​Whether or not you had a special plushy, stuffy, lovey, blanky, or whatever you chose to call it, you can probably relate to this book:

Who doesn’t know a child (or was a child) who has a special stuffed animal, doll, blanket, or toy that they are SO attached to, they can’t live without it? That’s what Olive has in Mr. Snuggles, until one day he disappears! She’s devastated! But then, one day he miraculously reappears. Or so she thinks. Enter THE IMPOSTER! Children always know, don’t they? This book is so relatable and, without being preachy, shows themes of kindness, compromise, and acceptance. Overall, this is a really sweet story with engaging illustrations and characters and tons of kid-appeal.
 
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​“It’s my party and I’ll be quiet if I want to, quiet if I want to. You would be quiet too if  you were a snail too!” Read on and find out:

This book is adorable! It’s got everything I love in a picture book—tongue-and-cheek humor, a heartfelt message that’s not too message-y, charming characters, art that tells a story beyond the text, illustrated end papers, and a bonus surprise under the dust jacket. This one is for anyone who likes a party. I enthusiastically (but quietly) recommend HOW TO PARTY LIKE A SNAIL.
 
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​Today’s book recommendation is about a party-going badger that is pure fun!

A badger finds himself invited to Claire’s 5th birthday party, so he dresses in a “bow tie and his little jacket with the buttons down the front” and (spoiler) does NOT behave properly at the party! But the narrator would have you believe otherwise. Proper Badger would never claw at the birthday cake looking for delicious grubs, right? Lauren Glattly’s irreverent humor had me in stitches, and Rob Sayegh’s collage illustrations had me pouring over details like the clothing patterns and the characters’ reactions to the party mishaps, including the dog who appears on most every spread. PROPER BADGER WOULD NEVER! is properly hilarious!
 
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​If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction issues and are in need of a children’s book that addresses the topic in a heartfelt, honest, and approachable way, I highly recommend:

This heartfelt story of addiction is told from the point of view of a young girl, Fiona, as she notices changes in her older brother, Dylan. Changes she struggles to understand. Changes she doesn’t like. Changes that make it difficult to be around the brother who was once her hero. Diane O’Neill’s text tackles a difficult subject with honesty, emotion, and in an approachable way for children to understand a very complex topic. Her author’s note to the reader provides more explanation about addiction and mental illness as well as a number to contact for help. Further, she reassures the reader that if they have a family member with an addiction, they are not alone, and it is not their fault. Anastasiya Kanavaliuk’s expressive illustrations convey all the emotions Fiona faces throughout the book, from disappointment, fear, uncertainty, sadness, guilt, and hopefulness. With so many families dealing with addiction and mental illness, this book is a valuable resource to help explain and open the door for further discussion.
 
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​How appropriate that a pig holiday falls in the same month as a fair holiday, because today’s picture book recommendation is about a group of pigs who are building a road to reach the Hamshire County Fair:

This book has so much to appeal to young audiences and their grown-up readers! Children will pour over every detail of the pigs, other animals, and construction vehicles, adorably illustrated in Brian Biggs’ signature style. Grown-ups will appreciate the story’s themes of cooperation, perseverance, and resiliency. And everyone will love hearing the wordplay and rollicking rhyme pulled off with perfection by Carrie Finison. This great read aloud will have kids cheering on Rosie, Curly, Pinky, and Stinky, and begging you to read their story again and again.
 
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​Let’s celebrate World Elephant Day by reading a book about a worldly elephant named Arnold in:

This book is pure fun! The story of an elephant’s shipwreck begins even before the text does. When the reader opens to the title page, they will see Arnold paddling his boat with an expression that can only be described as pure panic. Turn to the first page and you see the aftermath of the “boisterous wave” that sank his boat. Luckily, Arnold finds a “tiny island” which is basically a rock about the size of his feet. In the following pages, Arnold continues to have mishaps, but he manages to salvage his situation, eventually expanding his “island” to accommodate all the friends he makes along the way. If you like tongue-and-cheek humor, cut-paper collage illustrations, expressive characters (it’s all in the eyes!), and stories about the high seas, shipwrecks, friendships, creativity, imagination, perseverance, resilience, and kindness, then this is the book for you!
 
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​What’s better than sprinkles? Read this book and you’ll find out:

This adorable picture book about friendship has so much to love. Linda Skeers narrates from the point of view of one child who defines friendship in kid-relatable ways such as, “A friend lets you be the knight when you play knights and dragons. Even though you were the knight last time. And the time before that.” But this is more than a concept book all about what makes a friend. It conveys a story about how sometimes friends do something to cause a rift in a friendship, how that feels, and how they can repair the friendship. Heather Fox’s bright, cheerful illustrations are the perfect match for a story with sprinkles, unicorns, knights, dragons, glitter, birthday cakes, and party hats. Bonus: She includes one of my favorite elements in a picture books – a surprise cover under the dust jacket. I loved this one from cover to cover!
 
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​Did you know that ladybugs have traveled in space? Neither did I, until I read a picture book inspired by the true story about how some Chilean high school girls convinced NASA to send ladybugs in space.

This book parallels two stories – one of a chinita (ladybug) who dreams of going to space, and the other of a chica (girl) who dreams of becoming a scientist. Both dreams seem impossible. Who ever heard of a ladybug space explorer? And no one in Natalia’s family had ever attended a university. But both characters make their dreams a reality with perseverance, experimentation, hard work, and a positive mindset. Although the story is fictionalized, the author’s note explains how these two dreams really did come true. On July 23, 1999, four chinitas, named John, Paul, Ringo, and George, traveled to space on the space shuttle Columbia after a class of Chilean girls convinced NASA that their ladybug experiment was worthy of space travel. Manuela Montoya’s bright, cheerful illustrations elevate Melissa Trempe and Dr. Natalia Ojeda fascinating tale that will inspire young readers and keep them turning the pages to the end where they will find supplemental back matter complete with authors note, glossary, and additional resources. This book is full of STEM, girl power, ladybugs and an all-around great read!
 
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Lots of wildlife creatures visit our yard: Birds, bunnies, foxes, squirrels, racoons, an occasional coyote or skunk, and lots and lots of deer. In honor of this month’s holiday, and as a tribute to a dear author friend who recently passed away suddenly, I highly recommend her newest book:

As a picture book writer and someone who always liked math, this is one of those stories I read and thought, “Why didn’t I think of that?” But only Katey Howes could pull off taking this brilliant idea, write a story about math concepts like prime numbers and remainders, combine it with themes of friendship, cooperation, and inclusion, add relatable back matter, and then do it in perfect rhyme! Combine that with Marie Hermansson’s sweet illustrations that capture the dreamy quality of a dewy woodland morning and the heartfelt expressions of the thirteen reindeer students, and you have a perfect picture book! Brilliant!
 
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When I think about lightning, I think about a storm with thunder and rain and wind. But what about a brainstorm? That’s what today’s book recommendation is about:

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? That’s the problem the MC of this picture book faces when it’s time to write in class. But, before she knows it, words and pictures start drip-dropping from the sky. Phrases, nouns, adverbs, adjectives, and more make it a real brainstorm! This clever book, told in rhyme, illustrated beautifully, and complete with supporting back matter, is a perfect read aloud for the classroom!
 
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