by Carolyn | Animal books, For fun, Picture Books, Read Alouds
It takes something special for a picture book to make me laugh and cry, but Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Finison illustrated by Brianne Farley has all the right ingredients! This sweet, rhyming story features a bear, LouAnn. She whips up a batch of doughnuts to eat...
by Carolyn | Biography, Books about Books, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books
Ever since I wrote Library’s Most Wanted, picture books about librarians and libraries have been on my radar. These books tell the stories of librarians and their often unconventional libraries both in America and around the world. Some of them are biographies...
by Carolyn | Character Training, Fantasy, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Julia’s House Moves On by Ben Hatke is a beautiful picture book about not having it all together. Because none of us do, really. And sometimes it takes a book like this to help us, and our kids, take a deep breath and remember that our plans may not work out,...
by Carolyn | Biography, Book Lists, Education, Nature, Nonfiction, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
My youngest daughter has been on a space kick recently, so I thought I’d bring you a round up of picture books about Pluto. Pluto has always been such an underdog, even before it was kicked off the planet roster, that it tends to be many people’s favorite....
by Carolyn | Adventure, Biography, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Nonfiction, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Balloons are happy, right? They just make you smile, especially if you are a kid. So you might be surprised to learn that many of these picture books about balloons deal with hard topics like negative thoughts, Alzheimer’s, or depression. But don’t worry....
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, For fun, Imagination, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations, Resources
Sometimes you just need to laugh. When you and your kids are having a bad day, pick up a humous book, and pretty soon, everyone is giggling, even you. And if we’re talking about funny picture books with a message that doesn’t detract from the story, even...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Character Training, Education, Older Elementary, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Reading, Recommendations, Resources
I’ve got a great list of picture books about kindness and respect for others for you this week. I love when picture books can convey a message, especially when they can do so in a non-preachy and kid-relatable way. In a world increasingly polarized, where cancel...
by Carolyn | Book Lists, Education, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
I thought National Library Week would be the perfect time to share this list of wonderful picture books about libraries with y’all. Unfortunately, we are also in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis. So, libraries are closed. On National Library Week. Boohoo! But...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Baby, Board Books, Book Lists, Character Training, Classics, Education, Newbery, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Toddler
I usually review newer picture books, but sometimes it’s good to take a look back in time. Classic picture books have a lot to offer our fast-paced society with their simple, slower pace. They can remind us to slow down, take notice, embrace imagination. These...
by Carolyn | Animal books, Book Lists, Chapter Books, Cultural Diversity, Early Readers, Fantasy, For fun, Girls, Highschool, Juvenile Fiction, Middle-grade, Older Elementary, Picture Books, Read Alouds, Recommendations
It’s always fun for me to make this list, because I get to look back on all the great books I’ve read this past year. Some of these I’ve reviewed, and some I haven’t. But I think any one of these would make a great gift for your loved ones....
