March 23 – National Gardening, Nature, and Ecology Books Month

About the Holiday

Established by The Children’s Book Council in the early 2000s, Gardening, Nature, and Ecology Books Month invites everyone to explore gardening and the wonders of the natural world through reading about these topics through books of all kinds. With their combination of compelling storytelling and beautiful illustrations, picture books are especially adept at revealing the beauty of the environment, the intricate connections of ecology, and the rewards of gardening. This month-long holiday encourages people to not only read about the environment but to get involved in the type of stewardship that will help create a greener and more sustainable world. Today’s book offers a beautiful example!

Thank you to Greystone Books and Deborah Sloan for sending me a copy of this book for review!

Aya Has Never Seen a Bear

Written by Gerelchimeg Blackcrane | Illustrated by Jiu’er | Translated by Paul Qiao | Adapted by Helen Mixter

As readers enter the story they get a bird’s-eye view of Aya and her grandma and grandpa’s camp. Aya and her family are Oroqen, an ethnic group of hunters who live in the forests and mountains of Greater and Lesser Khingan, in northern China. Grandma is tending the fire outside their curonko, the tent where Aya still sleeps, while their dogs wait patiently and their horses graze nearby. Grandpa has just returned with breakfast and plans for the day.

At last, Aya will have a chance to view bears in the woods. She has seen many other animals, but never a bear. Aya rides her horse slowly and quietly through the autumn woods as Grandpa has taught her. Aya spies various animals, and deeper in the woods the shadow of an eagle owl sends the two riders hurrying on to the wetlands. When Aya and her grandpa come to the river valley, they hide behind bushes on the riverbank, remaining completely still as they watch for bears in the pine woods on the other side. There they see an abandoned mattress surrounded by garbage. When a mother bear and three cubs come into sight, Aya holds her breath, knowing “in the northern forest, bears are unbeatable. They are pure power.” The bears frolic and snooze on the mattress. Finally, Grandpa whistles, and they scurry away.

Grandpa and Aya then burn the mattress and other trash to dissuade the bears from interacting with humans “This is how the Oroqen share the forest with bears. Respect them, be in awe of them, and keep away from them.” When the fire is completely out, they head home, picking berries along the way. Winter, with its deep blanket of snow, will come soon enough. Then Aya will dream about the bears while they hibernate until spring.

Back matter provides more information about the Oroqen and their traditions.

Gerelchimeg Blackcrane’s story, beautifully translated by Paul Qiao, flows with the gentle rhythms of a mountain stream, carrying readers along on Aya’s and her grandfather’s trip to view bears in the wild. Through their actions, Aya and her grandpa demonstrate how humans can live in harmony with nature, respecting its autonomy while also enjoying and using its gifts—guiding principles of ecology. Lovely passages of lyrical description dazzle, drawing readers into the lives not only of Aya’s family but of the plants and animals of the forest and the patterns of the changing season.

Jiu’er’s rich illustrations, rendered in mineral pigments, glow with the woodland hues of autumn. Panoramic views of the mountains and river valley are breathtaking, and each page offers a plethora of details that will delight children. They may be especially interested in Grandpa’s hat that helps him and Aya remain camouflaged. Readers will be awed by the image of the eagle owl and the nearly two-page spread of the bears napping together.

A wondrous, quietly affecting story of family and peaceful coexistence with nature, Aya Has Never Seen a Bear is highly recommended for all library collections and would make an eloquent addition to home bookshelves for tranquil bedtime or story time reading.

Ages 4 – 8

Greystone Kids, 2026 | ISBN 978-1778403064

Gerelchimeg Blackcrane is an award-winning Chinese Mongolian writer of natural literature and a breeder and trainer of native Chinese mastiffs. He has published many novels, including Black Flame, Ghost Dog, Black Dog Haranohai, Wolverine River, Blood Colt, Smoke from Wolf Valley, and Six Seasons of Reindeer. He has collaborated with Jiu’er on picture books, including The Moose of Ewenki, another story of a traditional people of Inner Mongolia, also published by Aldana Libros. His works have been translated into more than ten languages and sold internationally, exported abroad, with a wide readership of children and adults. He currently lives in the Hulunbuir grassland in Inner Mongolia.

