speck of dust—can make a life-changing difference. That truth reminds us of our own important place in maintaining the health of the world around us.  

RIVER OF DUST will be a valuable addition to the curriculum on a variety of STEM subjects—geography, geology, ecology, environmental science, global warming, NASA, atmospheric research, plate tectonics, and more.

Highly recommended for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

 

“Once we were part of outside and Outside was part of us.” so begins Outside In by Deborah Underwood, with illustrations by Cindy Derby.

 

This lovely story offers readers a thoughtful contemplation of nature’s gifts. Outside In is an invitation to slow down and remember the many ways in which nature provides for us even when we’re too busy to notice.

 There’s a sweetly melancholy tone as the story begins in a time and place where we were a part of nature and nature was an intimate part of our daily lives shown by a child running in the woods.  Then comes an acknowledgement of how that relationship has changed. Now, even though the child is outside, she’s in a car racing through a landscape that is unacknowledged.

 But nature’s not going to be ignored—there are reminders all around us—the flash of lightning through a window. There’s the magic of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. We hear it in the song of birds and the rattle of rain on the roof. We smell it in the sun-warmed earth and blossoming flowers. We taste it in the food born of sun and rain. Nature waits…and…if we are wise, we answer.

Underwood’s lyrical language conveys the natural world in a style perfectly suited to young readers. Simple vocabulary and short sentences that sometimes stretch across the double-page spreads make this a book that emerging readers can access.  And parents will enjoy reading this more than once to children eager to revisit this stunning work.

Derby’s illustrations create a sense of beauty, mystery, and enchantment that beguile the eye and are a wonderful complement to the text.

 I can imagine Outside In finding a home in classrooms, libraries, and homeschool collections. It’s a wonderful introduction to a nature walk, a discussion of the many ways nature intersects with our lives, or a conversation starter.

Highly recommended for home and school.

Picture Book Friday

 Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo is an entertaining first-day-of-school book sure to give you a case of the giggles.   

 

Something’s terribly wrong! Even the new kindergarteners can tell. Where’s their teacher? A search for the answer turns up two clues— “Mr. S”, written on the blackboard and…a sandwich on the desk. Could it be Mr. S? With no other answer in sight, the students organize and work their way through the day’s lessons. ABCs come first with A is for avocado toast, B is for bagel and so on. Art lessons, and story time are followed by music class complete with an imaginative chorus of Mary had a little ham.

 Arnaldo spins this tale of classroom antics with a wacky sense of the absurd, but a glance out the window reveals a second tale unfolding. Prior to the children’s arrival a man is seen writing “Mr. S” on the board just as a massive tree falls on his car in the parking lot during a violent storm. He rushes out and page turn after page turn tells another story as chaos ensues with lightning strikes, firefighters arriving…

Could this be the illusive Mr. S? The author merrily leads readers down a path of assumptions until she pulls the two narratives together with a surprise twist at the end to solve the mystery!

Arnaldo’s brilliant use of illustration to tell the two stories makes this a wonderfully visual experience that invites readers both young and old to look beneath the surface of the classroom tale. The clever narrative will make this a read aloud favorite sure to be requested time and time again.

 Recommended for anyone looking to add some laughter to their day!

Nonfiction Monday

 

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow is a lively picture book biography of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “the Godmother of rock and roll”.

 

Rosetta Tharpe, singer and songwriter, began playing the guitar as a child and grew so skilled that she joined her mother entertaining audiences at church and on stage as part of her mother’s musical group. Her travels across the country expanded her musical knowledge and she soon built on her gospel roots by pairing spiritual songs with the electric guitar to produce a unique sound all her own.

Although her name may be unfamiliar—Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and even Eric Clapton gave her credit for influencing their music.

Barlow imagines Rosetta’s childhood in this wonderfully entertaining book that makes clever use of onomatopoeia to capture audience attention—making for an exuberant reading experience.  Her bold illustrations pop on every page with movement and joy. An Author’s Note at the end provides additional details about the life and times of this talented performer.

