As a retired educator who bemoans the fact that our schools no longer teach critical thinking to young children, I applaud the author for taking on the challenge of teaching primary grade children that their first impression is not always correct.
A young mouse named Tiny hears his family tell stories about enemies like the rooster. One day Tiny meets Dell, a rooster, and fears terror until he bravely stops to look into Dell’s eyes. He is surprised to find out you cannot believe everything you hear. Many misunderstandings can be prevented when rational thinking replaces false judgments.
The illustrations are an interesting collage of shapes and colors which force the reader to take the time to think about each page of the tale carefully.
I highly recommend the book to parents and teachers who will hopefully integrate the message of critical and creative thinking skills within the lives of themselves and their children.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no compensation.
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A holiday picture book for children that is sure to become a classic tale. Malik never fails to impress the reader with vivid colors and expressive images. This fantasy picture book story reminds all of us that what is old and discarded can become new and beautiful once more.
A kitten looks forward to the first Christmas. The kitten discovers a freshly cut Christmas tree in the garage. The kitten wants to know all about Christmas, but the tree has no experience to share. Then the kitten uncovers an old artificial tree that has been discarded.
What can the old cat and the old plastic tree teach the little kitten and the child who opens this magical Christmas tale?
Open this charming book and share it with your child today.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author and voluntarily chose to read and review it with my honest opinions for no compensation.
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The protagonist, Luna, is a young girl who is brave and compassionate. She lives at the edge of the Milky Way. Luna’s fondest desire is to venture into deep space and explore the universe.
When the opportunity arises, Luna’s mother pleads with her not to go. Drawn by her insatiable curiosity, Luna answers the call. Her adventure will lead to many dangers, but Luna’s determination, empathy for others, and spirit of teamwork allow her to overcome the most formidable obstacles.
The illustrations are marvelous and the rhymes spot on. While the book is targeted for ages five through eight, the longer page length and vocabulary suggest for me a middle-grade audience as well.
This book with its strong female role model and intriguing plot make it a top choice for your next book selection to a home or classroom bookshelf.
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KIDS and MONEY TEACHING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND VALUES TO CHILDREN
Written by Connie Ragen Green
I believe it’s never too early to teach children about financial responsibility. This book begins with a history of money from the earliest times. Green explains that our concepts about money shift during our lifetime. She demonstrates how to determine a child’s financial personality and disputes the traditional viewpoint of setting up an allowance. Her five-part plan assists in fostering independence. Green shows why alleviating financial stress makes a dramatic difference in lifestyle.
This book can be introduced in the elementary grades or during the middle grades. Recommended for parents who want to foster financial independence and accountability skills in their children.
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Written by Geraldine V. Oates-Sese, Ph.D Illustrated by Franchesca A. Guerrero
Children who are unfamiliar with birding may be inspired to become nature lovers after reading this book. Highly recommended for elementary and middle grade readers.
I loved this colorful picture book packed with so much knowledge.
The protagonist, Melusine, enjoys bird watching. One day she notices an unfamiliar sound outside her window. Melusine travels to her multicultural neighborhood to identify this bird. Along her journey, readers learn about the songs and calls of many birds. In addition, Melusine’s trip to the market with her parents exposes readers to the different languages spoken by members of her community.
The author provides a comprehensive summary of each bird call and a glossary of the terms expressed by humans in the various languages spoken in the market. This book portrays a beautiful message of the diversity and inclusive sounds emitted by human and feathered friends.
Children who are unfamiliar with birding may be inspired to become nature lovers after reading this book. Highly recommended for elementary and middle grade readers.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: Art is autistic and artistic.
Art has just one friend – his teddy bear.
Art does not speak, but he makes art. Art that dismisses gravity.
The publication crowns the artist and turns royalty into a mere audience. The sophisticated illustrations inspire readers to express their emotions, verbalize their feelings, and create their own stories.
Marin is proud to be a self-published children’s book creator. He writes his stories, illustrates the books, designs the covers, formats the pages, and publishes the volumes. He even creates new fonts for his publications to make them one-of-a-kind. To achieve a world-class status for his books, Marin “marinates” them in a special creative compound.
