(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.)
When I Wrap My Hair
by Shauntay Grant (Author), Jenin Mohammed (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young girl reflects upon how she feels and connects to ancestral women of her heritage while her mother wraps her hair in a scarf.
Comments: The lyrical verses float in and out of bright colors of the traditional and digital mixed media.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Children’s book titles are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.)
One Sweet Song
by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (Author), Sonia Sánchez (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A girl in the city listens to the notes of a flutist playing on the balcony. The child goes on her balcony and plays the triangle, making two notes. Another person plays the violin, making three. Soon there are ten people playing instruments creating a song together. They slowly diminish until it is quiet again.
Comments: This is a rhyming counting book up to ten and back down with various instruments played by amateurs and professionals.
I think this would be an excellent book for a music teacher to share before students re-enact adding and subtracting instruments and creating their own sweet song.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Children’s book titles are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted.
Social media acronyms and abbreviations were researched and gathered into this “PG-13” list by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian. Learn some of the most common social media acronyms and abbreviations used in the computer culture.
Warning: There is some mild profanity, sexual content, and crudeness.
Symbols and Numbers
!–I have a question
(U)–Arms around you, hug for you
*$–Starbucks
,!!!–Talk to the hand
/R/–Requesting
02–My two cents or your two cents
10Q–Thank you
121–One to one
123–I agree
1337–Elite
142n8ly–Unfortunately
143–I love you
1432–I love you too
14AA41–One for all, all for one
182–I hate you
187–Murder/homicide
1daful–wonderful
2–to, too, two
20–location
24/7–Twenty-four seven/ all of the time
2b–To be
2B or not 2B–To be or not to be
2b2–To be at
2BZ4UQT–Too busy for you, Cutey
2d4–To die for
2day–Today
2GTB4G–Too good to be forgotten
2G2BT–Too good to be true
2more–Tomorrow
2QT–Too cute
2U2–To you too
303–Mom
4–For, four
403–Deny access to
404–I haven’t a clue
411–Information
420–Marijuana
459–I love you
4AO–For adults only
4COL–For crying out loud
4e–Forever
4EAE–Forever and ever
4eva–Forever
4ever–Forever
4FS–For F— sake
4NR–Foreigner
4Q–F— You
511–Too much information
5FS–Five Finger salute
747–Let’s fly
775–Kiss me
831–I love you
86–Get rid of
88–Hugs and kisses
8t–It
9–Parent is watching
99–Parent is no longer watching
996–Work 9 am-9pm, 6 days a week
::poof::–I’m gone
<3–heart
=–Reply
?–I have a question
@–At
@TEOTD–At the end of the day
A
A/N–Author’s note
A2D–Agree to disagree
A3–Anytime, anyplace, anywhere
AAAAA–American Association Against Acronym Abuse
AAF–As a friend or always and forever
AAK–Asleep at keyboard
AAMOF–As a matter of fact
AAMOI–As a matter of interest
AAP–Always a pleasure(as in you’re welcome)
AAR–At any rate
AAR8–At any rate
AAS–Alive and smiling
AATK–Always at the keyboard
AAYF–As always, your friend
AB–A** Backwards
ab/abt–About
ABH–Anywhere but here
ABITHAD–Another blithering idiot thinks he’s a doctor
ABT2–About to
ACC–Actually
ACD–Alt Control Delete
ACK–Acknowledgement
ACORN–A completely obsessive really nutty person
ADAD–Another day; another dollar
ADBB–All done bye bye
ADIH–Another day in h—
ADIP–Another day in paradise
AEAP–As early as possible
AF–As f*ck
AFAGAY–A friend as good as you
AFAIC–As far as I’m concerned
AFAICT–As far as I can tell
AFAIK – As far as I know
AFAIR–As far as I remember
AFC–Away from computer
AFK–Away from keyboard
AFPOE–A fresh pair of eyes
AIMB–As I mentioned before
AIMP–Always in my prayers
AISI–As I see it
AITR–Adult in the room
AKA–Also known as
ALAP–As late as possible
ALCON–all concerned
ALOL–Actually laughing out loud
ALOTBSOL–Always look on the bright side of life
ALW–Ain’t life wonderful
AMA – Ask me anything
AMAP–As many(or much) as possible
AMBW–All my best wishes
AML–All my love
API – Application programming interface.