Jiu’er is an award-winning sculptor and picture book writer and the first female Chinese artist to be featured in the Honor List of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). She lives in Beijing, China, along with her Mongolian hunting dog, whose name is Huhe.

You can purchase Aya Has Never Seen a Bear from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 20 – International Day of Happiness

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

International Day of Happiness celebrates happiness around the world, supporting this important sense of wellbeing no matter how it is measured. While in its recognition of the holiday, the United Nations focuses on economic, human rights, environmental, peace, and social initiatives, including these 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we are all invited to find happiness in ways that are meaningful to us and spread that joy to others. One way to find lasting peace and happiness is to embrace the connectedness of all things and our place in the world alongside our family and neighbors and within all aspects of nature. Today’s book was written for children, but its message is true and offers happiness for all ages.

Thank you to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sharing a digital copy of this book with me!

The Animals Speak: The Lakota Way / Wamákashkaŋ’iya: Lakhól Wichóh’aŋ Kiŋ

By S. D. Nelson | Translated by Dakota Goodhouse

“If you look with your eyes and listen with your ears, our animal relatives will share their ancient wisdom with you. A spirit line connects us as we journey together.”

With this welcome to explore the world, S. D. Nelson Maȟpíya Kiny’An (Flying Cloud), Hunkpapa Lakota and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, invites young readers to look to nature and embrace the lessons that “the wild ones”: “the Four-leggeds and the Winged beings of the air . . . the little Creepy-crawlies, the Water-beings, and the Green, Growing Things” have to impart to us “Two-leggeds” from their vast histories and experiences in sharing this world. In Lakota tradition, each member of nature can inspire us every day to live with the curiosity, courage, heart, humor, and values that help us along our life’s journey while connecting us to each other and the environment.

Beginning with “Buffalo Tatánka (tah-TAHN-kah),” that storied animal that once freely roamed the prairies, Nelson writes, “Buffalo is strong. In times past, we used his hide to make our clothes and tipis. Buffalo gave his life and nourished our people. Today, he guides us to SHARE and BE GENEROUS.” With her playfulness, “Otter Ptán (p’TAHN) . . . reminds us that SMILES and LAUGHTER are good for our hearts,” while “Butterfly Kimímela (kee-MEE-may-lah). . . shows us that CHANGE IS GOOD and to open ourselves to NEW WAYS.” Others remind us to keep our wits about us lest we be led astray by tricks or into danger, while still more speak to inspiration, insight, and new perspectives.

Following the story, Nelson reverently and poignantly discusses Lakota traditions and beliefs about the spirit line and the all-encompassing, yet incomprehensible force “Wakán Tánka (wah-KAHN TAHN-kah)—the Great Mystery” that connect humans, animals, plants, and all aspects of nature as we journey together through life.

Nelson accompanies his lyrical text with illustrations of soft mottled and blended natural hues of acrylic paint that, as Nelson explains in his Author’s Note, “. . . are inspired by traditional Lakota pictographs and ledger-book drawings, with their bold use of line, shape, and color. My Indigenous ancestors painted on animal skins, their tipis, their horses, and even their own faces. We still do! These stylized images include natural forms as well as abstract symbols.” Each page invites readers to linger to absorb and talk about all of the stunning imagery.

The Animals Speak is a book that will change the way you look at the world—it’s animals, plants, people, and nature in general. While reading, one can feel—like a hug—the peace of interconnectedness, a happy perspective that can be incorporated into everyday life. This is a book to treasure and is a must for public, school, and classroom libraries as well as home bookshelves. It would also make a wonderful and much-loved gift.

