September 21 – It’s National Sewing Month

About the Holiday

Sewing is one of the most popular hobbies around and has historically been one of the most important industries in this country and around the world. National Sewing Month was established in 1982 to encourage people to learn more about this craft and to try their hand at picking up a needle or sitting down at a sewing machine. To celebrate read up on the history of sewing and the textile industry and consider taking a sewing class or learning on your own. Sewing can be a fun and rewarding activity for adults and children.

Crafty Llama

Written by Mike Kerr | Illustrated by Renata Liwska

It was a gorgeous day and Llama knew she should concentrate on her “chores, this, that, and whatever,” but that big mound of fluff was calling to her. And because “it was such a beautiful day,” she wanted to do “something lovely.” So she took herself outside, and while she decided what to do with the day, she kept her hands busy with her knitting needles. “She felt like the answer was sitting right in front of her, but she just couldn’t see it.”

Pretty soon Raccoon dropped by with a string and beads, and then Rabbit came over with her embroidery, and Pony with the quilt he was stitching. It didn’t take long for almost all of Llama’s friends to join in with their own projects. When Beaver stopped by, he only wanted to make something that was useful. He studied Llama’s long stretch of knitting and wanted to know what it was. Llama hadn’t really thought about it. “She had just been having fun making.” She asked Beaver what he would do with it, but he didn’t know. Raccoon suggested a sail, Pony thought it would make a great rocket, and Rabbit opted for a hot-air balloon basket. But Beaver wasn’t convinced.

By now more of Llama’s friends had shown up, and they all found bits of her knitting very useful. Lion found a hairband, Elephant discovered a neat way to carry his trunk, and there was even “something for Turtle when he came out of his shell.” Llama was excited to see that “if you have fun making something, others are bound to enjoy it too.” All of Llama’s friends were sporting new, knitted somethings that were just right for them—“everyone but Beaver.”

Beaver wanted something…but what? What would be useful? He decided to do what always helped him think. He gnawed and gnawed and chewed and chewed on some trees while mulling over his options. At last, he and Llama took a break. Beaver’s break turned into a much-deserved sleep, because while Beaver was “‘thinking,’ he had made something special for everyone too.” Suddenly, Llama knew what her “crafty something” was useful for. She slipped a bit under Beaver’s head and covered him with a bit more, and Beaver continued snoozing cozily. Now when Llama and her friends get together for crafting, they love their brand new place to do it in!

Mike Kerr’s sweet tribute to the joys of crafting and imagination will delight little artists and makers of all kinds. Thoughtful Beaver and more free-wheeling Llama make good foils—and friends—in this story that introduces a full studio of artistic endeavors as well as different thought patterns that make each person unique. While many of Llama’s friends immediately recognize how to use the “crafty something” they choose, Beaver is more precise, wondering about logistics, practicality, and even safety. It turns out that Beaver is more like Llama than he might think as he also crafts a perfect gift for all of his friends.

Renata Liwska’s well-known adorable animals make the cutest crafting companions ever. Llama’s HGTV-worthy kitchen lets the sun shine in on her big ball of wool that’s just waiting to be spun into yarn. As one lovable friend after another joins the crafting party, young readers will be enticed to try all of their arts—from sewing to painting, stamping to terrarium making, basket weaving to needle crafts, and more. Little ones will wish they were in the midst of all the fun as Llama’s friends pick out just the right clever gift for their needs. They’ll want to linger over every page to see how each “crafty something” is used and to catch all of the details. When children spy Beaver’s beautiful pavilion, they’ll understand that giving is an art of its own.

For children enthusiastic about making things or who are looking to experiment with their own creative talent, as well as for anyone who is thoughtfully precise, Crafty Llama is an engaging story. The book would be a welcome addition to home libraries classroom bookshelves to accompany art and other creative lessons.

Ages 4 – 8

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2018 | ISBN 978-1681191218

Discover more about the art and writing of Mike Kerr and Renata Liwska on their website, RandMCollective.com.

To view a portfolio of work by Renata Liwska, visit her website

National Sewing Month Activity

Got You in Stitches Dot-to-Dot Puzzle

Stitch the letters together to discover the picture in this printable Got You in Stitches Dot-to-Dot Puzzle.

**You can find Crafty Llama at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

September 17 – It’s National Better Breakfast Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

With its deliciously soft, doughy inside and crusty outside, the boiled-then-baked bagel is a favorite for breakfast! Coming in all sorts of flavors and varieties, there’s a bagel for every taste, and whether you like yours toasted or not, with cream cheese or plain, it’s hard to deny that the bagel is comfort food at its best. To celebrate today’s holiday, visit your favorite bakery and enjoy!

Bagel in Love

Written by Natasha Wing | Illustrated by Helen Dardik

Bagel was one talented bread! He loved to dance because “he never felt plain when he was spinning and swirling, tapping and twirling. When he read the advertisement for the dance contest at the Cherry Jubilee that night, Bagel really wanted to enter, but he didn’t have a partner. He went to the best dancer he knew—another bagel named Poppy—but she refused, saying that “his dance steps were half-baked.”

