by Carolyn | Animal books, Character Training, For fun, Imagination, Parenting, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Have you ever made a mistake that causes you want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world? I have! But when you’re a kid, those feelings are compounded. That’s exactly what Andrea Tsurumi’s fantastic new picture book, Accident!, is all about....
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Picture Books, Poetry, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I don’t know how it started, but there has been a surplus of funny picture books with dragons published in the last few years. And when I say funny, I mean hilarious. I literally can’t read some of these without laughing out loud. If you have a child who...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Education, For fun, Imagination, Nature, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds
They All Saw a Cat by debut author/illustrator Brendan Wenzel is easily one of my favorite picture books published this year. In fact, this picture book caught the attention of my older kids just as much (maybe more so) than my younger ones. It’s brand new, but...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Audiobooks, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I just finished reading an advance copy of Ember Falls by S.D. Smith, and it is magnificent! Ember Falls, the sequel to The Green Ember, is full of twists and turns, intrigue, and action. Heather and Picket have grown into confident, mature characters, but all their...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Board Books, For fun, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Toddler, Wordless Books
Here it is, all shiny and new, the book I’m going to try to destroy. Just typing that makes me cringe. And why do I want to destroy this book? Well, the name is an inherent challenge: “Indestructibles: Chew Proof, Rip Proof, Nontoxic, 100% Washable.”...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Bible, Board Books, Picture Books, Poetry, Toddler
Counting Blessings by Eileen Spinelli is a sweet, rhyming counting book of blessings for young children. It’s a sturdy board book with a soft, padded cover (less likely to be chewed up by book-hungry babies). The illustrations of bunnies and other animals by Lee...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Audiobooks, Chapter Books, Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Read Alouds
I think after the Wingfeather Saga (and for my son, The Hobbit), my kids would rate The Green Ember by S.D. Smith as one of their favorite read-alouds. The story is a great combination of action, mystery, and character development. In The Green Ember, rabbit...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Board Books, Book Lists, Education, Preschool, Toddler
Books are such great resources for teaching and reinforcing early learning concepts like shapes, colors, and numbers. But after a couple of kids (or even a couple of weeks reading the same books to one kid), we moms are ready for something a bit more interesting....
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Imagination, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds
A while ago I posted about my favorite soothing bedtime books for little ones. But sometimes our big kids like to have their own special bedtime books too! These books may be slightly longer, have rich vocabulary, and beautiful illustrations just brimming with...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Book Lists, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool
It just thrills me that Valentine’s Day is also International Book Giving Day! Why? Because nothing says “I love you” like a well-chosen book. Here are my top recommendations for books to say I love you to your kids this Valentine’s Day or any...
