August 15 – National Back to School Month

About the Holiday

I know, I know . . . it can’t be time to go back to school already! Maybe not quite, but all over the country, teachers, administrators, parents, and…yes, kids…are preparing for the day when school opens again for another year. Now’s the time to find a new backpack, buy some new clothes, and decide that this year is going to be the best year yet! Reading books about beginning a new school year can also help!

Thank you to Abrams Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of this book to me for review!

Fall Is for Beginnings

Written by Rajani LaRocca | Illustrated by Abhi Alwar

While Ravi is sad to see summer vacation end, he’s excited to be starting school and seeing his friends, especially his best friend, Joe. They “share jokes, secrets, and sometimes lunch,” at recess they always play together, and—best of all—this year they’ll be in the same classroom.

Ravi and Joe find desks next to each other. Then a new girl, Ellie, sits in the seat next to Ravi. She’s eager and enthusiastic. “‘I just know we’re going to be best friends!'” she tells him. Ravi is taken aback and doesn’t reply. He listens as his teacher explains a project the students will do to celebrate their new accomplishments throughout the year by adding leaves then snowflakes then flowers to a tree of their own.

In music class, at lunch, and on the playground, Ellie always joins Ravi and Joe. When they get new instruments, Ellie plays the loudest, she offers tastes of her beet salad (which Joe tries right away, but Ravi does not), and her new suggestions for Ravi and Joe’s Deep Space Explorers playground game make it much more challenging. For some of these new experiences Ravi adds a leaf to his tree.

“Every day, Ellie says, ‘I told you we’d be best friends!'” When Ravi whispers a reassuring “‘But I’m best friends with you'” to Joe, Joe simply shrugs. Every day, Ellie is right in the middle of Ravi and Joe’s favorite fall activities. At the school Halloween party, Ravi dresses as a scoop of ice cream, and Joe is a cone. When Ellie runs up dressed as a bottle of sprinkles because they’re “best friends,” Ravi loses his temper, crying, “‘You are NOT my best friend!'”

Surprised and hurt, Ellie runs off. She avoids Ravi and Joe during the rest of the party and during trick-or-treating in the neighborhood and moves to another desk in the back of the classroom. At home, Ravi mopes on the couch about how much things have changed since Ellie came. When his older sister hears his complaint, she runs off to get the family photo album. Page by page, she shows Ravi how great it was for her before he was born and how she found him so annoying when he was a baby. But, she says, when she got to know him, “‘Things were even more fun than before.'”

Ravi reconsiders his relationship with Ellie amid all the things they do together. Perhaps, he thinks, “Ellie is already my friend?” The next day at school, he shows a change of heart and lets Ellie take the lead. He has fun on the playground and in music class and discovers that beet salad is delicious. Ravi’s tree is filling with leaves representing all of his new experiences, and he feels proud “because fall is for beginnings and friendship.”

Rajani LaRocca shines a light on an important aspect of new school years, old friendships, and the natural changes that occur as children grow up, meet new people, and venture into the unfamiliar. Candid and relatable, LaRocca’s storytelling gives voice to emotions children may feel (and feel badly about) but are unable to express. Reading and discussing the stages Ravi goes through before finally losing his temper and then afterward can give kids an opportunity to talk about their own experiences as well as their ideas for and what to say when assimilating new friends into an established duo or group. Joe’s early nonchalance about Ellie’s proclamations of friendship reveals how the idea of “best friends” can vary from person to person and change over time.

Abhi Alwar’s vivacious, autumn-hued illustrations depict an active classroom in which even amid the usual raucousness, Ellie stands out with her spunky personality. Always in motion, Ellie kicks her feet, runs and leaps and roars, gives her new besties gifts and tastes from her lunch, and in the process overwhelms Ravi, whose apprehension, eventual anger, and regret show in his expressions. Alwar’s combination of chalky line drawings and full color sketches allow her to emphasize certain important moments while presenting dynamic scenes that kids will have fun exploring.

An impactful book to share with children just starting school or as they move through the grades, Fall is for Beginnings celebrates new friends and experiences, while providing a map through some of the trickier bits. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves and is a must for classroom and library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Harry N. Abrams, 2025 | ISBN 978-1419777400

About the Author

Rajani LaRocca is a physician and an author of books for young readers including Summer Is for Cousins, Where Three Oceans Meet, and Red, White, and Whole, which won a Newbery Honor. She was born in Bangalore, India, and immigrated to the United States when she was very young. She now lives in eastern Massachusetts with her family. You can find her online at rajanilarocca.com.

About the Illustrator

Abhi Alwar is an Indian American illustrator and designer based in New York City. She is the illustrator of a number of books for young readers, including Summer Is for Cousins by Rajani LaRocca and the graphic novel series Super Pancake, written by Megan Wagner Lloyd. Visit her at abhialwar.com.

You can see what Ravi’s up to during the summer in Summer Is for Cousins, the first volume of the Seasons Are for Everything series from Rajani LaRocca and Abhi Alwar.