Next, he tracked down Pretzel at the spa, but as she enjoyed her salt rub, she told Bagel that his dancing just “didn’t cut the mustard.” And Matzo, primping with a manicure and facial, “flat out told him no.” Bagel was determined to find a partner and left Bakersville for Sweet City. There he “waltzed up to a table at a busy café. ‘I bet you’re all fabulous dancers,’” he said to the pastries enjoying coffee at an outdoor table. He then launched into a bit of a tap dance and asked if any of them would like to be his partner for the contest.

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Image copyright Helen Dardik, 2018, text copyright Natasha Wing, 2018. Courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books.

But Croissant, Doughnut, and Cake scowled at his stale moves. Not to be deterred, Bagel hopped onto a cake display pedestal and shouted out a dance challenge he thought couldn’t miss. Anyone who could match him tap for tap would win a date to the contest with him. But no one took Bagel up on his offer, and worse, Croissant, Doughnut, and Cake just laughed at him as they joined everyone heading to the Cherry Jubilee to watch the contestants.

In the empty café, Bagel felt sad. Maybe he’d be able to compete next year, he signed. He could hear the music begin at the Cherry Jubilee and his feet automatically started tapping. This time, though, he heard an answer back. “He tapped again. Tap-tippity-tippity-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tippity-tippity-tap-tap-tap came the response.” Bagel didn’t know where the tapping was coming from.

Suddenly, he saw the cutest cupcake he had ever seen. Her pink frosting was swirled into a bouffant, and “she smelled oh so sweet.” Bagel asked her if she was the one who had answered his tapping. She admitted she was, but said she wasn’t a very good dancer. Bagel disagreed then asked her to dance. In the empty street outside the café, they twirled around and around. Bagel even tossed her in the air and caught her ever so gently.

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Image copyright Helen Dardik, 2018, text copyright Natasha Wing, 2018. Courtesy of Sterling Children’s Books.

Cupcake told Bagel he was an incredible dancer, and Bagel, feeling “all toasty inside” returned the compliment. Once more, Bagel asked, “‘would you be my partner at the dance contest?’” Cupcake said yes, and they hurried off to the Cherry Jubilee. Their dance moves were a hit with the judges, who all gave them 10s. Bagel and Cupcake won the grand prize trophy, but for these two who had found true love, that “was just the icing on the cake.”

Natasha Wing bakes up plenty of kid-pleasing puns in her culinary/dance-off mashup that will have readers laughing on every page even as they empathize with Bagel and learn some valuable ingredients for the best kind of friendship. Pretzel, Matzo, and the pastries may appear sweet with their salt rubs, manicures, and fancy fillings, but their sour personalities are on full display as they laugh and scoff at Bagel and his dancing. Cupcake, on the other hand, has everything it takes to be a good friend. She’s sweet through and through from her stylish updo to her humble and complimentary conversation. Through Bagel and Cupcake, children see that true friends can be found and are those who appreciate each other for who they are.

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Who wouldn’t want to visit Helen Dardik’s baked-goods world with its delectable delights around every corner? Jelly-roll, cupcake, and fruit-tart homes line the street, special culinary spas cater to every detail, and the Upper Crust Café can’t be beat. Bagel is a cutie, and Cupcake is a-dough-able from her pink frosting hair to her aqua and pink paper-liner dress. A colorful, glitter-textured two-page spread shimmers with the love and joy that Bagel and Cupcake have in winning the trophy and each other’s hearts.

Bagel in Love is a fun and funny book—with a little life lesson mixed in—for home, classroom, and library story times.

Ages 4 and up

Sterling Children’s Books, 2018 | ISBN 978-1454922391

Discover more about Natasha Wing and her books on her website.

National Better Breakfast Month Activity

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Avocado Bagel

A creamy avocado makes a delicious spread for bagels or toast to have with breakfast, lunch, or dinner! The mild flavor will please little ones while the essential vitamins and oils will please health-conscious parents.

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Directions

Cut the avocado open, remove pit, and scoop out the meat
In a bowl mash the avocado until it is smooth
Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper
Mix well
Spread on a toasted bagel or bread

**You can find Bagel in Love at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

September 14 – National Live Creative Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Do you love that you think differently? That when you look at a leaf, you see a poem or that when you hear the wind, you imagine a painting? And don’t you love those days when you can just let your creative mind take over and you can make something new—no matter what it is? Well, today is one of those days! National Live Creative Day was established to encourage people to embrace their innovative side. There are so many ways to be creative from the arts, to science and math, to what you make for dinner. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “creative type,” enjoy looking at things at work and home in a different way. One of the best ways to celebrate the day is to spend time with a child. Kids are naturally creative and are just waiting for ways to express it!

Douglas, You’re a Genius!

