Yesterday we celebrated the spring equinox, which means that spring is officially here! With the coming of longer and warmer days, we’re looking forward to the return of vibrant color on trees and in gardens, birds, bees, and butterflies flitting here and there, all the fun activities the outdoors provides, and, of course, the books that bring cheer and meaning to the season.
Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House for sharing a digital copy of this book with me!
Little Bunny, Spring Is Here!
By Deborah Marcero
Little Bunny and Field Mouse are walking through the woods. Little Bunny doesn’t see much evidence of spring, yet, and wonders when it will come. Looking at a tiny green shoot, Field Mouse has some good news. “I think spring is coming, Little Bunny,” she says. Little Bunny is excited and wants to go off to find it.
They meet up with Duck, who’s still wearing a winter hat but offers to join the search—leaving someone else behind in the tall grass at the edge of the pond. In a cave they find Black Bear awake and ready to explore. A short walk in the rain brings them to the welcome shelter of Chipmunk’s hollow log. Soon, the rain stops, the clouds disperse, and the sun rises high in the sky. The five friends scan the surrounding hillside, where pale green leaves appear on tree branches, turning darker along with the grass that carpets the meadow.
The rain has also brought bubbling water to the river, and glowing rainbows to the sky. In a blink “Flowers bloomed” and “Bees zoomed! Birds sang.” In fact, “Spring SPRANG!” Little Bunny celebrated. “Spring is here, everyone! And so it was.”
Adorable in every way, Little Bunny, Spring Is Here! will delight little ones with its cute characters, sweet friendships, and magical landscape that blooms in time-bending quickness. Deborah Marcero’s engaging storytelling ushers in spring with repeated phrases that youngest readers will love joining in on. After the rain brings a transformation, Marcero invites little ones to welcome spring’s beauty with lively, two-word rhyming verses. Little Bunny’s final announcement of spring’s arrival is one we all can cheer.
Marcero’s bright and charming illustrations provide surprises on every page as the group of endearing friends goes searching for spring. Wise little readers will have fun recognizing and pointing out the signs of spring, such as tadpoles in the pond, those “April showers,” and blossoms galore before Little Rabbit and the rest of the gang discover them. And don’t forget to look for hearts among the leaves and flowers. Adults and kids will also share a giggle as the little tadpoles line up in the pond for their turn to use Black Bear’s snout as a diving board as, in a bound, each instantly transforms into a frog.
A lovely, multilayered board book, Little Bunny, Spring Is Here! is a perfect read aloud as well as a terrific take-along choice for spring and summer outings to invite kids to find signs of the changing seasons. The book is highly recommended for home, preschool, and library collections.
Ages Birth – 3
G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2025 | ISBN 978-0593698969
Deborah Marcero is the author and illustrator of the picture book bestsellers In a Jar, which was called “stunning” in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and “beguiling” by the Wall Street Journal, and Out of a Jar, which was an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year and was called “simultaneously simple and profound” in a starred review from School Library Journal. She also wrote and illustrated the picture book My Heart Is a Compass and the Haylee and Comet emerging reader series. Learn more at deborahmarcero.com and follow her on Instagram.
Celebrate Spring Activity
Bunny Candy or Organizer Jar
A little bit of candy makes Easter or any spring day sweeter! With this Sweet Bunny Candy Jar, you can give a child, a friend, or even yourself a special treat that will make you hoppy!
Trace the ears template onto the white fleece and cut out
To Make the Body and Face
Cut a 2-inch wide by 7-inch long strip of white fleece
Glue the strip of fleece to the jar under the lip and leaving about ½ inch of glass showing at the bottom
Glue on the googly eyes
Cut a little nose from the pink foam and glue to the face
Make the mouth with the permanent marker on a little piece of fleece, cut out and glue under the nose
To Make the Hat
Paint the lid with the purple paint. Let dry.
(Adult Needed) With the nail or ice pick and hammer, make a hole on either side of the lid to insert the ears. You can make the hole a little bigger with a phillips head screwdriver
Flip the lid over and hammer the edges of the hole flat
Trace the hat rim template onto the purple foam and cut out
To Insert the Ears
Pinch the end of one ear together and push it through one hole in the lid.
Pull it through the hole a bit to form the ear
Repeat with the other ear
Finish the Bunny
Add the foam rim to the lid
Glue the pom-pom to the back of the jar for the tail
Add M&Ms, jelly beans, or other small candy
You can purchase Little Bunny, Spring Is Here! from these booksellers
Whenever you and your family visit the bookstore or library, do you look around, and think “if only I had the time for them all . . .. ” Are you always looking for more shelves for your collection? Is your library card the first one on your ring? If so, you’ll love Book Blitz Month! During this month book lovers are given the green light to read, read, read as many books as possible! Or if there’s a tome you’ve always wanted to tackle, crack the cover and let yourself become immersed in someone else’s story. For kids, Book Blitz Month can be particularly exciting. Sit down with your child or students and make a stack of books they’d like to read. Find time every day to read one, two, or a few of the books in the pile. Seeing the stack shrink gives kids a sense of accomplishment, and they might even want to build it up again! Mix reading with fun activities to encourage a new generation of avid readers!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books and Barb Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sharing a copy of Snow Is . . . with me. All opinions on the book are my own.
Snow Is . . .