ASAP–As soon as possible
AWC–After while, crocodile
AWHFY–Are we having fun yet?
AWOL–Absent without leave
ax–Across
AYMM–Are you my mother? (sarcastically)
AYOR–At your own risk
AYSOS–Are you stupid or something?
AYTMTB–And you’re telling me this because
B
b/c, bc–Because
B@U–Back at you
B2B–Business-to-business
B2C–Business-to-consumer
B4–Before
B4N–Bye for now
BAE–Before anyone else
BAK–Back at keyboard
BAU–Business as usual
BBBG–Bye bye be good
BBIAS–Be back in a sec
BFF–Best Friends Forever
BG–Be good
BGBC–Be glad be cheerful
BGF–Best girlfriend
BI5–Back in five
BIBI–Bye bye
BIO–Bring it on
BION–Believe it or not
BIZ–Business
BKA–Better known as
BL–Belly laughing
BON–Believe it or not
BR–Bathroom
BRB – Be right back
BRO–Be right over
BSOD–Blue screen of death
BTAIM— Be that as it may
BTD–Bored to death
BTDT–Been there done that
BTFLDY–Beautiful day
BTN–Better than nothing
BTS–Behind the scenes
BTTE–Brothers to the end
BTW— By the way
BUMP–Bring up my post
BW–Best wishes
BWL–Bursting with Laughter
BWTM–But wait, there’s more
BYAM–Between you and me
BYOB–Bring your own bottle(or beer)
BYOD–Bring your own device
BYTME–Better you than me
BZ–busy
C
CAAC–Cool as a cucumber
CAS–Crack a smile
CBB–Can’t be bothered
CBM–Covered by Medicare
CBT–Computer based training or cognitive behavioral therapy
CC–Carbon Copy
CD–Compact disc
CM–Call me
CMB–Call me back
CMIW–Correct me if I’m wrong
CS–Career suicide
CSL–Can’t Stop Laughing
CMGR–Community Manager
CMS–Content Management System
CMV–Change My View
CPC–Cost Per Click
CSL–Can’t stop laughing
CT–Can’t talk or text
CTA–Call-To-Action
CTO–Check this out
CU–See you
CUL–See you later
CUZ–Because
CWOT–Complete waste of time
CX – Customer experience
CY–Calm yourself
CYE–Check your email
CYT–See you tomorrow
D
D8–Date
DAE–Does anyone else…?
DBMIB–Don’t bother me; I’m busy
DDAS–Don’t do anything stupid
DDG–Drop dead gorgeous
def–Definitely
dem–Them
DFTBA–Don’t forget to be awesome
DHYB–Don’t hold your breath
DIET–Do I eat today
DIKU–Do I know you?
ditto–Same here
DIY–Do it yourself
DJM–Don’t judge me
DK–Don’t know
DKDC–Don’t know don’t care
DLTM–Don’t lie to me
DM–Direct message
DNBL8–Do not be late
DNF–Did not find
DOS–Dad over shoulder
DP–Domestic partner
DPUP–Don’t poop your pants
DQMOT–Don’t quote me on this
DTRT–Do the right thing
dunno–I don’t know
DUR–Do you remember
DWH–During work hours
DYHAB–Do you have a boyfriend?
DYHAG–Do you have a girlfriend?
DYK – Did you know…?
