BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SOME
An ode to pumpkin and some is its many uses.
You know what doesn’t make sense - Showing pumpkin bigger than your head right in the middle of listing different ways you can eat pumpkin. That is the only misstep in an otherwise cute book celebrating the vegetable of the season.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
When the crocodiles try to take a group photo, they are interrupted by a Zebra’s cheeky butt. Don’t worry - when the zebras want a photoshoot, they will get interrupted in turn - and so down the line.
If you aren’t afraid of animal butts, you will have a lot of fun with each flapped page. The final page has an even funnier twist.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: MANY
Learn lots of different concepts with dinosaurs as you push, pull, flip, slide your way through.
The flaps are thinner, so make sure you keep an eye on the very handsy kids (like my grandson). But I love the wide variety within and the expressive, colorful dino illustrations.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
Rain frog has a bad case of resting frog face. He doesn’t mean to look perpetually grumpy - its just a quirk of nature. Or maybe he does have a reason to be grumpy after all?
What a great companion for Perry and Hanson’s previous I Am NOT Happy.
A ready-made mini lesson on not judging anything (or anyone) by what you think you’re seeing on the outside.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
The year the reindeer go on strike, one brave corgi wants to step in and help. But their queen has lost her heart to help ever since her human passed away. Three brave corgis sneak out to help Santa anyways. but if they poop out halfway around the world, will any one (or pup) be able to step in and save them?
I wasn’t prepared for how cute Smith’s latest book truly is. I like that sometimes it rhymes, but most of the time it doesn’t. The corgis are adorable.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
When the sun warms the Arctic ice, the thinnest ice starts breaking apart and becomes pack ice - shimmering ice islands that harbor life all around them.
Hevron simply shows how important pack ice is to the few creatures who live in the Arctic regions. The back matter talks a bit about how climate change is affecting the fragile ecosystem that is centered on pack ice. If I were teaching elementary school, I would want all of the Tiny Habitats books.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6), MS, HS – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
Owl Capone has one of the biggest hearts, and one of the most popular restaurants, in the Windy Forest. However he is unexpectedly betrayed when one of his closest friends, Gus the Rat, opens a rival restaurant. Can Owl win back the hearts (and stomachs) of his customers?
If you had told me there was a picture book about Owl Capone (actually Al Capone), I wouldn't have believed that they could make a gangster story appropriate enough for young children, but by golly, they did it. Older kids and adults reading this are totally going to see all the Godfather/gangster references, but a younger reader is just going to love the animals in clothes eating (not-so) vegetarian wraps. I loved the word play, even if I was mildly horrified by the alluded demise of Gus the Rat, but that is La Famiglia for you.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Quin is a penguin in Santa’s workshop and he is not having fun. He dreams of having some more interesting job to be helpful.
I’m not sure why the elves and depicted as Penguins and the Santa is a polar bear. That’s the only reason I am not enamored with the book. Otherwise, Quin is adorably bored and earnest about trying out new jobs - and inventive when he comes to the rescue.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Bob wants to play a prank, so he gets himself a box and starts making noise. But when people pass by he stays oh so quiet. And then he brings in more things to make more noise to trick more passers by.
Bob is just like a toddler who thinks that no one can see them hiding when they’ve covered their eyes with their hands. So funny.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Max loves everything about Christmas and especially the way the Whos celebrate. When the Grinch reveals his horrid plans, Max does what he can to thwart him, but what can one scared puppy do?
Heim does a pretty good job mimicking Seuss’s rhyming rhythms for a new look at the classic tale. Max is earnest, is unsuccessful, but we knew that going in, didn’t we.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3), EL (4-6) – ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: SEVERAL
Two knights compete for their queen to rule the castle on the hill. Who will win in this duel?
The real star of this book is the author-illustrator’s use of "squish paintings"—folding paint-blotted paper to create symmetrical prints. It’s a fascinating technique that challenges both storytelling (how to build a narrative around mirrored images) and illustration (how to control the paint to achieve the desired picture). The storyline is pretty simple, but visually it’s a great way to discuss symmetry and it would work as a great model for a similar simple art project.
Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes
