Children's Lit Review

Monsen, Avery, and John, Jory. K is for Knifeball: An Alphabet of Terrible Advice. Chronicle. 80p. 2012. ISBN 9781452103310 ) THIS IS BY NO MEANS A CHILDREN'S BOOK! With an introduction, disclaimer geared towards"young readers," this book's attempt at the alphabet was not a child approved way. Suggesting children to do terrible, often illegal things like drinking cabernet, or letting strangers into their homes, I would not put this book on display. Knowing that this is truly a parody of alphabet books, it comedic value should be placed in the adult section, not the children's section. With its bright colors and smiling inanimate objects, this book can look appealing to children. 

Mogk, Mark, That's Not Your Mommy Anymore. Illustrated by Aja Wells. Ulysses Press.  32p. 2011. ISBN 9781569759264 This book was a bit traumatizing to read. Starting off sweet, this book took a horrific turn. When the mother turns into a zombie, the illustrations are filled with gore and terror. There's a scene of cannibalism and blood. My least favorite thing is that there is no conflict resolution for the child, he is on his own, waiting to be rescued. I see where Mogk tried to make this story comical but in my opinion, it was terryfying. I would not recommend this book for younger readers but it may  be more appropriate for middle grade readers.

Mansbach, Adam. Go the F**k to Sleep. Illustrated by Ricardo Cortes. Akashic. 17p. 2011. ISBN 9781617750250 Though absolutely hilarious, this book isn't suited for a children's section. With a negative tone and profanity on every page, Go the F**k to Sleep , is a picture book intended to be read by adults. Relatable to parents who may have trouble getting their child to sleep, this book talks about the frustrations and avoidances that occur during bedtime. Illustrated with children, this should not be mistaken as a children's book. Though parents do have the choice of reading this book to their children, this would not be a book I openly recommend. 

Shertle, Alice, Little Blue Truck's Springtime. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. HMH Books. 16p. 2018. ISBN 9780544938090. Ages ( 1 and up) For lovers of the Little Blue Truck series, this springtime installment is an excellent addition to the collection. Little Blue is driving around the farm with his good friend Toad. As they drive around the farm, they see new little additions hiding around! An interactive flap book will have readers discovering baby farm animals just born. Shertle uses rhyming and counting to get around the farm. Brightly painted, McElmurry, depicts a spring day on the farm. 

 Bender, Rebecca. How Do You Feel? Pajama Press. 37p. 2016. ISBN 9781772780130 ) Ages (0 and up). A soft padded board book describing textures by using imagery. How do you feel? Cast an array of woodland creatures, in which hedgehog asks how do you feel? Bender'sillustrations show hedgehog looking more confused as he concerning ask his friends how do you feel? Teaching the readers about synonyms as well as textures. Hedgehog means to ask his friends about their emotional state, not their texture. What would have really enhanced this board book is if the book had texture spots for a sensory experience.

Preston-Gannon, Frann. What a Hoot! Pow! 20p.2015. ISBN 9781576877586 Ages ( 0 and up) A concept book, as characterized by owls of all shapes, sizes, and colors. This book teaches rhyming and opposites. Illustrated with vivid colors and fun background additions like find the snail, Children will be this book is a hoot. A tad bit bigger than an average board book, this book is great for a toddler storytime or a lap reading session.

Boehm, Rachel. The Ways I Will Love You. Illustrated by Mary Jane Gerber. Orca Book. 24p.2010. ISBN  9781554691876 Ages (0 and up) Boehm shows that a mother's love is everlasting.  As she plays and watches her baby grow, the soothing rhythm of the text is sure to enchant the audience with its soft lullaby feel. Illustrated, to show moments of affection in everyday lives, the mother and child are always smiling and happy together in each scene. Children and parents will count the ways they show and receive love.

Rostoker-Gruber, Karen.Tea Time. Illustrated by. Viviana Garofoli. Two Lions. 24p. 2010 ISBN 9780761456384 Ages ( 1 and up) The little girl and her teddy are getting ready for tea at a quarter to four. They both get prepared in their most fancy attire, including high heels and ties.  Then little girl meticulously sets the table and makes her cookies and tea for three. The special guest is to arrive at four! This little rhyming board book is a fun short story about the order of events. With the white space background, children are encouraged to place their focus on the main character as she sets for tea, with nothing too distracting.

