Mommy Has a Monster on Her Back!: A Story about Chronic Illness

Written by Liz Long

Illustrated by Ethan Roffler

The author and illustrator have succeeded in creating a beautiful picture book with an important message for young children.

This book is done in soft pastels and features words in bold that play on the different feelings engendered by chronic physical or mental illness. The illness is compared to a monster on mommy’s back. Some days are easy and others hard but mommy learns to deal with the illness and the child sees the need for resilience and acceptance. By using humor and analogies, even a preschooler can understand chronic illness.

Highly recommended for families and counselors who deal with chronic or physical illness.

My Play Can Be. . . : A Children’s Rhyming Book About Imagination

Written by Stephanie Seidler

Illustrated by Anastasia Sikilinda

A beautiful, rhyming picture book with illustrations that leap off each page.

This book portrays ordinary day-to-day situations and imbues each with the power of imagination. What miracles can occur with cardboard, sand, water or wood. As adults, we often lose the ability to turn down an opportunity like playing on the sand or riding on a swing in the playground.

I highly suggest this book for preschool and early primary grade readers as a read aloud to stir young imaginations into active play activities.

What Am I? Valentine: A Picture Book of Read-Aloud, Rhyming Valentine Riddles 

Written by Shana Gorian

Another rhyming riddle book in this eight part series written to delight young children who enjoy jokes and riddles.

The Valentine theme is presented with large font in red letters and adorable illustrations that connect to common holiday themes like hearts, flowers, cards, and chocolates. A fun addition to a class or holiday party.

Recommended for ages four through eight but appropriate for any age child.

Tuxedo Baby

Written by Victoria Smith

Illustrated by Helen Stebakov

Tuxedo is a penguin orphaned due to an oil spill. Two conure parrots decide to adopt him.

Tuxedo is curious and passionate about trying new things. Sometimes he forgets that he is not a parrot and gets in trouble for attempting things his penguin body cannot achieve. His parents are patient and urge him to exercise curiosity but also caution. As Tuxedo grows, he learns how to maximize his unique qualities and talents.

I enjoyed the bonus sections that provide readers with facts about conures and penguins as well as background about oil spills.

This charming book contains valuable lessons as well as solid educational information.

Recommended especially for primary grade readers but also beginning chapter book readers.

Hop-About: The Adventures of Benny the Bunny and Mr. Rabbit

Written by Colin Krainin

Illustrated by Joan Krainin

At first glance, one would guess this book title is for elementary school readers. Indeed, it contains charming illustrations, but the complexity of characters and issues addressed suggest it is more appropriate for middle-grade and older audiences.

At the outset, readers meet Mr. Rabbit, a stuffed rabbit who lives with his friends, Mr. Rabbit, and a large stuffed bear in an apartment in New York City. When a visitor arrives, their lives are turned upside down.

They are recruited in an adventure to search for a lost friend. This journey eventually leads to Australia where the friends encounter wildfires, climate-change disasters and a host of unsavory characters.

The plot and characters are rather complex for a young reader. Older readers are better equipped to understand the issues and appreciate the personality types presented.

An enjoyable read for readers ages ten and older.

Charlie Learns to Be a Cowboy

Written by Danika Kester

Illustrated by Jeffrey Foster Thomas

This book is written and illustrated by two people who have dedicated their lives to understanding and working with horses. Their passion is evident in the story and illustrations.

The plot features a young boy named Charlie who wants to be a cowboy. When he visits his grandparents’ ranch, Charlie learns the job entails a lot more work than he imagined. A cowboy works hard and trains hard.

The hand-drawn illustrations convery the mood of respect, kindness, empathy, responsibility, and hard work. They are simple and direct allowing preschoolers to visualize the message without understanding the words.

Highly recommended for children who love horses and might want to be a cowboy someday.

Boo Bear’s Light: An A B C Rhyming Picture Book for Children

Written by Catherine Ann Russell

Illustrated by Jessica Robin Harkey

This picture book provides a clever tale with embedded alphabet rhymes to teach preschool and kindergarten children their letters.

The rhymes are clever as they are embedded within the story plot. I appreciate the fact that the author uses a few challenging vocabulary words like vamoose and underdog rather than more familiar words. Colors of the illustrations match the theme and setting of the forest. My only criticism is that the size of the font might be a bit larger to allow it to stand out and become easier to read.

A good resource for parents and teachers to teach the alphabet in a creative and appealing fashion.

Written and illustrated by Carolyn Cutler Hughes

A simple story with an important message.

The protagonist is a heart who wandered among many hearts seeking to find out why she was named Love and what the word means. After much searching, Love comes to understand that it takes two separate hearts to make love come into being. It is something we cannot create within ourselves but must seek from another to make it complete.

The book makes the perfect Valentine’s Day present. Appropriate for any age.

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Grandma, It’s Me!: A Children’s Book about Dementia 

Written by Y. Y. Chan

Illustrated by Pearly L.

So many families contain an elderly member suffering from dementia. This book goes a long way toward explaining and humanizing the difficult situation.

The protagonist is a young girl named Riley. It follows her diary entries over a period of time. One day Riley notices that her grandmother is forgetting things. As time passes, grandma wanders off and forgets the names of family members. She needs constant care and that is a burden on the family. Chan shows how to combine love with patience as the family must constantly adjust their situation.

This book is a great resource in explaining dementia to young children. I liked the multicultural images, the characters, and the abundant resources included. Readers receive a list of questions and reflections about what they read as well as activities to download.

This book is highly recommended not only to parents and teachers but also counselors who work in mental health facilities or in schools with children.

It’s Cool To Be Kind: A Children’s Book on Kindness and Friendship

Written and illustrated by Shermaine Perry-Knights

The author introduces three friends and illustrated everyday examples where it is easy to show kindness. Carrying groceries for the elderly, showing a young child how to tie shoelaces, stopping mean kids from bullying, make each of them feel good about themselves as well as those who received their kindness. The illustrations include characters with disabilities.

As a bonus, the author provides a game with activities to show kindness, suggested lessons, and follow-up reading comprehension questions.

A good addition to parent and classroom libraries for any age but especially primary grade readers.