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The Invitation
by Stacey May Fowles (Author), Marie Lafrance (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Fern opens her mailbox and pulls out a yellow letter, too worried to open it until her friend, Fawn, encourages her to see what’s inside. It is an invitation to a surprise exhibition, but Fern does not want to go due to all of the things she imagines could go wrong. Fern goes to the museum’s special exhibition with the help of her friends who help tame her anxiety.
Comments: This could be a nice class discussion after reading this aloud. “How can we help someone who we see is afraid?” “What can you do if you have something you are afraid of, like Fern did?”
I would share this with the guidance counselor to read to those students experiencing anxiety.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’sAmazon page.
Dear Street
by Lindsay Zier-Vogel (Author), Caroline Bonne-Muller (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Alice loves her street, but only some do, making her think of writing a letter about what she loves about it and placing that letter for someone to find. She continues her letter writing whenever she hears someone complaining. Soon, others are too.
Comments: The author created The Love Lettering Project, which encourages people to anonymously write love letters and leave them for strangers to find, spreading the love.
Rating: 3.5/5đź“—đź“—đź“— 1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’sAmazon page.
Close to You from Far Away
by Erica Root (Author)
Brief summary: Gigi had to move away from her grandmother and misses her terribly. Her grandma tells her, “I’m close to you from far away.” Over the school year, whenever Gigi spoke to her grandma over the phone or when she wrote letters or received letters and packages, she tried to understand this saying.
Comments: I can see this being a lovely read-aloud with the children saying the “I’m close to you from far away” sentence in red capital letters on several pages in the book.
Loved the facial expressions of the grandmother and daughter throughout the book.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’sAmazon’s 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.
(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 đź“—đź“—đź“—
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 đź“—đź“—đź“—
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 đź“—đź“—đź“—
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 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
* 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 đź“—đź“—đź“—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 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
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 đź“—đź“—đź“—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.
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