Picture books

Building communities

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Story Rug by Sophie Blackall, illustrated by Phoebe Wahl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-3). Other classrooms may be noisy, but room 203 is silent as the kids indulge their new love of braiding. Whether its hair, shoelaces, or toy horses’ manes, their mantra is “Left over center. Right over center. Left over center.” When Norman can’t find anything to braid, Ms. Morena rips a rag into three strips. Inspired, Noah finds other rags at home, and his braid starts to grow. His classmates join in, finding old curtains, clothes, and blankets to add, and before long, the braid has become longer than all of them are. Norman organizes a Saturday meeting at the library, and the kids get to work sewing their long braid into a coil that grows and grows until it’s the size of a rug. On Monday, they surprise Ms. Morena with it, and the class celebrates together while the neighboring classrooms start braiding projects of their own. Includes instructions for making a braided rug.

Sophie Blackall’s quiet story and Phoebe Wahl’s colorful illustrations perfectly capture a creative class of kids who combine their own passion for braiding with contributions from friends and family to create something they all can enjoy. Perfect for reading aloud in the early days of school to start conversations about classroom community.

School for Woodland Creatures (Our Friend Hedgehog book 3) by Lauren Castillo (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 128 pages, grades K-3). Annika Mae is going to school for the first time, and her animal friends want the very best for her. They’re curious about school, though, and they decide to start one of their own. Each animal picks something to teach, and they take turns learning from each other. As her turn approaches, Hedgehog is nervous that she doesn’t have a talent worth sharing with the others. She likes art, but her projects don’t always turn out the way she thinks they should. When Annika Mae comes home upset that some of the kids in her class made fun of a story she wrote about her animal friends, Mole assures her that she was being true to herself and that’s what matters most. Hedgehog takes those words to heart and bravely leads an art project that celebrates all of her friends.

This is the first book from this series I’ve read, and it’s now on my list of chapter books to read to my first graders. It’s a sweet story with a funny and memorable cast of animal characters, as well as the human girl who brings them all together. Lauren Castillo’s illustrations make it an excellent choice for sharing, whether it’s as a bedtime story or a classroom read-aloud.

Multi-language learners

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Another Tongue by Yevgenia Naybert (Neal Porter Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). With clever wordplay and illustrations, readers find out that the language you learn as a baby is called your mother tongue, and that over time, most kids speak their native language with relative ease. If you move to a country with a different language, though, “the new language may taste funny on your tongue,” and “your ears may get tired of listening to the new language.” Some words may sound familiar, and some will be completely new, which can lead to confusion and mix-ups. Eventually, though, you will learn the new language, and then you will be bilingual…which means having two tongues! Includes a note from the author who grew up in Ukraine speaking Russia and moved to the U.S. at the age of 19.

This would be a great book to share with English language learners. The text is simple and the illustrations are funny, but it touches on a variety of difficulties encountered in learning a new language and could serve as a springboard for sharing joys and frustrations. Bilingual kids should be proud of their accomplishments, and they will get a kick out of the picture of the bilingual person with two tongues.

Mi Escuela Is My School by Laurenne Sala (Candlewick, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A boy introduces readers to his school, starting with his classroom, and continuing on to the library, art room, music room, cafeteria, playground, and dismissal area. Each place is described using a mixture of Spanish and English. Although no translation is given, the mix is pretty easy to figure out with context and illustration clues. Look for the companion book, Mi Casa Is My Home.

This straightforward introduction to school features colorful illustrations, a pretty comprehensive look at different parts of the school day, and an enthusiastic narrator who looks forward to returning mañana. I’m on the fence as to whether I think it would have been an improvement to have translations on the pages or in a glossary, but I also liked the mix of languages that’s a reality for many students.

The first day of school

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I hope most educators who read this still have a week or two of summer vacation, but here in Springfield, Massachusetts, today is the first day of school. To get everyone back in the swing of things, I am going to post a review every school day this week with books that may be useful for the first few weeks of school.

For more ideas, be sure to check out my back-to-school book list. I updated all my book lists over the summer. Some others that might be helpful for the beginning of school include the lists about persistence, kindness and community, Labor Day, and Hispanic Heritage (Hispanic Heritage month starts September 15). To see all the book lists, move your cursor to “Book Lists” under the blog title, and they should all appear.

