I attended a book launch through the Writing Barn last week for this wonderful picture book biography. Sarah McBride is our nation's first openly transgender state senator, but this book is about more than just her rise to political office. It chronicles how, from the time she was a child, she always knew who she … Continue reading Door by Door – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Who loves octopuses? Please raise your eight arms! * In this endearing and inventively-illustrated new book about first-day school jitters, a little girl is in charge of getting her octopus to school. From the time the school's announcement letter arrives... Text ©Becky Scharnhurst. Illustration ©Jaclyn Sinquett to the last hug good-bye, this story will bring … Continue reading How to Get Your Octopus to School – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Some picture books land at the upper end of elementary school and into middle school, due to their complex content, vocabulary, and word count. They usually involve more photographic content than illustrations and come with a table of contents and index. CLIMATE WARRIORS is one of those books. * The author, Laura Gehl, starts by … Continue reading Climate Warriors – Perfect Picture Book (+MG) Friday
* A brilliant title for the kidlit audience, but I have to admit that I was intrigued, too! Readers learn the scientific term for eating poop: coprophagy, and how to correctly pronounce it. At the same time, they learn that the subject is really not a joke: some animals need to eat poop to survive. … Continue reading Poop for Breakfast – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Ever since I learned about the octopus that sneaked out of its tank at night to snack on fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, I've had a deep respect for the intelligence of these eight-legged creatures. But I didn't know how diverse they are, until now... When I first saw the cover from a distance, … Continue reading Behold the Octopus! – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Debbie Friedman was a Jewish girl who felt music stir her soul from the time she was child. Text ©Ellen Leventhal. Illus. ©Natalia Grebtsova When Debbie Friedman was a little girl, music bubbled up inside her. All the time. Notes and melodies. Loud and quiet. Fast and slow. All swirling around inside her just waiting … Continue reading Debbie’s Song – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Other reviewers have called this book "luminous," "enchanting," and "ethereal." I agree! And I am compelled to describe the art before the text, as it is such a theatrical part of the story. Although the illustrations were created using acrylic and oil paints and later digitized, they look for all the world like they are … Continue reading Ancient Night – Perfect Picture Book Friday
In celebration of Earth Day, I'm featuring a book about how the event came to be. (Also, enjoy the sibilance of the first sentence you'll see below.) Text©Barry Wittenstein Illus. ©Jessie Hartland On a sticky and sunny Sunday in the summer of 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland did something rivers should never do. Text©Barry … Continue reading The Day the River Caught Fire – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Today's perfect picture book selection depicts an intergenerational friendship filled with love, humor, and a tinge of sadness. It starts when a young boy's errant soccer ball blasts its way into his neighbor's rose bushes. The boy, Jackson, writes a letter to his neighbor, Mr. Graham, apologizing and offering scones that he and his mother … Continue reading Dear Mr. G – Perfect Picture Book Friday
It's National Poetry Month, so it's time to feature a book of poems that makes me wonder at the creativity and determination of the latest generation of young activists, the movers and shakers, protectors, caretakers, reformers and makers. NO WORLD TOO BIG features youth activists and how they're raising awareness about climate change and making … Continue reading No World Too Big – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Jilanne Hoffmann 