Ages 4 – 8+

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-1419764448

S. D. Nelson, Maȟpíya Kiny’An (Flying Cloud), is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas and the author and illustrator of inspiring children’s books that celebrate Lakota and Indigenous cultures. Awards include an American Indian Library Association Honor Book, an ALA Robert F. Sibert Honor, and two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America. His original paintings are held in many national collections, including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, South Dakota State Historical Society, the Crazy Horse Memorial and State Historical Society of North Dakota. He lives in Cottonwood, Arizona. Visit him to see his many books and his art at sdnelson.net.

International Day of Happiness Activity

CPB - Happiness typography

Happiness Is . . . Game

Happiness is all around you! Grab one or more friends to play a game that reveals what things make you happy. Here are two ways to play and two possible endings for each game. Choose the one that will lead to maximum happiness for all!

Like the “Geography” game: the first player names something that makes them happy, the next player must think of something that starts with the last letter of the word the previous player said. The game continues with each player continuing the pattern. Players drop out as they cannot think of a word. The last player left is the winner. Or set a time frame to play and name no winner.
Within a certain time limit (depending on age), players must think of something that makes them happy. Players drop out if they cannot think of a word within the time limit. The last player left is the winner. Or set a time frame to play and name no winner.

You can purchase The Animals Speak: The Lakota Way / Wamákashkaŋ’iya: Lakhól Wichóh’aŋ Kiŋ from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 14 – National Learn about Butterflies Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Spring has sprung – or is right around the corner – so today’s holiday reminds us to watch out for butterflies in your area. With more than 20,000 species of butterflies around the world, these delicate beauties are one of the most recognized and beloved natural wonders. Beyond their wow factor, butterflies are an important part of our ecosystem, but habitat destruction and climate change are decreasing their numbers by alarming amounts. You can help! By planting milkweed and other plants as well as nectar-producing flowers in your yard or community, you can create an area where butterflies can find shelter, food, and a place to lay their eggs. To learn more about saving monarch butterflies, visit Save Our Monarchs.

Thanks to Beach Lane Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Monarch and Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal

By Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen

It’s impossible not to be captivated by the creative process. When we read, see, or hear something amazing, we want to ask the artist: How did you do that? The same can be said of metamorphoses in nature. Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen understand this fascination. In Monarch and Mourning Cloak, Melissa and Sarah give readers an immersive look not only into the lives of monarch and mourning cloak butterflies, but into their very own journal pages full of the research, notes, sketches, and multiple drafts of poems that became this stunning book. Images of papers stacked and taped together simulate the changes Melissa’s poems underwent while Sarah’s painted and rough-sketch images stand side-by-side along strips of watercolor tests and samples of flowers and leaves she used for reference.

Illustration copyright @ 2026 by Sarah S. Brannen. Text copyright @ 2026 by Melissa Stewart. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

With each page—many inscribed with the date, time, and wildlife sanctuary or garden where observations took place—young nature-lovers receive an incredibly in-depth look at the very different lifecycles of monarch and mourning cloak butterflies through factual information that accompanies Sarah’s glorious illustrations and is sweetened with Melissa’s evocative verses. Particularly stunning are the pages dedicated to the metamorphosis of both monarch and mourning cloak butterflies.

Illustration copyright @ 2026 by Sarah S. Brannen. Text copyright @ 2026 by Melissa Stewart. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Young naturalists first meet Monarch perched on a purple coneflower at Davis Field on June 12 at 1:15 p.m. Mourning Cloak makes its first appearance on a white oak tree in Harvard Forest at 6:15 p.m. on June 15. While these two butterflies are similar in size and share many traits, their lives diverge in many ways. Readers learn all about these similarities and differences by following each throughout the year as they float, feed, hibernate, mate, and fly away leaving their progeny behind. But leaving their readers wondering is not Melissa and Sarah’s style. Through their enlightening words and images, they show children the eggs’ day-by-day transitions from tiny shell to larvae to caterpillar to chrysalis until the fully transformed butterflies emerge and soar into the sky.

