Picture Book Review ~ Natsumi!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

I’ve never been one to live by the adage “Never judge a book by its cover.”  In fact, I’ve discovered a ton of favorites that I picked up based solely on the cover. This book is one of those new favorites. Just look at this adorable little face and that fantastic umbrella (where can I buy one of those in a grown-up size?!)

Natsumi does absolutely everything in her life with exuberance and that tends to be a tad much for most of the people around her. She’s constantly being shushed and admonished to not be ‘so’…not so loud, not so fast, not so hard. While her family is loving they just don’t seem to understand her. Enter Grandfather. He knows just what she needs and helps her find the perfect way to shine.

Natsumi’s adorable spunk is infectious and the message is subtle and non-preachy; be true to yourself! This needs to sit on every shelf beside Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, Leo the Late Bloomer, and Amazing Grace.

Natsumi book review

Natsumi!

Written by: Susan Lendroth

Illustrated by: Priscilla Burris

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 3-8

Rating: 5/5

I love the tag “shelf-esteem.” There are so many fabulous books that showcase underdog characters who succeed in various ways. Often they grow and progress, learn and achieve their goals all without having to change who they are fundamentally. Or there are the stories that simply celebrate our differences and uniqueness in big ways. (Check out my instagram feed today for a different but just as fabulous example of that.) What are some of your favorites?

Picture Book/Audio Book Review ~ Tolkien

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 
How many of you have succumbed to the lifestyle trend that is Hygge? (Pronounced “hooga” it’s a Danish word basically meaning coziness…it involves lots of candles or firesides, fuzzy blankets, books, board games, walks on the beach, connecting with people and unplugging.) There are all sorts of books, pins, articles and whatnot to give you ideas on how to do it with kids, during all the seasons, in small spaces etc. I love the idea of slowing down, being more present and aware and any tips to do it are always welcome.
Well, when I picked up this book I hadn’t realized that’s what I would be getting but I was pleasantly surprised. The author walks us through various traditions, cultures, and habits of the characters of Middle Earth (specifically focusing on the Hobbits of the Shire) and tells us how we would benefit from modeling our own lives after theirs. Everything from relishing the drinking and eating we do (emphasis on the relishing, slowing down, while at the same time doing it with gusto and our whole being and attention) to gardening and being close to nature, walking, staying home more often (yet being open to adventure occasionally to help us be more grateful for what we’ve got), singing regularly and taking naps. He also delves into some advice on how to deal with the Gollums that surface in our own lives, advises us to give gifts on our birthdays rather than to focus on receiving them, and keep a full larder (or at least a pot of tea and some cookies) on hand for any visitors.
I listened to this as an audio book which was read by Simon Vance (who has a lovely British accent which always makes things seem more credible and authoritative…plus it’s Tolkien, you need a British accent for Tolkien. No offense to the author who is American. 🙂 )
It’s full of Tolkien quotes, tidbits and explanations about the who and what of Middle Earth. Anyone who is a mega fan will probably be bored by the references but those with a passing knowledge will find something that resonates even if it’s just that simple reminder to slow down.
Wisdom of the Shire book review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life (Audio book)

Written by: Noble Smith

Read by: Simon Vance

Publisher:  Blackstone Audio, 2013

Number of Pages: 222 (4 hours 47 minutes audio)

Age Range: Adult

Rating: 3.5/5

For those of you looking for a little more information on the creator of the aforementioned Shire or if you’ve got a younger audience you’d like to start introducing Hobbits, Ents and elves to, then this next book is for you.

 

This is a fantastic bio of the father of modern fantasy with bits of magic on every page. The text and illustrations effortlessly showcase the magic and devastation of Tolkien’s life. Both pulling from his experiences and trying to escape them, John Ronald created worlds, creatures, languages, and stories that have become a cultural phenomenon with lives of their own opening the door to other phenomenon such as Dungeon’s and Dragons and Harry Potter.

 

There’s some detailed back matter including author’s and illustrator’s notes providing more details about Tolkien’s life and the creation of the book. There’s also a bibliography and catalog of the dragons that influenced and appeared in Tolkien’s stories. A brilliant and beautiful addition to any home or classroom library, particularly for Tolkien or fantasy fans.

