They had me at Dogs & Books: Read, Rescue and Repeat! the name of the publishing group for a series of books inspiring us to adopt from shelters. Second-Chance Sam: King of the Junkyard by JoAnn Sky and illustrated by John Tatulli is the story of an older dog, Sam, who finally gets adopted from […]
Archive | Books 4 Kids
The Nutcracker
In the words of Maurice Sendak, “Who in the world needs another Nutcracker?” And you certainly don’t need me to review this timeless story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. But in the spirit of the season, I want to honor the brilliant artist Maurice Sendak’s rendition of this classic tale. This isn’t a book review, but just […]
Name That Dog
This picture book doesn’t need explanation to give you an idea of the storyline—finding a new name for your new puppy. That is exactly how the idea and the book were birthed. When author Peggy Archer created a poem about her new puppy she embarked on doing that very same thing for a variety of […]
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions
This is the story of Color Monster who wakes up confused because he’s experiencing a jumble of emotions from happy to sad and calm to scared. A little girl comes to his aid and helps him understand each feeling by likening them to various colors. When Color Monster is able to makes sense of how […]
Raise Your Hand
It’s scary to speak up. And when you raise your hand in class and give the wrong answer, it makes you think twice about speaking up again. This is how eleven-year-old Alice Paul Tapper felt when she raised her hand in school. After ruminating on this embarrassing classroom situation she talked with her mom who […]
Life As A Barnacle
What would make you happy? This is the question that little barnacle Abraham ponders as he floats out and looks for a place to stick. As he meets other barnacles in oyster colonies, on piers, and along the bottom of a boat he is tempted to stay but decides to continue on his journey towards […]
August Skies
Even if you’re a full time working professional, there is something about fall that feels like new beginnings. I liken it to the quote from “You’ve Got Mail” where the reference to a “bouquet of newly sharpened pencils” celebrates the anticipation of setting off to school and onto other novel adventures. In this picture book […]
Little Penguin Gets The Hiccups
This is a circuitous tale of a penguin desperately trying to rid himself of hiccups he got from eating spicy foods. Terribly bothered by them, he enlists his friends to help. He doesn’t have success until his friend the whale plays a trick on him that thwarts his hiccups for good; or at least until […]
Berkley: A Nose Tale
Berkley’s a basset hound with a shockingly big nose. While Berkley doesn’t mind it—it allows him to inhale scents he likes such as smelly socks—his unusual snout seems to a bit of a nuisance for his owner Jeremy. That is until Berkley’s special gift helps Jeremy’s friend Becky when she needs it most. I absolutely […]
The Bad Seed
We’ve all been bad seeds. Sometimes words hurt us. Some days we feel alone. Sometimes we feel like failures. And somehow we all make mistakes. And sometimes it just feels good to be bad. A little sunflower seed is the star of this book by Jory John and illustrated by Pet Oswald. This seed shows […]