Back to School Month Activity

Make Your Own School Bus Craft

With a small tea box or other box, some paint, and the printable template, kids can have fun making a model school bus to play with or display. The bus can be made as detailed or simple as they’d like. Maybe they’d even like to draw themselves and their friends in the windows!

Supplies

Printable School Bus Template
Small tea box: 20-bag size (5″ long x 3″ tall x 2 5/8″ deep); or other small box
Bright yellow craft paint
Scissors
Craft glue
Paintbrush

Directions

Print 2 copies of the School Bus Template
Carefully take the tea box apart at the seams, invert it, and glue or tape it back together

To Make the Passenger Side of the Bus

Cut the Door from the template
Glue the door to the box near the front
Cut out and trim the row of windows from the template
Glue the windows near the top of the box
Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box

To Make the Front of the Bus

Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
Add a School Bus sign between the lights
Cut out the windshield in the lower corner of the template and glue it in place
Cut and trim grill and glue it beneath the windshield
Cut and glue white circles for headlights on either side of the grill
Cut, trim, and glue the wide black strip to the bottom as the bumper.

To Make the Driver’s Side of the Bus

Cut and trim the row of windows from the template
Glue the windows near the top of the box
Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box
Cut out and glue the Stop sign over the two stripes near the front of the bus

To Make the Back of the Bus

Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
Add a School Bus sign between the lights
Cut out the two small rounded corner windows
Glue them underneath the lights close to the edge of the box
Cut out and glue the bigger rounded corner window between the smaller windows
Cut out and glue the yellow, red, and white lights underneath the small windows with the yellow light on the outside
Cut out and glue the black rounded corner window centered beneath the lights
Cut and trim the wide black stripe and glue it near the bottom of the box for the bumper

You can purchase Fall Is for Beginnings from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

August 4 – Back to School Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

It may seem like summer vacation just began, but the signs of a new school year are already appearing everywhere. The stores are stocked with clothes, supplies, and plenty of gear to make the new school year the best ever. But all the “stuff” is just part of getting ready for school. Kids are looking forward—eagerly or maybe with a little trepidation—to making new friends, having new teachers, and exploring new subjects and ideas. Preparing kids for all aspects of a new school year easier and more exciting is what National Back to School Month is all about!

Thanks to Orchard Books/Scholastic for sharing a digital copy of this book with me!

To Catch a Ghost

By Rachel Michelle Wilson

At the bus stop, the new girl is noticed right away by a classmate who quickly introduces her to how seriously the kids take show and tell by using Drew—”the only kid who brought nothing last time”—as a cautionary tale. Sam, determined not to suffer Drew’s fate, first signs up to bring “cool rocks” then her “pet brother” and finally a “GHOST.” Sam acknowledges that catching a ghost takes “gumption,” but she has a plan and creates a primer for anyone else who would like to catch their own ghost.

In Part 1: Find, Sam reveals that you must search everywhere and shows how she looked all around at home, in her treehouse, even on the playground—until there, right in front of her, she found her ghost. While finding the ghost was tricky, Part 2: Observe explains that catching it is trickier. Sam explains that the best way to lure a ghost into a trap is to get to know their personality and preferences by spending time with them. When she did this, she says, she discovered a few helpful facts about her mischievous old soul that ultimately led to its capture.

Which brings Sam to Part 3: Catch. She demonstrates how to build “the perfect ghost trap,” how to work quickly and without hesitation when the ghost enters the trap, and posits that “there’s a good reason you need to catch your ghost.” But then the ghost peers through the bars, and Sam has a change of heart. She removes the lock and sheds some tears, knowing she won’t have something extraordinary to share at Show and Tell on Friday.

But then Sam notices something and realizes what a “good ghost” she had caught. All along it had her back. Show and Tell is a rousing success, and friendships follow—one you might not even see coming!

Inventive and endearing, Rachel Michelle Wilson’s To Catch a Ghost will enchant children, whose imaginations often run to such whimsical fancies in concrete ways. The consequences of a poor Show and Tell performance increase the story’s suspense as well as the magnitude of Sam’s ultimate decision, a twist that can lead to discussions about true friendship, doing the right thing for others, and listening to your heart. With her GoPro ready and her determined expression, Sam is a worthy competitor on the chase but also an empathetic and caring friend that readers will embrace.

Delightfully offbeat with lots of read-again appeal, To Catch a Ghost is a spirited and thoughtful story that’s a top pick for home, school, and library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Orchard Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1339031958

About the Author

Rachel Michelle Wilson is a children’s book author-illustrator with a sweet tooth and a dash of sass. When Rachel is not making books, you can find her paddle boarding across a lake, puzzling over a logic problem, or hosting a living room dance party. Visit her at rachelmichelewilson.com.

Back to School Month Activity

To Catch a Ghost Puzzles and Activity Guide for Teachers and Caregivers

Kids can have fun solving the two puzzles in these To Catch a Ghost Fun Pages while teachers, homeschoolers, librarians, and caregivers will appreciate the full Activity Guide that provides questions and activities based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and follow Common Core Standards. You’ll find printable games like Book Chat Bingo, prompts that help children write their own story, creative drawing and imagining activities, and more. Rachel Michelle Wilson even invites kids to send the story they write to her!