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar highlights an extraordinary Black artist and offers an inspiring reminder for youthful readers that success takes time and persistence pays off.

Recommended for aspiring young musicians and music lovers of all ages.

 

Picture Book Friday

New Your Times Bestseller, Miss Maple's Seeds by author/illustrator Eliza Wheeler, is a complete charmer.

Miss Maple collects and protects seeds of all kinds in this delightful celebration of nature. She gathers orphaned seeds in summer and brings them to her home in a maple tree where she nurtures them through the fall and winter until they can be planted in the spring.

In the process, she teaches the seeds about the environments they will encounter. Her field trips lead from river to grassy fields, from forests to gardens. Her journey invites young readers to share her delight.

This fanciful tale has her reading flower tales by firefly light. Winter sees animal arrive to pass the snowy days with stories and songs. Spring brings rain and Miss Maple reminds the seeds, “Don’t be afraid—raindrops help us grow.” Then, the first breeze of May tells her it is time for the seeds to begin their great journey into the world to find roots of their own.

Delicate lines paired with elegant watercolors give the whimsical illustrations a life of their own both in the rich details surrounding Miss Maple and broad vistas of fields and sky.

This would be a wonderfully imaginative introduction to a study of plant life and the lifecycle of seeds for young children.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Nonfiction Monday

Cicada Symphony by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Gareth Lucas is a lovely melding of fact and fun as she traces the cicada lifecycle. 

Fliess was inspired by personal experience after having been witness to Brood X and was particularly interested by the cicada’s song. Her fascination comes through on every page as she invites her readers to share her delight in these amazing little creatures.

There are some 3,000 species worldwide. Most emerge annually, but there are a few species living in North America who live a thirteen to seventeen year cycle like Brood X. Fleiss channels her rare opportunity into an instructive book that is also an entertaining read.

The clever rhyming narrative describes the activation of underground nymphs to the life of adults then concludes with the laying of eggs that hatch to release new nymphs to burrow into the ground to begin the cycle anew. The lyrical rhythm is supported by multiple text boxes that offer additional detail.

Lucas uses strong line and vivid color to highlight each moment of the process in eye-catching detail.

Cicada Symphony concludes with a Glossary, Author’s Note, labeled cicada anatomy, and further reading in Children’s Reference Books.

Recommended for all young naturalists.

NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY

 THE NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY IS JULY 27

CELEBRATE with one of these fun picture books: Mom’s Choice Awards® honoring Excellence Gold Seal recipients in 2019

GRACIE JANE has a heart as big as the Western sky, and she's always ready to lend a helping hand. So, she doesn't think twice about rescuing Fifi La Rue and taking the lost pup home. After all, how much trouble could one little dog be on a great big ranch?

It's nonstop fun and excitement when one good deed turns this cowgirl's life upside down.

The Gingerbread Cowboy -- can run from the rancher's wife, he can dash past the javalinas and he can giddyup right by the cattle grazing on the mesa. But what happens when he meets a coyote sleeping in the sun?

Picture Book Friday

 

Later, When I’m Big by award-winning Dutch author, Bette Westera with illustrations by Mattias de Leeuw and English translation by Laura Watkinson is an invitation to let your imagination soar along with the young protagonist.

 

A trip with her mother to a local pool sets up this tale of whimsical adventures that might come to pass “Later, when I’m big.” The possibilities are vast—kissing an elephant, sleeping in a haunted castle, riding a bicycle hands-free around the globe, diving with a mermaid, playing with dragons, flying to Saturn. First, however, she must return to reality and face the giant diving board—"But not just yet.”

De Leeuw’s playful watercolor illustrations bring the text brilliantly to life as he celebrates the little girl’s fancy with an extravagance of his own. Flamingoes emerge on the inside front cover and provide an unexpected hide-and-seek thread drawing the readers from page to page.  Surprises abound—the toy rabbit stuffed into the child’s bag has a life of its own as it joins the little girl’s travels. There’s a lot of detail hidden here to encourage a second and third look.