Illustration copyright @ 2026 by Sarah S. Brannen. Text copyright @ 2026 by Melissa Stewart. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

After the butterflies take wing, this well-conceived book expands with a section that includes illustrated tips by Melissa Stewart on keeping a journal and Sarah S. Brannen on creating a sketchbook; extensive information that elaborates on each of Melissa’s poems with fascinating information about each butterfly’s defenses, food choices, migration paths (including map), surviving winter, egg deposits and survival rates, caterpillar growth and metamorphosis, and its final preparations before flying. Even the endpapers and title page provide enticing facts.

Illustration copyright @ 2026 by Sarah S. Brannen. Text copyright @ 2026 by Melissa Stewart. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

For young butterfly and entomology enthusiasts, as well as for nature lovers, writers, and illustrators, Monarch and Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal is an absolute must. Inspirational and educational, this radiant nonfiction title will be a go-to resource throughout the year and a standout addition to all library collections.

Ages 4 – 8+

Beach Lane Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1665962711

About the Author

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 150 science books for children, including the celebrated Meet the Mini Mammals, illustrated by Brian Lies, and Can an Aardvark Bark? and Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children’s book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Acton, Massachusetts. Visit her at melissa-stewart.com.

About the Illustrator

Sarah S. Brannen is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than twenty books for children. Her authored works include the groundbreaking Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, illustrated by Lucia Soto, and her illustrated works include Melissa Stewart’s Sibert Honor book Summertime Sleepers. Sarah lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at sarahbrannen.com.

National Learn about Butterflies Day Activity

Chrysalis to Butterfly Craft

Make your own chrysalis and watch your butterflies emerge! Color your own butterflies and fold them into their own chrysalises. Once placed in the water, the butterflies will transform.

Supplies

Printable Butterfly Template
Paper
Markers/Crayons
Scissors
Shallow pan filled with water

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-the-very-impatient-caterpillar-craft-2

Directions

Print the butterfly template
Color butterflies
Cut butterflies out. Be sure to snip in between the wings
Gently fold butterflies. Do not fold hard or crease them, otherwise they will not unfold
Place in the shallow pan in water. Butterflies will open up on their own!

You can purchase Monarch and Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 13 – World Sleep Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Are you feeling a little sleep deprived after the time change? Me too! Today, I’m celebrating World Sleep Day as part of Sleep Awareness Week, which was established in 1998. This year’s theme is “Sleep Better, Live Better.” Studies show that most people do not get the sleep they need to stay healthy and function as well as they could. This might be due to work hours, insomnia, or other sleep disturbances.

Many children also do not get enough sleep for a variety of reasons. To raise awareness of this common problem and encourage people to think about their sleep patterns and habits, the National Sleep Foundation established National Sleep Awareness Week in 1998. Coinciding with the Daylight Saving Time change, this year Sleep Awareness Week runs from March 8 to March 14. For more information on Sleep Awareness Week and children’s sleep issues in particular, visit the National Sleep Foundation website.

Thanks to Flamingo Books for sharing a digital copy of this book with me for review.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sheepy: A Sleepy Sheepy Story

Written by Lucy Ruth Cummins | Illustrated by Pete Oswald

The beloved Sleepy Sheepy’s bedtime antics aren’t just for the big kids anymore! Now that adorable lamb with the heavy lids but boundless energy can send little loves to bed with a giggle or two too! The stars are twinkling, but Little Sheepy is still boing, boing, boinging on the pogo stick in the driveway when Ma and Pa say it’s time for bed. Boing, boing, boing Little Sheepy bounces upstairs and into bed with a smile. So easy!

As soon as the coast is clear, though, this wide-awake sheep is pogo-ing through the living room, disrupting Ma and Pa’s TV watching and sending popcorn flying. They send their little one back to bed. Ah! At last; all tucked in and snoozing. So adorable! But what’s this? Instead of dreaming “some sheepy dreams” and “rest[ing] in moony beams,” that little sheep is reading? Under the covers? With a flashlight? And in the next moment Ma and Pa get another fright. Then more popcorn goes flying, and Pa’s soon wearing the bowl as a hat.

