My kindergartners and first graders can’t get enough of fairy tales. And the second graders have a whole unit for studying folktales and fairytales from around the world. Ying Chang Compestine is queen of retellings, and RA PU ZEL AND THE STINKY TOFU, with its feisty heroine, adorable pup, and …
Just Ten (of the Many) Reasons I Love Just One Flake by Travis Jonker: 1. There is real deal, I-got-fully-invested-in-it drama. 2. It offers a sense of child-like wonder. 3. The main character is relatable. 4. I love the word “Oof.” in a picture book. 5. It is charming. 6. …
I am cheating a little bit. Because this wonderfully whimsical book, Who Will Make the Snow, written by Taras Prokhasko, and written and illustrated by Mariana Prokhasko, and translated from the Ukrainian by Boris Dralyuk and Jennifer Croft, isn’t “technically” a picture book. It’s 80 pages long and stated that …
I’ve always been a book geek. When I was young, that involved walking to the bookmobile and trying to convince the librarian to let me check out more books than the rules allowed. It also involved visiting the public library whenever my parents could take me. That’s where they got me an adult …
Long-time award-winning nonfiction author (and former PBB blogger) Suzanne Slade has a new book debuting this month, and … hold onto your hats … it’s FICTION. I’ve been a fan of Suzanne’s practically forever, so of course that had me curious and I had to hear all about it. Take …
I’m a lot of things, but I’m pretty sure (checking behind me) I’m not a raccoon. However, if I was curious about what it is like to be a raccoon, I’d have this book to look to; You are a Raccoon, by Laurie Thompson (Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of …
Anyone who knows me well knows that I am an obsessive planner. I don’t do ANYTHING at the last minute. My much-more-spontaneous friends will attest that when they dare call me asking if I want to grab lunch or a go to a movie that same day, my typical response is: “Seriously? …
Come and Join US!: 18 Holidays Celebrated All Year Long might seem like a slightly belated choice for a post the day after Christmas. But the whole point of this book, written by Liz Kleinrock and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, is that there are other holidays celebrated this season and …
Happy holidays! If you’re reading this post, you’re probably a bookish sort of person. And, if you’re a bookish sort of person, you probably read a lot of books this year. And, because the end of a calendar year can cause some people — bookish or not — to become …
Want to write a picture book text worthy of a poet laureate? This is how you do it. Since Carla and I have an in-depth chat about her book below, I’ll simply share the book’s synopsis from the publisher: Ted Kooser: More Than a Local Wonder, a biography of poet, …