Rooger and Loki Learn Manners: Sit, Boy, Sit. A Children’s Story About Dogs, Kindness and Family (The Curly Crow Pawprints Collection Book 1)
Written by Nicholas Aragon
Illustrated by Remesh Ram
When Dad decides to take his twins, Quinn and Finn to the park, they are delighted to find two playful Boston Terriers wrestling in the park. After striking up a coversation, the twins learn tat the twin pups named Rooger and Loki are homeless. The children decide they will need to learn manners and discipline before anyone will adopt them so the twins begin that task. At first, the job seems hopeless. Readers will laugh at the mayhem. Will the twins succeed with their good intentions?
The cute picture book teaches kindness and patience. Appropriate for animal lovers ages four and older.
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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.
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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A sweet, rhyming picture book that features a young girl who loves to ride. It begins by showing her to be fairly typical and part of a loving family. Her mom helps her find her gear, her dad spends the day driving her to her lesson and waiting patiently for her while proudly watching her progress.
This is the first book in a series that is sure to be popular with every young girl who has dreamed of riding a horse. Children learn that riding a horse is not only a skill but that involves a lot of hard work and animal care.
Highly recommended for readers up to age ten.
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Kneading a Winning Idea: A Book on the Importance of Practice
Written by Terri Sabol
Illustrated by Pei Jen
I love the play on words for the title! Ben likes to bake. Every year he enters a contest with his buttermilk biscuits but never comes in first. Sofia is his fiercest rival.
When Ben’s father asks him if he will compete again, Ben decides he must make a change in his recipe to come out on top so he experiments by leaving out different ingredients. Then his cat gives him an idea. After trying it out, Ben’s father proclaims it a big success.
Can Ben finally achieve his dream of winning the contest with his buttermilk biscuits this year?
This book teaches elementary school readers that they must face their feelings and persevere until their desired goal is met. Patience is a virtue most young children find difficult to cultivate.
This book is a good start and readers receive a delicious bonus biscuit recipe as well.
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Publisher’s Synopsis: Introducing eight-year-old Marisol Rainey—an irresistible new character from Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling Erin Entrada Kelly!
Marisol Rainey’s mother was born in the Philippines. Marisol’s father works and lives part-time on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And Marisol, who has a big imagination and likes to name inanimate objects, has a tree in her backyard she calls Peppina . . . but she’s way too scared to climb it. This all makes Marisol the only girl in her small Louisiana town with a mother who was born elsewhere and a father who lives elsewhere (most of the time)—the only girl who’s fearful of adventure and fun.
Will Marisol be able to salvage her summer and have fun with Jada, her best friend? Maybe. Will Marisol figure out how to get annoying Evie Smythe to leave her alone? Maybe. Will Marisol ever get to spend enough real time with her father? Maybe. Will Marisol find the courage to climb Peppina? Maybe.
Told in short chapters with illustrations by the author on nearly every page, Maybe, Maybe Marisol Rainey is a must-have for early elementary grade readers. Erin Entrada Kelly celebrates the small but mighty Marisol, the joys of friendship, and the triumph of overcoming your fears in this stunning new novel for readers of Kevin Henkes, Meg Medina, Andrew Clements, Sara Pennypacker, and Kate DiCamillo.
Newberry Award Winner, Erin Entrada Kelly has created an adorable character in a new series that is sure to win the hearts and minds of beginning and middle-grade readers. This multicultural book features Marisol, a child who says maybe to everything because she is afraid to try anything new. What is Marisol afraid of? Climbing trees, strange noises, speaking in front of the class, to name just a few of them. Luckily, Marisol’s best friend, Jada, has an insatiable curiosity like Marisol. She is kind and empathetic, encouraging and patient. Together they create imaginative scenarios.
Kelly manages to reveal Marisol’s life chapter by chapter. Readers learn her father works on an oil rig and is only home one week a month. Her mother is a teacher, who speaks three languages and was born in the Philippines. Marisol loves silent films, real and stuffed animals, and cannot stop asking questions. Throughout the story, readers uncover bits of knowledge about philosophy, science, bullying, and common sense.