Written by Laura Gehl | Illustrated by Sonia Sánchez
The very fact of snow is a wonder. While rain nourishes, snow transforms. The world looks, feels, sounds, and even smells different with the advent of snow, and a playful giddiness bubbles up in both young and old, pushing off the task of shoveling out. Laura Gehl’s lovely poetry expresses those moment-to-moment changes snow brings both outside the window and in our hearts.
Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Gehl’s story begins as so often happens with a child waking to a surprise snow day. Drawn to the window, he gazes out, then suddenly “snow is a thunder of feet and a shout. / Snow is two happy pink tongues sticking out” as he grabs his scarf, boots, hat, mittens, and sled and tears downstairs, rushing outside with his dog. His dad, steaming coffee in hand, comes out to watch.
Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
When the ground becomes blanketed and roofs frosted in white like a cake, for a mischievous child “snow is a hoard that is set for attack. / Snow is Dad’s face . . . when a snowball goes WHACK!” And when Mom brings the baby out, bundled up against the chill, “snow is bright eyes and small cheeks cold and rosy” while for big brother and Dad, who’ve been making snow bricks, “snow is a castle that’s roomy and cozy.”
But as the sun starts to set and it’s—so reluctantly—time to go inside, snow becomes “. . . warm cookies . . .” and “. . . a fire with snuggles and books.” And, at last, warm in pajamas and under “. . . blankets pulled tight,” snow is ‘I love you’ and snow is ‘Good night.'”
Image copyright Sonia Sánchez, 2024, text copyright Laura Gehl, 2024. Courtesy of Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Adults will adore sharing Snow Is . . . with their kids, and children will beg to hear the story again and again. In her smooth-as-a-sled-ride rhyming couplets, Laura Gehl captures not only the mercurial nature of snow itself but all the sights, sounds, and tiny details that make snow days so thrilling, cozy, and memory-making for kids and adults alike. Gehl’s descriptions and language are a delight and engage all the emotions with their humor, poignancy, sweetness, and awe.
Sonia Sánchez’s stunning illustrations take readers into the heart of a snowy day with action-filled scenes of swirling flakes, twirling feet, and packing of snow into a snowman, snowballs, and bricks. Readers can almost feel the pre-sliding suspense of the child standing at the edge of a long hill. As night falls and the family goes inside, Sánchez imbues her pages with quiet coziness, sibling and parental love, and that heartwarming tug of home.
Snow Is . . . will quickly become a family favorite read aloud for years to come. Teachers and librarians will find the book an exciting addition to their collections as well as for story times, with many applications for art, writing, and even science connections.
Ages 4 – 8
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1665915595
About the Author
Laura Gehl is the author of One Big Pair of Underwear, Cat Has a Plan, Goat Wants to Eat, Pig Makes Art, Dog Can Hide, Cat Sees Snow, Frog Can Hop, Snow Is…, You’re the Sprinkles on My Ice Cream, You’re the Pumpkin in My Pie, and The Elevator on 74th Street. She lives with her husband and their four kids in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Visit her online at LauraGehl.com.
About the Illustrator
Sonia Sánchez’s picture book, Here I Am, written by Patti Kim, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who called her illustrations “beautiful, evocative” and raved, “Sánchez has captured a kaleidoscope of emotion and powerful sensations in a way children will grasp completely.” Her illustrations have been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award in the category of Best Painter. Sonia lives with her husband and a cat in Barcelona, Spain.
National Book Blitz Month Activity
Snow Buddies
This is a fun and easy craft for kids to make on a snowy day inside to share with a friend!
Supplies
Child’s white dress ankle socks
Polyester Fiber Fill
Tiny buttons for eyes. I added a little heart button to the larger snowman too.
Fleece or ribbon, enough for a scarf
Toothpick
Twigs
Orange craft paint
Cardboard
String or white rubber bands
Fabric or craft glue
Directions
To Make the Snowman
Cut a circle from the cardboard about 2 inches in diameter for the base
Place the cardboard circle in the bottom of the sock
Fill the sock with fiber fill about ¾ full or to where the ribbed ankle cuff begins. Pack tightly while making a sausage shape.
Stretch out the cuff of the sock and tie it off near the top of the fill with string.
Fold the cuff down around the top of the filled sock to make the hat.
Wrap a rubber band or string around the middle of the sock to make a two-snowball snowman. For a three-snowball snowman, use two rubber bands. Adjust the rubber bands to make the “snowballs” different sizes.
To Make the Scarf
Cut a strip of fleece or ribbon 8 to 10 inches long by ½ inch wide
Tie the fleece or ribbon around the neck of the snowman
To Make the Face
Dip one end of the toothpick into orange paint, let dry
Cut the toothpick in half
Stick the toothpick into the head or top portion of the snowman
Attach two mini-buttons to the face for eyes with the fabric or craft glue
To Make the Arms
Insert small twigs into each side of the body of the snowman
You can also use wire or cardboard to make the arms
You can purchase Snow Is . . . at these booksellers
National Be On-Purpose Month emphasizes the importance of reflecting on whether your current actions are aligning with your actual personal and professional aspirations. In today’s busy and noisy world, it can be easy to veer from the real purpose for your life. Today’s holiday encourages those wanting to make a change or enhance their life to reflect on what they really want and begin planning how to make it happen. The beginning of the new year is a perfect time to take stock, put the breaks on autopilot living, and make your goals a reality. You might even want to look to the intentionality of nature as poetically revealed in today’s book for inspiration!
