Fans of Frog and Toad, Elephant and Piggie, Leonardo and Sam, and so many more, rejoice! Elliott Kalan and Andrea Tsurumi (author/illustrator of one of my all-time favorites, Accident) have teamed up to bring us Sharko and Hippo… And I think you’re going to love them!
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Do you all remember when I reviewed Little Mole Finds Hope back in February? If not, be sure to scroll back in my feed and check that post out! And if so, get excited, because Little Mole is back for a Christmas adventure, and I’ve got a copy of this delightful new book to give to one of you! Read on to see a little about the book and how to enter the giveaway.
Continue reading “Little Mole’s Christmas Gift by Glenys Nellist, plus an Instagram Giveaway!”
A few months ago, I raved in an Instagram story about how much I got out of reading The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, and you all asked for a full review. So, here you go — my thoughts on The Self-Driven Child! Read them, and be sure to scroll down to see a few of my favorite quotes (though it was definitely hard to choose just a few!).
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Meet Kate, an average girls who feels her life is incredibly dull and uninteresting and yearns for adventure. On her 11th birthday, that adventure comes in the form of a real, full-sized train engine, gifted to her by her eccentric Uncle Herbert. Not knowing what to expect, but moving with open minds and excitement, Kate and her younger brother Tom board and head off on the adventure of a lifetime in The Silver Arrow, written by Lev Grossman.
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Did you see my first ever holiday gift guide earlier this week? Or maybe you saw this list I published earlier this year of beautiful books to gift? Today, I’m sharing two new books that would make delightful gifts for children and teachers in your lives! Both published in September 2020, our younger daughter received these for her birthday in September, and I knew immediately I needed to share them with you at some point! Read on for a little more information about The B On Your Thumb: 60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling and Wild Symphony!
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When I posted about our Family Focus: Gratitude and Thankfulness kickoff, I got LOTS of questions about the book we used to kick off this month in our house. So today, I’ve got some information for you about Giving Thanks: More Than 100 Ways to Say Thank You by Ellen Surrey. If you are looking for a way to inspire your children to think of all they are grateful for, who they may want to thank, and unique ways to express gratitude to others, then this is the book for you!
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When I was little, my mom used to have a “secret” hand squeeze with my brother and me. She’d take our hands and give them three gentle squeezes to say “I love you,” and then we’d give her four squeezes back, signaling “I love you, too.” Fast forward to becoming a parent myself and these three and four squeezes are now a “secret language” that we share with our own girls. I always assumed this was something unique to our family, until Lauren from Picture Book Playdate on Instagram reviewed Three Squeezes by Jason Pratt, illustrated by Chris Sheban, earlier this fall. I rarely buy a book after reading only one review of it, as I try to at least get it from the library first, but… I knew our family had to own this one. I bought it immediately to give to our younger daughter for her birthday in September and am so glad that we own a book that depicts this special (but apparently not so secret) language in such a beautiful, touching way.
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Do you all know Acoustic Rooster yet? We are admittedly late to the game, as the first book in the series, Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band was published in 2011. But, Sleeping Bear Press kindly sent us the newest book in the series, Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume, and it was such a hit with our preschooler that I tracked down the original too, so that we could enjoy both. And, not surprising, she LOVES both of these books and asks for them on repeat. Read on for a bit about each book, as well as the upcoming Acoustic Rooster musical!
Continue reading “The “Acoustic Rooster” series by Kwame Alexander”
Ooh, do I have a treat for you today! Cindy Derby (author-illustrator of How to Walk an Ant and illustrator of Outside In, among others) has her second book as an author/illustrator releasing November 10, 2020 — Two Many Birds! And I’ve got both an interview with Cindy, as well as a giveaway of Two Many Birds happening over on my Instagram page. Check out the fascinating interview below, and be sure to pop over to Instagram for your chance to win a signed copy of Two Many Birds as well as an original bird painting from Cindy!
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About a month ago, I posted my first “Recent Favorites from a Second Grader” book recommendation post — and you all loved it! Turns out I’m not the only one who can’t keep up with what my independent reader is reading and loving. Many of you also have readers who are also moving into reading more and more chapter books independently.
So, every month or so, I’ll have our older daughter (a seven-year-old second grader) tell you about 4 or 5 of her favorite books lately. These might be books she’s read independently, family read alouds, or audiobooks. I’ll transcribe her reasons for why she loves these books, and add a few of my own thoughts if I have anything important to add.
Up today, we’ve got five of her favorite recent reads from October!
Continue reading “Recent Favorites from a Second Grader #2”
childrenslitlove.com 