Skip to main content

From Story Time: Around the World

Read in Book Babies

Hello Hello
By Brendan Wenzel
Chronicle Books, 2018.  Picture Book.

Say hello to many amazing animals.  Some are huge.  Some are tiny.  Some are soft and shaggy.  Some are rough and scaly.  Some are brightly colored.  Others are richly patterned.  It's easy to see how they are different from one another.  But can you tell what makes them the same?  In the hands of Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel, a seemingly simple look at similarities and differences becomes a story of connection--a joyous ode to the natural world, in all its diversity and wonder.  --Publisher




Read in Toddler Time

One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree
Written by Daniel Bernstrom
Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

One day in the leaves of the eucalyptus tree hung a scare in the air where no eye could see, when along skipped a boy with a whirly-twirly toy, to the shade of the eucalyptus, eucalyptus tree.  Join a shifty serpent, a clever little boy, and a disappearing cast of animals in a cumulative tale that will have children captivated.  Daniel Bernstrom's original folktale combines the delightful feel of Kipling, the musicality of Peter and the Wolf, and the fun and delight of Simms Taback, while Brendan Wenzel's sumptuous palette brings together a world of color, movement, and character that is rarely seen.  --Publisher




Read in Preschool Time

The Water Princess
Written by Susan Verde
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2016.  Picture Book.

With its wide sky and warm earth, Princess Gie Gie's kingdom is filled with Beauty.  But clean drinking water is scarce in her small African village, and despite her commands, Gie Gie cannot bring the water closer; she cannot make it run clearer.  Every morning, she rises before the sun to make the long journey to the well, and every evening, after the voyage home, Gie Gie thinks of the trip that tomorrow will bring.  And she dreams.  She dreams of a day when her village will have cool, crystal-clear water of its own.  --Publisher




Read in Preschool Time

Salam Alaikum:  A Message of Peace
Written by Harris J
Illustrated by Ward Jenkins
Salaam Reads, 2017.  Picture Book.

Salam Alaikum, or Assalamu Alaikum, means "Peace be upon you."  It is the greeting that Muslims around the world use to say "hello" and "goodbye."  International music sensation Harris J has taken that greeting and created a call to action.  Spread peace on the earth.  Treasure the love, let it surround us.  Always be kind, always remind one another:  Peace on the earth every day.  Using the lyrics to the hit song of the same name, and accompanied by heartwarming illustrations that depict the power of paying it forward, this sweet and charming picture book celebrates kindness and community.  --Publisher




Read in Cuentos

By Christianne C. Jones
Illustrated by Zachary Trover
Picture Window Books, 2007.  Spanish Picture Book.

Al gusano Guillo no le gustan la tierra ni el lodo.  Le desagradan tanto que les paga a sus amigos para que caven túnéles por él.  ¿Le gustarán algun dÍa la tierra y el lodo?  --Publisher

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Review: Fowl Play

  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...

Five Faves: Picture Books About Wolves

There are a lot of great picture books that have wolves in them. Wolves are beautiful, strong creatures that can also represent scary things (like in the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood). Here are five great new-ish picture books that feature wolves, for those kids who love to howl at the moon.  Full Moon Pups  Written by Liz Garton Scanlon  Illustrated by Chuck Groenink  New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2023. Picture Book. This is a beautifully illustrated story about a pack of new wolf pups and how they grow over the course of one moon’s cycle, from full moon to new moon and back again. Readers will see how the new pups don’t open their eyes for days, how they start to explore the world around them, and how the older members of the pack take care of them. The book also includes information about the phases of the moon at the end.  Little Good Wolf  By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel  Boston: Clarion Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publi...