June 25 – National Rivers Month

About the Holiday

Rivers are beautiful, provide recreation, and are crucial to our water supply. Did you know that in the United States 65% of our drinking water comes from rivers and streams? This month environmentalists and others promote awareness of the importance of keeping the nation’s rivers pollution free to protect the fish and animals that call them home and increase enjoyment for all. To help the cause, find out how you can help an environmental organization in your area. This year might be the perfect time to get to know your local river system better and then plan a trip to fish, swim, boat, or just have a picnic on the bank.

River

By Elisha Cooper

As a woman begins her solitary trip on a mountain lake, she turns and waves to her family. The familiar shore recedes, and she dips her oar into the blue water under gray skies and in the shadow of the tall mountains. “Three hundred miles stretch in front of her. A faraway destination, a wild plan. And the question: Can she do this?” As she enters the Hudson River, she plucks a pebble from the shallow water and places it beside her gear. Here, she must navigate the scattered rocks—and one that is not a rock at all, but a moose taking a dip.

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Ahead, she rides rapids that steal her hat and threaten to flip her. But she hangs on and makes it out on the other side. Now it’s time to set up camp for the night. Huddled in her tent, “she is alone, but not. The river stays beside her, mumbling to her and to itself all through the night.” With the dawn, she is on the river again, along with “otters, ducks, dragonflies, a kingfisher.” When she stops to pick blackberries, a bear cub ambles by to watch. The woman backs away slowly and continues down the river.

When she comes to a dam, she must carry her canoe. She trips, falls, and bloodies her knee, but on the other side of the dam, she returns to her paddling. When she comes to a waterfall, she gets in line for her turn to go through the lock. Once on her way again, she moves on to “farms with faded barns, to villages with white clapboard houses, to chimneyed factories on the outskirts of a town. Here, she pulls her canoe onto a levee where two boys are fishing. They ask her where she’s going, and she tells them. “It feels funny to talk.” As she walks into town, her legs also feel funny beneath her. She buys supplies and replaces her hat. That night is spent on a small island.

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When she wakes, the white fog has blanketed everything. She can’t see the river, but she watches an eagle high in a tree eating its breakfast. She takes out her sketchbook and draws. The fog lifts and she continues her journey. The days and nights are marked by her hardening callouses and darkening suntan, shortening pencils and waning sketchbook pages. She paddles past “craggy hills” and “around bell-ringing buoys, next to railway tracks and a clattering freight train.”

She dodges a tugboat oblivious to her presence and makes it to another village, where she mails postcards and buys a cookie. A rain drop falls just as she climbs back into her canoe. The raindrop turns into a drizzle and then “a single sheet blowing sideways. A squall.” Her canoe capsizes, “dumping her into the raging water.” When she is able, she drags her canoe and herself onto a rocky shore. “Shivering, she takes stock. Tent, gone, Clothes, soaked. Sketchbook, safe.”

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In the morning she starts again. As she rounds a bluff, the city spreads out in front of her. Far above her a gull watches as she makes her way past skyscrapers and boats large and small to the harbor and on to the boatyard, where “a bearded man in overalls—the builder of her canoe”—eagerly waits to hear about her trip and the sturdiness of her craft. After a cup of coffee, she launches her canoe for the last leg of her journey.

She is now in the open ocean with its wild waves. The horizon beckons, “but closer in she sees the lighthouse, and she knows it is time for her to be home.” She paddles harder and faster. “She can’t wait to be with them again. Can’t wait to tell them about moose and eagles, rapids and storms…to turn her sketches into paintings and her words into a story.” Her family is on shore waving, her dog running into the surf to greet her. She scuds into the shallows “…and brings the canoe to shore.”

An Author’s Note about the creation of River as well as a Note on the Hudson River and a list of sources and reading resources follows the text.

