It's Monday, What Are You Reading? Oct. 14, 2024

 

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Here are a few things I have read recently.

This Rock is Mine!

by

Kaye Umansky

Illustrated by Alice McKinley

Published by Peachtree 2023

Hardcover

Fiction Picture Book

Copy provided by publisher

From Goodreads: Friendship wins the day in this fabulously funny quarrel! Two frogs sit on an ordinary little rock. But . . . uh-oh! Both frogs think it's their rock - and they really don't want to share!

The frogs fight and squabble furiously. But when a hungry heron swoops down, both frogs realise it's time to find another rock . . . together!

Kaye Umansky's brilliantly simple rhyming story shows how two grumpy frogs go from fighting . . . to friendship (with lots of laughter along the way.)

Alice McKinley's hilarious illustrations bring to life every twist and turn of this wonderfully witty little drama.

Written in absolutely perfect rhyme, this story is a joy to read aloud. Every parent and child will identify with these squabbling frogs. An excellent (and very funny) lesson in how to resolve a quarrel! Kaye Umansky is one of the UK's best-loved children's authors. She is a brilliant comic writer, and is the award-winning creator of the bestselling Pongwiffy fiction series. Her superb rhyming picture books have echoes of Dr Seuss.

Alice McKinley's illustrations are full of warmth and humour, and packed with clever details to spot.

I enjoyed this book and think it would make a very fun read aloud with it's rhyming text and relatable situation. It offers opportunities to discuss sharing and friendship. 

Snow Is...

by Laura Gehl

Illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

Expected Publication Oct. 29, 2024

Simon & Schuster

Hardcover

Fiction Picture Book

Poetry

Copy provided by publisher

From Goodreads: From award-winning author Laura Gehl, a sparkling, lyrical picture book about the magic of an early snow.
It’s dawn and there is snow all around. The wonder of winter’s first snowfall brings the magic of changing seasons and sees a family sharing the perfect snow day with coziness and togetherness from dawn to dusk.

This is a beautiful book that combines simple poetry with gorgeous illustrations. I can imagine students writing poetry following the same pattern with various topics. 

Currently Reading

I Want to Read ALL the Books by Debbie Ohi

I Want to Read ALL the Books 

by Debbie Ohi

Expected Publication

Sept. 17, 2024

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Hardcover

48 Pages

Fiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction. But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes there are a lot more books than she thought…way more. Maybe she can’t really read all the books—now what?

My Thoughts

What book lover can't relate to Hana's desire to tread ALL the books? She started with a list of questions and then she read books to find the answers to the questions which, inevitably, led to more questions. I won't spoil the ending, but when she realizes that she won't be able to read ALL the books in the world, she needs to see how she can still read lots of books, but then she realizes she can also share the love of reading. 

I can see lots of lists of questions being created in classrooms after reading this book. I can't wait to read it to students in my library. 

Visit Debbie Ohi's website to learn more about the making of this book. 

Finding Grateful by Dianne White and Faith Pray

Finding Grateful 

by Dianne White

Illustrated by Faith Pray

Published April, 2024

Chronicle Books

Hardcover 

44 Pages

Fiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

A heartfelt picture book that celebrates embracing the moment and finding gratitude right here, right now.

What does grateful look like? How does it feel? How do you find it? Even in the face of a challenge, you don’t need a You just need to pay attention to the little things—a smile, a hug, the smell of newly cut grass—that add up to a sense of presence and hope.

With evocative, lyrical prose, this warmly illustrated children's book is a reminder to pause, reflect, and take in the glimmers of positivity and connection that can be found amid even the most difficult circumstances. Both a timely meditation on finding gratitude in everyday moments and a timeless ode to the simple joy of truly being present, Finding Grateful encourages readers to slow down and embrace the beauty of being right where they are.

MODELS Kids aren’t immune to the stress and anxiety of an uncertain future—far from it! This book offers powerful tools for reclaiming their thoughts and emotions in difficult practicing awareness, staying open to and present in the world around them, and finding moments of gratitude each and every day.

CELEBRATES THE BEAUTY IN SMALL This picture book's embrace of joy in everyday moments will resonate with parents of observant and curious children who are fascinated by everything in their world.

MAKES BIG FEELINGS MORE Teaching social and emotional skills to kids is more important than ever, and this expressive book models a thoughtful, engaging way of emerging from difficult moments with lasting feelings of gratitude.

A WARM With its accessible and soothing tone, this exuberant yet gentle picture book is just right for reading to kids and for kids reading independently.

Perfect

My Thoughts

Finding Grateful is a sweet reminder that even in the face of challenges, there is still much to be grateful for.  After their car breaks down the girl and her mother find small blessings along the way as they walk to find help: a flower growing in a crack in the sidewalk, a cool sprinkle of water on a hot day, and a smile from a stranger. This book reminds readers that gratitude comes in many forms, big and small. I will be adding Finding Grateful to my school library and our school SEL book list. 

Image from Amazon.com 

September 21 is World Gratitude Day so you still have some time to grab your copy. 

Find recommended reading, activities, and links at findinggrateful.com.

Dianne White is a writing teacher and the author of many award-winning picture books, including Blue on Blue, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Beth Krommes, and Dark on Light, illustrated by Felicita Sala. Forthcoming publications include It's Your Time to Shine, illustrated by Nanette Regan, and Finding Grateful, illustrated by Faith Pray. Dianne loves purple flowers, puppies, and “finding grateful” each and every day. For more, visit findinggrateful.com and diannewrites.com.