Counting Winter
Written by Nancy White Carlstrom | Illustrated by Claudia McGehee
In very northernly climes—like Alaska, where this book is set—winter is serious business. It also can be mysterious, beautiful, graceful, noisy, quiet, and fun! Animals and people who make their home in such regions and bravely face the elements are captured in their own unique ways through Nancy White Carlstrom’s lovely poetic verses that also invite readers to count from one to twelve.
Image copyright Claudia McGehee, 2024, text copyright Nancy White Carlstrom, 2024. Courtesy of Eerdmans Children’s Books.
Through Carlstrom’s evocative language, kids meet red squirrels, tiny voles, freewheeling sled dogs, and a flurry of birds, among other animals, that “feast,” “skitter,” “rush through the trees / like wind whipping,” and “hoot,” “hammer,” and “flit” as they interact with Winter—a character in its own right that is tracked, named, tamed, and fed on its way to “meeting spring” as children “slip and slide / on melting ice.”
Carlstrom’s deftly formatted poems are riveting, too, for their portraits of these animals—sometimes majestic, sometimes stealthy, and sometimes seemingly too fragile to survive—that with heart and skill not only do survive, but thrive in this most distinctive season. Each lyrical verse flows with assonance and consonance and once or twice a clever rhyme, making them a joy to read aloud. Children will love Carlstrom’s vocabulary and the opportunity to learn here and there small facts, such as the idea of “forty below” temperatures, squirrels’ habit of building middens with pinecones, and how voles spend their winter.
Image copyright Claudia McGehee, 2024, text copyright Nancy White Carlstrom, 2024. Courtesy of Eerdmans Children’s Books.
Claudia McGehee’s astounding scratchboard and watercolor illustrations bring these animals and the environment to life with their textured and intricate designs. Every page is a sensory-engaging showstopper. Readers can almost feel the cold, brittle air and sense the depth and weight of the snow as a fox stalks a well-hidden rabbit. Three snowshoe hares bound with unbridled energy as geometric and delicately floral snowflakes fall. Kids will be both awed and charmed by the seven musk oxen that greet them as a shaggy, sturdy wall and be nearly able to hear the clammer and feel the whoosh of the eight sled dogs racing by, their tongues out, tasting the stirred up snow.
McGehee’s stunning designs challenge kids to find the full number of animals on each spread, while making it neither too easy nor too hard for young readers of any age. In several spreads, McGehee offers the promise of the spring to come by including glimpses of what lies below the blanket of snow: seeds, grasses, and roots all await warmer weather, and by the time readers join the twelve children at the skating pond, tender green shoots appear on some trees and the crocus is blooming.
Image copyright Claudia McGehee, 2024, text copyright Nancy White Carlstrom, 2024. Courtesy of Eerdmans Children’s Books.
Back matter includes an illustrated Animal Profiles page that reveals interesting tidbits about the animals featured in the text and would be a terrific jumping off point for nature lovers, teachers, homeschoolers and other educators, and librarians looking for lesson or activity ideas. In an Author’s Note, Nancy White Carlstrom talks about her 19 years living in Alaska and the inspiration for this book. In her Illustrator’s Note, Claudia McGehee discusses the research she did as well as the intricate process of using a scratchboard and watercolors to create the art for Counting Winter.
Counting Winter is sure to be a repeat favorite the whole family will love cozying up with during winter—or even in the throes of summer when a little cool (or cold!) air sounds refreshing—and is highly recommended for home bookshelves. The book is a must for classrooms, school libraries
Ages 4 – 8
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2024 | ISBN 978-0802855701
About the Author
Nancy White Carlstrom has written over sixty books for children, including Before You Were Born (Eerdmans), Mama, Will It Snow Tonight? (Boyds Mills Press), and the bestselling Jesse Bear series (Scholastic). Counting Winter was shaped by the nineteen years Nancy and her family called Alaska home. She currently lives in the Seattle area and enjoys seeing Alaskan wildlife—and her grandchildren—on trips back to the state. Visit her website at nancywhitecarlstrom.com.
About the Illustrator
Claudia McGehee is the illustrator and sometimes author of many picture books, including Begin with a Bee, Creekfinding (both University of Minnesota Press), and My Wilderness (Little Bigfoot). In starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, Claudia’s scratchboard illustrations have been praised as “meticulous” and “striking.” Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Claudia now lives in Iowa City, Iowa. Visit her website at claudia-mcgehee.com or follow her on Instagram @claudia.mcgehee.
National Be On-Purpose Month Activity
Polar Bear Scarf or Banner
Polar bears aren’t cold in the winter—and neither should you be! Here are directions and printable templates for making a cute scarf to keep you warm, or—if you’d rather—a banner to warm up your room.
Small things are amazing—and surprising! We all know good things come in small packages, and just look at the wisdom, humor, and capacity for love of children. The same goes for haiku—the smallest form of poetry in size but never in impact. Coming mid-way through National Poetry Month, today’s holiday shines a spotlight on the haiku. The simple 5-7-5 rule that we all learn in school doesn’t begin to define the complexity of these three-line beauties that distill the world into little nuggets that make readers see life in amazing and surprising ways.
Peek-a-Boo Haiku
Written by Danna Smith | Illustrated by Teagan White
In this beautiful board book, little ones are taken through an auditory and visual wonderland from winter through spring, summer, and fall as two mice visit woodland, meadow, garden, and aquatic creatures to play, discover, and celebrate the changing seasons.