  Falatko,Julie. No Boring Stories. illustrared by Charles Santaso. Viking. 25 locations. 2018. ISBN 9780698406083 ages (4 and up) No Boring Stories is a hilarious comic strip style ebook that tells the story of misfit animals that never get featured in a typical picture book.  Tired of books about bunnies, kitties and puppies, these animals band together to create a story, starring them as the action heroes. When a bunny intrudes on the meeting, the misfit animals kick him out of their meeting, without hearing about his excellent idea. A book that signifies the importance of representation and acceptance Falatko creates a truly un-boring story filled many laughs. In ebook format, this book is easy to read beacuse there is no page break from the spine, so the comic strip in completely linear. 

Hooks, Bell. Grump Groan Growl. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. Disney Hyperion. 40p. 2017. Ages (1 and up) Hooks describes what its like when a young child or in this case a lion has a bad day. Raschka's illustrations shows how a bad day can make one feel like everything is chaotic and wild. Written almost as if it was a poem, this picture book main message is to let go of your frustrations. When a bad mood is on the prowl, take a minute to just breathe and and take a moment for o yourself. Positivly showing that anger is a common emotion, creating a conversation that you cant let angerconsume who you are.

Agee, John. The Wall in the Middle of the Book. Dial. 42p. 2018. ISBN 9 780525555452 Ages As an ebook, the illustrations of this book make no sense, because the wall is right where the spine of a book would be. However, it still gets the point across. A little knight is fixing a brick on his side of the wall, as he climbs up the ladder, he fails to realize how the water levels on his side of the wall are rising. He goes on and on about the dangers on the other side of the walls oblivious to his own endangerment.  Agee creates suspense as the water rise on whether or not the knight will notice and what will he do when he does see. What doesn't correlate well is why the knight's side of the wall flooding? 

Zimmerman, K. How a Mouse Saved the Royal Cat. Illustrated by Michelle Zimmerman. 14p. 2017. Ages (5 and up) An interesting ebook, with barely any pictures. The illustrator digitally colored the handful of images within the story, which is unlike the original book, which is printed in black and white. This is the story of how a cowardly cat, keeps his home because of the everything he was afraid of, mice! Though this is an excellent story on problem-solving, the pictures were lacking in the ebook edition. There could have been much more images to enhance the story further.

Hughes, Langston. This Is My Dream! illustrated by Daniel Miyares. 32p.2017. Random House. ISBN 97803995550195 Ages (3 and up) Illustrations based on the poem "DreamVariation" by Langston Hughes,  Miyares contrast the two parts of the poem by showing inequality and hope. In the first half of the poem, inequality is shown with darker colors; greys, browns, and dull tone to the images.  The reader is also shown that this isn't a present day, this still the time of segregation, which is represented by the whites only and colored only water fountains. The second half of the poem shows hope, the pictures are much brighter and full of life, with children being united. A great poem to introduce inequality and injustice to younger children.

Kerstein, Lauren H. Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves. Illustrated by Nate Wragg. Two Lions. 22 locations. 2019. ISBN 978154204932 Ages (3 and up) Exclusively released on Kindle, Rosie and Charlie are getting ready to head to the pool, but some preparation needs to happen before they can enjoy the water. Charlie prepares for the pool with sunblock and snacks, lots of snacks, especially skunk gummies. Before Charlie and Rosie go into the pool, Charlie goes over the rules with Rosie. Though Rosie is a dragon, she and children have the same pool rules! This fun and the colorful ebook will have dragons and children alike learning about pool safety, while still having fun. Available everywhere June 2019, this is a must-have summer read.

De Anda, Diana. Mango Moon. Illustrated by Sue Cornelison. Albert Whitman Company. 32p.2019. ISBN 9780807549575 Ages (6 and up) This heartfelt book discusses the hard topic of deportation, that is very realistic to some young readers. Told through the eyes of young Marciela, we see her perspective of having to live with the reality of her father's deportation. Filled with sadness, and lonliness, Marciela's feelings will break your heart. Left with an unresolved ending, Marciela hopes that her father is thinking of her under the same mango moon. Cornelison's portrayal of her characters are soft portraits, focusing on the representation of emotions rather than facial features. By not disclosing a country to be deported to, this books represents the many children facing this reality because their parents are undocumented.