E
E123–Easy as one, two, three
EE–Employee
ELI5 – Explain like I’m five
EM–Excuse me
EMA–Email address
EMBM–Early morning business meeting
EMI–Excuse my ignorance
EML–Email me later
ESP-– Email service provider
EVRE1–Every one
EYD–Enjoy your day
EZ–Easy
F
F–Friend
F/U–Follow up
F2F–Face to Face
FAQ–Frequently asked questions
FAV–Favorite
FAWC–For anyone who cares
FB –- Facebook
FBF—Flashback Friday
FBO–Facebook official
FCOL–For crying out loud
FF–Follow Friday; also frequent flyer
FFA–Free for all
FIL–Father-in-law
FIMH–Forever in My Heart
Fit–outfit
FITYMI–Fake it til you make it
FLOTUS–First Lady of the United States
FMOT–Follow me on Twitter
FOMO–Fear of missing out
FR–For real
FS–For sale
FSBO–for sale by owner
FTBL–Football
FTBOMH–From the bottom of my heart
FTE–Full time employee
FTFY –-Fixed that for you
FTTB–For the time being
FUTAB–Feet up, take a break
FTL–for the loss
FTW –-For the win
FWD–Forward
FWIW–For what it’s worth
FYC–For your consideration
FYEO–For your eyes only
FYI –- For your information
G
G2G or GTG –-Got to go
G4I–Go for it
G8–Great
G9–Genius
GA –-Google Analytics
GAHOY–Get a hold of yourself
GF–Girlfriend
GFN–Gone for now
GG –-Good game
GJ–Good job
GL–Good luck
GMTA–Great minds think alike
GN–Good night
GOAT–Greatest of all time
GOI–Get over it
GRAS–Generally recognized as safe
GRATZ–Congratulations
GRWM–Get ready with me
GTG–Got to go
GTR–Got to run
H
H&K–Hugs and kisses
hahaha–Laughing
HAND–Have a nice day
HBD – Happy birthday
Hi 5–High five
HIFW – How I feel when…
HMB – Hit me back
HMU – Hit me up
Howru–How are you?
HR–Human resources
HT or H/T –-Hat tip. Used for acknowledging, appreciating or thanking other users.
(This content contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you).
Mother-Themed children’s books can be shared throughout the year, not only on Mother’s Day or as a baby shower gift for an expecting mother. Young readers like to cuddle and read with their moms all year long.
Brief summary: A rhyming alphabet book board book teaching the ABCs as well as the correlating social and emotional words that Moms share and do with their children.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
This book is one of the “Books of Kindness” series. Learn more from their Amazon page.
Mommy’s Kisses and Cuddles
by Linda Ashman (Author), Jane Massey (Illustrator). Publisher : Cartwheel Books. 2023. 3-5 years old. Hardcover. ISBN-13 : 978-1338359770.
Brief summary: A calming rhyming book with moms and their children sharing the different parts of the day.
Please note: This books is a cross between a board book and a picture book with heavier cardstock paper but not cardboard. The size is 7.32 x 0.39 x 8.03 inches.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
You may be interested in “Daddy’s Hugs and Snuggles” from this author. Learn more from its Amazon page.
Amazing Moms
by Alison Brown (Author). Publisher : Silver Dolphin Books. 2023. Baby-2. Board Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1667203928.
Brief summary: Cute animal moms interact with love and support to their babies, all with rhythm and rhyme.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
She Is Mama
by Mackenzie Porter (Author), Heather Brockman Lee (Illustrator). Publisher : Little Simon. 2023. Baby-2. Board Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1665926980.
Brief summary: Mothers care for their children in various activities and are always there. This book is in rhyme.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Brief summary: This gentle rhyming and rhythmic lullaby of unconditional love for a parent to a child will give your little one sweet dreams.
Each stanza is a single illustration that extends across both pages with calm, eye-pleasing colors. At the same time, the four-line stanzas have an ABCB rhyming pattern that is soothing to the ears.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
* I received a complimentary digital copy of this picture book for an honest review.
Brief summary: Nora is old enough this summer to help her lola, her grandmother, in the sari-sari store in the Philippines. The granddaughter cleans all of the shelves that hold various items in the little store.
A heat wave comes, and all the customers stay home from the hot sun. Lola has an idea to bring back business.
Traditional text as well as speech bubbles. Recipe on the back page. Several two-page spreads.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Milko
by Samuel Narh & Freda Narh (Author), Alisa Knatko (Illustrator). Publisher : Chasing A Spider Publishing . 2023. Grades 1-2. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1734789720.
Brief summary: Milko misses his mother, who has gone to Ethiopia for a year instead of being home with them in Bolivia. His sister, Abena, cries too, but Papa cannot console them. No one does it like Mama.
Milko counts down the days. Will she ever return?