They let their wild and wooly lamb stay up a bit, but with the first “. . . great big yawn” and “. . . favorite pjs on,” it’s back to bed. As Ma and Pa pull up a cozy blanket, they lovingly say good night—again—”Twinkle, twinkle, sleepy sheep. / Now it’s time to go to sleep. // Time to close your sheepy eyes. / Little sheep goes beddy-bye.” So sweet! But the moment Pa and Ma are out of the room . . . . What’s that shadow crossing the floor? This time, though, Pa and Ma are ready with the perfect, twinkly solution to send their little one to dreamland. Whew!

Lucy Ruth Cummins’ rib-tickling Sleepy Sheepy board book story—which can be read or sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star—will set the youngest dreamers laughing as rambunctious little Sheepy bounces from bed as soon as the light goes out and the rhyme is cleverly cut off. Each time Ma and Pa return their little one to bed (twinsies in tow), kids will wait with giddy anticipation for Sheepy’s next move and how beleaguered Pa and Ma will react. Cummins’ sweet ending is snuggly and sure to settle any little one into snoozy slumber.

Pete Oswald infuses his sleepy time pages with lots of humor and heart that will endear Little Sheepy to the youngest readers. We’re all familiar with droopy eyelids that refuse to close and energy that never seems to wane, but the tiny smile—both knowing and adorable—says it all. Kids will giggle at the expertly executed pogo-stick jumping, undercover subterfuge, flying popcorn, and the twinsies strapped to Ma and Pa. They’ll also adore the ending that shows just how much Ma and Pa love their little one. Fans of Cummins’ and Oswald’s other Sleepy Sheepy books will enjoy spotting references to those books throughout the pages, and Pa’s final “Shhhh” will have both adults and kids laughing.

Ages Baby – 3

Flamingo Books, 2026 | ISBN 979-8217041008

About the Author

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author and illustrator who made her critically acclaimed author-illustrator debut in 2016 with her picture book A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals. She is also the illustrator of This Is Not a Valentine, Truman, The Love Letter, and Little Freddie Two Pants. When she’s not writing or illustrating books, Lucy is an executive art director of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. She grew up in Cortland, New York, and she now lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at lucyruthcummins.squarespace.com.

About the Illustrator

Pete Oswald is a #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator and an Annie Award-nominated animation production designer best known for the Angry Birds Movie film franchise and Oscar-nominated ParaNorman, in addition to multiple animated studio films. He is also a children’s book author and illustrator and a painter. Pete is the illustrator the New York Times bestselling Food Group series written by Jory John, and Cranky written by Phuc Tran. Pete lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and three sons. Visit him at peteoswald.com.

World Sleep Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sleep-buddy-craft

Fleecy Blanket or Pet Bed

Fleecy blankets feel so cozy and warm! With this craft kids can make a blanket for themselves or for a favorite stuffed animal. They can also make a comfy bed for a pet! Children from ages 5 or 6 and up will enjoy helping to tie the tabs. For younger children, using fabric glue to attach the two pieces of fleece or cutting just one piece of fleece allows them to join in the craft fun.

Supplies

2 pieces of fleece, solid, patterned, or a mix of both
Scissors
Measuring tape
Fluff or pillow (optional for pet bed)
Fabric glue (optional)

Directions

Lay out one piece of fleece and measure a size that will make a comfortable blanket for the stuffed animal or is large enough for your pet to lie on
Add 3 inches to that measurement on each side for the tie tabs
Cut the fleece
Lay out the second piece of fleece and cut it to the same size as the first piece
With both pieces of fleece together cut three-inch long by ½ – ¾ – inch wide tabs all along each side. (If using fabric glue omit this step.)
At the corners, four tabs will be cut off on each side

To Make a Blanket

Tie the top and bottom tabs together on all sides

To Make a Pet Bed

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-cat-bed-craft

Tie the tabs together on three sides
Add the fluff or pillow insert
Tie the tabs on the final side

You can purchase Twinkle, Twinkle, Sleepy Sheepy from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 12 – National Plant a Flower Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Spring is right around the corner and with it the beautiful blooms that color our yards, neighborhoods, and communities. In some places the flowers are already blossoming, while in others, people are eagerly waiting for the snow to melt. Whether you’re already planting or still looking forward to gardening, today’s book puts a creative and clever spin on nature that everyone in your family (or classroom) will really dig!