Elliot, Hannah. Lunar New Year. Illustrated by Aliana Chu. Little Simon. 24p. 2018. ISBN 978153443303 Ages 3 and up   This ebook really explained the meaning of why and how the Chinese celebrate the Lunar NewYear. Elliot really captures the importance of tradition as well as spending time with family. Along with her informative text, Elliot uses the opportunity frequently to translate English words into Chinese. The beautiful illustrations by Chu, express the importance of the color red, and how it symbolizes good luck. Originally published as a board book, the ebook opens up the audience to a broader age group.

Harris J. Salam Alakium: A Message of Peace. Simon and Shuster. 40p.2017 ISBN 9781481489386 Ages (1 and up) Originally a song performed by author Harris J, this lyrical picture book defines what it is to bring peace on earth. Using the term Salam Alakium, the informal Arabic translation of "peace be upon you." While reading this ebook, one can also listen to the song in the background, as the lyrics and book are almost identical. With the beautiful illustrations by Ward Jenkins, we see how one boy lights up his community with one small gesture of kidness. His kidness becomes contagious, infecting everyone to brighten up the city.  The vivid illustrations show many different ethnicities coming together to bring peace.

Kerasco ë t. I Walk with Vanessa: A Story about a Simple Act of Kindness. Schwartz & Wade. 40p. 2018. ISBN 9781524769567 Ages (6 and up). Vanessa has just moved into a new house and has to start a new school. A book told only through illustrations demonstrates how a simple act of kindness can turn you from a bystander to an upstander.   As an eBook, this book resembles a slideshow. The reader has to narrate the pictures for the audience. Kerasco ë t, captures the anxiety of being a new student to the loneliness of being bullied. She also shows how a bystander is just as guilty as the bully for allowing another person to be hurt. The new friends in the story become upstanders because they make sure that Vanessa isn’t alone. At the end of the story, the author includes a snippet on how to stand up to a bully,for children, and for   parents a list of words to use to describe scenes and characters while reading.

Santat, Dan. After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again. Roaring Book. 40p. 2017. ISBN 9 781626726826 Ages 4 and up What happened to Humpty he fell off that wall? Well, let him tell you life wasn't easy afterward. This was a fun extension of the original nursery rhyme. Filled with a surprise and a twist, Humpty must overcome his new found fear of heights. A story about conquering your fears, his biggest hope is that he isn't remembered for falling but for getting back up again. Santat a known Caldecott Medal winner stuns his audience with beautiful illustrations detailed down to the prices of cereals in the cereal aisle.

Rylant, Cynthia. Life. Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. Beach Lane. 48p.2017.ISBN 9781481451628 AGES (1and up) Life begins small, and then it grows. A book is written in almost a whisper, with a calming tone, Rylant shows the beauty of the world through animals. Reminding us what it is that we love about life and what to protect. This book can lead to a conversation about conservation from the skies, to the oceans, to the jungle, to the forest and the deserts.The illustrations created by Wenzel, enhance the text with there earthy tones, adding serenity to the story.  

Winter, Jonah. Elvis is King. Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. Schwartz & Wade. 40p. 2019. ISBN 9780399554704 Ages ( 8 and up) Elvis Presley was the King of Rock and Roll, but it took years to achieve that status. Winter has chosen to write a biography from Elvis' birth to his first successful record.  Illustrated in three-dimensional figures and sets, this unique picture book shows the unfortunate childhood of Elvis, from being poor to the biggest star in American music. Without going into the more tragic nature of Elvis' life, this book is written for older elementary aged children. The text is more complicated than most picture books. Winter ends the book with authors note allowing for further reading into Elvis' life.

Elya, Susan Middleton. La Princesa and the Pea. Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. 32p. 2017. ISBN 9780399251566 Ages(3 and up)   La Princesa and the Pea gives a Peruvian twist to the classic story of the Princess and the Pea. Before the story begins,  Elya includes a glossary of the Spanish words used in the text. Written in rhyme, and with bilingual text, Elya creates a lyrical feel with the classic story. Martinez- Neal, draws the comical characters based on the villagers of Hulilloc, and Colca Canyon of Peru.  Each facial expression bringing life to each page, whether it shyness, happiness, jealousy, or worry.