I recommend this to school counselors/librarians/teachers, and parents who are away for jobs/military deployment/social work.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Brief summary: A mother cradles her infant son and dreams and shares all the wonderful ways her boy will be as he grows up.
Beautiful two-paged spread illustrations.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Because I’m Your Mom
by Ahmet Zappa (Author), Dan Santat (Illustrator). Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-0316338219.
Brief summary: A monster mom tells her child all the fun and silly things they can share together, no matter how outrageous they may seem.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
by Allen Say (Author, Illustrator). Publisher : Scholastic Press. 2023. Grades PreK-3. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1338300406.
Brief summary: Andy notices his grandmother’s front door is open and stops by to let her know. He discovers his mother is watering the roses. Andy goes inside the kitchen to keep his Grandma company. He notices a white box and takes it to her, wondering what is inside.
His grandmother believes she is his kindergarten teacher, Miss Irwin. Andy plays along, remembering that his mother told him his grandmother was struggling with her memory. He learns about a boy named Willie and what is inside the box.
Allen Say certainly captured Alzheimer’s with a compassionate story all can understand. The illustrations of the images are not seen clearly and symbolize blurred memories.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Brief summary: A stay-at-home mom spends time with her boy as the father and sister are away. The daughter is collected from school, and now the two children share mommy time.
The book is about a day in the mom’s life and the time she spends with her children.
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
(This content contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you).
Earth Day Picture Books
The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement
by Barry Wittenstein (Author), Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)
Summary: In the summer of 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire from the sparks of a train railcar falling into the water. It was not the first time the river caught on fire.
Comments: Young readers will learn about how the river became so polluted and what happened to change the pollution from continuously building.
Back pages include sections: Author’s Note, Environmental Time Line, Clean Water Act, To Learn More, and a Bibliography.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day
by Shaunna & John Stith (Author), Maribel Lechuga (Illustrator). Publisher : little bee books . 2023. Grades K-4. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1499813043.
Brief summary: Sam is in class in Santa Barbara when she sees her teacher look outside the window after the principal whispers to her and wonders why. Her parents explain to her about Union Oil causing an oil spill near where they live. The family walks to their favorite beach to find that the beach and ocean are black with oil. The town tries to clean the oil from the beach and help the animals covered with it.
A national day was created from this disaster and organized to celebrate and protest the environment which still exists today called Earth Day, April 22, 1970.
There are several sections in the back of the book: Author’s Note, Selected Bibliography, Timeline, Earth Day Today, Earth Day Every Day, and How to Become an Environmental Activist.
Teachers and homeschooling parents could share this book as a supplement in addition with Earth Day activities.
by Jordan Scott (Author), Sydney Smith (Illustrator). Publisher : Neal Porter Books. 2023. PreK-3. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-0823450831.
Brief summary: Author, Jordan Scott, recalls visiting with his Baba at her home. His father would drop Jordan off to have breakfast with his Baba and afterwards, they would walk together to his school. If it was raining, Baba would look for worms and put them in a glass jar to take home for her garden.
His baba would retrieve him after school, and they would spend time in her garden learning about the plants. This is their usual routine until she moves in with the family when a new building is built over her home. Not able to have a full garden any longer, she keeps a little garden in her room.
Comments: Told through the first-person point of view by the boy.
Jordan Scott wrote one of the most lovely book dedications I’ve ever read.
Brief summary: Wow. Love this book! It is full of everything a young reader needs to know about Antarctica, and all done with regular text, speech bubbles, and nonfiction text features. Children will stop and examine the detailed illustrations before turning to the next page.
Comments: The several foldouts make a whole sphere, full of information and fun pictures.
The book’s format is a fourth of a sphere but can fit appropriately on a shelf.
This is a must for any school or public library and would make a superb book gift for the young reader in the family(as well as adult book lovers). Cleverly done.
Brief summary: Mrs. Kosta and Victoria plant and nurture a beet seed until it ripens. The woman begins to harvest the gigantic beet but cannot remove it from the ground, no matter how hard she tugs. Several neighbors stop by the garden to help pull, creating a line out to the sidewalk until the vegetable is uprooted with a big “SPROING!!”
Comments: There is an Author’s Note and Raw Beet & Garlic Salad Recipe in the back.