To Catch a Ghost Puzzle Pages | To Catch a Ghost Activity Guide

You can purchase To Catch a Ghost from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (discounted books and support for you local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Reviews

February 13 – It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

If you’re celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 9–15 in the UK and February 14–20 in the US), you can consider yourself a RAKtivist—a Random Acts of Kindness Activist. Being a RAKtivist is awesome! And easy! All it takes is to be kind to anyone you meet. Acts of kindness don’t have to be big, or hard, or expensive. In fact, the best kindness acts are free! If you see someone having a bad day, give them a smile. If someone’s struggling with a box, a bag or keeping their stuff in their locker, give them a hand. Does someone always eat lunch alone? Sit with them and get to know them. There are many other ways to embrace the slogan of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: “Make Kindness the Norm” and show you care about people near and far. You can learn how to become a RAKtivist and find lots of free resources to download for schools, households, and workplaces at randomactsofkindness.org. Here’s a daily Kindness Calendar to get you started!

The Welcome Book

Written by Danna Smith | Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

New experiences and new people to meet are all around us every day. This is especially true for young children as they begin exploring the world around them. On the playground, in the classroom, at the library, on the bus or subway, in stores, and even during visits by extended family, little ones are always learning how to work or play together with someone new.

In her joyful and openhearted story, Danna Smith celebrates all the opportunities children have to embrace others and make them feel at home. In her uplifting rhyming verses, she tells little ones how much the word “Welcome!” and the warm feelings behind it mean to someone new or someone who is alone: “Welcoming someone shows that you care. / You’re happy to see them. You’re glad they are there.”

Smith also presents a pleasing array of examples of everyday and special occasions when children can make a difference by offering friendship—including calling someone over to join a lunch table or group activity, cradling a new sibling, greeting a dog with hugs, and listening when someone is sad. She ends her story with the reassuring knowledge that friendship shared is friendship gained.

Readers can’t help but smile at Julia Perdomo’s vivid illustrations that radiate the warmth of welcome on each page. Kids will connect with Perdomo’s varied scenes of diverse groups of kids supporting each other as they play and work together. Her expressive characters and clearly depicted situations invite kids and adults to talk about their own experiences in both being the new person and welcoming others as well as to role play “What if?” scenarios.

A bright, cheerful, and thoughtful board book to open the world of kindness, empathy, and friendship to the youngest readers, The Welcome Book is a story parents, teachers, and other adults will love sharing with their little ones and that kids will eagerly reach for again and again. This sweet book would make a heartwarming addition to home bookshelves and is a must for daycare, school, and public library collections.

Pair The Welcome Book with The Thank You Book by Danna Smith and Juliana Perdomo to spark an understanding and appreciation for gratitude in young children.

Ages Baby – 4

Little Simon, 2025 | ISBN 978-1665952026 (Board book)

About the Author

Danna Smith is a poet and award-winning author of numerous books for children, including One Blue Gnu; Rooftop Garden; Wake Up, Freight Train!; and several Little Golden Books. Her nonfiction picture book, The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of Medieval Falconry, received two starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year. Danna currently lives in northern California, where she is hard at work on her next book. For more information about her books and teaching activities, visit her website at DannaSmithBooks.com.

About the Illustrator

Juliana Perdomo is a writer and illustrator born in Bogotá, Columbia, surrounded by a huge loving family, friends, bright colors, music, weird fruits, sunshine, and lots of rain but also rainbows. She now lives there with her amazing son, Luca, her rocker partner Iván, and their crazy old dog, Menta. Juliana has a background as a psychologist and an art therapist, but her passion is children’s literature. She tries to make her work diverse, heartfelt and personal, folkish, a bit retro, joyful, and with a Latin touch. She feels deeply grateful to have participated in many beautiful projects: books, puzzles, animations, branding, family portraits, and magazines all over the world. Find out more at JulianaPerdomo.com.

Random Acts of Kindness Week Activity

The Welcome Book Coloring Pages

Have fun coloring these cheerful pages from The Welcome Book!

Welcoming the Rain | Welcoming a New Friend

You can purchase The Welcome Book from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-dog-is-not-a-scientist-cover

About the Holiday

World Creativity and Innovation Day has been observed by citizens and organizations in over 50 countries since 2002. In 2018, the United Nations (U.N.) formally established the holiday to promote the importance of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development, both at the individual and group levels. This day also highlights the importance of applying creativity and innovation to problem-solving for today’s pressing issues, including scientific, economic, social, and sustainable development. Kids seem to do this inherently as they go about exploring and interacting with all the new things they see, hear, and do every day Books like today’s featured title can spur children to put their own unique talents to work to change an improve the world for all. To learn more about World Creativity and Innovation Day, visit the UN website.