Fliess, Sue. The Earth Gives More. Albert Whitman Company. Illustrated by Christiane Engel. 32p. 2019. ISBN 9780807577103 Ages ( 2 and up) Earth day is every day! Fliess brings attention to the beauty of our planet and the need to take care of it because "the Earth gives more." Not only do we learn how much the Earth gives, but Fliess also shows how the Earth gives in each season. Engel paints beautiful images that shows how beautiful our earth is and we must preserve our home. With her diverse cast of background characters, we are reminded to "love, respect, befriend, and protect."  This story can be enjoyed by toddlers and elemantary students alike.

Eland, Eva.When Sadness is at your Door. Random House.32p. 2019. ISBN 9780525707189 Ages (1and up) Eland describes sadness as a guest and one that should be welcomed and not shamed. Sadness is a feeling that everyone feels sometimes, and Eland shows the reader that emotion is okay. Throughout the story, we are told that we shouldn't keep our feelings inside but to let them out. This book helps younger, and older readers alike understand how to process their emotions. Sadness is illustrated as a being, following the boy throughout his day. With suggestions on how to cope with this feeling, Eland breaks it down for the youngest of readers to understand.  

Ehrlich, Nikki. Twindergarten. Illustrated by Zoey Abbott. Harper. 32p.2017. ISBN 9780062564238 Ages 4 and up  For twins, Dax and Zoe, they have a lot of worries concerning the first day of Kindergarten. They have never been separated, but at school, they are placed in two different classes. Dax at first is more scared than Zoe but as the big day arrives their concerns switch. Ehrlich captures the relationship between twins perfectly. Though this book may not have a wide range for a storytime book, parents of twins will definitely find this book helpful in reassuring their children that they will do great on their own, even if it does seem scary at first.

Valentine, Tanya. Little Taco Truck. Illustrated By Jorge Martin. Schwartz & Wade. 40p. 2019. ISBN 9781524765866 AGES 2 and up A cute story about learning how to share and accept others. Little Taco Truck parks on the busiest street in the city, an area that many buildings are being constructed. One day another truck comes and parks on his street, each day bringing more and more food trucks, from gelato to tapas.  Little Taco has nowhere to park! With quick thinking Little Taco learns to stand up for himself, making space for all his new friends! This book brightly colored, illustrating different food trucks from different cultures.  A fun read for younger children, that can lead to a greater understanding of different cultures and maybe even trying some new cuisine.  

DiCamillo, Kate. La La La. Candlewick. Illustrated by Jaime Kim. 72p. 2017. ISBN 9780763658335 Ages ( 7 and up) This is a classic picture book with the only words being La.  A young girl sits alone singing, there is no color, and she seems as if she is searching for something or someone. All of a sudden the wind blows and color burst onto the page! The young girl goes walking and singing towards the moon, but we see that she is still lonely. Eventually, she does find someone to share her song with, and they sing back. A story told through just pictures can be harder for little ones to infer what is going on in the scenes, but older ones may have an easier time associating the feelings of being lonely, sad and afraid. 

Fogliano, Julie. A House That Once Was. Illustrate by Lane Smith. Roaring Book. 40p.2018 ISBN 9781626723146 Ages (5 and Up) Curiosity lets imaginations run wild. While roaming through the woods one day a girl and boy discover the remains of an abandoned house that is no longer a home. The boy and girl quietly walk through the house imaging who could have lived there and why did they leave? Written with a sense of poetry but not quiet, Fogliano captures the mystery of this house that was once a home. Perfect for story time, the illustrations allow children to create their own picture of who lived in this house.

Illustrated by Shari Halpern. Little Robin Redbreast: A Mother Goose Rhyme. Ages  (0 and up) Shari Halpern has breathed new life into the first Mother Goose Rhyme. With her brightly colored paintings of the robin and cat, the reader sees how the rhyme plays out verse by verse. Written in a storytelling format, the illustrations help to create a storyline with a solid beginning, middle, and end.  At the end of the book, the reader is given a brief history of how this poem from the 1700s, impacted Mother Goose Rhymes.