Brief summary: Koo wakes up and wants to save the world, and his uncle suggests cleaning his room first. Throughout the day, the uncle and nephew do small and thoughtful acts. Koo shares his feelings of wanting to save the world and learns how to make a difference in their world through acts of kindness.
No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change
by Lindsay H. Metcalf (Author), Jeanette Bradley (Author, Illustrator), Keila V. Dawson (Author). Publisher : Charlesbridge. 2023. 2-5 grade. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1623543136.
Brief summary: Twelve poems written by children worldwide promoting global activisms. A paragraph explains what each child is doing and how the reader can help.
Back pages include sections: From Me…, To We…, Glossary, Poetry Forms, and About the Poets.
Brief summary: A landscaper teaches his granddaughter why he loves trees. Each tree is described in a poem.
Back pages include sections: A Note From the Author-Illustrator, Why Trees?, Cool Facts About the Trees in This Book, For Further Exploration, and A Bibliography.
Brief summary: This wordless picture book begins with a tree growing on the banks of a river. It observes humans throughout the many decades changing with the seasons and years that have gone by.
Aaron Becker brilliantly captures the Mother Nature vs. humankind aspect through these detailed and thought-provoking illustrations.
Flipflopi: How a Boat Made from Flip-Flops Is Helping to Save the Ocean
by Linda Ravin Lodding (Author), Dipesh Pabari (Author), Michael Machira Mwangi (Illustrator). Publisher : Beaming Books. 2023. K-3. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1506486406.
Brief summary: Juma walks with his grandfather to go fishing on the beach and is met with all sorts of plastic trash and thousands of flip-flops. The community comes together and gathers all of the endless plastic waste and melts it to make a dhow boat.
This is based a on a true story which is explained in the back pages along with sections: Ocean Pollution, How Can You Help?, and Glossary.
Climate Warriors: Fourteen Scientists and Fourteen Ways We Can Save Our Planet
by Laura Gehl (Author). Publisher : Millbrook Press. 2023. Grades 3-8. Hardcover Nonfiction. ISBN-13 : 978-1728460406.
Brief summary: There is an introduction to define climate change before each of the fourteen scientists’ chapter. There are a variety of different scientists who explains ways they are working and studying to help the Earth. Each section concludes with recommendations from the scientist and what we can do.
The book ends with ideas of how we all can be a climate warrior.
by Kevin Henkes (Author, Illustrator). Publisher : Greenwillow Books. 2023. PreK-1. Hardcover Picture Book.ISBN-13 : 978-0063245648.
Brief summary: This book shares what is around us in the world: big, small, and between. The soft and calming illustrations are done with brown ink and watercolor paint, demonstrating the size differences.
You Are My Pride: A Love Letter from Your Motherland
by Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), E. B. Lewis (Illustrator). Publisher : Astra Young Readers. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1635923872.
Brief summary: This touching poem, illustrated with large two-page illustrations done in watercolors, is a lovely letter from Mother Nature telling her human children how much she has loved them since the beginning of their creation on Earth.
Back pages briefly explain the Developments in Early Human Evolution.
Educators–this would be a great supplement to use with the different viewpoints unit of study.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
(This content contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you).
This Is a Story
by John Schu (Author), Lauren Castillo (Illustrator). Publisher: Candlewick. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1536204520.
Brief summary: The title page begins this story with a girl receiving a library card from her father.
One word on a page of a book from a shelf waits in a library. A little girl walks to the library with her father and younger sibling. She goes into the children’s section carrying a seahorse kite, where a librarian helps her narrow her search from many of the books to the perfect one–a sea horse library book. She begins to read. Other readers in the area are reading books we all know and love that are connected to our hearts and imagination.
The little girl has found her special library book and now helps her younger brother find his. She uses her library card to check out.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
by Robin Robinson (Author, Illustrator). Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover Picture Book. ISBN-13 : 978-1665906814.
Brief summary: Two best friends, Sunny and Aarush, want to check out the same library book, “Factory Friends,” but there is only one copy. They each try to persuade the other why the book is their best friend and needs it more. Having failed at trying to book talk each other into other books to check out instead, they realize how to share the library book.