By Ged Adamson

While Nancy and Douglas were playing ball in the backyard, the ball rolled through a hole in the fence. A pile of leaves on the other side prevented Nancy and Douglas from seeing where the ball went. But just as they were about to pronounce the ball “a goner,” it rolled back at them. “Nancy and Douglas called into the hole. ‘Thank you!’ But there was no response.” Even a whistle and a bark only brought silence.

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Douglas really wanted to know who was on the other side of the fence, so he and Nancy got out their train set and built a track into the hole. They sent the train engine chugging down the track with a note that said, “Hello! We are Nancy and Douglas J” While they waited and waited they made music on pots and pans, danced to a record on the record player, and built a house of cards.

Finally the train made a return trip with another note that said, “¡Hola! ¡Queremos conocerte!” Neither Nancy nor Douglas knew what the words meant, but they increased the pair’s curiosity. The fence was much too tall to climb, but Nancy had a plan. Her plan included her rubber band collection, a trampoline, a helmet, a camera, and… a bouncing, flying Douglas who would take a picture of their neighbor. Douglas thought the plan was dangerous, but Nancy said, “‘Nonsense. You’ll be fine!’” Douglas ran and launched himself into the air and into… a tree.

Douglas said he had a plan, but Nancy was already ready with another of her own. This one was explosive. Douglas grumbled, but Nancy chastised him for having no sense of adventure. The contraption was set in motion and “Douglas moved astonishingly fast, but unfortunately, not in an upward direction.” A little dazed and droopy, Douglas asked if they could try his plan, but first Nancy wanted him to try pole vaulting, kite flying, and many more.

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At last, Douglas shouted, “It’s my turn!!” Nancy conceded, and Douglas started digging. He dug and dug until his plan was finished. There, up against the fence was a mountain of dirt—a mountain they could climb! “‘Douglas, you’re a genius!’” Nancy exclaimed. When they got to the top, they saw the most surprising thing. The neighbor’s yard was littered with discarded contraptions, and there, standing on an equally tall mound of dirt was a boy and his dog. “Hello!” Nancy said. “¡Hola!” the boy said. “Woof!” said Douglas. “¡Guau!” said the boy’s dog.

“The new friends got busy right away on a new plan.” This one was the most elaborate yet. And all the kids in the neighborhood agreed that “it was the most genius plan of all.”

A glossary of the Spanish words and phrases used in the story precedes the text.

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Ged Adamson’s contraption-filled celebration of curiosity, creativity, and diversity reunites readers with Nancy and her sweet pooch, Douglas in a story that suspense, laughs, and a surprising ending. Douglas’s ingenious solution to their dilemma is a truly unexpected, rib-tickling delight, and the discovery that Douglas has an equally intelligent new friend will enchant readers. Nancy’s eagerness to share her ideas and acknowledgement of Douglas’s success will resonate with kids. These interactions also provide good talking points about cooperation and listening to others. The relationship between Nancy and Douglas is sweet and heartwarming. Extending that friendship to their neighbors and the community is an exciting development in their story—and hopefully future stories. The addition of Spanish characters to the series is a welcome inclusion, and the dual-language plan the kids devise will inspire readers to learn new words.

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Adamson’s Nancy and Douglas are as enthusiastic and adorable as ever. As they work to overcome the formidable fence, Adamson’s use of perspective and action will spark plenty of giggles. Nancy’s graphed-out Rube Goldberg-style contraptions will enthrall young engineers and fans of slapstick humor, and snapshots of Douglas warily trying them all will trigger laugh-out-loud moments.

For old and new fans of Douglas and Nancy, Douglas, You’re a Genius! is a no-brainer for inclusion on home and classroom bookshelves.

Ages 3 – 7

Schwartz & Wade, 2018 | ISBN 978-1524765309

To learn more about Ged Adamson, his books, and his art, visit his website.

National Live Creative Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-contraption-crazy-maze

Contraption Crazy! Maze

Can you follow the marble through the crazy track in this printable maze?

Contraption Crazy! Maze | Contraption Crazy! Maze Solution

Want to make a Douglas of your own? Click here!

**You can find Douglas, You’re a Genius! At these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

September 12 – National Day of Encouragement

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday was conceived by the Encouragement Foundation at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas as a day to prompt people to perform deliberate acts of encouragement to cheer and inspire others. On September 12, 2007 Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe signed a proclamation for a “State Day of Encouragement.” President George W. Bush later established September 12 a National Day of Encouragement. To celebrate, say a kind word, mail a card, make a call, or send a text to anyone who needs a little more encouragement to complete a goal, deal with a problem, or just to have a good day.

Hanukkah Hamster

Written by Michelle Markel | Illustrated by André Ceolin

The city was decorated with twinkling lights for the holidays, and busy shoppers bustled in and out of stores, delivered there by Edgar and his cab. After one shift, Edgar was so tired he took a nap in the back seat. He was awakened when “Ohhhf! Something scrambled onto his chest. Ayyee! Something hairy brushed his face.” Edgar opened one eye to see… a hamster! He picked it up and gazed at its tiny eyes and ears and feet.