Smee, Nicola. Splish-Splash. Boxer. 26p. 2016. ISBN 9781910716120 Ages (1and up) Mr. Horse offers his friends to sail the ocean blue in his rowboat. Cat, Dog, Pig and Duck jump in and set sail taking turns rowing through the waves. As they sail into deeper waters, Smee creates anticipation without overwhelming the audience. This board book is perfect for a toddler storytime as it helps to process anticipating what will happen next. 

Harris, Robie. Sweet Jasmine, Nice Jackson. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. Margaret K. McElderry. 40p. 2004. ISBN 9780689832598 Ages ( Ages 6 and up) Intended to explain what its like growing up and being two to older children. The black text tells the story, while the purple text gives an explanation of the behavior. The book is very wordy and might be used best in a one on one situation.  The story features twins Jasmine and Jackson as they conquer life at the age of two. Every day they are learning how to communicate, share, and play with each other as well as other people. Though wordy the book is written to be understood by children,  but it could also be used as a parent help book as well.  

Mavor, Sally. Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Houghton Mifflin. 72p.2010. ISBN 9780618737406 .  Ages ( 5 and up) Beautifully, and uniquely illustrated using fabric dolls and cloth, Mavor creates a story of life in a small village. She orders her poems from the rising of the sun to the setting of the sun and all of the activities in between. Lengthy for babies and toddlers this collection of nursery rhyme would be more appreciated by elementary aged children. Each scene is vividly detailed down to the last stitch, all images correlating perfectly with its respected poem.  Mavor also is inclusive of diversity in her design, creating fabric dolls of different color and ethnicity.

Trapani, Iza. Rufus and Friends: Rhyme Time. Charlesbridge. 40p. 2008. ISBN 781580892063 Ages ( 2 and up) Rufus and his friends are putting on a performance of old and new rhymes. We are introduced to the stars of the play on the opening endpage, the table of  contents is used as the credit lines of who's playing who. The actors appear in their scenes (paintedIllustrations), that match the poem being recited.  In this fourteen poem collection, we are introduced to nursery rhymes that are tounge twisters! Trapani changes things up by adding extra verses to the more familiar poems, for a nice twist to the original poems. At the end of the book, the author sends the reader on a scavenger hunt looking for items like balloons, forks, tulips, and turtles.

Yolen. Jane. Wee Rhymes: Baby's First Poetry Book. Illustrated By Jane Dyer. Simon & Schuster. 111p. 2013. ISBN  9781416948988 Ages( 0 and up) A lengthy picture book, not intended to read in one sitting, Wee Rhymes was written by two grandmothers who believe that singsong, sing-along rhythm is as important as a heartbeat.  This nursery rhyme book is filled with over seventy classic and original poems. Illustrated to show babies and toddlers from all walks of life, Dyer, and Yolen progressively order the poems and illustrations to fit the daily routine of children, from waking up and then going to the store. Each new section is started by a Mother Goose rhyme and followed by verses that match the nature of the original poem. 

Hinder, Sarah Jane. Yoga Bug: Simple Poses for Little Ones.Sounds True. 24p. 2017. ISBN 9781622039791 Ages( 1and up) You are never too young to learn how to exercise. In this cute interactive board book, Hinder shows how to make yoga fun and accessible for young children. Children will learn a yoga pose that matches with a bug, for instance, a plank pose also looks like a caterpillar! At the end of the book, there are written directions to explain to the child just how to move their body and what the actual yoga pose is called. This book sends a positive message that exercising can be fun, with its bright, detailed images!

Bateman, Teresa. The Bully Blockers Club. Illustratred by Jackie Urbanovic. Albert Whitman & Company. 32p. 2004. ISBN 9780807509197 Ages ( 6 and up)  Standing up to a bully can be a scary thing, especially when you are feeling afraid, lonely and helpless. Lotty is almost at her breaking point because Grant Grizzly bullies her every day. She has no idea what to do because she feels like a teacher cant help, considering Grant never bullies in front of an adult. After one last attepmt to make peace, Lotty forms the Bully Blocker club, where students stand together to bring attention to a bully.  Lotty goes through the steps of TELLIT, as explained by the author on a informational page at the end of the story.  Perfect for talking about antibullying technique s, with school age children s in a storytime or laptime reading.