Thanks to Betsy Ellor and Yeehoo Press for sharing a digital copy of My Dog Is NOT a Scientist with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

My Dog is NOT a Scientist

Written by Betsy Ellor | Illustrated by Louisa Vera

Yara knows she’s the best scientist in town, but how can she prove it when she always loses the school science fair to her neighbor Eddie, who taunts her about being older and smarter and not having a dog like Renzo to mess up his experiments. This year, though, Yara is determined to win. She already has her question to explore: “What makes paper airplanes fly?” and lots of planes to experiment with. But within minutes Renzo has chased down and torn them all apart. “RENZO!!” Yara yells. “Real scientists don’t chase their experiments,” says Eddie.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-dog-is-not-a-scientist-lemon-experiment

Image copyright Luisa Vera, 2023, text copyright Betsy Ellor, 2023. Courtesy of Yeehoo Press.

Next, Yara chooses to use her scientific observational skills to see if she can illuminate a lightbulb with a lemon. But again Renzo causes a catastrophe and Eddie is right there to see it and make a comment. Undaunted, however, Yara decides to test her hypothesis about “what makes grass grow fast.” She marks off sections of her backyard that are sunny, shady, dry, and wet and gets to work. Renzo feels the call of nature, too – only in a . . . umm . . . different way than Yara. And, yep, Eddie sees it too.

With one week to go to the science fair, Yara comes up with a hypothesis about insects and does a little problem-solving by erecting a Renzo-free tent to carry out her experiment. Maybe Renzo can’t read or maybe he just has to know, but that dogged dog digs deep and finds a way to upset another experiment.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-dog-is-not-a-scientist-renzo-eats-lemon

Image copyright Luisa Vera, 2023, text copyright Betsy Ellor, 2023. Courtesy of Yeehoo Press.

Now the science fair is tomorrow, and while Eddie has a neat and tidy, perfect-looking project to present, “all Yara has to show is Renzo’s damage.” How can she report what she’s learned like a real scientist when she hasn’t learned anything? Yara thinks. With tears in her eyes she’s ready to concede to Renzo that “Eddie’s right…. You’re NOT a scientist . . . and neither am I.” But then Yara looks at her experiments in a different way—from Renzo’s point of view. Renzo, she realized, asked questions, made observations, and “even formed a hypothesis and tested it.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-dog-is-not-a-scientist-night-before-science-fair

Image copyright Luisa Vera, 2023, text copyright Betsy Ellor, 2023. Courtesy of Yeehoo Press.

Her new perspective gave Yara another idea for her science project. The next day at the science fair, Renzo was Yara’s star exhibit. “Is My Dog a Scientist?” her display asked. Yara tells the judges how Renzo followed his curiosity, how he asked questions, observed, made a hypothesis, and then tested it—just like a scientist. “‘My project proves my dog really IS a scientist,’” she said. The judges agreed and presented Yara with the first-place ribbon. Even though Eddie whined, Yara knew she and Renzo were the best scientists in town—and now everyone else knew it too.

Back matter includes a step-by-step description of the scientific method, some question starters to get young scientists thinking about their own hypotheses, seven questions to spark experimentation, and an invitation for readers to email Yara and Renzo about their experiments. More ideas for experimentation as well as a curriculum guide are also available on Betsy Ellor’s website.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-my-dog-is-not-a-scientist-science-fair

Image copyright Luisa Vera, 2023, text copyright Betsy Ellor, 2023. Courtesy of Yeehoo Press.

In her clever and creative story, Betsy Ellor perfectly melds the scientific method with sure-to-produce-guffaws humor that will make this book a favorite with kids who are already hard-core scientists as well as those who just like tinkering to explore life’s mysteries. Yara’s determination to win the science fair provides Ellor with a compelling frame to drop examples of real science-based questions and vocabulary into realistic dialog and suspenseful storytelling. The competition between Yara and Eddie also increases the stakes and will have readers rooting for Yara through every mishap. Yara’s inspired thinking on the night before the science fair encourages kids to never give up and prompts them to look at problems with new perspectives and fresh ideas.

Luisa Vera gives kids so much to see and think about in her dynamic illustrations that readers will love exploring for the science, humor, and plentiful details that define the scientific method while demonstrating Yara’s and Eddie’s different approaches to research. But with Yara’s first exasperated “RENZO!!” all eyes will be on this mischievous mutt who just can’t help it if he has a heart for science and a penchant for mischief. Renzo’s various antics will have kids laughing out loud through each of Yara’s experiments and even to the science fair, where even Eddie’s entry attracts the “Renzo” effect.

Funny, effervescent, and loaded with real science, My Dog Is NOT a Scientist is sure to be a catalyst to spark kids’ interest in and understanding of the scientific method as well as the idea that scientific observation and experimentation is a creative process and one that can be unique to each person. The book would enhance any science curriculum for teachers or homeschoolers and is highly recommended for home, classroom, school, and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Yeehoo Press, 2023 | ISBN 978-1953458469

**Discover the real-life inspiration behind My Dog is NOT a Scientist!**

About the Author

Betsy Ellor lives in a home filled with kid shenanigans, canine chaos and creative projects run wild. Her picture book debut, My Dog is NOT a Scientist launches in 2023 from Yeehoo Press. Her 2021 anthology Heroic Care: 35 Writers & Artists Show What It Means To Care reached the top 30 on Amazon, and her family musical Sara Crewe has been performed across the US.