Marin lives with his family on the Canadian East Coast. He is very thankful that the weather there is often bad and gives him more chances to sit in front of a computer and create. His works are available in several different formats:
HARDCOVER: books are cataloged and can be ordered in any bookstore or library in North America. A book title, author’s name, or ISBN is needed for placing an order.
SOFTCOVER and EBOOK: available on Amazon, Kobo, Google Books, Barnes & Noble, and other big and small book retailers.
AUDIOBOOK: obtainable from Audible, iTunes, MagicBlox, and other vendors.
Art: A story about an autistic and artistic circus virtuoso and his teddy bear
Illustrated by Marin.
A compelling wordless picture book that is at once unsettling and unique. The protagonist is a young autistic man who possesses both artistic and musical talent. He is obsessed with the circus and magic. The whimsical illustrations are dramatic and dark, much like the world of an autistic soul. This man’s only friend is a teddy bear, which he uses to delight the circus audience and to escape the bonds of this world’s gravity as he soars high above the ground. In this way, Art creates a unique environment that provides joy and exhilaration, releasing him from the bonds of his autistic prison.
This picture book is a welcome resource for an autistic child, but certainly a wellspring of imaginative opportunities for any child to release his storytelling creativity. As a special educator who has worked with many children on the autism spectrum, I applaud Marin’s contribution as a bridge to understanding this disability as well as a unique opportunity for elementary and middle grade students to enhance their creative expression abilities.
GIVEAWAY
Enter the giveaway for the chance to win an autographed hardcover copy of Art and $50 sent via PayPal! A complimentary download of Marin’s book The Smileis also available to everyone right now on Amazon.
Two Little Raindrops: An Exciting Story about Raindrops
Written by Adele Lamothe
Illustrated by Steve Tu
A new earth science picture book that explains the wonders of the water cycle to young children. Written in lyrical prose, the book features two adorable raindrop characters, Splish and Splash. Children love to splash in puddles. When curiosity about where this rain is coming from pops into their minds, read this book to answer their questions. The book teaches them the importance of the water cycle to our survival and how to conserve water through two endearing raindrops, Splish and Splash.
The diagrams are informative and easy to understand. The AB beat makes the book a fun read aloud. I recommend this book to curious minds ages three and older. Science teachers put this one on your shelf for class discussion.
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This is a charming story that is targeted to a middle-grade audience, but one that raises moral issues pertinent to children and adults as well.
Ashley, a fifth grader, and her friend Mason live in a world where all dogs have been euthanized and no longer claim to be man’s best friend. When they discover a scientist has managed to save a pack of renegade dogs, they set out on an adventure to find them and discover the truth.
Issues like bullying, empathy, and animal science raise good meaningful topics for discussion.
A short read with interesting characters and plot lines.
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I got completely absorbed in this middle-grade adventure. At the outset, readers meet Lucy who is arguing with her brother Tom. Readers feel at home in an average American family. When Lucy’s teacher introduces the topic of oceans, Lucy decides she is all-in on pursuing an adventure to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a boat without engines or sails.
Her determination and persistence convince her family, friends, and teacher to support Lucy in her adventure. She solicits sponsors, learns about navigation, secures supplies, accesses communication equipment, and prepares for the big day.
Readers share the elation of stars, sunsets, and serenity of the seas. They also experience its dangers at every turn. For forty-five days, they read her diary and the writings of her classmates at home.
I love the lessons of sea-faring knowledge, and the strong character displayed by the protagonist. This book is a page-turner and an enjoyable read for the target audience of ages seven through twelve, but I promise a rewardable experience for any age reader.
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Have You Seen My Sock? A Fun Seek-and-Find Rhyming Children’s Book for Ages 3-7.
Written by Barbara B. Thompson
Illustrated by Remesh Ram
I loved this rhyming picture book for toddlers and preschoolers. A little boy becomes increasingly frustrated when he cannot find his favorite dinosaur sock. The repetitive lines encourage vocabulary retention and early reading skills. Bright illustrations draw children into the story. It teaches them the necessity of patience and the ability to be patient as they learn to logically follow a sequence of steps to solve a problem. This book encourages interactivity and helps parents and teachers to guide their young charges to follow through and remain on task.
I highly recommend it for a home or classroom bookshelf.
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December 27, 2023
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