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Elisha Cooper’s loving and lyrical tribute to nature, courage, and self-reliance is nothing short of spectacular. His fluid storytelling plays out with the rhythm of an oar cutting and pushing a canoe along while transporting readers smoothly through this most evocative journey. With exquisite descriptions and compelling obstacles that will leave children wide-eyed and holding their breath, River is an expansive adventure story of one woman pitting herself against the power of the Hudson River and her own tenacity. The story is also one of love—respect for the environment, awe for community, and devotion to family and the support found there.

Cooper’s soft and sprawling watercolors envelop readers in the river setting, where the woman appears tiny against the rocky coastline, towering mountains, waterfalls, dams, and cityscapes. Double-page spreads swell the heart and invite wanderlust in even the most ardent homebodies. And there may be no better way to share this personal and universal journey than by gathering together and reading River in one sitting or—for younger children—breaking away at one of the many cliffhangers that will have everyone yearning to dip into the story again.

A must for school and public library collections, River is highly recommended for all home bookshelves as well for its inspiration for personal goals, it’s reflections on nature, and its encouragement that anything is possible.

Ages 4 – 8 and up

Orchard Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1338312263

To learn more about Elisha Cooper, his books, and his art, visit his website.

National Rivers Month Activity

World Rivers Word Search Puzzle

The world’s rivers provide homes for fish, animals, and birds; offer opportunities for recreation; and supply drinking water for millions. Can you find the names of twenty rivers of the world in this printable puzzle? Then learn where each river runs!

World Rivers Word Search | World Rivers Word Search Solution

**You can find River at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

June 19 – Juneteenth

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

This week Juneteenth became America’s eleventh federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery and celebrates the historical date of June 19, 1865, when Union army general Gordon Granger came to Galveston, Texas to read “General Order #3,” which proclaimed the emancipation of all those held as slaves in Texas. On the one-year anniversary of the proclamation, freedmen in Texas organized the first Jubilee Day, which became an annual event. Celebrations later spread across the south and then nationwide. The day includes parades, festivals, music, readings by prominent African-American writers, educational events and barbecues, complete with refreshing strawberry soda.

Juneteenth for Mazie

By Floyd Cooper

As nighttime falls, Mazie would like to go outside to play, but she’s told it’s too late. Later, she’d like a cookie, but when she asks the answer is “‘Not now, little one. It’s too close to bedtime.’” And when she wants to stay up late, she’s reminded of the bedtime rule. Mazie’s dad notices that she’s feeling a little grumpy and asks why. “‘I can’t go where I want, have what I want, or do what I want,’” Mazie says. To cheer her up, Mazie’s dad tells her that tomorrow she can celebrate.

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Mazie’s dad lifts her into a big hug and tells her that tomorrow they will celebrate the day when her “great-great-great grandpa Mose crossed into liberty.’” He tells Mazie about Grandpa Mose’s life as a slave working in the cotton fields from sunup to sundown, all the while thinking about freedom. Before they slept, they prayed and planned for a better future. And, finally, it came.

On June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, Grandpa Mose heard President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation that the Civil War was over and that slavery was abolished. Cheers rang out from the crowd gathered there. Then “‘the cheers became dancing. The dancing became celebrating. It went on and on into the night.’”

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Now when Grandpa Mose worked, he was paid for his labor. He saved and made that better future he had long prayed and prepared for. Life for Black people continued to be hard as they struggled for equality, lobbying for jobs, schools, voting rights, opportunity. “‘But they never gave up.’” Mazie’s Dad tells his daughter, “‘and every year on Juneteenth, they celebrated and remembered.’”

Black people moved forward, with higher education, talent, and perseverance woven with forgiveness. They became heroes and leaders—even the President of the United States. Now, Mazie’s dad says, it’s her time to celebrate where she’s come from and where she’s going.

A short note about the history of Juneteenth follows the story.

