From Story Time: The Letter "M"

READ IN TODDLER TIME

Written by Don Wood

Illustrated by Audrey Wood

Blue Sky Press, 2002. Picture Book.

Little Mouse is snug in his cozy house getting ready for Christmas. But the Big Hungry Bear is all alone in his snowy cave at the top of the hill. He's lonely and sad that no one ever gives him a gift for Christmas. Little Mouse can't let that happen, so the mouse decides to be brave and pack up some presents to take to the bear. But the Big Hungry Bear wakes up! What will happen? Little Mouse is in for a BIG Christmas surprise! This is a lovely reminder to think of others during the holiday season.

READ IN PRESCHOOL TIME

Monsters Love Colors

By Mike Austin

Harper, 2013. Picture Book.

Three very bright red, yellow, and blue monsters help four little monsters color their gray fur as they "scribble, scribble, mix, dance, and wiggle!" The colors mix and mix until they have created purple, orange, green, and a super rainbow mashup. This is a great story to not only get kids up and moving, but to learn the concept of primary and secondary colors too!

READ IN PRESCHOOL TIME

If You Give a Mouse a Muffin

Written by Laura Numeroff

Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Harper Collins, 1991. Picture Book.

This is another fantastic read aloud from the Numeroff/Bond dream team. A young boy and a massive moose spend an adventurous afternoon together in a story that will inspire lots of giggles. There's just something about this huge bipedal creature in a red cardigan and daisy dreaming of blackberry jam! The circular story gives little ones the opportunity to sharpen their prediction skills. A delight!

READ IN CUENTOS

Veo el Invierno

Written by Charles Ghigna

Illustrated by Ag Jatkowska
Picture Window Books, 2013. Picture Book.

Children take in all the sights of winter, from snowflakes to sleds and skates to cookies and hot cocoa. Full of toddlers' familiar winter favorites, this simple rhyming read aloud offers all text in both Spanish and English.

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Review: Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...

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