Books to Inspire, Thrill and Engage Children
Little Annie wants her dad to tell a story. So she pulls down the blue coffee can, curls up on his lap, and listens to the story about the coffee can kid. Her father tells her of a baby born to a very poor mother in a land far away. This mother, and grandmother could... Continue Reading →
"Dylan was someone who noticed things. His mom was someone who wasn't." Ouch. How many times am I guilty of that? Focusing on my to-do list while ignoring everything around me? This day, Dylan noticed music. He asked his mom to stop to listen, but she was too busy. The music captivated Dylan - he... Continue Reading →
All children have dreams, hopes and wishes. One little girl's wish feels unrealistic - she cannot find a star to wish upon in the bright night sky of New York City. But her mother finds a way to nurture her daughter's dream - reminding her that hope is hard work, and demonstrating that fact by... Continue Reading →
America the Beautiful: Together We Stand is a beautiful picture book celebrating the diversity of the United States of America. It includes the poem Katharine Lee Bates wrote, which later became a much-loved patriotic song. The publisher, Orchard Books, recruited ten different children's book artists to illustrated the poem - which includes a wide variety... Continue Reading →
Illustrator Mark Pett creates another beautiful wordless book in The Girl and the Bicycle. A young girl and her brother are walking down the street, when she spots a beautiful green bicycle in the store window. She works and works and works to earn enough money to buy it, only to discover it's gone when... Continue Reading →
"Henry loved books. But not like you and I love books, no. Not quite..." reads the front fly of this book. I'm afraid to say more about the story - I mean you can guess the gist of it. But if I tell you more, I might give away the ending. And it's a lovely... Continue Reading →
The Hueys are all the same. And there are quite a lot of them. They think the same, do the same things, and look the same. No one is different. Until one Huey - Rupert by name - knits a sweater. Then all pandemonium breaks loose. The Hueys in The New Sweater by Oliver Jeffers... Continue Reading →
This weekend Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, arguably the holiest of Christian holidays. Children and adults alike will hear the story of Jesus and the week leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. For families celebrating Easter, The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith is a beautiful retelling of the story. Beautiful, not only... Continue Reading →
As a child, I thought science was a dull and boring subject. I think it was because my childhood was missing fantastic science books - the kind that make kids sit up and take notice, and realize science is very interesting (though still not my favorite subject). Bones by Steve Jenkins is one of those... Continue Reading →
For preschoolers learning about other people groups and the alphabet, Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove is the perfect picture book marrying the two. Musgrove works her way through the alphabet, telling a bit about a different African tribe for each letter. The tribal illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon are as interesting... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 