Miss MacDonald Has a Farm by Kaylee Gwarjanski and Elizabet Vukovic

 

Miss MacDonald Has a Farm

by Kaylee Gwarjanski Illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic 

Published March 2024

Double Day Books for Young Readers

Fiction

Picture Book

Hardcover 32 Pages

Review copy provided publisher

Goodreads Summary

In this female-forward spin on the traditional children's song "Old MacDonald", readers can join Miss MacDonald on her vegetable farm and see all the work that goes into growing healthy and delicious produce.
"Miss MacDonald has a farm,
She loves things that grow!"
E-I-E-I-GROW! With a "weed-weed" here and a "pick-pick" there, young readers can follow Miss MacDonald as she tends to her vegetable farm. It's a rollicking, rhyming read-aloud that ends in a community feast and celebrates themes of healthy eating, plant-based meals, local produce, gardening, seasons, and female farmers.

My Thoughts

Miss MacDonald takes her garden from planting to tending, harvesting, preparing, and cooking her produce. Readers will be exposed to the vocabulary of gardening in this rhythmic, rhyming text. While you can read it to the tune of "Old MacDonald", this text is not as predictable and offers more information as Miss MacDonald tends to different types of vegetables. 

The illustrations are bright and colorful and show the planting configuration and growth patterns of each unique veggie. 

This adorable book just might have kids eating (and planting) their veggies!

See What Others Have to Say

Kirkus

KALEE GWARJANSKI is a homeschooling mom to four book-loving children living in the woods of Maine. She holds a BS in mechanical engineering and an MS in teaching from the University of Maine. Between degrees, she followed her passion of food by attending Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Ottawa, Ontario and worked as a personal chef before turning to picture book writing full time. Miss MacDonald Has a Farm is her debut picture book. Learn more about Kalee at kaleegwarjanski.com and follow her on Twitter at @KaleeGwar.

ELIZABET VUKOVIĆ is an illustrator from Rotterdam, the Netherlands with a degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She is the illustrator of a number of picture books, including An Ordinary Day (Beach Lane/S&S, 2020), which received two starred reviews. See more of her work online at elizabetvukovic.com and follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @elizabetvukovic.

Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic by Margaux Meganck

Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic 
by Margaux Meganck

Published March 2024

Knopf Books for Young Readers

40 Pages

Picture Book

Library Binding

Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Received a starred review from Kirkus

Goodreads Summary

Everything and everyone has a place in the universe, but for a little speck, lost at sea, it will take an extraordinary journey to find it.

Deep in a tide pool, too small to see,
Thousands of tiny specks go forth.
Each one searching
for a place to stay, and grow, and thrive...

The little speck does not know what it is, only that it wishes to find out. And so it embarks on a journey across the sea. From sun-flecked surf to darkest depths, past schools of fish, storm-tossed ships and hungry eels.... Until, at last, it finds exactly what it was looking a place to belong.

In vivid watercolor paintings, Margaux Meganck brings this tale to life, seamlessly shifting perspective to show how even the tiniest creatures—every barnacle, every child, every star in the sky—contributes to something greater than itself.

My Thoughts

The sparce text makes this book seem simple, but this beautiful picture book is more than it seems. On the surface (pun intended) it appears to be a story about little specks in the ocean finding a place to land. But it serves as a metaphor for each individual living thing having a place to belong. 

The illustrations are outstanding! Meganck uses colored pencil and watercolor to create a wonderous underwater world that readers will be drawn to. 

I will definitely be adding Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic to my school library. 

See What Others Have to Say

Kirkus

Cracking the Cover

Mom Read It

Learn more about the work of Margaux Meganck from her website. 

No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons

No Cats in the Library 
by Lauren Emmons

Published March 2024

Paula Wiseman Books

Hardcover

Picture Book

32 Pages

Fiction

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

A stray cat follows her love of books all the way to a new library home in this charming debut picture book, perfect for fans of The Library Fish and Kitten and the Night Watchman .

Clarisse is a clever cat who loves books. She may not understand the dark, squiggly lines, but she can’t get enough of the pictures. One day, she stumbles upon a magical building where people walk in empty-handed and come out with an armload of books. She has to find a way inside!

There’s just one NO CATS are allowed in the library! That’s not going to stop clever Clarisse, though. Once she sneaks in, she stumbles upon exciting new stories and even helps a little girl practice reading aloud. But when the librarian comes looking, will Clarisse be allowed to stay?

My Thoughts

Young readers will love this sweet story and will be begging for read aloud cats in the library. They will be rooting for this little kitty to find its way into the library. Initially the librarian, or "keeper of the books" shoos the cat out. But she eventually agrees to let the cat stay to be a read aloud cat to the children who visit after she sees how much it helped the readers.

The illustrations are done in a limited color palette. The people in the book represent different races and cultures.

I am always looking for new books about libraries and can't wait to share this one with my students.

Visit Laura Emmons' Website.

The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants by Philip Bunting

The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants 

by Philip Bunting

Published March 2024

Crown Books for Young Readers

Nonfiction Picture Book

Hardcover

32 Pages

Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Take a peek under the rock, and discover what we can learn from the world of the ant, in this delightful blend of nonfiction and inspirational humor by author-illustrator Philip Bunting!

There are ten quadrillion ants in the world, and yet I bet you never thought they could teach you anything. But these tiny creatures can do big things when they work together--just like people!

With his signature humor and graphic illustrations, Philip Bunting delivers facts, laughs, and heart all in this special book that teaches that the answers to many of life’s biggest questions can be found in your own back yard (once you’re ready to look).

My Thoughts

Did you know that there are ten quadrillion ants on the planet? I learned that fact, and so many more facts about these amazing insects from this book. It is simple and straightforward filled with engaging information and equally impressive graphics. 

Image from Amazon.com

I can't wait to share this book with my students!