To get things started, here are two books for those who are going to school for the very first time!

Kindergarten Gets Ready by Naomi Danis, illustrated by Pete Oswald (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-6). Mr. Bee spends a week getting ready for his kindergarten class. When he arrives on Monday, the classroom is dark and disorderly. Each day, he cleans and unpacks: books, blocks, toys, dress-up clothes, art supplies. He rolls out the story rug and hangs the alphabet banner. He practices saying his students’ names and labels a seat and cubby for each one. By Friday afternoon, the classroom is bright, clean, and organized, ready for the most important thing of all–the children! The final illustration shows them enjoying every part of the room while Mr. Bee welcomes them.

I can’t wait to share this book with the kindergarten teachers at my school. It’s a perfect introduction to kindergarten, with just a sentence or two of text on each page, and colorful illustrations that introduce the different parts of the classroom and will get kids excited and ready to play and learn. Mr. Bee has a cute hamster named Yoshi who makes a Where’s Waldo?-style appearance on every page.

What Do We Do in Preschool? by Kathryn Wanless (Red Comet Press, 40 pages, ages 3-5). “What do we do in preschool? We wash our hands, we say hello/We sing, we snack, we hide…uh-oh!/And all too soon…it’s time to go!” In three verses, readers get a chance to see how preschool works. Each verse portrays a child surrounded by smiling teachers, classmates, and, at the beginning and end of the day parents (or other caregivers) who drop off and reliably pick up. Each vignette features a different colored text and follows a different child through their day. Includes a note from the author, who’s a preschool educator, and ideas for how to use the book.

And here’s one for the preschool teachers (and parents of preschoolers) to use during the first week of school. It’s a perfect introduction for young kids, just the right length, and with plenty of illustrations to show what happens at preschool and initiate conversations that will allay anxieties about what school is like. The rhyming text is bouncy, and I love how each vignette ends with, “And all too soon…it’s time to go!” including the final one that shows kids graduating from preschool.

Kids and their grown-ups

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Pia in the Forest by David Bruggink (Holiday House, 112 pages, grades 1-4). We meet Pia early one morning as she’s drawing a pinecone creature. She’s so excited about her idea that she has to wake up her dad (loudly). Dad’s sleepy, but a good sport, and he offers to take her to a state forest to look for materials. He brings along a recording device that allows them to hear all kinds of sounds in the forest and leads them to interesting places. But Pia’s loudness, impulsivity, and eventually, exhaustion, wear Dada down, and the two of them have a fight. Pia goes storming off and meets a new friend who shows her how to skip stones and build fairy houses, and who enjoys learning how to use the recording device. They eventually reconnect with Dada, and the day ends satisfactorily, with the promise of a return trip. Includes additional information on sound recorders and fairy houses.

Pia is an adorable, if occasionally annoying, character with an extremely patient dad. Kids and adults will relate to their interactions, filled with both love and frustration on both sides. This would be an excellent choice as both a first graphic novel for independent readers or a read-aloud to a younger audience.

Because of a Shoe by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 3-6). A caregiver narrates the battle waged over putting on a toddler’s shoes in one long sentence. “Even when…” the narration begins and continues as the toddler lies on the floor, throws the shoe, and screams; and the narrator tries to be patient but eventually loses it and threatens to throw the (formerly favorite) shoes in the garbage, even then the two recognize that they love each other and have a sweet and wonderful connection. When they remember that, they’re both able to take deep breaths, get the shoes on, and get out the door. They head to a party, where there’s a bouncy house, and of course, the first thing the child does is throw off their shoes and head in for some fun.

Just as with Pia, both children and adults will recognize the scenes and emotions in this book. This would be perfect to read at the end of a long day to remind everyone of what is most important even when the day has felt like a series of battles, and older kids may need it as much as toddlers. One should never count Marla Frazee out for a Caldecott, as she spins out a series of imaginative takes on what would happen if the child spent the rest of their life lying on the floor or if the shoe were thrown to the bottom of the ocean.