Children will enjoy predicting what animals are hiding behind the log and boulder. Image copyright Teagan White, 2023, text copyright Danna Smith, 2023. Courtesy of Little Simon.
Each of Danna Smith’s haiku verses surprises, sparkling with lovely alliteration and evocative language that invites young readers to anticipate and predict who will appear when the flaps on the facing page are lifted. Smith’s giggly humor and exceptional imagination elevate readers’ experience as she deftly uses games and experiences familiar to children (hide-and-seek, confetti, splashing in water, and lullabies to name a few) in ways that will spark creative thinking and bond them to the natural world. As late fall with its nighttime frost appears in the last spread, Smith’s gentle, sleepy verse welcomes little ones to drift off to dream along with the two snuggled up mice.
When the rabbits are revealed, Smith’s verse encourages readers to talk about “long ears” and “short ears.” Image copyright Teagan White, 2023, text copyright Danna Smith, 2023. Courtesy of Little Simon.
Any book illustrated by Teagan White is a treasure, and in Peek-a-Boo Haiku, she populates Smith’s various habitats with adorable, yet realistic animals that will charm little readers and adults alike. White’s glorious colors add breathtaking beauty to her gorgeously detailed pages. Each spread is a tiny masterpiece that gives children and adults much to discover and talk about as they move through the seasons. The final spread, washed in somnolent shades of twilight, puts little ones in the mind for sleep, just as the owl snugged into its tree-trunk nest. Kids will enjoy finding the mice (appearing alone or together, allowing the youngest children to engage with the idea of one and/or two) in each spread, and the variety of creatures, plants, and environments provide a wealth of learning, from vocabulary to math to science, for a wide-range of ages and development.
When the colorful bird is revealed behind stems of flowers, Danna Smith invites readers to talk about what she has in her beak, where it came from, and what she will do with it. Image copyright Teagan White, 2023, text copyright Danna Smith, 2023. Courtesy of Little Simon.
Exquisite in every way, Peek-a-Boo Haiku is a book adults and children will love to share again and again and is a perfect choice as a gift for special occasions, baby showers, new siblings, or simply to add to a child’s bookshelf. This superlative board book also belongs in all preschool and kindergarten classrooms as well as school and library collections.
Ages Birth to 5
Little Simon, 2023 | ISBN 978-1665926461
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
Teagan White is an artist and author who creates playful watercolor scenes of the natural world and the friendly creatures who inhabit it. Teagan lives in Oregon, enjoys visiting seagulls at the beach, and has illustrated nine picture books. Find out more at TinyMothStudios.com.
Take a Peek at this Peek-a-Boo Haiku Book Trailer!
National Haiku Day Activities
Woodland animals love to play hide-and-seek in trees, behind logs and rocks, under bushes, and in all sorts of places. This Peek-a-Boo Haiku Memory Game lets little ones find matching pairs of animals while building observation skills and having lots of fun!
Young children will enjoy writing their own haiku from what they see in nature with this adorable Write a Haiku Page that gets them thinking and using their imagination.
You can find Peek-a-Boo Haiku at these booksellers
For children, picture books provide one of the best ways to interact with facts and feelings. Stories that speak to their experiences, both common and new, alongside illustrations that bring the story to life let them discover the world around them. Today’s stunning nonfiction books are loaded with illustrations or photographs that let kids see exciting details about science, history, biographies, nature, and so much more. This month, take a look for fiction and nonfiction picture books about your child’s passions to add to your home library. And be sure to check out today’s book that incorporates both!
Thanks to Star Bright Books for sharing a digital copy of Leaves to My Knees with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.
Leaves to My Knees
Hojas hasta las rodillas/Leaves to My Knees
Written by Ellen Mayer | Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell
Daddy has a surprise for Camille and her little brother Jayden. They get dressed in their coats—big for Camille and little jacket with a stegosaurus hood for Jayden—and head into the backyard. There, Camille discovers her dad has gotten her a rake of her own. It’s not as big as Dad’s, but it’s bigger than Jayden’s little rake. It’s the perfect size for Camille.
Camille marches right off to rake a pile of leaves. But not just any pile—she has a goal. “‘I’ll rake leave all the way up to my knees!’” she tells her dad. The three get working on the yard. Camille concentrates on gathering leaves, listening to the different sounds that the various sized rakes make: “The leaves go swush when Daddy rakes. They go swish when I rake. They go sweeeee when Jayden tries to rake.”
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022, text copyright Ellen Mayer, 2022. Courtesy of Star Bright Books.
Lurking under the leaves are twigs and acorns that clog up Camille’s rake. She worries that she’ll never be able to rake leaves to her knees. She calls for Daddy’s help, and together they clear Camille’s rake. “‘You’re good to go now, Camille,’” Daddy tells her. Back at it, Camille rakes and rakes. Then she steps into the pile she’s accumulated to measure it. Her pile only comes up to her ankles. Camille grabs her rake harder and with determination she collects more leaves. But wait! Jayden is stealing leaves from her pile to add to his! Camille guards her pile with her rake, and sends her little brother over to Daddy’s bigger pile. Camille checks her measurements again. Her pile has grown, but only up to the top of her boots.
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022, text copyright Ellen Mayer, 2022. Courtesy of Star Bright Books.