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Floyd Cooper’s beautiful and soft-hued paintings accompany his straightforward storytelling with emotional resonance as Mazie snuggles close to her father in a big chair and listens as he tells her about her great-great-great grandpa Mose, who was among the first slaves to be emancipated on June 19^th in 1865. Cooper focuses on the perseverance, faith, and optimism that filled the hearts of Mazie’s ancestors and the generations of Black families who followed. His paintings span the more-than-150 years since Lincoln’s proclamation, with powerful depictions of newly freed men and women standing proudly in their best clothes as if posing for a photograph; the types of jobs Black men were able to get in the mid 1900s; a freedom march of the 1960s; and another grandfather passing down the stories to a younger generation gathered at his feet.

Cooper’s image of a Black woman raising her hand in university classroom of all-white students and his simple mention of those who have become leaders—with an illustration of Barack Obama taking the presidential oath of office, provide opportunities for further discussion and research. Mazie’s father’s exhortation for his daughter to celebrate now is paired with images of today’s kids laughing and smiling while they enjoy a cookout, cheer, dance, and parade, while always holding their past close to their hearts.

A gorgeous book to celebrate not only Juneteenth but the accomplishments and history of Black Americans, Juneteenth for Mazie is highly recommended for all readers and should be included in school and public library collections.

Ages 6 – 9

Picture Window Books, 2016 | ISBN 978-1479558209

To learn more about Floyd Cooper, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Juneteenth Activity

Celebrate Juneteenth Word Search

Can you find the fifteen words related to Juneteenth in this printable puzzle?

Celebrate Juneteenth Word Search Puzzle | Celebrate Juneteenth Word Search Solution

**You can find Juneteenth for Mazie at these booksellers**

Amazon | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, visit

Bookshop | IndieBound

June 15 – Fly a Kite Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

When Fly a Kite Day and Global Wind Day occur on the same day, you know it’s time to get outside and send a kite soaring. A terrific activity to do with kids – especially in this time of social distancing, kite flying is not only fun but it teaches concepts about the wind, flight, and distance. And if you make your own kite, kids get a lesson in design and engineering with some practice with tools thrown in too. So celebrate today with the kite of your choice and keep the fun going all summer long.

Bear Out There

By Jacob Grant

While Bear had tea, Spider was showing him the kite he had made. “He was very excited to fly it out in the yard.” Spider loved everything about the outdoors—the sun, the gentle breeze, the plants, and even the bugs. Bear loved everything about staying indoors. He was looking forward to cleaning up his house and having another cup of tea.

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But then Spider’s kite took off on its own and because Bear was a good friend, he said he would help look for it. But he reminded Spider: “…you know I do not like the forest.” In fact, Bear did not like anything about the forest—the “filthy ground…the itchy plants…the pesky bugs.” Spider, on the other hand, thought a search through the forest would be fun.

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As they walked, Bear grumbled and complained about the fragrant weeds, the noisy owls, and all the other “unpleasant” things all around them. They had still not found the kite when it started to rain. Now, not even Spider was having a good time, and Bear was more miserable than before. “‘Surely this search cannot get any worse!’ he said. But it could.”

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Bear gave up. He was ready to go home and have a cup of tea in his comfy chair. But then he saw Spider sitting on a rock. Rain drops splashed off his tiny button hat and he looked bedraggled and disappointed. Bear relented. “‘Maybe we could look just a little farther,’” he said. Spider was happy just to be with Bear.

The rain lessened and Bear and Spider looked up at the clearing sky. There, stuck in the branch of a tree, was Spider’s kite. Back home, they soaked in a hot bath, patched the rips in Spider’s kite, made one for Bear, and, of course, had tea—which they enjoyed while flying their kites from Bear’s comfy chair out in the yard.

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Jacob Grant’s seemingly odd-couple friendship between a big black bear and an itty-bitty spider is as charming and comforting as it gets. While Spider loves the outdoors, Bear is a homebody; but when his friend needs help, Bear puts his own feelings aside to help. It doesn’t take long—only one page, in fact—for Bear to give up the tidy day he had planned for a tromp through the woods in search of Spider’s lost kite. As the hunt grows long and conditions worsen, Bear begins to grumble until he finally gives up. Again, though, one glance at disappointed Spider spurs him on to continue the search. And for Spider, just having Bear by his side makes things all right.

