How do we ensure our children will care about the world they live in? For starters, they need to fall in love with it. They need to build a connection with the land, plants, and animals that inhabit it. One way we can help nurture a child's love for the world is by sharing books, … Continue reading Last: The Story of a White Rhino

Big Kid, at nearly 4 years old has recently become intrigued by ballerinas. She pretends to be a ballerina frequently, twirls and all, wants ballerina clothes, wants to listen to ballet music, and of course asked for books about ballerinas. We have no idea where this interest came from. A few weeks ago she asked … Continue reading Ballerinas

Did you know October is National Pizza Month in the US? If you haven't had pizza, made pizza, and read about pizza, there is still time! I found some amazing picture books featuring pizza for you to start with. You should also hop over to Thursday Night Pizza where my friend Peggy writes about everything … Continue reading Have a Pizza Book Party!

Little Kid's (19 mos old) counting sounds like this right now, 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10. Then she dissolves into a fit of giggles. She loves 9 & 10 for some reason. Ask her how old she is, she says "9" proudly. So when I pulled Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins, by Kimberly … Continue reading Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins

Making Tracks: Mountain by Abi Hall is a fun book to share with toddlers to introduce them to animal tracks. I set up the book, some of our play animals, and Play Doh for my girls to make their own animal tracks as an invitation to play. Little Kid made prints for quite a long … Continue reading Making Tracks – Mountain

Have you ever thought about how those who live in the far north celebrate Halloween? When Pumpkins Fly, by Margaret Lawrence & Amanda Sandland, gives an inside peek into how the people in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, an Inuit community in Northern Canada, celebrate blending old traditions and new. I used this book with Big Kid to … Continue reading When Pumpkins Fly

If you've been hanging around for a while you know I love gardening and books, put them together to created a book about plants, and I'm ecstatic. That's why I am so excited to share that @mangoandmarigoldpress is launching its nineteenth book and first STEM book EVER! Little Jagadish and the Great Experiment is written … Continue reading Cover Reveal: Little Jagadish and the Great Experiment

I somehow gathered all our Halloween and Pumpkin board books in one place at the same time for this picture. Since I've pulled them out, Little Kid has been moving them around the house, like a trail of board books that lead us to her. These are perfect for toddlers ages 0-3, but I find … Continue reading Halloween/Pumpkin Board Books

Fun Fall Day by Tara Knudson & Juliana Motzko hits on all the best things fall has to offer. It’s fall wrapped up in a sturdy, bright, playful board book. While reading, the senses are engaged by the touch-and-feel elements scattered throughout. Kids can pet a goat, feel the powdered sugar on a donut, touch a rough … Continue reading Fun Fall Day

If you are looking for an excellent read aloud picture book for grade 6+ students, She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein, by Lynn Fulton & Felicita Sala, is fantastic! Especially around Halloween when it's fun to share books that are a little creepy. I do appreciate a strong female role model for my … Continue reading She Made A Monster: How Mary Shelly Created Frankenstein

"Will you walk into my parlor,/said the spider to the fly..." This is one of my all time favorite read alouds - for kids of any age. It’s a poem, written by Mary Howitt in 1829, but was expertly illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi in 2002. The black and white illustrations, which play out like an … Continue reading The Spider and the Fly

Happy Book Birthday to: Love by Casey Rislov & Rachel Balsaitis!! It is available on Amazon and Bookshop today. If you're looking for a baby shower gift, or a gift for a newborn, this darling little book will fit the bill. Inspired by the well known passage of 1 Corinthian's 12:4-8 "Love is patient, love … Continue reading Love

Do you live in a city or near a city that has an underground transportation system? Have you ever traveled to a city with underground transportation? Underground: Subway Systems Around the World by Uijung Kim, is part nonfiction book, part search and find book, and all fun. Ten city's underground transportation systems are featured in … Continue reading Underground: Subway Systems Around the World

How do you enjoy poetry with your kids? Do you have a scheduled poetry tea time? Do you read a poem a day? Do you read poetry collections? I’ve been loving the gorgeous picture books I have found recently that take a single poem and pair it with brilliant illustrations to create a whole poetry … Continue reading The Road Not Taken