Camille rakes ‘bunches of leaves,” and her pile gets taller, until “‘Oh no! A BIG BREEZE!!’” sends lots and lots of leaves swirling “Whoosh!” into the air and scattered to the ground. “I will never rake leaves to my knees!” Camille thinks. And when she measures again, her pile is back to her ankles. Daddy encourages her to keep going, and Camille is committed to achieving her goal. She throws off her coat, grabs her rake, and works on gathering up all the leaves she had, plus more. At last, too tired to rake anymore, Camille wonders. Has she done it? “‘Time for measuring!’ says Daddy.”
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022, text copyright Ellen Mayer, 2022. Courtesy of Star Bright Books.
Camille relinquishes her rake to her dad then, holding her breath, steps into her pile. “‘TA-DA!’” Camille raises her arms in victory. She steps out, positions herself a good ways away, and winds up for the run and jump. “‘GO!’ yells Daddy. ‘GO!’ Jayden yells too.” Camille flies through the air and lands, laughing, into her pile. Then Jayden jumps in. And Daddy? He gives Camille “really big squeeze” for raking “leaves all the way up to [her] knees.”
A note for parents, teachers, and other caregivers written by Marlene Kliman, a mathematics learning expert and senior scientist at TERC, describes how the story incorporates the math of measurement and sizes and how adults can extend the lesson by pointing out elements in the book’s illustrations and while going about their day or doing common chores, such as cleaning up and sorting laundry.
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022, text copyright Ellen Mayer, 2022. Courtesy of Star Bright Books.
Ellen Mayer’s Leaves to My Knees has everything that makes a story a young reader’s favorite—a spunky main character that kids will identify with, an achievable goal, successes and setbacks, suspense, humor, and a child-propelled victory. And it all revolves around an early math concept that comes naturally to children and which invites playful learning not only during the fall, but any time of the year. Shoveling snow and making snowballs in winter, yard cleanup and gardening in spring, and building sandcastles and raking grass clippings in summer as well as in-home fun with laundry piles, toys, and other objects are all ways to extend the story.
Told from Camille’s point of view, the story also engages children’s emotions as they join in to cheer Camille on as her leaf pile grows and commiserate with her when it shrinks. The close relationships among Camille and her dad and little brother ring true with dialogue-rich storytelling that is always encouraging. Strong themes of determination and persistence will also appeal to parents and teachers, who can point to how many times Camille has to start over before accomplishing her goal and her positive, resolute attitude.
Nicole Tadgell’s exuberant illustrations shine with personality, and kids will immediately become invested in each character as Dad gets working on a big job that needs doing, Jayden runs, jumps, and copies his big sister, and Camille unwaveringly works on her pile of leaves. Camille’s setbacks are clearly depicted, along with her and her father’s facial expressions that give adults and kids an opportunity to talk about disappointment, frustration, perseverance, and feelings of accomplishment. Each image also demonstrates the math component of measurement and sizes in the story with various-sized rakes, the growing and diminishing leaf pile, big and little jackets, and other objects that invite comparison.
Tadgell’s soft-hued pages are infused with the feeling of fall and hum with activity as cardinals, blue jays, chickadees gather at the bird feeder, squirrels scamper up and along the fence, and leaves continue to float to the ground. Readers will love following little Jayden’s antics and be inspired by Camille’s wide smile as she enjoys the reward of all her hard work.
Leaves to My Knees is a multilayered read aloud infused with the enthusiasm and rhythms of childhood that kids will want to hear again and again. Its mathematics base and themes of determination and perseverance rewarded will appeal to parents, teachers, and other educators as a way to engage children in active, hands-on learning. The book is a must for home, classroom, school, and public library collections.
Ages 4 – 8
Star Bright Books, 2022 | ISBN 978-1595729590 (Leaves to My Knees) | ISBN 978-1595729613 (Hojas hasta las rodillas/Leaves to My Knees
Picture Book Month Activities
Coloring Pages and Teaching Guides
You can extend the fun and learning in Leaves to My Knees with these activities, which include three fun coloring pages from the story, a hands-on play-dough art and discovery activity, and a detailed educator’s guide for teachers, homeschoolers, parents, and other caregivers that offers multiple ways to use Leaves to My Knees to explore math, mathematical thinking, and reading comprehension through the story and beyond at home, school, and elsewhere.
Ellen Mayer is an award-winning author who writes picture books for babies and young children and the grown-ups who read to them. Leaves to My Knees is her ninth book for children. Her other math story books include Banana for Two and Clean Up, Up, Up!, two board books in her Small Talk Books® series with Star Bright Books.
For many years Ellen was an education researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, studying how families are engaged in their children’s learning. She also worked as an early literacy home visitor with young children and their parents in a local affiliate of the ParentChild+ program. Now, Ellen volunteers as a visiting children’s book author with public schools and city-run playgroups in her local Cambridge and Somerville, MA, communities. Long ago she earned an M.Phil. in Sociology from Columbia University.
Ellen often collaborates with her musician husband in “Books + Banjo” reading and sing-along programs for young children. Ellen loves to rake leaves in the fall—especially when she has help from her grandchildren.
I have so many great memories of raking leaves with my kids when they were small. You really capture the fun and challenges of this favorite fall activity in your story. Were you inspired by your own family’s experiences in any way while writing it?
Very much so! Since the time our kids were very little they’ve joined us in the backyard for all sorts of yardwork. My daughter wanted to hold the rake from a young age, even as I did the less exciting early springtime rake of the lawn.