Not-very-scary Halloween books

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The Haunted Playground by R. J. Palacio, illustrated by Brett Helquist (Random House Books for Young Readers, 50 pages, grades K-3). Even ghosts need a break from being scary, so on Halloween night after midnight, they gather on a playground for a chance to let go, donning discarded costumes to add to the fun. Rex Magnificus, “ruler of the park,” narrates the rhyming story. When a brother and sister show up to play, Rex tries to turn them away, but the kids aren’t scared, and before long, everyone’s having a blast on the playground. It’s so much fun, in fact, that the children want to go home with the ghosts. Rex assures them that this is impossible, then sends them on their way with a promise that he and the other ghosts will return on midnight next Halloween.

Kids who are fans of Caralyn Buehner’s Snowmen at Night series will enjoy this rhyming tale about ghosts who enjoy the same things that kids do. The story felt a big too long–the usual 32 to 40 pages seems like it would have been more effective–but readers looking for a little bit of spookiness will love these ghostly illustrations.

The Great Pumpkin Pancake Party by Celeste Pewter, illustrated by Kelly Wu (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). Lao Ye, the narrator’s grandpa, may be newly arrived from China, but he loves to build community with his new neighbors, especially by sharing food. Before Halloween, Lilly accompanies him on a trip to fill his car’s back seat with pumpkins, and when they get home, the chopping, mixing, and frying begins. Before long, they have a giant stack of pumpkin pancakes. Lilly’s a bit nervous about introducing the neighbors to this unfamiliar food, but Lao Ye is confident that they will love it. A table is set up in front of the house on Halloween night, and trick-or-treaters stop by to show off their costumes and enjoy pancakes. Lao Ye enjoys every minute, practicing his English and making everyone feel welcome. Includes an author’s note about her own grandfather, a Taiwanese immigrant who inspired this story, and a recipe for Lao Ye’s pumpkin pancakes.

This unique–and completely non-spooky–Halloween story is a great way to celebrate both the holiday and the community that it can build. Lao Ye is an inspiring character, embracing his new life and making new friends everywhere.

The Skeleton and the Cat by Brandon James Scott (HarperCollins, 64 pages, ages 4-8). A skeleton leads a peaceful, solitary life until a black cat shows up who is persistent about friendship. Over the course of five short stories, the cat gently inserts himself into the skeleton’s life, teaching her the joys of knock-knock jokes, dancing, reading with a cat in your lap, and eating a sandwich (that one doesn’t work out as well for the skeleton). By the final story, it’s clear that a new friendship has been forged, and that the cat is there to stay.

This quirky friendship story is perfect for a fall story time; it includes Halloween-ish characters but never mentions the holiday. Everything about the book, from the characters to the humor to the illustrations is quiet and understated, yet kids and adults alike will find some chuckles and have their hearts warmed by getting to know these two new friends.

Summer fun

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Pandamonium! by Annie Bailey, illustrated by Bonnie Wong (Feiwel and Friends, 40 pages, ages 3-6). Pandas gather for their big family reunion, but when it comes time to take a photo, it’s impossible to get everyone looking just right. There’s sneezing, poking, nose-picking…finally, the kids can’t take it anymore, and everyone goes running all over the yard. Pandamonium! Even the adults get in on the fun. One young panda picks up a phone and takes a candid shot. And that’s the one! It’s clear the pandas are having a blast at their family reunion. Includes a ten-question Panda Family Trivia game which gives facts about both giant and red pandas.

The rhyming text and adorable panda illustrations make this a great choice for a preschool story time. Those candid shots are always the best.

Watermelon Pool by Boinsoir Lune, translated from the Korean by Frances Cha (Dial Books, 60 pages, ages 4-8). It’s opening day at the watermelon pool. The first man to get there props a ladder against the side, climbs up, picks out a few seeds, and sinks into the cool, refreshing fruit. It doesn’t take long for others to find out that the pool is open, and soon it’s filled with kids jumping in, hitting each other with watermelon bombs, and enjoying pools of juice. When the sun blazes too hot overhead, the cloud-seller shows up with his cloud parasols and rain-cloud showers. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and after everyone clears out, the last page shows four spoons and an empty watermelon rind. But don’t worry, the watermelon pool will open again next year.

I closed this book and felt like I had just woken up from a strange but delightful dream. Who are these people who swim in a watermelon, and who are the ones eating the watermelon at the end? We never find out, but we get to imagine how fun (if sticky) it would be to swim in a watermelon pool. This Korean import has been a bestseller since its publication in 2015, and now Americans can get in on the fun.