Hedlund. Stephanie. Animal Tales from Mother Goose. Illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau. Magic Wagon. 32p.2011. ISBN 9781616411428 Ages ( 2 and up) Hedlund introduces her collection of fourteen animal nursery rhymes by sharing a brief history of how these rhymes came to be, justifying why she chose her selection of just animals. Tugeau illustrates each verse with bright but straightforward watercolored images, that matches the text. The text in this book is large enough to read in a storytime setting. At the back of the book, there is a glossary for words that may be foreign in today's vocabulary as well as a site for free resources on nursery rhymes at www.abdopublishing.com.

Downs, Mike.The Noisy Airplane Ride. Illustrated by David Gordon. Tricycle Press. 32p. 2003. ISBN 1582461570 Ages ( 2 and up) Going on a plane can be a scary experience! Tons of new noises and feelings take place. The Noisy Airplane Ride , it prepares children for the sound that will take place. Gordon illustrates the noise of a plane from boarding, take off, landing, and disembarking. At the end of the book, there's a page of what else to expect like ears popping; the plane thrusting forward; queasiness; and even muzak. Downs creates an experience in which he describes a flight and sounds perfectly.

Robaard, Jedda.  The Little Fox who Lost his Tail. Bonnier. 12p. 2014. ISBN 9781499800036 Ages (1 -3 years) Little Fox one day wakes up noticing that his tail is missing! As he goes on an adventure to find his tail, he opens closets and looks behind curtains during his search. This interactive book allows children to look for Little Fox's tale with him, as he opens doors and peers behind curtains, the reader can search too! Perfect for a laptime, one on one read, helping Little Fox will be a satisfying quick read that teaches about object permanence, the understanding that something exists even when it can not be seen.

Davies, Becky.The Three Little Pugs and the Big, Bad Cat. Illustrated by Caroline Attia. 32p. 2017. ISBN 9781680100433 Ages (3 and more) Another retelling, of the classic story The Three Little Pigs but this time featuring Pugs! The illustrations in this book are real photos of pugs photoshopped into digital paintings of the wilderness. The storyline and dialogue are mostly the same except the Big, Bad  Cat wants to steal the pugs treats, and she blows the houses down with a blow dryer, a leaf blower, and a fan.  Unlike the original story, the pugs come up with a way to defeat the cat civilly. With the end pages of this book acting as the epilogue.

Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue. Christy Ottaviano Books. 40p. 2011 ISBN 9780805089462 Ages(4 and Up) An American boy and an Indian boy become penpals due to a school assignment. With miles and miles between them, the boys describe how their worlds are the same but also different. From discussing favorite activities, family dynamics, the alphabet, etc., the boys become best friends. This book showcased how two boys who lived in different countries could still become friends despite living differently. They really explained how even though it was different, the concept was the same.  Kostecki-Shaw really showed the similarities between the two countries in a respected, positive manner.

Rosenberg, Liz. We Wanted You. Illustrated by Peter Catalanotto. Roaring Book. 32p. 2002 ISBN 9780761315971 Ages (2 and up)  A touching story about adopting a child. The parents are talking to their child about how they spent years waiting for Enrique. The story simply explains how though they weren't his first parents, they always wanted him and will always love him.  The books end pages showcase just how quick Enrique grew up, working backward in time from his graduation to his babyhood, his adoptive parents they're every step of the way. Catalanotto paints a beautiful story of how Enrique was adopted into a new family, really embracing the theme of "we wanted you."

Lo, Ginnie. Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic. Illustrated Beth Lo. Lee & Low. 32p. 2012. ISBN 9781600604423 Ages (7 and up) Young Jinyi and Pei, are sisters of Chinese descent, going to visit their family in Chicago. With a small Chinese population, the girls' mother and aunt wanted their children to grow up together, learning to appreciate their shared culture. With words and phrases, spoken in Chinese, the reader is introduced to the customs of the Chinese culture. The pictures are simply drawn with key attention to details. Based on the memories of actual sisters  Ginnie and Beth. This book is lengthy in text and would be best suited for older children since the plot has a lot of details.

