photo by foxypar4 www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Bea the sheep as the main character
*Rating: Be unique is the message in Bea Rocks the Flock, and this book’s illustration and cute sheep make it unique, too.
Short, short summary: Bea is having a hard time in the flock. She just doesn’t do [...]

photo by lululemon athletica www.flickr.com
To get ready for spring and April, National Poetry Month, I thought we should start having some Wacky Wednesday posts about teaching kids poetry. Whether you teach your kids at home or you are a K-12 teacher, your students can benefit from reading and studying poetry. The next two weeks, [...]

Talk about timeless–how about this book from 1937? It’s Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book, and I thought I’d wrap up this week of celebrating his birthday with talking about one more of his classic books. And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street is, of course, a fantastical version of an actual [...]

photo by mape_s www.flickr.com
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, fantasy
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Dr. Seuss is at his best in If I Ran the Zoo–from made-up creatures to fantastical places to those ever-clever rhymes.
Short, short summary: Gerald McGrew says that his local zoo is a “pretty good [...]

photo by librarianjill www.flickr.com
Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and children across the United States will be involved in Read Across America activities. But before I get into this, I want to announce the winner of the book giveaway contest I held on this blog last week. The winner is. . .Clara Gillow Clark. Thank [...]

photo by weglet www.flickr.com
*Nonfiction picture book for preschoolers through second graders (historical)
*Sisters who wrote the song “Happy Birthday to You!”
*Rating: Happy Birthday to You! is a great nonfiction picture book to share with kids about a subject near and dear to their hearts AND with wonderful illustrations!
Short, short summary: Happy Birthday to [...]

When I’m at the library choosing books for this blog, I have to admit I am a sucker for illustrations like Susan Gal’s. First, there’s a cute dog on the cover (and you all know I love dogs), and I like the girl’s cute nose and big eyes. It’s just cute. . .but this [...]

photo by creativedc www.flickr.com
Clifford the Big Red Dog first appeared on the scene in 1963. Now he has appeared in his own book series with more than ninety million books in print. He also has his own television series on PBS, and children around the world love him. So, this Timeless Thursday post [...]

photo by digitalART2 www.flickr.com
*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*A skateboarding cow and other critters as main characters
*Rating: A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe is a fun, crazy read that will leave kids laughing and wanting more. Cute ending!
Short, short summary: In rhyme and with super illustrations, Barbara Odanaka and [...]

photo by kimbospacenut www.flickr.com
I decided to write about this book today in honor of the approaching holiday–Valentine’s Day. This book is about love in one of the most selfless and special ways we can give love–to animals who have been in puppy mills. **A portion of the sales profits from A Home for [...]