*Concept book on counting and the beach/ocean life *Little boy as the main character *Rating: 1, 2, 3, By the Sea (Kane Miller books) is a cute picture book with a lot going on–there’s counting, there’s the ocean/beach habitat, and there’s a rhyme/text pattern too. This will be a favorite with children AND parents/teachers. Cute [...]

*Picture book for preschoolers through 1st graders *Little giraffe as main character *Rating: The illustrations of Stay Close to Mama are absolutely adorable, and it is a cute story, although parts confused me as an adult because the little giraffe gets in all sorts of dangerous situations because he doesn’t stay close to Mama, but [...]

*Picture book, preschool through 2nd grade, FUNNY! *Cowboy as main character *Rating: On one level, Are You a Horse? is just funny and silly–kids will love it. But teachers and parents can use it for science objectives, writing objectives, and more! I adore books like this. Short, short summary: Cowboy Roy gets a saddle from [...]

*Picture book, preschool through first grade *Squirrels as the main subject matter *Rating: This is a really cute and neat book with amazing photographs of squirrels in Central Park by Murray Head. Since my 22-month-old daughter loves animals and not many words on the page, this is a perfect book for her! Short, short, summary: [...]

*Picture book, non-fiction, humorous, rhyme for preschoolers through 3rd graders *Topic is Poop! *Rating: Poopendous! is a hysterical look at a bodily function everyone can relate to from the smallest bird to the largest human. It’s a clever way to show children that pooping is no big deal and can actually be quite helpful. Short, [...]

*Non-fiction chapter book for kids 7 to 10 years old *8-year-old girl is the focus of the book *Rating: What an inspirational book! Kids will love Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage. It’s one of those stories that teachers/parents can use to help children who are struggling with almost any self-esteem issue. Besides, who doesn’t [...]

*Picture book for preschoolers through third graders, history?–you’ll see what I mean. . . *Man’s best friend as main character/topic *Rating: Do You Have a Dog? is one of those books I wish I would have written. Brilliant! Short, short summary: This book starts out asking the reader if he/she has a dog and lists [...]

*Picture book for preschoolers through 2nd graders *Sweet, little chickadees as main characters *Rating: Chickadees At Night is a super cute picture book, where author Bill O. Smith wonders what those little, secretive chickadees are doing. I love the creativity and illustrations, too! Short, short summary: Bill O. Smith asks “Where do chickadees go at [...]

*Concept book, preschool to kindergarten *Forest creatures as main characters *The layout is one of the best parts of this concept book. It’s a cute idea and well executed! Short, short summary: Each pair of pages asks, “Who is in the forest, dark and deep?” and then there is a circle cut-out previewing the next [...]

Bugs Galore! is a cute picture book with rhyming verses about bugs–such as, “Freaky, sneaky/shiny flat bug./ Hairy, scary–what was that bug? The verses are catchy and easy to read, and there’s some general verses for all bugs. And then some specific for just a bug or two. So, what do I do with this [...]