Harris, Robie. Who's in my Family? All about our Families. Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Candwickpress. 40p. 2012. ISBN 9780763636319. Ages (3 and Up) An interesting formatted book with the descriptive text written above dialogue bubbles, coming from the character's mouth.  The story is about many different types of family dynamics such as mixed-race families,single-parent family, same-gendered parents, and multiple and singular children households. Throughout the illustration, it is hard to not come across a diverse representation of a family doing a typical family outing, like going to the zoo. It is evident that the author and illustrator worked closely to create a book that represents as many cultural, and family backgrounds as possible, making sure that all children and their family dynamics are shown.

Danticat, Edwidge. My Mommy Medicine. Illustrated by Shannon Wright Roaring Book Press. 32p. 2019. ISBN 9781250140913 Ages (2 and up) A beautifully illustrated book that captures the essence of a mother's love! A young black girl and her mother are portrayed with peaceful, happy expressions, that sends such a positive message throughout the book. This story is told in the perspective of the unnamed young girl. She expresses how it's the little things her mother does that make her feel better when she is sick or sad; like making soup, or tea, playing card games, a piggyback ride, and even actual medicine, YUCK! Vividly colorful full-page illustrations showcase the beautiful wording of Danticat.

Rylant, Cynthia. We Love You, Rosie! Illustrated by Linda Davick. Beach Lane Books. 48ps. 2017. ISBN 9781442465114  Ages (1-4) A storytime book featuring a brother and sister and their Doxin, Rosie. This book discusses the concept of opposites, highlighting lost and found, in and out, night and day, good and bad, etc. The siblings take us through an average day with Rosie and all of her activities. Perfect for dog lovers! Extremely colorful images help show the opposites occurring from page to page. The reader is introduced to the new opposite words with a title such as, "Rosie Day and Night." With questions that are meant to prompt Rosie, the reader can all use these questions to prompt their audience.

Slingsby, Janet. Hush-a-Bye Babies. Illustrated by Andy Beckett. Barrons. 32ps. 2001. ISBN 0764154109. (Ages 3 and up) A wonderful bedtime story that focuses on diurnal woodland animals trying to get a funny-looking squawking baby to sleep. After numerous failed attempts form the birds, squirrels, rabbits, and mice, their children take over and talk to the baby. We learn that he is nocturnal and sleeps during the day until his mother returns back for him at night. Featuring realistically fully colored, illustrated animals, the reader learns that not all animals sleep at night, as the distinction between each animal is recognizable. 

Geist, Ken. The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark. Illustrated by Julia Gorton.  Cartwheel. 32p. 2007. ISBN 9780439719629. Ages ( 2 and up) A fun retelling of the classic story The Three Little Pigs. This read-aloud book Attracts its audience right from the start with its metallic foil cover, shining like the sea, the gripping tale of the three little fish is captivating for an audience who loves the song Baby Shark!  Beautifull illustrated with bright colors,  children will enjoy exploring the deep blue sea. With the subtle changes to the text to fit fish instead of pigs, this book will have children saying "not by the skin of my finny fin fin!" 

Skutch, Robert. Albie's Trip to the Jungle. Illustrated by Joe Mathieu.Tricycle Press. 32p. 2002. ISBN 1582460760  Ages (5 and up) Jumble Jungle is a jungle like no other! Albie thinks he can name every animal in the world, so he'll have no problem winning a lifetime membership to the Jumble Jungle. The Jumble Jungle is home to Forkipines, Flyons, Roller Bears and more! Mathieu's illustrations create the clues so that the reader and their audience can figure out the animal's name! This book is a fun story, that teaches us that there's a whole new world waiting to be discovered once you walk away from the TV. The only downfall is that there is no longer a website attached to the book, so children will have to find another way to earn their own lifetime membership to the Jumble Jungle.

Higgins, Ryan. We Don't Eat Our Classmates. Disney-Hyperion. 40p. 2018. ISBN 9781368003551 Ages A cute tale of a little T-rex named Penelope who is about to start school. To her surprise, she isn't going to school with dinosaurs but with CHILDREN! The classroom is filled with different ethnic students, even showing a student in a hijab and a yamaka.  On the first day, Penelope eats her class, but spits them out, she learns its not a great way to make friends. The illustrations in this book are excellent, Higgins shows the contrast from a sad dinosaur to a happy dinosaur in a pleasant manner. *no children were eaten entirely in this book.*