At first our trees didn’t yield much in the way of fall foliage, so we would haul a big bag of fallen leaves in from the tree out on the city sidewalk to have as leaves for play. The piles that resulted were often rather puny, only up to the ankles, as protagonist Camille would tell us.
But as the backyard trees matured, raking and jumping took off, much like in the story! I should add, too, that the sibling dynamic between our older daughter and younger son was also a source of story inspiration, influencing how I wrote the sister-brother characters here. Older sister was always the more determined and focused raker of the two, with younger brother taking it upon himself to annoy and distract her as much as possible, and generally try to steal the show, as was his lovable wont in those early years.
Marlene Kliman, an early math expert who is a Senior Scientist at nonprofit STEM education organization TERC in Cambridge, MA, has contributed a back matter note for parents and caregivers. In it she writes that Camille uses the math of measurement as she works at raking a knee-high pile of leaves and as she describes the sizes of things around her. Can you tell us how Camille and other young children approach measurement?
Preschoolers and toddlers, before they are ready to understand and engage in measuring with standardized units like inches and feet, try out measuring in their own ways. For instance, they compare the thing to be measured with an object or their body. Here, Camille measures the changing height of her leaf pile as it moves up her leg to her knees—first reaching up to her ankles, then up to her boots, but then back down to her ankles after a big breeze, then finally after some serious raking all the way up to her knees—where it’s the perfect size for jumping in. Young children naturally love to consider their world in terms of the different sizes of things. Throughout the story, Camille actively references the sizes of things all around her, whether it’s that big breeze or the size of her jacket, rake, and leaf pile in comparison with the smaller jacket, rake, and leaf pile that belong to her little brother, Jayden.
Today’s post celebrates this beautiful and exuberant cover! What was your first reaction to seeing the final cover art?
When I first saw the final cover I gasped! I love cover art that is inviting and also contains a little mystery to it. Here, Nicole created the most glorious, radiant, luminescent fall day, and I immediately wanted to join in the play. And what was that cute little dragon/dinosaur up to in the background? Definitely intriguing. Then, also, there are hints of the size-comparison math to come in the story in the form of the differently sized two rakes and three birds. The idea of “leaves to my knees” is there too, center stage. The joy and energy in this cover scene is palpable as the leaves float from the tree and Camille almost seems to be dancing in her leaf pile. Thank you so much for introducing this gorgeous cover into the world, Kathy!
Do you have another favorite spread in the book? Why is this one special to you?
Nicole creates this wonderful dance here in her art, from cover to close, with captivating facial expressions on each page. It’s hard to single out a favorite spread—there is something that takes my breath away on each page! But I keep returning to the one near the end where all is right with the leaf pile, the jump, and the siblings. Here, Camille and Jayden have flopped onto her pile and are luxuriating side-by-side on the big crackly bed of leaves, enormous matching grins on their faces. Maybe I was worried that Camille wouldn’t let the little mischief-maker into her pile? But she’s not shooing him anyway anymore—they are just celebrating together the joys of a fall leaf pile.
What would you like for kids and adults to take away from the story?
I hope they will come away with a warm feeling inside after spending time with this playful and loving family, a family that’s engaged in a fall chore, but one that is also enjoying a lot of fun and learning together. I hope they take away that math is everywhere around us, and that young children—all young children—love to measure and compare as they go about their day. I hope they take away the powerful image of a child of color, and a girl, as an active mathematician. There still aren’t nearly enough Camilles in the pages of picture books, and everyone—kids of all backgrounds listening to this story and all their reading adults too—need to see and normalize children of color and girls doing math.
Nicole Tadgell is an award-winning watercolor artist of more than 30 luminous picture books. Her books have received numerous honors, including the Christopher Award and the Children’s Africana Book Award. They have been included on the Smithsonian Notable Books for Children, the New York Public Library’s Best 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, and many more notable lists. Born in Detroit, Michigan, frequent moves weren’t easy for Nicole, especially to new schools where she was the only Black kid in class. Art has always been both an escape and a labor of love for Nicole. Today, she brings stories to life while advocating for diversity in children’s literature. Nicole lives in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Can you share what attracted you to Ellen’s story from an illustrator’s point of view?
Because I often illustrate older children, I saw the opportunity to showcase two young children playing in autumn leaves. (My favorite season!)
Camille shows so much personality and determination on this cover image. Can you describe your process of designing and finalizing the cover?
Covers can be a challenge, to be sure. There’s a compromise to paint what’s fun . . .
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022
. . . versus showing the audience what the book is about!
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022
Were you inspired by personal memories of raking leaves as you worked on this cover image and interior spreads? Do you have a story about raking leaves you’d like to share?
I admit I had grown-up thoughts about there being spiders in the leaves! I don’t have a clear childhood memory of that happening, but I’ve seen plenty of spiders in leaves as an adult. A fun story is about the models for this book! My sister’s friend has two kids the right age. Their Dad was wonderful—instead of taking pictures of the kids playing in leaves, he shot video so I could pause and sketch. They were perfect! Original down to Camille’s double pom-poms and Jayden’s dinosaur coat.
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022
The soft colors of your illustrations in Leaves to My Knees are really lovely. Can you talk about how you choose a color palette for your work in general and for this cover in particular?
Endless choices! It’s hard to decide. Knowing the season, I began with fall colors: reds, oranges, yellows. I felt that contrast would help our family stand out, so I chose cool colors for Camille and Jayden. I chose earth tones for Dad to make the kids stand out even more.