Thank you to Twirl Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book!

Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium

By Camille Pichon

Kids can grow potted flowers, plant a garden, help worms wiggle and hide, and engage with other colorful flora and fauna with this one-0f-a-kind puzzle book! Children who love brain teasers, mazes, creating patterns, manipulating objects, and feeling the pride and satisfaction of completing a challenge will be awed by this beautifully illustrated book.

Each of the five plant-themed puzzles (Water Lily Carousel; Flutter, Flutter, Butterfly; Underground Paths; Plant Pandemonium; and Vegetable Jumble) are divided into three levels of difficulty and nine illustrated challenges to follow, resulting in 45 total games. Beyond these, kids can even devise new challenges for themselves or their friends to complete.

These hands-on puzzles will wow kids with their interactive elements that include wheels, moveable strips, sliding tiles, flaps that lift in multiple directions, and tokens that slide up, down, left, and right. While children work away on the possibilities, they’re continuously charmed by Camille Pichon’s bright, surprising, and quirky illustrations, in which adorable insects, snails, worms, and other creatures also appear to say “hi” along the way.

Far removed from one-and-done puzzles, Plant Pandemonium is a marvel of art and engineering that offers plenty of repeat play while immersing children in a rich environment that exercises their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, observation skills, fine motor dexterity, patience, and even memory.

Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium will captivate puzzle lovers of all ages and would be a favorite go-to book on any home or classroom bookshelf. It would make a fantastic take-along book for car trips, outings, or anywhere waiting is expected. The book also makes a perfect gift for any puzzle lover.

Ages 6+

Twirl, 2026 | ISBN 978-2408061814

Camille Pichon is a graphic designer and paper engineer who specializes in children’s books. She lives in Paris, France. Visit her at camillepichon.com.

National Plant a Flower Day Activity

Flower Garden Stakes

It’s fun to start a garden from seeds, but how do you remember what you’ve planted where? With these easy to make garden stakes, you can mark your pots with style!

Supplies

Wide craft sticks
Chalkboard paint in various colors
Colorful chalk
Paint brush

Directions

Paint the stakes with the chalkboard paint, let dry
With the chalk, write the name of the different flowers or plants
After planting your seeds, stick the stake in the pot
Wait for your seeds to grow!

You can purchase Big Brain Puzzles: Plant Pandemonium from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 9 – National Reading Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The month of March is dedicated to reading! National Reading Month was designed to encourage children and adults to read every day and celebrates the joys and benefits that reading together can bring. When you spend time reading with your child, you’re helping them develop the language and literacy skills that will promote future success in school and beyond. Even if your child isn’t talking yet, they’re listening and learning about their language as you read to them. Older kids also love being read to—or reading to you! Setting aside time to read together builds strong bonds that can last a lifetime. The month is typically marked with special events in schools, libraries, bookstores, and communities that bring authors, illustrators, and educators together with kids.

You’ll find book lists and recommendations, monthly reading theme ideas, tips for reading and for guest readers, and places to find free books and resources on the National Education Association website.

Disco Dave

Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer | Illustrated by Yana Kozak

Dave the walrus loved everything about disco, from the beat of the music to the hip clothes, sparkly décor, and the groovy dances. “Especially the dances!” He thought The Bump, The Funky Chicken, and The Robot were “‘far out!’” But Dave was not a natural dancer. In fact, when he hit the dance floor his moves were more of a natural disaster. Dave decided to take dance lessons.