John Ronalds Dragons book review

John Ronald’s Dragons: The Story of J.R.R. Tolkien

Written by: Caroline McAlister

Illustrated by: Eliza Wheeler

Number of Pages: 48

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2017

Age Range: 6-12

Rating: 4.5/5

Picture Book Review ~ Books for a Rainy Day

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

April is notorious for being wet and dreary (April Showers, sound familiar?!) But it’s also on the cusp of the season changes so things begin to warm up and bloom and it’s definitely an invitation to head outside and soak up the moments of sunshine when they appear. But the rain has a beauty of its own, especially when you’ve got littles to entertain. So pull on the wellies and see who can make the biggest puddle splash! Then warm up some cocoa and enjoy a few of these rainy day stories. (And by the way, littles are not a pre-requisite for this day of fun! 😉 )

Raccoon isn’t eager to be alone on such a stormy night so he heads out into the forest, splish-splashing his way to seek shelter with one of his friends. But alas, he’s too big to join any of them in their homes. His last hope is Rabbit’s den, full to overflowing with ten little rabbits all hopping and bopping off the walls. But Rabbit welcomes him warmly and he feels cozy and safe. Soon the other friends appear at the door and they are all welcomed in as well because there’s always room for friends! A fun read aloud for pre-school age.
May I Come In book review
Written by: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrated by: Jennie Poh
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, 2018
Number of Pages: 32
Age Range: 2-5
Rating: 3/5
One of my absolute all-time favorite rain books, this was always a hit in my pre-school/kindergarten read-alouds. This builds in a “House That Jack Built” sort of way with each character succumbing to the gloomy spirit of the rainy day and falling asleep on the big bed. Until a pesky flea sets off a chain reaction that finds everyone awake and laughing. Take a look at the progress of the stormy skies outside the window as you read, and see if you can read it without giggling.
The Napping House book review
Written by: Audrey Wood
Illustrated by: Don Wood
Publisher: Harcourt Publishing, 1984
Number of Pages: 32
Age Range: 2-6
Rating: 5/5
After a rainstorm Ava is eager to look for the rainbow and quickly wishes that the one she finds could stay around forever. Magically, it does! Night and day the rainbow soars above the town and becomes the center of attention…until he becomes so commonplace that the townspeople forget he’s even there. Ava despairs that they could ignore something so special and he vanishes. Thankfully he returns again after another storm and both he and Ava realize the importance of appreciating the beauty of the fleeting and temporary.
Ava and the Rainbow book review
Written and Illustrated by: Ged Adamson
Number of Pages: 32
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2018
Age Range: 4-9
Rating: 4/5
By the door is a big, friendly umbrella. When it ventures out during a rainstorm it invites all to take shelter and it’s miraculously always big enough for everyone, no matter who you are. Told in simple, spare text it’s a beautiful little metaphor for older readers of the way our world can work. And for younger, more literal readers it’s a cheerful tale to brighten a rainy day.
Big Umbrella book review
Written and Illustrated by: Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates
Number of Pages: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2018
Age Range: 3-8
Rating: 4/5
Need more rainy day books? Here are a few favorites both old and new:
Did I miss any of your favorites? Please share them in the comments!

Picture Book Review ~ Astronaut Annie

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

With the weather warming up its the perfect time to head outside and look up at the stars. And if you’ve got a budding astronomer/astronaut in your midst then this book is for you!

Career Day is coming up but Annie is keeping her dream a secret until the big day. Everyone in Annie’s family has a guess as to what she’d like to be. They’re each sure she wants to be what they were (reporters, cooks, explorers etc.) and give her something to help out with her costume. She counters each response with gratitude but keeps everything under her hat until the big day. Once up on stage she reveals her choice, honoring her family members and the traits she inherited and learned from each of them. This spunky girl uses the things she’s been given to dream big.

This book packs a two-for-one punch with some non-fiction facts along with Annie’s inspiring story. The rhyming text is perfect for a read-aloud and will inspire listeners to dream their own dreams. There’s some fantastic back matter including mini-bios and photos of some of the best-known women from the space program, some information on the moon’s orbit and phases, and additional resources.

Astronaut Annie book review

Astronaut Annie

Written by: Suzanne Slade

Illustrated by: Nicole Tadgell

Publisher: Tilbury House, 2018

Number of Pages: 36

Age Range: 4-8

Rating: 4/5

 

 

Picture Book Reviews ~ International Women’s Day

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Today’s a two-fer, overlapping last month’s Black History theme with this month’s theme of Women’s History. I’ve got two great little books about two amazing women who’ve spent a good deal of their lives in the spotlight and have used that light to illuminate the world around them. (And in a happy coincidence they are both authored by the same prolific author who has used her talent to bring to light the lives of many amazing people. For more info visit https://cbweatherford.com/)

 