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022
Image copyright Nicole Tadgell, 2022
Interestingly, in the images I used for reference the real leaves had lost their color, so I just painted them colorful. I did make our Jayden a bit younger than the model’s age. For the backyard fence, I found a place nearby that had an interesting fence and small leaf-filled yard. I watched as cardinals flit between branches and squirrels chased each other, and inspiration came for the animal antics in the background!
And finally, my partner Anthony was kind enough to pose as the dad in the book!
Now that picture book creators are more free to interact with readers, what are you most looking forward to in promoting Leaves to My Knees?
Fun! I love signing books for kids & personalizing.
In addition to celebrating a fun (and necessary) fall activity, Leaves to My Knees incorporates early math concepts of size and measurement. Can you give an example of how you depicted these ideas in your illustrations?
By using different sizes of the rakes and making sure the leaf piles matched the text (up to ankles, then knees).
I can almost feel the chill in the air and hear that crisp crunch of leaves underfoot that means it’s leaf-raking time!
Thank you to Two Lions and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me a copy of Bright Winter Night for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.
Bright Winter Night
Written by Alli Brydon | Illustrated by Ashling Lindsay
Something magical is happening as “the song of snow” begins, and all of the woodland animals are gathering to complete a special task. Falcon flies in “silken strings” as “Wren flutters while she chirps and jigs, determined as she lays down twigs.” Beaver’s brought more sturdy boughs, and Stag’s back and antlers provide a sturdy base as the Rabbits use the wood and ribbons to build a sleigh. Attaching the reins Mouse brings and with the Wolves “all clear,” Bear climbs aboard to provide a comfy seat.
Image copyright Ashling Lindsay, 2022, text copyright Alli Brydon, 2022. Courtesy of Two Lions.
The Wolves take up the reins. “There’s just one goal. They must move fast— / for soon the northern lights will pass!” The Wolves race over clearings and down hills, pulling the sleigh behind them. But the terrain is tough, and “the sleigh careens, the rabbits jump as all the rest go . . . BUMP, BUMP, BUMP!” But Stag is there to dig them out of the snowy drifts, and Beaver rights the sleigh and gets it back on track.
Suddenly through the bare and silent branches, “they spy a flash, and Squirrel says, ‘WHOA— / COME ON FRIENDS, LET’S GO, GO, GO!'” They hurry through the crystal night to a clearing, where, gazing upward, they’re enveloped in the grandeur of the northern lights. “The colors dazzle, glow, and blaze— / the flashes sizzle, shock, amaze!” In this moment, huddled together—”beak and muzzle, fur and feather”—this diverse group of animals are united in their awe of nature’s beauty, and a “peacefulness so warm and bright, / settles in their hearts tonight.”
Image copyright Ashling Lindsay, 2022, text copyright Alli Brydon, 2022. Courtesy of Two Lions.
Alli Brydon’s brisk and lovely story is at once a lyrical call to appreciate and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature and a poignant appeal to put aside perceived differences and embrace what connects us. As the animals work together to build a sleigh that will transport them to view the northern lights, they each bring to the project their own talents to make it sturdy and comfortable for all. When the sleigh flips, they again pull together to set things right. Brydon’s deft rhymes and rhythms build step-by-step as the animals construct the sleigh then flow as smoothly and quickly as the runners over the snowy trail. Even the sled’s momentary mishap is palpably felt with Brydon’s well-paced “BUMP, BUMP, BUMP!” And when the friends finally reach the clearing, Brydon captures not only the breathtaking view but the tranquil contentment it brings.
Using lush blues and shades of grey, Ashling Lindsay draws readers into the snowy woods, where blushes of pink, purple, and auburn highlight scampering rabbits, squirrels, and beaver as well as fluttering birds and majestic stag. Stylized trees, their feathery leaves touched with pink lend a mysterious air to the silent forest. As snowflakes fall, readers watch as the animals bind the twigs and branches just so to create their sleigh. And then they’re off. A two-page spread lets kids run with the wolves as they race into the oncoming snow. Lindsay’s image of the animals all snuggled together on the sleigh, protected by Bear, is heartwarming, while their topsy-turvy tumble into the snow will make some kids say “oh no!” and others giggle with memories of their own spills. Her interpretation of the northern lights sparkles and shimmers and will have kids adding their own “OOOOH! AHHHH!” to those of the animals gazing skyward.
An inspiring story for snuggly bedtime or daytime read alouds, Bright Winter Nights swells the heart with it’s focus on the power and beauty of nature to spark friendship and peace. The book is sure to be asked for again and again and is highly recommended for home and public library collections as well as for teachers, homeschoolers, and other educators, who will find it a stirring addition to lessons on space, geography, and natural phenomenon.
