A celebration of the women who help support and the young girl in the story. Aunties do not need to be related to you, but are the people in your life that you can turn to for advice, adventure and support. The illustrations are bright and colorful depicting a wide variety of aunties. The author’s note at the end tells about her Fierce Aunties.
Category Archives: Recommend
Elvis & Romeo by David Soman and Jacky Davis
A story of an unlikely pair becoming friends. Elvis and Romeo are two dogs on their way separately to the dog park. Romeo is very excited while Elvis is reluctant. Romeo is excited to run and play. Elvis wants peace and quiet. Romeo decides he is going to make friends with Elvis. Eventually Elvis and Romeo bond over sandwiches. The illustrations in the book show the movement and emotions of the dog and add to the story.
Let’s Monster Up!
By Cyndi Marko
This adorable book is a tale about monster friends who support each other. Seth is afraid of everything but when his friend Ruthie finds that her turtle is missing, Seth has to “monster up” and face many fears to help his friend.
With bright graphics and a simple story, Let’s Monster Up! will be a wonderful book to encourage readers to face their fears, achieve their dreams and support others. I recommend this book for young readers.
Kindness Rocks
Written by Megan Murphy, Illustrated by JiaJia Hamner
A young boy is having a hard day and as he took a walk he found a rock that was painted and said It’s okay. And, as many of us assume, he creates his own rock for someone else to find and the chain reaction continues.
This is a very colorfully illustrated book that would be wonderful for a collaboration with any art teacher and students. It has a great kindness message and gives kids a way that they can encourage others, spread warm thoughts and be artistic. In the back there are instructions on painting rocks and how to choose the best rock and paint for success. I would recommend this title for any library.
Unnaturally Blue
Written by Dorson Plourde
Illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
This is a stunningly beautiful picture book that delves into feelings of sadness and depression. The main character feels that she no longer fits with the other kids in the pool and so she swims down to the bottom of the pool, pulls out the drain cover and plunges into another world where she is able to cry blue tears enough to fill an entire pond. The content seems quite maturely written and thus, I would recommend this picture book for older readers. The images are quite stunning and the art is fantastic. “You can’t cry in the pool. It’s already blue.”
Seoul Food
Hana, a young biracial girl is excited that both her grandparents will be visiting. She wants to cook a perfect meal that blends her African American and Korean roots. Hana’s mother and father offer suggestions and encouragement as she wrestles with ideas. The blending of the two food traditions with lots of love results in the creation of Kimchi Gumbo. Hana’s dinner is a huge success and so is the family gathering.
Seoul Food uses a young girls efforts to incorporate her grandparents’ cuisine into a single meal to symbolize both the challenges and the joys of blending two cultures. The cute illustrations clearly portray the characters’ emotions. The recipe for Kimchi Gumbo is included at the end.
You Are Not Sleepy!
By Mark Teague
You Are Not Sleepy tells the very relatable story of a pig who, though it is nap time, is not at all sleepy. It begins with the room being too bright, then too dark, then too moth-filled, and continues in this fashion throughout the rest of the story. It’s a great choice for any kids who love the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series as it will feel like a new twist on a familiar structure. Teague’s illustrations are also a delight, and the expressions on the supporting characters are sure to bring joy to young readers.
The Pharaoh vs. the Felines
Written by: J.F. Fox. Illustrated by Anna Kwan.
The Pharaoh vs. the Felines tells of Cambyses II, ruler of Persia, and Pharaoh Amasis II, ruler of Ancient Egypt. While it might seem challenging to make this historical conflict engaging and accessible for early elementary readers, Fox pulls it off by centering the narrative around one irresistible subject: cats.
The book begins with a brief explanation of the fertile crescent and its historical significance. The author goes on to tell the story of the conflict between Camyses and Amasis that led to the eventual invasion of Egypt. Mixed in with the story are numerous cat puns and cute illustrations, so while this would be a great story to share during a unit on early civilizations, it’s also sure to be a hit with cat fans.
Quiet Karima
By Nidhi Chanani
Karima’s world is alive through sounds, not through words. She delights in the everyday music around her: the scurrying of squirrel feet, the beep of bus cards being scanned, the symphony of sounds in the park. She doesn’t speak aloud in the text, and so, to others, she is “Quiet Karima.” There is much more to her than that, though. “Quiet Karima is not all that I am,” she thinks after expressing herself through music.
This story could connect with so many of the quiet kids constantly being prodded to speak more or being called shy in most every interaction. It may also speak to nonverbal kids or help other children understand that complexity can live in quiet too. It celebrates the richness of spirit that can hide in the most seemingly introverted kids.
Animal Scales
Animal Scales is part of the Amazing Animal Parts Level 1 Blastoff! Readers. Starting with the scales on a butterfly’s wings, this book will help broaden young readers understanding of animal features. The book goes on to highlight scales on snakes, eagle’s feet, and fish.
The book contains a Table of Contents, bolded glossary terms, illustrated glossary, and an index. More information is available digitally through Bellwether’s Factsurfer links. The links include text information on butterflies, snakes, and a video on scales and feathers.
Amazing Animal Parts Level 1 Blastoff! Readers series focuses on the how different animal features help with survival. The series also includes: Animal Ears, Animal Eyes, Animal Feet, Animal Noses, and Animal Tails.