Three bears

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Incredibly Fast and Not at All Fun by Tadgh Bentley (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Did you know the first roller coaster was invented by accident? Bear just wanted a quick way to get from his quiet home to his peaceful beehives, avoiding the more crowded parts of the woods. He had to get used to the speed and steepness of the track his car went on, but it was worth it. Not really enjoying the ride, Bear was surprised when his neighbors wanted to try it. Their wails and squeals made him think they didn’t like it, but no, soon they were lining up for more. He tried adding loops and drops to scare them away, but surprisingly, that only made the ride more popular. Finally, Bear had no choice but to hand over the key and move to a quieter place at the top of a waterfall. He moved the bees to the bottom, then created a log flume to ride down the waterfall….

This is one of those books where everyone is in on the joke except for the main character. Kids will get a big kick out of Bear and his inability to understand the fun of amusement park rides. His efforts to make it less appealing of course produce exactly the opposite results, and his inadvertent invention of a water slide at the end will give everyone one last laugh.

Where Is Pierre? by Emma Clarke (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 32 pages, ages 3-6). Bear’s excited to celebrate his birthday with his penguin friend Pierre, but…where IS Pierre? As Bear wanders through town looking for his friend, there are other penguins, and there are other red berets, but readers will be challenged to locate the red beret-wearing penguin Pierre. Finally, Bear tracks him down, and there’s a birthday surprise waiting for him. Pierre takes over the narration from there, ending with, “Where IS Bear?”

Those not quite ready to find Waldo will have a lot of fun figuring out where Pierre is. He’s hidden enough to make this challenging, but not so much as to cause frustration. The animal illustrations, rhyming text, and birthday surprise make this an appealing choice for the youngest readers.

Bear Hair by Jeff Mack (Henry Holt and Co., 40 pages, ages 4-8). Playing with homophones bear/bare and hair/hare, this story follows a bear and a rabbit who discover a blue wig. The hair is on bear, the hare is on bear, then hair is on hare, who is on a bare bear…you get the idea. The illustrations help sort out the confusion, and eventually the new words tear and share are introduced to come up with a solution that is satisfactory to both the bear and the hare.

This would be a great way to introduce homophones, with cute illustrations that are sure to produce plenty of laughs. The youngest readers, or those just learning English, may need some help understanding exactly what is going on, but they’ll get a kick out of the friendship story and may start to recognize some of the words.

Sporty types

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Offside by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, illustrated by Mari Costa (Graphix, 208 pages, grades 4-8). This year’s middle school soccer team is open to girls for the first time, and just about everyone seems to have an opinion about that. Nicky, who fought for the opportunity to play on a team where she has a better chance of being scouted, is thrilled. Al, whose Brazilian father and grandfather have passed on their ideas about girls and sports, is determined to do whatever it takes to keep the team boys only. Fabiola and Sebastian, newly arrived from Colombia and Peru respectively, speak little English and just want a chance to play the sport they love. Palmer, sidelined with an injury, is bilingual and serves as a translator for the different teammates. As the season progresses, the kids–with some encouragement from their coaches–realize that to win games, they need to put aside their differences and appreciate each other’s strengths. By the end of the story, not only have they become a winning team on the field, but they’ve learned to act together to speak up for equal sports opportunities for everyone.

Those who have followed the World Cup this summer will appreciate this soccer-themed graphic novel with its uplifting message about equal access for all athletes. The different characters are well-drawn (in both senses of the word), showing growth as players and people throughout the story. Spanish and English are cleverly woven together in the dialog bubbles. Includes a glossary of soccer terms and a full-page illustrated explanation of what offsides means. I still don’t get it.