He was doing pretty well until his flipper tripped him up. Still, when Dave received an invitation to a birthday dance, he was excited to bust the moves he’d learned in class. But things didn’t quite go as planned. Dave’s friends tried to let him down gently: “‘Maybe you groove to different dance moves,’ said KC.” But Dave adored Disco with all his heart, and when he saw an announcement for a Disco dance contest, he was ready to boogie down. But once again, his flippers failed him, and he had to admit Disco wasn’t for him.

“Dave boxed up his bell bottoms and platform shoes and made his way to the donation center. On his way there, though, he passed by Disco Heaven and saw that it was closed! His friend Donna told him that the disc jockey had quit. How would Dave and his friends groove to the beats without the club? Then Dave had an idea! He might not have all right the moves yet, but he did have Disco in his soul. He got behind the soundboard and started experimenting. It turned out Dave had just the right stuff to keep the music alive so he and his friends could keep on truckin’ to their own funky beats.

The story is followed by a detailed discussion by Silvi Guerra PsyD on the nature of learning new skills and how children can find joy in the process while developing perseverance, confidence, and resilience that will benefit them throughout their life. Using the example of dance, Guerra also gives parents and other caregivers tips on how they can make any learning journey fun and meaningful.

Jody Jensen Shaffer channels the Disco era in her story that envelops kids in a caring community of friends as Dave tries again and again to master the dances he loves so much. As Dave comes to accept that he has two left flippers—for now—Shaffer offers new perspectives on practice, perseverance, keeping an upbeat outlook, and being open to alternate opportunities to shine. Her storytelling is peppered with puns, 1970s’ slang, and you’ll want to check out the names of Dave’s friends for some back-in-the-(Disco) day references.

Yana Kozak lets kids in on all the glitter and groove of Disco, from mirrored Disco balls and multi-hued floors to rad fashions and hair styles to all those iconic dances. Children will also appreciate Dave’s enthusiasm for Disco and empathize with his mishaps. Dave’s ability to turn disappointment into triumph is clearly demonstrated and inspiring.

Ages 4 – 8

Magination Press—American Psychological Association, 2026 | ISBN 978-1433848582

Jody Jensen Shaffer is an award-winning poet and the author of more than seventy books of fiction and nonfiction for children. Jody’s poetry and fiction have been published in magazines like Highlights, Ladybug, and Clubhouse Jr. She lives in Liberty, Missouri. Visit her at jodyjensenshaffer.com.

Yana Kozak is a Ukrainian children’s book illustrator living in France. She loves to create funny, emotional characters who are exploring the world. Follow her on Instagram.

National Reading Month Activity

Reading Fun Bookmarks to Color

Mark where you’ve stopped reading or your favorite page with these bookmarks you can color and make your own!

Just One More Page Bookmark | Happy Reading Bookmark

You can purchase Disco Dave from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 6 – National Women’s History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Women have been inventing, discovering, questioning, challenging, and changing the world just as long as men have—but often without recognition, the ability to take jobs in their fields of expertise, or equal (or even any) pay. Established by the United States Congress in 1987, National Women’s History Month serves to educate people on the amazing women who have blazed trails in the past and those who are continuing that tradition today.

This year’s theme is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future and encompasses a wide understanding of sustainability, including climate change, economic and financial sustainability, community resilience, healthcare disparities, leadership succession, intergenerational equity, and threats to democratic participation. In all these areas, women are at the forefront of sustainable transformation that will carry us into a supportive future for all. To learn more visit the National Women’s History Alliance website.

Thanks to Beach Lane Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book!

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Written by Jane Kurtz | Illustrated by Giselle Potter

In the early 1800s, when Mary Morland was a child, girls were seen as “dainty, delicate decorations” who embroidered, arranged flowers, and played with dolls. Mary Morland had other ideas. From the first page, Jane Kurtz allies readers with the spirited Mary through cleverly posed questions that contrast the stifling conventions of her time with the freedoms of today: “Did [Mary] perch on her chair like a prim little miss?” Kurtz posits. “Well what would you do if the whole world was waiting outside? Mary tromped around, exploring. Wouldn’t you?”

