Theodore: The Sloth Who Wants to Race

Written by J.L. McCreedy and Dr. Sam

Illustrated by J.L. McCreedy

Theodore is a sloth born with two toes instead of three. That is not the most unusual characteristic of the protagonist in this charming, rhyming picture book.

Theodore has a dream. He wants to be the fastest and a racing champion. Unfortunately, speed is not valued by his fellow sloths. No one wants to race. When he finally finds a racing partner, he feels cheated.

All that changes one day, when he finally meets a sloth who shares his need for speed. Theodore learns about the importance of proper physical training to success. This is one of the messages of the book which celebrates the importance of individuality and being true to oneself as well as the necessity of good preparation for success.

I especially enjoyed the author including facts about sloths, the animal kingdom, and a glossary to tackle unfamiliar words.

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A Little Labradoodle Christmas: A Rhyming Picture Book About the Power of Family, Love, and Kindness (The Little Labradoodle 4)

Written by April M. Cox and Kairi Fullerton

Illustrated by Remesh Ram

A cute, Christmas, rhyming picture book for preschoolers and primary grade children with an important message.

Kairi and her pet labradoodles encounter Casper, a grumpy cat on their walk. They decide to spread the spirit of Christmas. They invite the cat to their home to participate in traditions like baking cookies and trimming the tree, but nothing seems to work. Eventually, they find the real reason for the cat’s disdain about Christmas. Will they be able to spread love, empathy and family traditions that will change the tide?

A nice read aloud for the holidays.

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Tomorrow’s Trailblazer: A Story of Change and Growth (Trailblazers)

Written by Carolyn Watkins

Illustrated by Remesh Ram

Charlotte is intrigued when she finds her mom reading so many books! Her mother explains that she is returning to school to become a veterinarian.

At first, Charlotte worries, but her mother assures her that she will still be a “mom.” Change can be a good thing as our brain continues to expand and grow. Charlotte is excited to share her news with classmates.

Mother and child learn that it is okay to be unsure when trying out new things, but the reward is well worth the effort. This expressive, multicultural picture book encourages preschool and elementary readers to push the boundaries and explore new passions. Recommended especially for ages three through six.

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Save the Arctic (Save the Earth)

Written and Illustrated by Bethany Stahl

This book is the second in the Save the Earth series.

The picture book targets children in the early elementary grades. It centers around the plight of a polar bear named Nanu. He is hungry because the Arctic is warming and many of his food sources have become scarce.

Nanu meets a Beluga whale named Toklo who introduces him to Ahnah who lives in a local village. They join together to employ conservation measures to conserve energy and increase food resources.

A good introduction to the subject of climate change and conservation for young children.

What is Hanukkah?: Your guide to the fun traditions of the Jewish Festival of Lights (Jewish Holiday Books)

Written by Shari Last

A comprehensive picture book about this Jewish celebration including lots of additional resources. Last provides facts about its basis on the lunar calendar, the history of the Maccabees, the lighting of the menorah, and the word’s many spellings. Going beyond that, she reveals how Hanukkah is celebrated in different countries, foods and recipes, and how to play the dreidel game associated with the holiday.

The illustrations are bright and appealing and the text large enough to read easily for beginning readers. Language is informal and geared to the elementary school age target audience. This book is a good choice to place on a classroom multicultural holiday bookshelf or as a family activity book to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday at home.

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Sensing The World With Momo : A fun quick science learning chapter books for ages 8-10 (Kids Books Momo’s Science Adventures: The Nervous System Series)

Written by Rizu Shami

An innovative approach to teaching children about stimuli and the nervous system. Part of a series of books done in comic book format featuring a character named Momo speaking in simple phrases located in balloons.

Momo teaches readers about internal and external stimuli, the five senses, and the way our bodies react to these stimuli. While the book is targeted for readers ages eight and older, the simple pictures transmit the message effectively to younger children.

Recommended to parents and teachers as a teaching tool about the nervous system.

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Thankful Day In Animalsville: Thanksgiving Story About Being Thankful And Showing Kindness to Others By Serving The Community

Written by  Virtuous Nyamesem Cornwall

This book is a beautiful and effective way to explain the meaning of giving thanks and putting the message into action. It is particularly effective for young children.

Using animals as the main characters, the author explains that the town has decided to express gratitude on Thanksgiving Day by doing kind things for others. Thinking as a community, each family decides on a way to help someone outside their own family. Then the families of Animalsville present the action steps. Examples include visiting a food pantry, cleaning up trash, visiting a nursing home, assisting the homeless, and cleaning house for the elderly.

At the end of the book, young readers receive a list of suggestions to practice their own action steps of gratitude in their own communities.

Highly recommended for parents and teachers of children from ages five and older to teach the values kindness, respect, gratitude, and civics.

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Rice to the Rescue: (Rumbly Tumbly Adventures)

Written and illustrated by Etaine Raphael and others

What a fun, rhyming picture book? This is part of the Rumbly Tummy Adventures series. It is written by a group of authors and illustrators. Included in this edition are six simple recipes.

The plot involves children who are being visited in class by a chef. She encourages the children to use their imaginations as she reveals each recipe. The children spin a tale of a princess locked in a tower who meets a bunch of interesting characters while the chef teaches each recipe.

At the end of the tale, young readers find the details for each nutritious dish included so they may join in the fun and eat healthy all at the same time.

Recommended for elementary and middle school readers who want to have fun and eat well.

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Escaping the Blaze: The Real Life Adventures of Dolph and Gwen

Written and Illustrated by Darcy Guyant

This is my first time reading a book from this series about Coast Guard rescues, and it certainly did not disappoint. Guyant bases his children’s books on real life rescue missions that he has flown. Children learn about courage, teamwork, and cooperation.

This is book two in the series. The main characters are Gwen, a female pilot, Mike and Sam, her crew, and Dolph, her helicopter. Dolph is personified and a truly wonderful character role model. Children learn about aviation and witness Gwen as a wonderful example of a strong female role model. The plot of this book involves the crew rescuing four adults and four children from a wildfire threatening the lighthouse on the peninsula on which they live and work.

The beautiful illustrations and text unfold naturally and build up to the climax. Can Dolph, Gwen, and another helicopter accomplish the dangerous mission? I also enjoyed the surprise included at the end of the tale.

A perfect book to teach and inspire young minds. Recommended especially for ages six through ten, but adults will enjoy it just as much!

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Around the World: Bilingual Weather Wonders

Written and Illustrated by Anna Blankenship

This picture book presents a bilingual overview of weather and seasons in Spanish and English for young readers. The publisher targets the audience as preschoolers but there are parts of the book that contain a lot of text on one page that might be difficult for a child that young to digest.

There are several things that I like about the book. On the pages where English and Spanish are placed side by side, it is easy to translate from one language to the other. Many pages contain pictures to explain the text within the sentence. Illustrations are AI generated but they do correlate well with the text. The author covers different types of weather common in various parts of the world. There is an interactive component which encourages readers to search and find for certain images which keeps the child engaged in the story.

I do believe the book is a valuable tool for bilingual Spanish/English children and especially for ESL students. However, I feel it most effective for children in elementary grades.

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