Entertaining from page one—Later, When I’m Big is a wonderful opportunity to explore with young readers what they might aspire to in the future.

 

Nonfiction Monday

 

How to Eat in Space by Helen Taylor with illustrations by Stevie Lewis provides a humorous easy-to-read look at one of the most important activities aboard the International Space Station—eating!

 

What do you do when you’re speeding through space at five miles a second and you have a case of the hungries? Check out the pantry for your favorite bite—just don’t expect it to be exactly like the ones back home in the kitchen.  When food goes to space, it must be lightweight and long-lasting without refrigeration.

Taylor carefully leads young readers through the process—making a choice, prepping the food, eating, and cleanup. There are challenges at every turn because liquids don’t pour and even a tiny crumb can create problems in zero gravity. Astronauts must be well trained when they and their food float.

And foods must be carefully prepared to avoid problems. Drinks come as packaged powders in pouches ready to add water and drink through a straw. Don’t forget to squeeze that straw closed between sips so the liquid doesn’t escape! Every packet and pouch comes with a fastener to be stuck to a surface like a table or pants so it doesn’t float away!

 The abundance of information is smartly organized into efficient double-page spreads under subheadings—STICK TO THE MENU, KEEP IT TIDY, THROW A PIZZA PARTY, BE WATER WISE, GROW YOUR OWN SALAD, SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT, and more.  The conversational tone keeps the pace moving briskly along.  Bold yellow text boxes highlight relevant tips throughout.

 Lewis’ energetic illustrations, filled with vivid color and movement are further enhanced with speech bubbles which adds another level of fun. The endpapers are enlivened with actual photographs of astronauts at work aboard the ISS.

 Taylor wisely anticipates inspiring curiosity in her young readers and provides additional material at the end of her narrative to enable further investigation. There is a section—KEEP EXPLORING that provides book, online, and in person resources. SELECTED SOURCES is a list of specific titles for further reading on this subject.

 This is a wonderful resource for anyone curious about HOW TO EAT IN SPACE.

 Highly recommended for aspiring young astronauts and as an excellent introduction to a study of life aboard the International Space Station

 

Picture Book Friday

 

Cape by Kevin Johnson with illustrations by Kitt Thomas is a remarkably simple, but wonderfully thoughtful look at loss.

 

Johnson has crafted a moving narrative around a moment in a young boy’s life when a superhero’s cape, given to him by his father, becomes both his shield against the agony of his father’s funeral day and a shining light illuminating the real and wonderful moment’s they shared.

Johnson’s concise narrative uses minimal vocabulary, for the most part, a sentence or less per page. But his choice of language is so precise that he perfectly captures the big—almost unmanageable—emotions that overwhelm the child…until they don’t.

 Thomas’ bold use of red for the cape keeps the focus on the young protagonist, even when he’s portrayed as physically overwhelmed by crowds of mourners who are set apart in morose blues and blacks. His emotional struggles set loose an explosion of colors across the spectrum until they resolve at last into the warm glow of memories.

 “I remember.” Those two words sum up the heart of this honest story about losing a parent. Regardless of when that loss happens, there’s a tug-of-war that memories bring—between the pain of remembering better times and the comforting warmth found in happy recollections. That struggle and resolution is mirrored here making this an excellent read for anyone facing the death of a beloved family member or friend.

 Highly recommended—a moving  child-friendly introduction for a discussion of grief and loss.

Nonfiction Monday

 

The Indestructible Tom Crean: Heroic Explorer of the Antarctic by Jennifer Thermes is a marvelous look at some of the Antarctic expeditions that opened the 19^th century.

This story of Tom Crean, a seaman who served aboard the Discovery, Terra Nova, and Endurance, immerses the reader in the challenges and dangers faced by the men who lived and died in their quest for knowledge. There are any number of books available on Antarctic Expeditions. Most center on the well-known leaders or focus on the details of the expedition. Thermes provides a wonderful resource for young readers in this true-to-life story told from an imaginative new perspective.