“Of course!” kids will say, and off they go, following Mary as, following the death of her mother, her father sends her to live with family friends who encourage her curiosity and teach her to study nature and fossils. From there readers view her drawings of “everything that fascinated her,” and discover that instead of calling herself a “cork-brain” and spending mannerly afternoons sipping tea in a fancy hat, Mary tooled around in her donkey-pulled carriage to “collect shells and fossils.”

Did teenage Mary keep her discoveries to herself? No! She corresponded with Georges Cuvier, a famous French scientist, impressing him with the drawings and specimens she sent. And instead of trying to find a husband, Mary spent her time with old fossils, labeling and mending them. Then one day, she did meet the man she would marry: William Buckland, England’s best fossilist. In fact, it was he who had theorized that a collection of bones had come from a “giant land reptile,” named it Megalosaurus (before the word dinosaur was even created), and asked Mary to draw them for an important meeting of England’s geologists.

After Mary and William were married, did she give up drawing and studying to keep a tidy house? Not at all! She kept exploring, writing, and drawing. She helped William turn his work into books—with her illustrations—and served as a curator for his collections of fossils. And, oh yes! She raised and taught their nine children and welcomed a menagerie of creatures—including a pony her the kids rode around the dining room—into their home! You might wonder: after all this, “did William say, ‘I am so fortunate that my wife is not a cork-brain?'” or acknowledge her contributions on his papers? Well, this was a time when women could not vote, own property, or go to college. So, what do you think? But that didn’t stop Mary from learning and using her gifts wherever she could throughout her life.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note highlighting other women intrinsic to the discovery and understanding of dinosaurs as well as how scientists came to accept that dinosaurs once existed, further resources for young readers, and a selection of resources.

Jane Kurtz combines pluck, humor, and illuminating cultural mores of the past to weave an absorbing biography of Mary Morland, a brilliant paleontologist, writer, and illustrator with whom children will immediately connect. Mary’s personality and intelligence shine from each page, drawing children not only into her life, but into this incredible time of scientific discovery. Readers will be inspired by Mary’s example of self-confidence to set their own path, buck the norm, and prevail over obstacles on their way to success.

Giselle Potter’s illustrations are always a delight, and here she perfectly captures Mary Morland’s singular affinity for exploration, scientific thought, and illustration. In her folk art, watercolor paintings, Potter recreates the fashions, transportation, and traditions of the 1800s as well as Morland’s and her husband’s work. Readers will envy Mary’s children when they get a glimpse of the rambunctious Buckland home. In several instances, Mary’s and William’s facial expressions eloquently (and comically) reveal their innermost thoughts.

Biographical storytelling at its best, Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery will captivate children with its verve and beauty. The book is a must for classroom, school, and public libraries and will become a favorite on home bookshelves as well.

Ages 4 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1665955546

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia. Jane speaks about being an author at schools and conferences and helped start Ethiopia Reads (EthiopiaReads.org), a nonprofit that has opened the first libraries for children in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including The Bone Wars, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; What Do They Do with All that Poo?, illustrated by Allison Black; Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts?, illustrated by Jane Manning; Anna Was Here; Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros, illustrated by Claire Messer; and the American Girl book Lanie. You can visit her to learn more at janekurtz.com.

Giselle Potter has illustrated many books, including Once Upon a Fairy Tale House by Mary Lyn Ray, Try It! by Mara Rockliff, All by Himself? by Elana K. Arnold, and Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne, as well as her own Tell Me What to Dream About, This Is My Dollhouse, and The Year I Didn’t Go to School, about traveling through Italy with her parents’ puppet troupe when she was eight. She lives in Rosendale, New York, with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at gisellepotter.com.

National Women’s History Month Activity

Women’s History Month Coloring Page

Celebrate Women’s History Month with this coloring page! In the letters write the names of women from history and today that you admire!

Women’s History Month Coloring Page

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