Sourcebooks Jabberwocky | 978-1492638322 I love finding a book that immediately captures my attention. In the case of, BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon it was the combination of bright, energetic illustrations and a text that surprises. The story begins: © Elizabeth Zunon CLICK TO ENLARGE “No! No! NO!” You beat… Read more »
Words, Wonderful Words… I know a lot of people — myself included — who like to choose one word (or a couple) as a way to set an intention for the year. Naming things – hopes, feelings, problems, dreams – can serve as one anchor point from which to interpret our lives. Day to day,… Read more »
Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt | 978-1627793698 Whir! Zip! Zoom! Today is the day the Ruby-throated hummingbird will begin its amazing journey. As the protagonist of Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor’s newest book, TINY BIRD: A Hummingbird’s Amazing Journey, notices the change of season, so too, readers will feel a pull to leave the small, yet comforting northeastern… Read more »
Random House | 978-1984892706 “The world had been dark for a long time… Every morning, the girl fed the fish and waited for things to be different. But every morning, the world stayed the same.” So begins THE STARKEEPER, written and illustrated by Faith Pray. Could there be a more perfect book for… Read more »
LOOKING FOR SMILE by Ellen Tarlow, illustrated by Lauren Stringer Beach Lane Books/S&S | 978-1534466197 Each morning, Bear awoke to find his friend Smile nearby. They liked the same things – nuts and berries for breakfast, honey from a hive, splashing in a waterfall. They enjoyed the same adventures – “as long as they weren’t too… Read more »
Dial Books | 978-0735230378 Seeing with kindness. Listening with kindness. Suppressing the impulse to jump to judgement. These are the things that came to mind as I scrolled through social media today and ran across a conversation that stopped me in my tracks. Someone I knew had expressed some opinions I disagreed with. They… Read more »
HMH Books for Young Readers | 978-0358252108 Two years ago I had the good fortune to hear author Sy Montgomery speak at the Charlotte Huck Children’s Literature Festival. I had read her picture book, KAKAPO RESCUE: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot (and included it in a RKZ post HERE), as well as other books, including INKY’S… Read more »