Legendary Miss Lena Horne Book Review

The Legendary Miss Lena Horne

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrated by: Elizabeth Zunon

Number of Pages: 48

Age Range: 5-9

Rating: 4/5

Born in New York in 1917, Lena was raised primarily by her grandmother who taught her the importance of education and manners. Her parents, both show people, had other ideas and Lena felt the draw of the stage during the Depression working at the Cotton Club to help make ends meet. She was later able to make inroads in Hollywood for other black performers, contribute to the war effort and even perform at President Truman’s inaugural ball despite being blacklisted during the Red Scare. She advocated for racial equality and women’s rights all her life and was honored not only for her work but for her remarkable talent. Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJvYo5pZEfE

Oprah The Little Speaker Book Review

Oprah: The Little Speaker

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrated by: London Ladd

Number of Pages: 34

Age Range: 4-8

Rating: 4/5

I’d be surprised if there was anyone on the planet who didn’t know the name “Oprah Winfrey.” She’s won over audiences for years with her vulnerability, honesty, generosity and charm. I knew she had humble beginnings but I didn’t realize just how humble until reading this book.

Oprah grew up in on a small run-down farm in Mississippi where she hauled water every day (no indoor plumbing), tended to the animals, and learned to read from the Bible. Like Lena, she was raised by her grandparents. Her first public speaking appearance was in church and it sparked a fire that couldn’t be put out despite being teased by the other kids and reprimanded (“children should be seen and not heard”) by her grandma. Her tenacity in school helped her to skip a grade and make real friends for the first time.

The story ends with her still in childhood, showing the spunk and determination of spirit adult readers will recognize as the tools that got her where she is today but other than a brief mention of that in an author’s note there are no other details about her commercial success as an adult. I think this is a rather interesting choice by the author to focus on what those traits got her as a child, while leaving the door open to learn more about her later life from other sources. She’s a “normal” kid with “normal” struggles who worked hard to do her best, regardless of the adult she became.

We’ll have more amazing women to spotlight as the month goes on but today I want to give an extra-loud shout-out to all the amazing women in my own life. My incredible mom, sister, aunts, grandmothers, cousins, friends that have personally influenced who I’ve become; thanks for being strong and beautiful and smart and powerful and for urging me to be the same.

Share your own shout-out in the comments below. I’d love to hear about the amazing women in your life!

 

Picture Book Review ~ Books for Black History Month

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

I saw a post somewhere earlier this month that said something to the effect of “if February is the first time your students are hearing about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., etc. then you’re doing it wrong.” All history should be black history. We should be celebrating the lives and accomplishments of blacks right alongside whites as we study the events themselves rather than focusing on the white players and separating out the black players to be spotlighted briefly during the few short weeks in February. Especially since most of the black figures studied seem to be those who figure into the Civil Rights movement. What about the rest of history?

Well, I can’t claim to be the perfect example by any stretch. Two of the books I’m going to share deal, in fact, with Civil Rights figures. But I think it’s important to at least be aware of the holes in our history programs, our own gaps of knowledge and understanding and try to fill those as best we can. I’d love to hear your recommendations for books featuring lesser-known black historical figures so I can beef up my collection.

Frederick Douglass Book Review

Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History

Written by: Walter Dean Myers

Illustrated by: Floyd Cooper

Number of Pages: 40

Age Range: 8-12

Rating: 4/5

Frederick Douglass is one of those names I hear all the time and yet if someone asked me I don’t know that I could tell them very much about him. We get a good overview of his life in this book by two revered award-winners. Growing up as a slave he was in a rare position of being owned by a relatively kind family and learned quickly that speaking clearly, reading and writing could make all the difference in a person’s life. He taught himself to read, worked hard, earned the respect of those around him and used all of that to his advantage to escape north where he quickly became a spokesperson for equal rights. His autobiography helped further the cause, giving people an understanding of what slavery was truly like. His courage and his words helped change the nation.

Several of the pages are quite text-heavy, geared toward a slightly older reader. But the story is engaging and easy to follow. And I absolutely love Cooper’s hazy, dream-like illustrations. I always feel as if I’m somehow looking back through the mists of time to actually see the events taking place.

Fannie Lou Hamer Book Review

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrated by: Ekua Holmes

Number of Pages: 56

Age Range: 8-12

Rating: 4/5

Fannie Lou Hamer is another name I recognize but actually know very little about. This book covers the bulk of her life, from childhood as a sharecropper in Mississippi to her participation in the Civil Rights Movement and political influence shortly before her death in 1977. She was right in the thick of it all. She fought for her right to vote, was jailed and beaten, ran for Congress, traveled to Africa, marched with Dr.King, started a Freedom Farm and a Head Start program and more. She was a woman who never stopped fighting for what she believed in.