 Tom enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1893 at the age of sixteen, but he stepped into history in 1901 when he volunteered to replace a man on Robert Falcon Scott's ship Discovery. That expedition lasted four years. Day after day through the long Antarctic summer, Tom helped drag 800-pound sleds to create a supply chain for the explorers. Winter freezes the ship in place, trapping the men for two years.

In 1910 Scott recruited Tom for the Terra Nova Expedition in a quest to be the first to reach the South Pole. He made the dangerous journey across the frozen landscape only to be sent back to base just 150 miles short of the goal while Scott and 3 additional men continued in a journey that would end in their death. Although Tom and two others were forced to return, they soon faced their own life and death struggle when one of the men fell ill. Tom continued alone through 35 miles of treacherous mind-numbing cold to bring help. His heroism saved his companions’ lives.

In 1914, he served as second officer on Captain Ernest Shackelton’s Endurance expedition. When the ship became trapped in the ice and sank, the men were forced to abandon ship and were stranded on a tiny island far from any hope of survival. Once again, Tom led the rescue crew traveling 800 miles in 17 days through some of the most dangerous waters in the world, then made a 36-hour trek on foot across the fierce glacial mountains to a whaling station where he found help.

 Thermes has packed this amazing work from cover to cover with fact lists, maps, timelines, illustrations of Antarctic animals and additional reading sources. 

Her narrative is compelling and turns this historical record into a page-turning adventure.

Highly recommended for the young adventurer!

 

 

Picture Book Friday

 

Today, I’m delighted to share NELL PLANTS A TREE by Anne Wynter with illustrations by Daniel Miyares.

 

This heartwarming story celebrates the way a single act, nurturing a pecan sprout, can influence a family across time.  When Nell finds a newly sprouted pecan seed, her curiosity inspires a series of decisions—planting the seed, watering the sapling, and finally planting the young tree. The maturing tree mirrors Nell’s growth from child to grandmother in this imaginative weaving of past and present.

Wynter’s cleverly structures the text around the notion of what had to happen in the past to create opportunities in the present—Before there’s a pie to savor, a nest of baby birds to admire, or a tree to climb—Nell tends a seed and plants a tree.

Miyares' warm, detailed paintings move from elegantly simple to richly detailed. From the first page to the last, the images perfectly reflect and enrich the lyrical text.

This thoughtful tribute to the value of trees immediately reminded me of the first two lines of the poem by Lucy Larcom, "He who plants a tree. Plants a hope." NELL PLANTS A TREE offers multiple opportunities to inspire a discussion of trees—their value in nature and their importance in the everyday life of people.

Recommended  for home and school libraries.

Picture Book Friday

Today is Drop Everything and Read Day—and I have just the book to help your child discover the joy of reading!

The Magic Box: A Book of Opposites by Charles Ghigna with illustrations by Jacqueline East

When Pandora Panda finds a magic box, she also discovers a variety of opposites as the box transforms to demonstrate essential concepts like high and low, young and old, near and far.

Ghigna, an award-winning author, has created an entertaining experience for even very young children with this imaginative and informative concept book. I can easily picture parents playfully engaging their children with up and down, in and out, open and close.

Equally important, The Magic Box is also a lovely option for school-age emerging readers thanks to Ghigna’s smart use of basic vocabulary. The text is structured around short sentences, many consisting of three words, which invites reading and rereading while building confidence.

Simple, uncluttered pastel illustrations with an abundance of white space maintain a clean look that allows readers to focus on the words and featured conceptual details.

The Magic Box would be a delightful baby shower or birthday gift—It’s never too soon to begin creating a child’s book collection!

Recommended for home and school libraries. 

Preorder now—available on Apr 28, 2024 

Charles Ghigna is known to his fans as Father Goose. To learn more, visit him HERE.