Ages 3 – 7
Two Lions, 2022 | ISBN 978-1542022248
About the Author
Author Alli Brydon is inspired by natural wonders and what they can teach us, and she strives to bring that magic to the books she writes for children. Recent picture books include Lobstah Gahden, illustrated by EG Keller, and Love Around the World, illustrated by Wazza Pink. She also writes nonfiction about creatures, from insects to lemurs to humans. Alli holds an MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and lives in England with her family. Learn more at www.allibrydon.com. You can also connect with Alli on Instagram: allibrydon and Twitter: Alli Brydon
About the Illustrator
Ashling Lindsay is an artist and writer from Belfast, Ireland. Her picture books are published in more than ten languages and have received various awards and accolades, including a nomination for the Kate Greenaway Medal; being shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Klaus Flugge Prize, and the Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year; and being longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards. In 2020 she was awarded the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Honour Award for Illustration with her book The Tide, written by Clare Helen Welsh. Learn more at www.ashlinglindsay.co.uk. You’ll also find her on Instagram: ashling.lindsay
You can find Bright Winter Night at these booksellers
Celebrated during the week leading up to Thanksgiving, National Farm City Week recognizes the partnership between farms and towns and cities where produce, meat, wool, and other products are prepared, marketed, retailed, and consumed. Ensuring that farming remains an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable way of life for future generations is also an important aspect of this week-long observance because only through the hard work of farmers and their enterprises—both large and small—that the country’s health and well-being are maintained.
Construction Site: Farming Strong All Year Long
Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker | Illustrated AG Ford
The warmer days of spring have arrived and “six tough trucks rise with the sun.” They’re headed for a farm in the distance, where there’s lots of work to do. Before they even get to the farm, they come upon a section of the road where dirt from a “springtime washout” blocks their way. With Bulldozer and Dump Truck’s help, the road is quickly cleared, and the trucks are on their way.
First, the fields must be plowed and Big Tractor knows just what to do. “She churns the soil, rips up weeds— / prepares the ground for planting seeds!” Then “Little Tractor plants the crop / She rolls along as big seeds drop.” But the animals need tending too, and Little Skid Steer is right there to clean up and get the pens ready for the cows and horses, the lambs, chickens, and pigs.
Image copyright Sherri Duskey Rinker, 2022, text copyright AG Ford, 2022. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.
As summer comes, each truck has its job to ensure the crops grow and the animals are well taken care of. But there’s an even bigger job to do, and Excavator, Bulldozer, Skid Steer, Crane Truck, Dump Truck, Cement Mixer, and Flatbed Truck all work together to build a new barn, just in time for the cooler weather of fall.
Now it’s Combine’s turn to shine. “She rolls on hills and through the fields, / harvesting what each row yields.” But she can’t do it alone: “The Tractor pulls grain carts behind. / She rolls with Combine, all aligned.” As they drive side-by-side, Auger, collects and pours the grain into the carts. Then it’s on to the pumpkin patch to gather everyone’s favorite autumn treat.
There may be no crops to plant and pick as winter settles in, but the farm trucks are still busy clearing snow, making repairs, and making sure the animals have warm hay and plenty of food for the long, cold months. Before the “hardworking farming teams” take to their garage bays for a well-deserved sleep, they give thanks for the “friends they have and work they do” and another good year.
Image copyright Sherri Duskey Rinker, 2022, text copyright AG Ford, 2022. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.
Sherri Duskey Rinker’s well-known rhymes and dynamic rhythm carry this story of ten vehicles working together throughout the year to keep a farm from planting season to buttoning up for the winter. Rinker’s inclusion of extra equipment and attachments in addition to the ten vehicles will wow kids while teaching them how one machine is able to handle many types of jobs and how different types of machinery complement each other to do complex tasks. As the story ends and the vehicles give thanks for a good year, children can also join in by adding what they’re thankful for and ways their day was good. The final spread welcomes bedtime with lulling rhythms of “good night” and “sweet dreams.”
AG Ford’s lovely and vibrant illustrations brim with the beauty and always changing weather, atmosphere, and duties of a farm. Ford’s use of varying perspectives gives kids an idea of just how big a farm can be, and his saturated colors show readers the richness of the soil, a sun-drenched summer, and the mellower temperatures of spring and fall. But front and center are his realistic settings that depict how each vehicle works and all the different jobs they do. The machinery’s eager expressions as well as images of the various farm animals will charm kids, and when bedtime comes, Ford’s deep somnolent dusk blue sky and drowsy vehicles will soothe and welcome kids to sleep.
Whether your child loves cars, trucks, and big machinery; anything to do with farming; or just a story well-told, they’ll enthusiastically embrace Construction Site: Farming Strong All Year Long. This is a book that will enjoy “favorite” status at home and in classrooms and be in constant rotation in school and public library collections.
Ages 2 – 4
Chronicle Books, 2022 | ISBN 978-1797213873
Discover more about Sherri Duskey Rinker and her books, book events, and how to order signed books on her website.
To learn more about AG Ford, his books, and his art, visit his website.
Farm City Week Activities
Build a Tractor Jigsaw Puzzle
With this printable jigsaw puzzle, you can color and build a tractor of your own! Just print the Tractor Template, color, cut, and have fun putting it together!
Object: The object of the game is for each player to fill their garden rows with vegetables. Depending on the ages of the players, the required winning number of rows to fill and the number of vegetables to “plant” in each row can be adjusted.
Print one Game Board for each player
Print one set of Playing Cards for each player (for sturdier playing items, print on card stock)
Print one Vegetable Playing Die and assemble it (for a sturdier die, print on card stock)
Cut the vegetables into their individual playing cards
Color the “dirt” on the Garden Plot with the crayon (optional)
Choose a player to go first
The player rolls the die and then “plants” the facing vegetable in a row on the game board
Play moves to the person on the right
Players continue rolling the die and “planting” vegetables until each of the number of determined rows have been filled with the determined number of vegetables.
The first person to “grow” all of their veggies wins!
You can find Construction Site: Farming Strong All Year Long at these booksellers
celebratepicturebooks.com 