The Long Hike: The True Story of the First Appalachian Thru-Hike by Meghan McCarthy (Beach Lane Books, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Before World War II, Earl Shaffer had planned to hike the Appalachian Trail with his best friend Walter. But Walter didn’t survive the war, and Earl decided to go it alone, to “walk the war out of my system.” Following the motto, “carry as little as possible but choose that little with care,” Earl set out from Georgia on April 4, 1948. He suffered through blisters, mosquitoes, heat and cold (New Jersey prohibited campfires at the time), and a trail that was sometimes difficult to follow. But he also met interesting people along the way and was soothed by the natural world. Finally, on August 6, he stood atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin, the first person to have hiked the entire trail. Earl spent the rest of his life advocating for the preservation of the Appalachian Trail, and did two more through-hikes, including on in 1998, in which he set a record for the oldest person (at the time) to hike the trail. Includes several pages of back matter, with additional information on Earl Shaffer and the Appalachian Trail, as well as resources to learn more.

I love Meghan McCarthy’s quirky nonfiction books, and it’s been a few years since I’ve seen a new one. This one is a lot of fun, detailing Earl Shaffer’s adventures on the Appalachian Trail, along with excerpts from the notebook he kept along the way. The illustrations of different parts of the trail and beautiful and may inspire readers to get outside for a hike themselves. This is a timely story, as the record for oldest person hiking the AT is on track to be broken this summer by 91-year-old Dale Sanders.

A couple of wacky books about dinosaurs

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Unlikely Friends (Diary of a Dinoghost, book 1) by Monica Arnaldo (Scholastic, published August 4, 96 pages, grades 1-3). Cobble is a dinoghost–a brontosaurus who has been a ghost “since the asteroid.” When he can’t remember if this is day 36,599,236,001 or 36,500236,002 of being a ghost, he decides he should start a diary. Good thing, too, because things start to get interesting. He’s been hanging out lately at Kevin’s house, Kevin being a seven-year-old boy who loves to put ketchup on everything. When Kevin adds ketchup to his new goldfish bowl, the fish becomes a ghost as well. Cobble and Bonny begin a tenuous friendship, with Bonny trying to convince Cobble to take her to the ocean. Cobble is reluctant to disturb his well-established routine, but finally he agrees. Without the routine, things get a little…chaotic, but the two new friends persevere, and the last page sees them setting off on their journey.

Another Scholastic Branches series just right for the beginning chapter book audience. It’s a quirky story to say the least, but Cobble and Bonny are an endearing pair, and the diary format with the many cartoon-style illustrations make it a great first chapter book. Look for book 2 in November.

I Used to Be a Dinosaur by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Laurie Keller (Greenwillow Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). A plucky chicken reminds herself and her fellow hens that, “I used to be a dinosaur.” She recalls past glories of a mighty roar, powerful jaws, and tiny arms (actually, that part is still the same). Life on the farm can seem dull by comparison, but when her chicks hatch, she reminds them of their proud heritage and that they can choose to be as strong as their ancestors.

While the concept of evolution may be a bit over the heads of the intended audience, they’ll enjoy the colorful cartoon-style illustrations featuring dinosaurs, the lively rhyming text, and the message of being your best self. This would pair well with Lena the Chicken.

Celebrating heritage

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Celebrate We Gullah Geechee by Yvette R. Murray, illustrated by Tonya Engel (Free Spirit Publishing, 44 pages, grades 1-4). Five children introduce readers to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor that runs along the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Each child focuses on one of the senses, describing what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted in the region. Includes an author’s note with additional information about the area, where she has lived all her life; an artist’s note; and a list of websites to learn more.

The lyrical text and brilliantly colored illustrations will whet readers’ appetite to travel to this region to explore more–it certainly got me intrigued. The author’s note touches on the history of the area, but I wish there had been a little more of that as well as a good map. The list of resources is helpful to seek out more information.

Where They Gather by Teresa Rodrigues, illustrated by Jamiel Law (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, grades K-3). A pecan tree sees many seasons in the generations of a Black family, starting from the time it starts as a seedling on a farm built by a couple recently freed from slavery. Over the years, the tree is witness to happy times as the people gather for big events like a wedding, play in its shade, and gather the nuts in the autumn. But it also sees the hard times, like when the family is burned out of their home by a mob. They persist, though, rebuilding and taking to the streets with signs of protest. The last page shows the tree towering over a small house with a family gathered together in celebration again. Includes an author’s note and photos of the pecan tree in her grandmother’s yard that inspired this book.

A gentle introduction to Black history, with rhyming text and illustrations showing the family and tree through many seasons, both literally and metaphorically. The final message is one of perseverance and hope.