The title, Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit, made me think of a Moose who doesn't have any friends, who didn't fit in at preschool, or some such quandry. But the picture book by Catherine Rayner is much more simple than that. Ernest doesn't fit on the page. So he and his little friend spend... Continue Reading →
Brothers at Bat
In the 1930's, a lot of families had a lot of kids. And many of them were able to field their own baseball team. But none were as successful, and none played together as long as the Acerras in New Jersey. Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick tells their story. The Acerras had 12 boys... Continue Reading →
More
The question on the back of the book says it all: "When is more more than enough?" The picture book More by I.C. Springman follows a magpie obsessed with collecting more and more things, until disaster strikes. Fortunately, her field mice friends are there to help her, and the magpie learns a lesson about purging... Continue Reading →
Interrupting Chicken
Have you ever tried to read a story to your children, but they kept interrupting you with questions? You know exactly how Papa Chicken feels in David Ezra Stein's delightful picture book Interrupting Chicken. The little red chicken is so excited about the storyline of the book he's listening to that she interrupts Papa Chicken... Continue Reading →
Queen of the Track
In 1948, London hosted the first Olympics held after World War II. Londoners, and the Olympic athletes, faced many problems. But none faced the challenges that Alice Coachman faced. Queen of the Track by Heather Lang tells Coachman's story - her journey from a poor black family in Georgia in the middle of segregation to... Continue Reading →
The Wednesday Surprise
The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting is a surprise - at least it surprised me. It tells the story of Anna and her Grandmother, who comes on Wednesdays to stay with her while her mother works late and her older brother goes to basketball practice. The two of them are working on a surprise for... Continue Reading →
the hidden alphabet
Parents and children alike will enjoy the hidden alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Seeger created a beautiful lift-the-flap book with capital letters. Each flap has a window with a picture illustrating the letter. Then, the reader lifts the flap to reveal: the hidden letter of the alphabet. Seeger elegant paintings for each letter really capture... Continue Reading →
Worst of Friends
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, founders of the United States of America, were best friends. They were quite opposite, in size, shape and temperament, but they really liked each other. They worked together to create the United States of America. They worked together to find a solution to paying the bills of their new country. ... Continue Reading →
The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales
Many years ago, my sister told me I needed to read The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. I looked at her a bit strangely, because it is a picture book, and I didn't have any children at the time. "Really, Michelle, read it." I conceded. And... Continue Reading →
If You Lived Here
If You Lived Here: Houses of the World by Giles Laroche is a beautiful picture book which tells the stories of houses around the world. I love this book for so many reasons. First, Laroche created beautiful bas-relief cut-paper collages for each of the pages, which are fun to examine. Second, Laroche provides several levels... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 