Tag: books

Roy is Not a Dog, by Esmé Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman

October 15, 2024

One take-away readers can draw from this story is the importance of meeting one’s neighbors and community. As Roy emphasizes, you never know who your neighbors could be, the interesting stories they have, or the fun skills they may have mastered. It can also be daunting moving somewhere new, and this story may help encourage a young reader to reach out and make friends in their community. … More Roy is Not a Dog, by Esmé Shapiro and Daniel Newell Kaufman

Welcome, Dark by Charis St. Pierre, illus. Rachel Wada

October 10, 2024

Our imaginations bloom in inarticulate ways at times—magnifying a simple rustle or bird call, or the sound of rain on window’s glass. St. Pierre’s poetic story offers answers: the rustle is the wind, and the call of birds are just a normal part of the world at night, which has its own purpose in the time. … More Welcome, Dark by Charis St. Pierre, illus. Rachel Wada

365: How to Count a Year by Miranda Paul and Julien Chung 

July 11, 2024

This short book packs a lot into its few pages, guiding its young readers on a journey as it seeks to break down the overwhelming idea of 365 days in a year into tangible amounts like weeks and months for its young readers such as “365 goodnights,” “52 sleep-in Saturdays,” and “12 trips to the mailbox.” The unlikely illustrated friendship of our young protagonist and a lion, who sometimes represents the sun, provides both a lens for the reader to look at the story through and an interesting dynamic for kids to follow along with. … More 365: How to Count a Year by Miranda Paul and Julien Chung 

Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford

July 4, 2024

Each one of her ancestors comes to life through their respective poems, with their own voices, wants, and beliefs. In this, the picture of Weatherford’s family feels whole and complete. Weatherford shares earnestly what she both knows and imagines to be her family’s thoughts and experiences, urging the reader to connect and empathize deeply with the text’s characters. … More Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, art by Jeffery Boston Weatherford

Professor Goose Debunks The Three Little Pigs by Paulette Bourgeois, illus. Alex G. Griffiths

June 27, 2024

Professor Goose is the stand-out character of the book. She is funny for both kids and adults,
is always positive, and clearly executes her goal of making sure her aunt’s tale is scientifically
sound. She is clearly full of knowledge and shifts the focus away from the well-known story
to herself and her scientific tidbits. The longer stretches where she does not jump in to correct
something builds the anticipation for when she finally does pop up. … More Professor Goose Debunks The Three Little Pigs by Paulette Bourgeois, illus. Alex G. Griffiths