The book is beautifully told in verse, each spread highlighting a phrase, topic or time period from Fannie’s life and accompanied by a gorgeous collage-style illustration. (Check out my Instagram feed for an inside peek.) There’s also fantastic backmatter including an author’s note and detailed timeline along with extensive source notes and suggestions for further reading.

(This book was a John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner, Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, and Caldecott Honor Book in 2016.)

Step Right Up Book Review

Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness

Written by: Donna Janell Bowman

Illustrated by: Daniel Minter

Number of Pages: 48

Age Range: 5-9

Rating: 4/5

Finally, I give you one of those lesser-known characters, actually two for the price of one! In 1833 William “Doc” Key was born into slavery in Tennessee. And like Frederick Douglass, he was lucky to be owned by a family who was kind, to the point of educating him alongside their own children.  He had a natural way with animals and learned to care for them as easily as he cared for humans. After the Civil War he became a free man and set up a medical practice. He nurtured an old thoroughbred horse who gave birth to a runty pony he named Jim and the two became inseparable.

Jim wasn’t an average horse. After training him to do some tricks to help sell some of his medicines, Doc pushed the training a little further and Jim responded. Soon Jim was counting, spelling, telling time and identifying state flags. The two became famous doing performances at the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, for President McKinley, on Broadway and all across the country. He pushed for black rights in the towns, hotels and halls they visited and for animal rights as well (including the country’s first humane societies.)  Whenever he was asked the secret to their success and Jim’s training he would reply that with kindness, anything is possible.

The text is a bit lengthy but completely riveting. I think it’s one that would hold the attention of even younger readers despite its length. And the woodcut illustrations are perfect. (Again, check out my Instagram feed for a look at the inside.) A fantastic afterward goes into more details about the pair of unlikely heroes complete with photographs.

I love these kinds of stories! Off-beat, uplifting, completely mesmerizing. A horse that could make change, identify Bible passages and win spelling bees? Truth really is stranger than fiction.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day ~ Book Reviews

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

There’s been a great uptick in multicultural children’s books in the last few years but they are still, unfortunately, far fewer in numbers than they should be. It’s so important for kids to identify with the characters in the books they read yet it’s easy forget that not all kids get that chance. And those kids who do identify with the characters featured in the majority of books need a chance to see variety of culture, color, and tradition represented to help them form foundations of acceptance and empathy for those they’ll meet who may be different than they are.

So, I’m sharing a few books in honor of multicultural children’s book day today. Take a look at the stacks of books you get from the library, the ones that line your home shelves. Are they filled with diverse characters or could they be described as a little closer to vanilla? Here are a few options at varying age ranges to get you started if you need to broaden your horizons.
Little Leaders Bold Women in Black History Book Review

Written and Illustrated by: Vashti Harrison

Number of Pages: 96

Age Range: 4-12

Rating: 5/5

First, a fabulous volume featuring mini-biographies of “bold women in Black history.” Ranging from the likes of Phyllis Wheatley and Sojourner Truth to Oprah Winfrey and Dominique Dawes each featured female has a one page bio giving you a snippet of information to whet your appetite. Then there’s the back matter with suggested reading, recordings, websites and more. One that should belong in everybody’s library!

Pashmina Book Review

 

Pashmina

Written and Illustrated by: Nidhi Chanani

Number of Pages: 176

Age Range: 10-14

Rating: 4/5

Next up is a vivid young adult graphic novel about Pri who finds a magical pashmina that transports her to a place where she learns about her Indian culture and finding peace as an Indian-American. The colors are gorgeous and anyone who’s ever struggled to fit in will connect instantly with Pri and her dilemmas.

Shadow Warrior Book Review

Shadow Warrior

Written by: Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Illustrated by: Celia Krampien

Number of Pages: 64

Age Range: 8-12

Rating: 4/5

Now we have a  fictionalized story of a female ninja in 1500s Japan. Based on actual events there are plenty of resources (maps, glossary, further reading, known facts vs. the fictionalized parts) to supplement the fascinating story of a fearless woman.
Storm Boy Book Review

Storm Boy

Written and Illustrated by: Paul Owen Lewis

Number of Pages: 32

Age Range: 5-9

Rating: 4/5

Last up is an older release about a boy from an indigenous tribe from the Pacific Northwest. After being caught in a storm he washes ashore in a village inhabited by supernatural beings. Again, excellent back matter gives background on the tribal motifs, culture, and traditions.

Do you have any favorite multicultural stories or characters you think I’d like? I’m always looking for suggestions to add to my “To Read” list. Leave them in the comments below!

Happy Reading!