In More-igami by Dori Kleber and illustrated by Brian Karas (Candlewick, 2016), Joey learns about the Japanese art of origami and decides he’ll mater it! To his discouragement, he finds origami to be difficult. He’s always liked to fold things, though, so he decides to practice until he is successful. When his family is tired

Read Post

We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Kids, illustrated by Julianna Swaney (Tommy Nelson 2019) takes a reader step-by-step through the process of building up a family garden by starting small. The four children narrate their process toward creating their beautiful garden, with an emphasis that making a garden requires lots of trying, failing,

Read Post

In Taco Falls Apart by Brenda S. Miles and Monika Filipina (Magination Press, August 2023) young readers are introduced to a friendly taco who grapples with overwhelming expectations and eventually experiences a breakdown. This cleverly crafted picture book employs the “Think-Feel-Do” method to teach children how to manage overwhelming situations. With the support of Nacho

Read Post

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires (Kids Can Press, April 2014) is a STEM book. (For those not in the “know,” as I was not until recently, STEM is educational slang for something relating to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mechanics.) A creative girl heads out to make the “magnificent thing,” but cannot seem to get

Read Post

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.

Read Post