Midwest-born, Betsy started as a playwright, earning a degree in Creative Writing from Ball State University before shifting her focus to novels and picture books. Betsy works as an interior designer. This explains her uniquely visual voice and her passion for stories that keep creative thinking at the heart of scientific exploration. Betsy lives near the beach in Massachusetts with her son and dog (aka the bringers of chaos). She spends way too much time on the computer but frequently escapes for hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and beach time. Visit Betsy on her website.

About the Illustrator

Luisa Vera was born in Elda, Alicante. After Luisa finished her fine-arts career in Valencia, she went to New York, where she attended the School of Visual Arts. Since 1990, she has dedicated herself professionally to illustration. She is the author/illustrator of Let’s Go to the Museum, a Modern Art Museum Maze and has illustrated Casas del mundo, Salta que salta, among other Spanish-language titles for children. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Dallas Morning News, the Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, and The Vanguard, and her characters have worn their best clothes on book covers, posters, catalogs, children’s stories, and exhibitions. Luisa lives in Barcelona, Spain. You can follow Luisa Vera on Instagram.

Meet Yara and Renzo in this sneak peek of the book!

World Creativity and Innovation Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-sparkle-test-tubes-II

Kids love inventing and experimenting, and these sparkle test tubes give children a fun way to be creative while making a cool way to relax and on those hectic days.

Supplies

Plastic test tubes with tight-fitting screw cap, available at craft or science supply stores. Having two or three will allow for more experimentation
Glitter glue
Hot water
Fine glitter
Chunky glitter
Small glass beads (optional)
Neon food coloring (optional)
Test tube stand (optional)
Whisk
Mixing bowl
Teaspoon

Directions

Fill a test tube 1/3 full of hot water and pour the water into the mixing bowl
Add 1 – 2 teaspoons of glitter glue (the more glitter glue that is added the thicker the liquid will be and the more the objects will be suspended in the liquid. To allow the objects to flow more freely when the test tube is shaken, add less glue
Whisk the water and glitter glue together
Add chunky glitter, glass beads, or try other small objects
Pour into test tube
Add more water to within a ½ – 1 inch of the top to allow for shaking
Experiment with amount of glitter glue, glitter, and colors

More Science!

Are your kids excited to discover more about the world – and even the cookies they like – through experiments like Yara and Renzo? Then they’ll love the 13 fun and eye-opening experiments on Betsy Ellor’s website. You’ll find them here!

A My Dog is NOT a Scientist Curriculum Guide for teachers, homeschoolers, librarians, and group leaders is also available for download on Betsy Ellor’s website here!

**You can find My Dog Is NOT a Scientist at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 3 – It’s Picture Book Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

November is all about picture books thanks to Picture Book Month founder author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas and co-founders author/illustrators Katie Davis, Elizabeth O. Dulemba, Wendy Martin, and author Tara Lazar. This month-long international literacy initiative celebrates print picture books and all that they offer to young (and even older) readers. With gorgeous artwork and compelling stories, picture books open the world to children in surprising ways as they entertain, explain, excite, and help children learn empathy and understanding.

I’d like to thank Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers for sending me a copy of A Head Full of Birds for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

A Head Full of Birds

Written by Alexandra Garibal | Illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix | Translated from the French by Vineet Lal

Nanette is a little girl with “a head full of birds.” She mixed strange foods together, can spend hours looking at an empty spider’s web and “rocks back and forth, to and fro, fluttering her fingers like butterflies.” The kids at school taunt her, calling her “stupid” and treating her meanly. But Nanette doesn’t pay attention to them. One boy in her class, Noah, joins in. But one day while tossing paper airplanes during class, the teacher catches him and makes him sit up front.

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Image copyright Sibylle Delacroix, 2022, text copyright Alexandra Garibal, 2022. Courtesy of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

This means sharing a table with Nanette, which makes him angry. While pulling out his chair, “he pushes her out of irritation,” which causes her pencil to slide across her drawing of a bird. Nanette is disappointed, whispering “Oh. He won’t fly anymore.” Noah finds this ridiculous and tells her that drawings of birds can’t fly, but Nanette already knows. “‘The drawing doesn’t fly, the bird does,'” she answers.

That day after school, Noah watches as Nanette sets colorful little origami boats to sail down the rain-washed curb. He thinks it looks “so pretty.” The next day, it’s still raining, and during recess Noah sees Nanette standing in the middle of the school yard without her boots catching raindrops. His friends are calling him stupid, but he grabs her shoes and rushes out to bring her back in. But Nanette is happy. She takes her boots and fills them with water running off the roof. They both hide a boot in their coats and run back inside for class.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-head-full-of-birds-boats-on-curb

Image copyright Sibylle Delacroix, 2022, text copyright Alexandra Garibal, 2022. Courtesy of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

On the stairs, someone bumps into Noah, spilling his boot. Noah is angry that their plan is ruined, but Nanette tells him it’s okay, that one is enough. She passes him a tiny origami boat, and he drops it into her boot. “The boat twists and twirls, dancing merrily across the water. And it’s so pretty.” Now Noah and Nanette are friends, and “together, they look after the birds that nest in their heads.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-head-full-of-birds-boot

