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

July 30 – International Day of Friendship

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established in 2011 by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Day of Friendship asserts the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. “In this year’s observance of the International Day of Friendship,” the UN General Assembly eloquently states, “we’re reminded that real peace is forged not only in negotiation halls or by writing into treaties — it’s built, thread by thread, in the trust we extend to one another in daily life. Friendship, especially among young people, holds a special kind of power. It can cross languages, faiths, and histories that might otherwise divide us. It invites us to listen before we judge, to stay when it’s easier to walk away. And when nurtured across cultures and communities, friendship becomes more than a bond—it becomes a blueprint for reconciliation. It teaches us that understanding isn’t a grand achievement; it’s a habit, a practice, a way of moving through the world that says ‘your well-being matters to me too’.”

Celebrate the International Day of Friendship all year long with today’s story for that can help young children build strong and trusting friendships from the earliest ages. For more information about the International Day of Friendship and a list of actions we can all take, visit the United Nations website.

Thank you to Laura Sassi and Paraclete Press for sharing a copy of this book with me for review!

Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle

Written by Laura Sassi | Illustrated by Farah Shah

Belle Bunny, who lives in a tall, tidy pumpkin on Leaf Lane, is best friends with Boo Chipmunk, whose cozy home is a squat pumpkin shell. Despite the rain that’s been pouring down all week, both Belle and Boo are looking forward to getting together for their annual Pumpkin Day Tea that day. There’s just one hitch: while Belle is finishing her final preparations, Boo is still waiting for his invitation. Where could it be?

When the clock chimes three and with a warm fire crackling in the wood stove, Belle, “. . . grateful for a friend like Boo, . . . set out heaps of treats for two.” But Boo was taking his clues from the drab day, his dank den, and his smoking wet wood in his fireplace. “‘So much for friends like Belle!’ huffed Boo.”

A hour went by and Belle was growing miffed because the tea was cold and the frosting melting. ‘”My tea is ruined! Did Boo forget? / Why hasn’t he arrived here yet?” Meanwhile, Boo was wondering if Belle’s kindness was “just pretend.” They both grabbed their umbrellas and headed outside. Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other on the bridge between their homes.

Instead of hemming and hawing or ignoring each other, Belle asks Boo if he forgot their Pumpkin Tea, to which Boo replies that he never received an invitation. A moment passes between them—could each be telling the truth? Belle breaks the silence with an apology for not double-checking with Boo, and Boo says he could have done the same. With their friendship patched up and the sun beginning to shine, Belle and Boo head back to Belle’s house. There, Belle made new goodies while Boo steeped a new pot of tea, and they both pondered over the missing invitation. A sudden knock on the door answers the mystery with a surprising twist and a new reason to be thankful at their Pumpkin Day Tea!

The story was inspired by the sentiments of joy and gratitude found in Psalm 118:24, which appears on the final page.

Laura Sassi’s breezy and heartening rhyming story for little ones is layered with depth and insight about the nature of friendship, expectations between friends, and generosity of spirit. Belle’s and Boo’s changing emotions are depicted honestly and in language that young children will understand, and when Boo and Belle meet on the bridge and a moment of doubt passes between them, adults and children have an opportunity to discuss how they think the characters feel, how they would feel in the same circumstance, and how they would resolve the issue with their own friends. Metaphors found in the weather and how each character responds to it as well as in the bridge where Belle and Boo meet and reconcile also offerareas for discussion. Bitsy’s entry into Boo and Belle’s long-standing tea for two also brings cheer and open-heartedness to the story.

Farah Shah’s cozy pumpkin homes are washed in warm tones and full of charming details that children will adore. The crackling fire in Belle’s wood stove reflects her sunny personality while Boo’s smoking logs reflect his unhappy mood. The stormy weather outside foretells the coming clash between Boo and Belle. Both character’s facial expressions are easy to read and provide talking points for adults and kids. Just as Belle and Boo clear up the misunderstanding, the weather lightens and shines brightly with the inclusion of a new friend.

Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle is a charming and meaningful read aloud that’s perfect for friendship building at the beginning of the school year, Thanksgiving celebrations, and any time that empathy and understanding are needed. The book is highly recommended for home and library collections.