The charming black and white illustrations make this book a wonderful choice for new readers. Character depth and age-appropriate themes will have middle-grade students unwilling to put it down. Looking forward to new stories in this series.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times–bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly was awarded the Newbery Medal forHello, Universe and a Newbery Honor forWe Dream of Space. She grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and now lives in Delaware. She is a professor of children’s literature in the graduate fiction and publishing programs at Rosemont College, where she earned her MFA, and is on the faculty at Hamline University. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Philippines Free Press Literary Award for Short Fiction and the Pushcart Prize. Erin Entrada Kelly’s debut novel,Blackbird Fly, was a Kirkus Best Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALSC Notable Book, and an Asian/Pacific American Literature Honor Book. She is also the author ofThe Land of Forgotten Girls, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature; You Go First, a Spring 2018 Indie Next Pick;Lalani of the Distant Sea, an Indie Next Pick; andMaybe Maybe Marisol Rainey, which she also illustrated. The author’s mother was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States from the Philippines, and she now lives in Cebu.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a hardcover copy of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey!
Ten (10) winners receive:
A hardcover copy of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey
The giveaway begins April 26, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends May 26, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
This book is part of a series that features a girl named
Emma and her menagerie of personified stuffed animals. Each of these has a
distinct personality and a kind heart.
In this volume, Emma and her fluffy friends are playing in
the living room when they hear a loud crash outside. After looking out the
window, they discover a small bird lying still on the grass. When they
investigate, they discover a chickadee who has been seriously injured. Emma
gets a box and lines it with a doll blanket. She and her friends bring the box
inside and patiently wait for hours to see if the bird will recover.
After what seems an interminable amount of time, Emma picks
up the box and places it under a tree outside in the yard. They are happy to
see the bird sitting up. A few minutes later, the chickadee flaps its wings and
flies up into the tree.
Emma and her friends demonstrate patience, kindness and a love of nature. Children learn what and what not to do to help an injured animal. The illustrations are bright and effective. My only suggestion would be to vary the color of the text to make it a bit easier to read. Recommended for preschoolers and early elementary grade school readers.
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Ten-year-old Eric is a natural basketball player. Eric has been sinking baskets since the age of four and he is used to his mother bragging about his talent. He has just learned that he has been named to the All City Basketball Team. When he meets Coach Teddy, Eric promises to do his part when the coach urges the team to pass the ball to make defensive points. But soon Eric loses his confidence and initiative in taking shots and relies on the other team members because he is afraid to fail. Eric’s mom urges him to practice on his own until he masters his technique. Eric learns that any team sport requires lots of patience, practice, and persistence. Natural talent needs to be nurtured to achieve continued success.
This is a good book for late elementary school and middle-school readers who are interested in sports or need to revitalize their self-esteem. Perfect individual or read aloud discussion book choice for children ages seven through twelve. Colorful illustrations will also attract reluctant readers.
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E is for Ethics: How to Talk to Kids About What Matters Most
Written by Ian James Corlett
Illustrated by R.A. Holt
The author is a Children’s TV writer and animator by trade. Distressed by the fact that schools no longer include ethics and civics teaching in their curriculum, he decided that he and his wife must assume that responsibility. Many years ago when his children were young, he and his wife decided to set one night a week as a family discussion time. Corlett developed a series of twenty-six stories that exemplified different aspects of moral behavior. Following each story, the children engaged in interactive questions for discussion as well as suggested activities.
The following is a list of the topics discussed in these stories: honesty, understanding, forgiveness, courage, perseverance, tact, politeness, loyalty, gratitude, truthfulness, sincerity, integrity, citizenship, responsibility, kindness, generosity, helpfulness, empathy, charity, trust, willingness, respect, fairness, acceptance, patience, and effort. There are simple colorful illustrations of a young child like the character of Lucy or Eliot featured in each story. A few famous quotations are sprinkled throughout.
This book provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend time getting to know what their children are thinking as well as fulfilling a necessary parental responsibility to guide and form a child’s character and values. Recommended for all ages in the family to enjoy and share.
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This book contains adorable illustrations and simple text with a message important for children to assimilate and practice into their everyday lives. Raffi is a giraffe who has a fetish for grilled cheese sandwiches. One day he finds that he has misplaced his lunch box. Raffi meets animal friends like Marlon the Monkey, Torrey the Turtle and Owie, the Owl. Each friend contributes by using individual talents, Marlon makes Raffi laugh, and Torrey has infinite patience. Owie uses his logic to solve the mystery.
Children learn that friends stick together to help each other, and that patience and thinking things through will provide the answers we are seeking. This book is recommended as a picture book for younger children and a beginning reader for older siblings.
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May 25, 2025
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