Image copyright Sibylle Delacroix, 2022, text copyright Alexandra Garibal, 2022. Courtesy of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

While quietly straightforward, Alexandra Garibal’s story affects poignancy on multiple levels. Readers are first introduced to Nanette, a girl with neurodiversity who is happy in her observations and interactions with the world while also self-confident enough to ignore the comments of her classmates. Readers see Noah participating in the ridicule, but when he is moved to sit next to Nanette, readers begin to understand that it is he who needs to see the world differently, not Nanette. Children may feel that Noah already embodies this empathy as it doesn’t take long before he appreciates the beauty Nanette brings to their world.

While he at first feels he must protect her, running out with her boots and aiming to take her back inside from the rain, he again learns that her actions have meaning, and when the boot he’s carrying spills on the way back to class, he now feels the same disappointment of a project ruined that Nanette felt with her bird drawing. With Nanette and Noah’s conspiratorial goofing off in class (and, bravely, in the front row!), Garibal brings the story full circle while infusing it with growth and joy for both characters as they go forward as friends.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-head-full-of-birds-filling-boot

Image copyright Sibylle Delacroix, 2022, text copyright Alexandra Garibal, 2022. Courtesy of Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Sibylle Delacroix’s lovely colored-pencil illustrations reveal Nanette as a shining light in the world and in her classroom. She is first shown gazing upward as if the sun is on her face, next with colorful butterflies, and then at school in a bright yellow raincoat, while the background is drawn in gray and the other kids in a single shade of red, all except Noah, who has brown hair and blue glasses, signifying to readers that perhaps he is a bit different as well.

The two children’s growing friendship takes place against a gray-scale background, putting the focus on both their separation from their environment as well as their similarity to each other. Other visual clues in clothing and other elements also point to Nanette and Noah’s similarity, which can invite kids to find and talk about them. A particularly moving spread comes as the two children watch the little boat float in the boot, their two smiling faces reflected in the water. Turning the page, readers see the imagination Nanette and Noah share as they ride in an origami boat pointing out paper bird above.

This beautiful friendship story speaks not only to the acceptance and understanding of neurodiversity but of all the creative and different ways in which people see the world. A Head Full of Birds will fill your heart and resonate long after the story is over. The book invites multiple re-readings and will generate much thought and discussion. It is a must for all home, classroom, school, and public libraries.

Ages 4 – 8

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2022 | ISBN 978-0802855961

About the Author

Alexandra Garibal is a French children’s author and editor. She has written over sixty picture books, novels, and magazine articles, and her titles have been translated for Chinese and Spanish readers. A Head Full of Birds is Alexandra’s English-language debut. Follow her on Instagram @alexandragaribal.

About the Illustrator

Sibylle Delacroix is the illustrator of Tears, Prickly Jenny, Grains of Sand, and Blanche Hates the Night (all Owlkids). She graduated from the ERG Saint-Luc School of Graphic Research in Brussels and worked for many years as a graphic designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. Sibylle lives in France. Follow Sibylle on Instagram @sibylledelacroix.

About the Translator

Vineet Lal is a literary translator of books from French to English, including A Perfect Spot (Eerdmans) and The Secret Life of Writers (Weidenfeld & Nicholson). He studied French at Princeton University and the University of Edinburgh. Vineet lives in Scotland. Follow him on Twitter @vineet_uk.

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**You can find A Head Full of Birds at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

October 21 – My Name Is Not Ed Tug Book Tour Stop

Posted by Kath Carroll

I’d like to thank The Children’s Book Review and Amy Nielander for sharing a digital copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug with me.

My Name Is Not Ed Tug

By Amy Nielander

Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug knew where he came from and just where he fit into his family. After all, “he was named after his Grandpa Edimor,” who helped him learn how to spell his name with a tall tower of blocks; “his Great Uncle Whitimor,” who taught him how to play the accordion; his Aunt Mili,” who ran a butterfly farm; “and his Granny Gimmus,” who filled his tummy with warm, homemade soup.” Anyone hearing his name might think it was gibberish, but Edimorwhitimormiligimmus thought “it was perfect.”

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School, of course, was a challenge since the other kids had a hard time spelling or even remembering his name. And his teacher, Ms. Mell, found that her mouth grew “quite tired” just trying to pronounce it. But one Monday, Ms. Mell announced that a new student, Ty, would be joining their class. Mrs. Mell had made name tags for each student to make it easier for Ty to remember their names, and she slapped one on Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s shirt. When he looked, Edimorwhitimormiligimmus saw that the tag simply read “Ed.” He gazed at the tag with sadness. “Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug was shocked. He was perplexed. He felt like his heart had been stung by a giant bee. Twice.”