The dynamics between Bear and Spider are pitch perfect, mirroring the love and trust between parents and kids, best friends, teachers and students, and other adult-child pairs. A story isn’t a real story without change, and here, too, Grant offers an inspiring truism. The final scene in which Bear and Spider both enjoy flying kites while sipping tea and lounging in Bear’s chair shows the joy of sharing and embracing another’s favorite activity.

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Grant’s gentle, soft-hued illustrations are full of meaning and humor, of the forest’s allure that Bear doesn’t see, and of Spider’s feelings that he does. Although Bear is a neat-freak—scrubbing, dusting, and sweeping—he’s careful to leave Spider’s resting spots intact. In the woods, Bear grumbles about the smells, the noise, and the general unpleasantness while readers see a beautiful bouquet of flowers, a topsy-turvy turn of events in an owl’s nest, and a scenic panorama complete with waterfall and butterflies. Coming back to their home with its inviting pink teapot and orange chairs is the perfect antidote to any busy or stressful day.

Bear Out There is an endearing read and would be a favorite addition to home, classroom, and public library bookshelves for its sweet depiction of what true friendship between adults and kids or among children is all about. Readers won’t want to miss Jacob Grant’s first Bear and Spider adventure, Bear’s Scare.

Ages 3 – 6

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1681197456

To learn more about Jacob Grant, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Fly a Kite Day Activity

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Soaring Kite Maze

The dips and rises your pencil takes through this maze is a little like the way a kite flies through the sky! Print your Soaring Kite Maze and enjoy!

**You can find Bear Out There at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 28 – It’s Dental Care Awareness Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

The benefits of good dental hygiene have been recognized since the early 1900s, when Thaddeus P. Hyatt encouraged people to take preventative measures to clean and protect their teeth. The month-long holiday we’re celebrating today was established by Dr. Tim Stirneman and Jim Wojdyla from Compassionate Dentalcare to raise awareness about regular brushing, flossing, and check-ups to keep cavities from forming. Good dental care begins even before babies develop their first tooth and is an important habit to instill in children. After all, the tooth fairy is looking for those shiniest of treasures.

Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO

Written by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli | Illustrated by Federico Fabiani

Tallulah the tooth fairy loves her work so much that she was inspired to start her own company—Teeth Titans Incorporated, which is “the largest tooth-collection organization on the planet.” As the company’s CEO, Tallulah feels many demands on her time, but she handles them by reminding herself of what she calls “the three Ps: her passion, her purpose, and what pays.” Her week is divided into time for herself (coffee or tea and a workout on Mondays, therapy on Wednesdays, “yoga, Pilates, and errands” on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and museum visits on Fridays) and work-related tasks like training new tooth fairies for all of those world-wide collection duties.

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Image copyright Federico Fabiano, 2019, text copyright Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, 2019. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

She tells her story on late-night talk shows and scouts for talent at glitzy recruitment events. In addition to all of this, she completes her nightly rounds. “Sure, she could afford to sit around counting teeth and money, but nothing gives Tallulah quite the same thrill as sliding a shiny tooth out from under a child’s pillow and inserting something gleaming and jingly or crisp and easily folded in exchange.”

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Image copyright Federico Fabiano, 2019, text copyright Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, 2019. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

Usually, things go as planned, but one night, at Tallulah’s last stop, instead of a tooth under young Ballard Burchell’s pillow, she pulled out a note. She was a bit disappointed to find the typical picture of a tooth fairy drawn at the bottom, but she continued reading and learned that Ballard had well and truly lost his tooth and had nothing to give her. He hoped she would understand.

