Category Archives: Recommendation

Dinosaur Roar!

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Written and Illustrated by Paul and Henrietta Stickland

In a fun and well illustrated way, this book simply discusses opposites. First, what kid doesn’t like dinosaurs? Second, it’s cartoon-like nature will attract all. With two simple sentences on each page such as, “Dinosaur weak, dinosaur strong” as well as rhyming throughout, this book will attract all emerging readers. This will also be a great and short read-aloud for for any librarian or family member.

I strongly recommend this book for libraries who serve preschool and primary readers.

Perla the Mighty Dog

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Written by Isabel Allende, Illustrated by Sandy Rodriguez

Perla has two superpowers. First, she can make anybody love them. Second, she can roar like a lion. When she is adopted by the Ricos, she finds herself in the position to help Nico Rico who is being bullied. Nico learns how to roar like a lion against a bully at school.

Written from the viewpoint of Perla, this is a light story about how a dog’s love can support the boy who cares about him the most.

Stopping by Jungle on a Snowy Evening

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Written by Richard T. Morris, Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch

A young boy adventures into a jungle, or is it the woods? He stumbles upon a house where he meets the poet, Robert Frost. From there the boy and the poet argue about his famous work, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. The boy argues that the poem needs more action and needs to include his hippo in the jungle. The poet insists that the poem should be calming and meditative. An humorous adventure ensues with a jingling hippo, meteors, snakes and karate.

This book contains bright and vibrant illustrations. It has the original poem at the end as well. If one has a specific theme to focus upon or the actual Frost poem is a focus within the school, this would be a fun extra purchase for your library.

What Lolo Wants

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Written by Cristina Oxtra, Illustrated by Jamie Bauza

Maria and her Lolo (Grandfather) have a beautiful relationship. They spend a great deal of time together: in the garden, getting ice cream and especially drawing. Lolo can draw anything! But when Maria’s Lolo starts to feel unwell and forgetful, Maria gets worried. Soon, Lolo starts having problems remembering names of things and people. It is a struggle for Lolo to explain what he needs. How will Maria help her Grandpa remember and communicate what he wants?

This lovely picture book has threads of Philippine American traditions and culture within it. It carefully discusses Dementia in a kind way that children can understand. The illustrations are beautifully done in pencil and watercolor. I would recommend this book for any elementary library.

Wonder & Awe by Annie Herzig

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A little girl makes a snowman and names her Wonder. She and Wonder spend so much time together, but when spring comes it is time for Wonder to go. The girl is sad until she finds something else that sparks wonder. The color change in the illustration highlights the girl’s feelings. When she is happy and can see the beauty around her, the illustrations are colorful. When she is sad the illustrations are shades of gray and white. A sweet story of friendship and finding joy in everyday things.

Snow Is… by Laura Gehl

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“Snow is the feeling the moment you wake. Snow is a stillness before the first flake.” Through rhyming text, this book takes a look at the joy found in snow as a young boy and his family enjoys a day in the snow. The main colors in the illustration of blue, gray and white take on the feeling and look of snow, while the pops of red in the family’s house and clothing stand out. A sweet celebration of snow.

Roar-Choo by Charlotte Cheng

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Dragon tries to explain how fierce and frightening they are, but everytime the roar, they sneeze. Each sneeze becomes more powerful and dangerous. Phoenix tries to get Dragon to rest, but Dragon persists. Eventually Phoenix ends up sneezing too. The colorful, expressive cartoonish pictures bring the characters to life. The author’s note at the end explains the Dragon and Phoenix significance in Chinese mythology.

Planting Hope: A Portrait of Photographer Sebastião Salgado by Philip Hoelzel

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Sebastião Salgado grew up on his family’s farm in Aimorés in the forests of Brazil. He spent time in the forests and loved his home but eventually moved away. He soon discovered his love of photography and how he could show what he saw and how it made him feel through pictures. He took photographs for different news stories, but the weight of what he saw made him no longer want to take pictures. After moving back to his family farm and seeing the destruction caused by cutting down the forest, Sebastião and his wife Lélia decided to rebuild the forest of his childhood.

This beautifully illustrated book takes you through the life and work of Sebastião Salgado. Also offering the reader a chance to think about and reflect on human’s impact on the earth. The author’s note at the back offers further information.

Penguin’s Egg by Anna Kemp

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A papa rockhopper penguin falls asleep while waiting for his egg to hatch and is accidentally separated from his egg. He ends up very far away and has to use a variety of modes of transportation to make it back to his egg. He takes a train, a chopper, a pogo stick, an elephant and a hover board to name a few. The characters throughout the story are different animals, the text is rhyming, with some rhymes being approximate rhymes. The illustrations are vibrant and fill the page.

How to Cheer Up a Friend by Stephanie Calmenson

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What do you do when your friend is sad? How do you help them feel better? Do you offer treats, make them laugh, listen? Through rhyming text, the narrator offers suggestions of how to help a friend: make him laugh, take a walk, listen. A young boy tries to cheer up an elephant who really just needs someone to listen. The pages consist of 1-2 sentences per 2 page spread. The colorful illustrations bring life to the texts and convey the elephants emotions. Perfect for helping young readers learn about feelings and helping others.