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After school, Edimorwhitimormiligimmus went straight to his room and stayed there, thinking. When he emerged, he had a plan (and a very perfectly sized name tag taped to his sweater). The next day, he approached Ty, who was playing with puzzle blocks. He stood proudly, displaying his sweater, and introduced himself—his whole self. He slowly said each part of his name and, miraculously, Ty repeated it. Edimorwhitimormiligimmus “was so happy his curls bounced.” Then as he and Ty constructed a tall bridge with the blocks, he explained how he and his Grandpa Edimor “love to build things together”—and had even invented those blocks.

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At lunch he did the same thing with the kids at his table, and they also repeated his name. To explain how important his Uncle Whitimor was to him, Edimorwhitimormiligimmus, he played his uncle’s favorite song on the accordion. When the class went out for recess, he told more kids about his Aunt Mili and pointed out, and they too learned his name.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Mell was out sick, and Edimorwhitimormiligimmus saw an opportunity to be kind and explain about his name. He and Ty delivered a steaming pot of Granny Gimmus’s soup to her doorstep and told her all about cooking with his granny. “The delicious soup warmed her heart.” Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s plan worked. Now everyone, including Ms. Mell, knew—and used—Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s full name.

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The experience prompted Edimorwhitimormiligimmus to come up with a new plan, a project to ensure all of his friends knew their names were just as perfect for them as Edimorwhitimormiligimmus was for him. And he and his classmates got started with the gift they made for Tyvantennyson to give him at his birthday party.

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Amy Nielander’s heartwarming and affirming story will captivate kids from the first recitation of “Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug”—a name that initially elicits giggles but soon rolls smoothly off the tongue. As they learn how each piece of Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s name reflects not only the family member he’s named for but also the special things they do together, readers will empathize with the pride he feels in his name and his disappointment when they can’t get it right.

While Nielander’s clever story revolves around one child’s name, there are many other important lessons for both kids and adults woven throughout. Children will understand that their names, personalities, heritage, talents, and dreams are perfect for them just the way they are. For adults, Ms. Mell’s dismissive mangling and shortening of Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s name to “make it easier for all of us” reminds us that every child deserves to be really seen and accepted for who and everything they are.

Nielander’s illustrations are full of warmth and love, charm and humor as she introduces the unique talents of each member of Edimorwhitimormiligimmus’s inclusive and close-knit family. As Edimorwhitimormiligimmus puts his plan to teach each classmate and Ms. Mell his name into action, the children’s sweet faces and palpable excitement are infectious and will draw readers into this universal hug of a story. The surprise reveal of Ty’s full name and the collective gift the class makes him—with the promise of the same for each child—will delight readers and is sure to spur them to create name signs for themselves.

An engaging, multi-layered story about acceptance, self-esteem, family, and friendship, My Name is Not Ed Tug is a story kids will want to hear again and again. The book is highly recommended for home bookshelves and is a must for classroom, school, and public libraries.

Ages 4 – 8

West Margin Press, 2022 | ISBN 978-1513134871

Discover more about Amy Nielander, her books, and her art on her website.

Take a peek at the book trailer for My Name Is Not Ed Tug!

**You can purchase My Name Is Not Ed Tug at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

July 20 – It’s Get Ready for Kindergarten Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Starting Kindergarten is a major milestone in any child’s life and ushers in exciting growth in knowledge, friendships, and experiences. But children don’t all perceive and process the world in the same way. Being sensitive to individual differences and talking about issues as they arise are just two of the ways that kids can making navigating school or any new experience easier. Sharing picture books like today’s book can help too!

Thanks to Harry N. Abrams for sending me a copy of Puppy Bus for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Puppy Bus

By Drew Brockington

As a boy’s parents unload the moving truck, he heads up the steps of the school bus with an anxious backward glance. once on the bus, his nerves take over and his mind races with all the new things he will encounter: “The teachers will be different. I’ll have to make new friends. I won’t even know where the bathroom is.” But in a minute, he gets a friendly lick of reassurance. Wait, what? That’s right, a big, slobbery lick of friendship. His seatmate even offers the boy his paw to shake.

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It’s just about this moment that the boy realizes he’s made a mistake. “I’m on the wrong bus!” he shouts with an attendant “AUGHHH!!!” Well, it’s too late to do anything about it now. The boy gets off at Leroy’s Puppy School with all the other students and decides to find an adult to talk to. He finds the principal’s office only to find that the principal is also a dog. “Woof! Woof! Bark! Bark!” The principal does his best to help, but there’s a definite communication problem.

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The boy’s just wondering what he’s going to do now, when one of his fellow classmates gets a chomp on his shirt and drags him toward a doggie door leading to a classroom. Once everyone’s inside, the lessons begin. As the collie leads the class in learning how to roll over, the boy thinks, “Everything about this school is strange and different.” Math class doesn’t really add up. The bowlfuls of dry food are gross. And remember how the boy was worried about wondering where the bathroom was? Well, that’s not the worst of it! In the stall, he finds a fire hydrant next to the toilet paper roll.

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It all makes the boy miss his old school and friends even more. But then his puppy seatmate from the bus comes over to give him a cuddle, and the pup that sits next to him in math joins in, along with a couple of other “soft and fuzzy” students. Just then the recess bell rings, and they’re all off to have fun playing catch, digging in the dirt, running around and jumping, and just general piling on. The day ends with a song and a story, and by the time the boy gets on the bus home, he’s even speaking a little dog: “Arf! Arf!”