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Image copyright Federico Fabiano, 2019, text copyright Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, 2019. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

This conundrum was a first for Tallulah. She consulted “her Teeth Titans Incorporated Employee Manual for reference,” but found no help there. “Though she’d written the manual herself, Tallulah hadn’t made provisions for such a rare occurrence.” There was only one thing to do. Tallulah quickly met with the seven members of her board of directors and asked for advice. Two members thought Ballard should learn a lesson in responsibility and get nothing. One thought partial payment was in order. Two more thought it was polite of Ballard to leave a note and to give the kid a break since everyone loses things now and again. And Tom, as the only male board member, wanted to talk about diversity on the board.

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Image copyright Federico Fabiano, 2019, text copyright Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, 2019. Courtesy of us.macmillan.com.

Later that night, with her decision made, Tallulah returned to Ballard’s room “to leave him a note of her own—and a little something extra.” In the morning Ballard discovered the note letting him off the hook this time for misplacing his tooth plus a “patented Teeth Titans Incorporated tooth compartment lanyard,” which usually “retails for $9.95” and is available on the company website, but is his as a gift. The note is even signed by The Tooth Fairy herself.

Ballard couldn’t believe it. He ran to show his mom, and then when he opened the little tooth box on the end of the lanyard, he discovered “one more surprise from Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO: the shiniest gold coin you ever did see.”

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Image copyright Federico Fabiano, 2019, text copyright Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, 2019. Courtesy of us.macmillan,com.

Dr. Tamara Pizzoli gives the tooth fairy a fresh, funny, and sophisticated update for today’s savvy kids. With wry, snappy descriptions of Tallulah’s life in and out of the office, Pizzoli riffs on the topics of self-care, home décor, the media, corporate culture, product placement, and even Mrs. Santa Clause (who finally gets a name—Charlene). Along the way, she shines a spotlight on stereotypes, celebrity, diversity, and kindness. Kids will love this take-charge tooth fairy who’s also not adverse to asking for help and taking advice. And who needs wings when there is rappelling gear and night goggles?

Federico Fabiani’s Tallulah, with her stunning purple-tinged afro, round glasses, and tooth-inspired fashions, is a confident, trend-setting leader with a single focus on excellence. Fabiani’s jazzy color palette lends eye-popping excitement to the illustrations that are stylishly modern with a retro feel. Kids will love finding all the clever references to teeth in Tallulah’s clothing, jewelry, and office and household items. Adults will appreciate with a laugh the nods to today’s culture from veganism to consumerism to media and social media.

A smart, funny book that goes far beyond its tooth fairy roots to offer opportunities to discuss diversity, social movements, and even empathy, Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO would be a favorite addition to home, classroom, and public libraries to share when teeth wiggle out or anytime.

Ages 4 – 8

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2019 | ISBN 978-0374309190

You can discover more about Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, her books, and her publishing house on The English Schoolhouse website.

To learn more about Federico Fabiani and see a portfolio of his art, visit his website.

National Tooth Fairy Day Activity

Smile for the Tooth Fairy! Maze

The Tooth Fairy is trying to collect a lost tooth! Can you help her find her way in this printable maze?

Smile for the Tooth Fairy! Maze | Smile for the Tooth Fairy! Maze Solution

**You can find Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

May 25 – Memorial Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day to commemorate the laying of wreaths and flowers on soldiers’ gravesites, was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. In 1971 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. The day is honored with parades and special commemorative events. At Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans

Written by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh | Illustrated by Layne Johnson

In April of 1917 President Woodrow Wilson declared that America was going to war in Europe. As a teacher and foster mother to girls at the University of Georgia’s Normal School, Moina Belle Michael wanted to do something to honor the boys going off to fight—boys who were the brothers, sweethearts, even fathers of her students. Moina did what the other women were doing to help—knitting socks and sweaters and rolling bandages—but she wanted to do more. She went to the soldiers’ camps nearby to deliver books, magazines, and candy, and she waved goodbye to them at the train station. But she still wanted to do more.