Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
Since my daughter is quite little (7 months) but happens to sit in on our reading times, I was delighted to see a picture book that is somewhat related to rainforests at her level. Our current learn-at-home subject for my four-year-old is rainforests, especially the Amazon. Good Morning, Toucan (Dwell Studios, Blue Apple Books 2011)
Our study of the continent of Africa for our homeschool focused on learning the basic geography of the continent as well as general habitats (i.e., dry desert, Savannahs, and rain forests) and the animals in each habitat. My son (age 4) is well into early readers these days (more about his favorite fiction in the
My son (age 4) has expressed an interest in learning Spanish. Although this interest comes and goes, I’ve decided to embrace his interest as much as I can. I studied Spanish extensively in college and spent a few months in South America, but in the past decade, I’m sorry to say I’ve let my Spanish
Our homeschool studies took us to Australia this month! One picture book we enjoyed helped us appreciate the size of Australia and the various scenery. Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester was a child’s perspective of a month-long road trip around Australia. My four-year-old son enjoyed learning about the various landmarks and began to
I enjoyed revisiting a classic, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (published 1969). It was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1970. I remember enjoying this story when I was a child, so I was pleased that my son (age 4) also enjoyed it. Sylvester is a donkey with a pebble collection. One day,
I absolutely adore Marla Frazee’s artwork, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and illustrated by Marla Frazee (Harcourt, 2001) had the double bonus of being about babies, a subject I love these days since my newborn daughter has so recently joined our family. In Frazee’s wonderful style and Susan Meyers’ special text, we follow babies
A Child’s Calendar by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman was awarded a Caldecott Honor in the 1960s and it’s not just Hyman’s soft and detailed illustrations that are noteworthy. John Updike’s poems give life to the seasons, from the frozen stanzas of January to the warm months of summer and the festivities of
The Kiss that Missed by David Melling (Barron’s, 2001) is a clever story about a busy father (a king) that didn’t take the time to slow down: and the bedtime kiss he blew to his young son missed, going out into the wild wood where it met with amusing results for the knight he went
The first I want to mention is one I requested on netgalley: Henry Helps with the Baby by Beth Bracken and illustrated by Ailie Busby (published 2012, Picture Window Books). As the title suggests, Henry has a little sister that needs lots of help. “Henry is good at helping!” When the baby needs a diaper,
I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn and illustrated by Julia Denos (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2011) emphasizes childhood creativity and recycling when clothes stop fitting. When the narrator’s dress stops fitting, her creative mother adapts it into a ruffly shirt. As that item of clothing becomes too worn or too small, the
The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein and illustrated by Mark Pett (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2011) is an exaggerated, silly book. In this book, Beatrice is perfect: she never makes mistakes and so is followed by the paparazzi everywhere she goes. When she performs at the school talent show, however, something different happens.
Samantha really wants to try out her new roller skates in Samantha On a Roll by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Christine Davenier (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011), but her mother can’t help her right now. Samantha can’t wait to play, and as she skates outside, she finds herself in the midst of a series of ridiculous adventures
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