Are letters more important, or are numbers more important? This playful book is both a book about letters as well as a book about numbers. The colorful and engaging pictures make this a fun one to enjoy with your child. There is a whole lot to see and enjoy.
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great is a delightful book about friendship which is approached with a hardy does of silliness. I am not sure it is possible to read this book without smiling! The illustrations and the creative use of font enhance the story and make this one a real winner!
It seems I am on a continual hunt for chapter books that are at the right reading level and are also age appropriate for our daughter. She is going into first grade and loves to read. The Magic Tree House Series as well as the Cam Jansen Series have been big hits so I was excited to find another mystery series for her. A to Z Mysteries features three children who serve as accidental detectives. The books are engaging for our daughter, and she is very eager to read more of them. As a mom, I like the fact that the children in the story are problem solvers. I also love that the female character Ruth Rose loves to wear pink but also has strong observation skills and is a thinker. This series is an exciting find!
Our daughter was introduced to this book at nature camp this summer and loved it! It features the well known counting rhyme coupled with beautiful illustrations that include lots of details that are fun to explore.
If you have a child who struggles with perfectionism, this one is a must read! Beatrice Bottomwell never made a mistake until one day she finally does, and the mistake is very public. What Beatrice learns from the experience and how she moves on are worthwhile lessons for little ones as well as grown ups who define their success via their attempts at perfection.
The other day at dismissal at our daughter’s school, the topic of keeping our children safe was discussed. Protecting the Gift: Keeping Our Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is the book our family has turned to in order to get direction and support regarding how to effectively speak with our child about the risks that exist in our world.
Gavin de Becker appeared on the Oprah show years ago and discussed the basic principals from his book The Gift of Fear. He talked at length about staying safe by trusting your gut instincts and how to respond if you are in a crisis situation. The discussion made an impact, and I read The Gift of Fear.
His follow up book Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is not an “easy” read, but it is an outstanding book. I find that I have to read small portions at a time and digest what I have read and then think about how our family can implement what I have learned. Many stories are shared within de Becker’s book and many of them do not have happy endings, but they are included in order to teach powerful lessons that make an impact.
Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane) is on my short list as a must have parenting resource.
As we patiently waited in line to have Peter H. Reynolds sign our books a few weeks back, we started chatting with a very nice mom who was also waiting in line. Soon the conversation moved to great books we had shared with our children, and she mentioned a couple by David Wiesner which I will be featuring this week.
Sector 7 is unique in that it has no words. The story is told completely by the amazing illustrations. The book has a magical feel to it and immediately captured our daughter’s interest . A young boy who is visiting the Empire State Building has an adventure beyond his expectations when he is befriended by a cloud and taken to Sector 7 which is home to clouds. It seems the clouds want to express themselves by changing their respective forms from the traditional white and fluffy variety. With creativity and artistic flair, the boy helps the clouds realize their dream. This one is awesome!
Chopsticks is the companion book to an old favorite Spoon. It is a clever book. There is much to enjoy for little ones who may have very limited knowledge of chopsticks beyond that they look nifty to adults who will appreciate the humor that is woven into the story. Ultimately, Chopsticks explores being able to stand on your own as well as being able to stick together. This is a great one!
We love Amy Rosenthal books at our house, and this new release is no exception! Who would ever imagine that a book that explains end marks could be so much fun?! Rosenthal has once again done a terrific job weaving multiple messages into her work. The reader not only learns how to effectively use end marks but also gets to see that being different isn’t a bad thing. In fact, being different is also what can end up ultimately making you special.
Our daughter loves writing and illustrating her own stories. She was interested in learning how to make some of the animals she wanted to draw look a bit more life like. This book has been a terrific resource for her. Each animal is made up of simple shapes and step by step instructions are given for each. This one is a winner!