He gets home enthusiastic about his new school and the friends he’s made. He’s even excited to go back tomorrow. His parents are thrilled with his change of heart and send him off the next morning with big smiles and waves. There’s just one thing… could he be on the wrong bus again?

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Funny and relatable, Drew Brockington’s Puppy Bus is sure to reassure and delight all kids, whether they’re starting a new school or just a new grade. Being nervous about making new friends, meeting a new teacher, and navigating a school building is a universal emotion, even though it can often feel singularly personal. Brockington exposes the doubts kids have in a way that will make them laugh while discovering that friendships made and extended can make all the difference. His comical twist ending reminds kids that change is part of life and adapting is a valuable skill to have.

Brockington’s hilarious cartoon illustrations—well-known to his CatSronauts fans—depict the boy’s full range of emotions from panicky to uncertain to grossed out to perplexed. When he’s at his lowest point of the day, a group of canine classmates take notice and do what they do best—become enthusiastic and comforting best friends. As the boy and his new friends romp on the playground, kids get the message that reaching out to someone new or hesitant (or, conversely, accepting an invitation to join in) has benefits for all.

A terrific story to share as school starts up again or for any time a child is beginning a new activity or encountering change, Puppy Bus will be a favorite on home, classroom, or public library bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 8

Harry N. Abrams, 2022 | ISBN 978-1419751912

To learn more about Drew Brockington, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Get Ready for Kindergarten Month Activity

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Small Box School Bus

With a small tea box, some paint, and the printable template, kids can have fun making a model school bus (or Puppy Bus!) to play with or display. Make your bus as detailed or simple as you’d like!

Supplies

Printable School Bus Template
Small tea box: 20-bag size; or other small box
Bright yellow craft paint
Scissors
Craft glue
Paintbrush

Directions

Print 2 copies of the School Bus Template
Carefully take the tea box apart at the seams, invert it, and glue or tape it back together

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To Make the Passenger Side of the Bus

Cut the Door from the template
Glue the door to the box near the front
Cut out and trim the row of windows from the template
Glue the windows near the top of the box
Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box

To Make the Front of the Bus

Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
Add a School Bus sign between the lights
Cut out the windshield in the lower corner of the template and glue it in place
Cut and trim grill and glue it beneath the windshield
Cut and glue white circles for headlights on either side of the grill
Cut, trim, and glue the wide black strip to the bottom as the bumper.

To Make the Driver’s Side of the Bus

Cut and trim the row of windows from the template
Glue the windows near the top of the box
Cut out and trim two of the solid black lines from the template
Glue the stripes onto the side of the box below the windows
Cut out two tires from the template and glue them to the box
Cut out and glue the Stop sign over the two stripes near the front of the bus

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To Make the Back of the Bus

Cut out two of the red and orange paired lights
Glue one on each side of the box near the top with the red light on the outside
Add a School Bus sign between the lights
Cut out the two small rounded corner windows
Glue them underneath the lights close to the edge of the box
Cut out and glue the bigger rounded corner window between the smaller windows
Cut out and glue the yellow, red, and white lights underneath the small windows with the yellow light on the outside
Cut out and glue the black rounded corner window centered beneath the lights
Cut and trim the wide black stripe and glue it near the bottom of the box for the bumper

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**You can find Puppy Bus at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

Fall Is for Beginnings

Written by Rajani LaRocca | Illustrated by Abhi Alwar

Back to School Month Activity

Make Your Own School Bus Craft

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About the Holiday

To Catch a Ghost

By Rachel Michelle Wilson

Back to School Month Activity

To Catch a Ghost Puzzles and Activity Guide for Teachers and Caregivers

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About the Holiday

The Welcome Book

Written by Danna Smith | Illustrated by Juliana Perdomo

Random Acts of Kindness Week Activity

The Welcome Book Coloring Pages

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About the Holiday

My Dog is NOT a Scientist

Written by Betsy Ellor | Illustrated by Louisa Vera

Discover the real-life inspiration behind My Dog is NOT a Scientist!

World Creativity and Innovation Day Activity

More Science!

You can find My Dog Is NOT a Scientist at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

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About the Holiday

A Head Full of Birds

Written by Alexandra Garibal | Illustrated by Sibylle Delacroix | Translated from the French by Vineet Lal

About the Author

You can find A Head Full of Birds at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

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My Name Is Not Ed Tug

By Amy Nielander

You can purchase My Name Is Not Ed Tug at these booksellers

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About the Holiday

Puppy Bus

By Drew Brockington

Get Ready for Kindergarten Month Activity

Small Box School Bus

You can find Puppy Bus at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Share this:

**Discover the real-life inspiration behind My Dog is NOT a Scientist!**

**You can find My Dog Is NOT a Scientist at these booksellers**

**You can find A Head Full of Birds at these booksellers**

**You can purchase My Name Is Not Ed Tug at these booksellers**

**You can find Puppy Bus at these booksellers**