I’ve been thinking a lot about letter writing this past year, a year in which we are all more or less distanced from one another. I was going through a list of the British Kate Greenaway Medal books recently and unearthed a couple of winners by Allan and Janet Ahlberg that I remember fondly from …
Reading and learning about a place before you visit is a great way to drum up excitement for the trip. You will have a better experience if you recognize the sites and know basic history. Learning the local language, even just a couple of key phrases, can make visiting a foreign country more enriching. Try …
A Peaceful Change from the Toddler Whirlwind My three-year-old has a short attention span. Surprise, surprise! We love to read books together but she tends to rush through them, always trying to turn the page before I’m done reading it. Even in the quiet time before bed she has energy to burn and so much …
Valentine’s Day comes at just the right time of year, bringing light to the darkness of the long winter doldrums. V-Day is especially great for kids. Kids get to make fun arts and crafts and decorations and wear red and pink. I’m excited about Ava’s Valentine’s Day dress and what pink bow she’ll wear to …
I love a surprise ending, and most children do too, even if they’ve heard the story ten or twenty times already. There is something about an unexpected twist that engages us and commands our attention, and once we’re in on the surprise, we enjoy the tension that leads to the unveiling all the more. Back …
America the Melting Pot There are lots of children’s books about food, and lots of multicultural books about food from different countries and cultures. Today, I’m reviewing my favorite multicultural children’s books about food set in the US. The United States has long been known as the melting pot – for good reason! Many different …
A Where’s Waldo Book Review The other day we were out perusing the used books at the local Goodwill. My daughter stumbled across a colorful oversized book about Tonka Trucks. She instantly took to it and it of course made its way into the shopping cart. Upon reading it to her that night it brought …
Library Trip! This past Saturday I went to the library for the first time since the pandemic started. My library has just started allowing people to browse inside for a short time instead of using remote curbside pickup. Ava came too, and Steve and the baby. The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, and even though …
National Hat Day! It is celebrated on January 15th in the United States, so I want to share with you ten of the best children’s books about hats. Why hats, you ask? Hats keep us warm. They keep us cool and protect us from the sun. They are great accessories and play a central role …
Happy Winnie the Pooh Day! It’s a National Holiday, of course. 😊 Winnie the Pooh Day is celebrated by libraries and schools everywhere each January 18. The day is in honor of Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne’s birthday, who was born on January 18, 1882. A.A. Milne wrote stories about the lovable bear and …