Comments: I recommend this book to school librarians who have students fighting over a book, as I have had many times in my school libraries. (They did not always share, so I had a big die on my desk. The one who rolled the highest number could read it first).
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
Brief summary: As a girl, Patricia Polacco’s family moves from Union City to Battle Creek, Michigan. It is hard for her to adjust from living in a rural area.
One day she walks home from school, taking a different route, and discovers a stately building with giant pillars along the front with many steps leading up to a porch. It is the Willard Library and full of books for people to borrow. Mrs. Creavy, a librarian, helps Patricia find bird books and even shares the notable books of John James Audubon, full of watercolors of birds.
Soon, Patricia paints birds and shares them with her class. This sparks an Audubon bird club at Fremont Elementary School for the next sixty years.
Comments: I will always recommend a book by Patricia Polacco, as she is one of the best storytellers and illustrators in the USA. I was honored to have her as a guest author for our elementary school. I will always cherish having lunch with this legendary author and illustrator that day in our little elementary library.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The Library Fish Learns to Read (The Library Fish Books)
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Author), Gladys Jose (Illustrator). Publisher : Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. PreK-2. 2023. Hardcover. ISBN-13 : 978-1534477070.
Brief summary: Library Fish lives in a bowl on the librarian’s desk, Mr. Hughes, where she watches the students check books in and out of the public library. One day, she is listening to Mr. Hughes tell a story about a dog learning how to read and is inspired that she, too, would like to learn to read.
After the librarian says good night, Library Fish gets out of her bowl (with special accommodations) and begins to teach herself the ABCs. Each night she practices until she can read books.
Rating: 3/5 📗📗📗
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
Brief summary: Samira is a bit nervous about going to the bazaar with her grandmother for the first time to buy groceries. She repeatedly asks Mama Shamsi to hide in her chador, but the woman wisely resists using humor to soothe her granddaughter’s fear.
by Élise Fontenaille (Author), Violeta Lópiz (Illustrator), Karin Snelson (Translator), Emilie Robert Wong (Translator). Publisher : Enchanted Lion Books. 2023. K-3. Hardcover. ISBN-13 : 978-1592703821.
Brief summary: A grandson visits his Grandpa Luis every Wednesday and Sunday. His grandpa is not only a talented artist but can make anything grow, creating the beautiful garden where they spend their days. The six-year-old is learning to read and write and tells us that his Grandpa does not know how as he was an immigrant from Spain to France who had to work in the fields as a child.
This is a French translation and captures the two kindred spirits. I like the mixed-up idioms and how the grandson narrates how he is getting to know Grandpa Luis.
For more details or to buy, click here (in ENGLISH).
by Ana Siqueira (Author), Elisa Chavarri (Illustrator). Publisher : HarperCollins. 2023. K-3. Hardcover. ISBN-13 : 978-0063113657.
Brief summary: Luis and his abuela have fun every Saturday going around the neighborhood being superheroes. One Saturday, she does not visit. Luis learns that his abuela is very sick in the hospital. She comes to stay with them as she recovers. Although Luis is saddened that his abuela is unable to be as active, he tries to come up with a way to have fun and realizes his sister, Isabel, can be his new sidekick and fight and do adventures together in their capes.
There is a glossary of the Spanish words used in the book.
by Marla Frazee (Author, Illustrator). Publisher : Beach Lane Books. 2023. PreK-2. Hardcover. ISBN-13 : 978-1665912488.
Brief summary: The text has seven lines with seven words each(except for the last line). Each line is across the top of a two-page spread with small illustrations below, and then the next two-page spread is an illustration matching that color scheme.
The words are calm and straightforward. The stunning illustrations are done with pencil and gouache and are detailed little scenes of family members with everyday interactions. I stopped and looked at the details of each one before continuing to the following line and was glad to see that grandparents were included.
Brief summary: A grandmother and her grandchild put on rain gear to play in Spring’s rain. Summer arrives with them cooling off from the hot sun. Autumn brings the wind they need to fly a kite and enjoy the falling leaves. Winter comes with them getting cozy and watching the snow from inside. Each season is spent with one another.
The seasonal color schemes go in hand with this gentle and calming book that blends from one season to the next.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted
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