Ages Preschool – 3

Paraclete Press, 2025 | ISBN 979-8893480191

About the Author

Laura Sassi has been a teacher, homeschool mom, children’s ministry director, and more. She is the author of multiple books for young children including the best-selling Goodnight, Ark (Zonderkidz), which was a 2015 Christian Book Award Finalist, the My Tender Heart series (Paraclete Press), Happy Birthday Christmas Child (Paraclete Press), Love is Kind (Zonderkidz), Faithful Feet (WorthyKids) and more. She writes daily from her home in New Jersey and finds special joy in sharing messages of kindness, comfort, and hope at school visits, church gatherings, and other events.

About the Illustrator

Farah Shah is a children’s book illustrator who was born in West Yorkshire and is now based in the South of England. If she is not drawing characters at the kitchen table, then you can often find her traveling around the UK in search of sun, sea and a bit of inspiration.

International Day of Friendship Activity

Pom-Pom Pumpkin Village – by Laura Sassi

Read Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle, then, inspired by a spirit of friendship and the adorable map on the opening spread, make your own pumpkin patch village out of pom-poms! Arrange the village in a cozy spot, then use your imagination to retell the story or create your own story of friendship and community.

To make a pom-pom pumpkin village you will need:

orange yarn
stiff drawing paper
scissors
tacky glue
colored pencils, markers, or crayons

Directions:

For each pumpkin pom-pom, loosely wrap a single strand of orange yarn 60-80 times around four fingers or a similarly sized sturdy household item (such as a coaster). Next, gently slide the loopy bundle off your hand (or coaster). Cinch the looped yarn in the middle and tie securely in a knot with a separate piece of yarn. Snip the loops to make a ball. Then fluff and snip the uneven bits as desired. These will be your pumpkins. Repeat to make as many as you want. The more you have, the bigger your village will be.
Transform each pom-pom pumpkin into a house by cutting sturdy white paper to create a base. Glue the pom-pom to the base, then decorate each front yard using colored pencils, markers, or crayons. Cut doors, windows, and stems from the scraps, coloring them with whatever details you want. Finally, using ample tacky glue, affix the doors, windows and stems onto the pom-pom pumpkins, as shown above.
When everything is dry, set up your pumpkin village in a cozy spot. Retell the story or imagine new adventures you and a friend (or several) might have in a pumpkin patch village. Have fun!

You can purchase Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

June 25 – National Day of Joy

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established by Comfort Keepers, who offer uplifting in-home care for seniors, The National Day of Joy encourages everyone to look for simple moments and expressions of happiness in daily life. Cheerful smiles and greetings, random acts of kindness, upbeat moods, and general positivity can affect not only immediate interactions but can change our moods and improve our health. To honor the day and the idea, find ways to start each morning with a positive attitude for the day to come. Need ideas for how to get started? Say “Hello” to those you meet, listen to and encourage others, happily help out where needed, send a surprise letter, card, or text to a friend or family member far away. And, of course, doing something fun with your kids always makes the day better. Oh! And don’t forget to treat yourself too! When you feel good, those around you will respond in kind!

Big Boy Joy

Written by Connie Schofield-Morrison | Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

It’s playground time, and the little boy who’s about to conquer the slide and the swings, unexpectedly make a new friend, and use his skills introduces himself: “I am a BIG boy.” As he tears down the sidewalk, he demonstrates—”I can run FAST. I can walk SLOW. I can climb HIGH! I can Go! Go! GO!” Slipping down the slide, too fast to stop, he crashes into another boy walking by with a basket of dinosaurs. They both go tumbling, the dinos spilling out.

The boy cries, but he’s also a big-enough boy to apologize and turn the accident into an opportunity to make a new friend. The two play—”RAWR, RAWR”—with the toys, they “STOMP and CLOMP.” The two move to the sandbox for a “CRASH and SMASH” demolition derby with their trucks, and when a wheel comes off: “I can fix. TWIST and TURN TA-DA!”

But the day’s not over, these fast friends share snacks, play chase, and swing “right into space!” Dad waves. It’s time to leave, with a high five between the boys and a promise to play again.

Connie Schofield-Morrison infectious ode to boyhood and unfettered play is a joyous read aloud, with vivacious rhymes full of personality and pride in what the narrator can do. From releasing all that big-boy energy to turning a crash-bang mishap into friendship to exhibiting ingenuity and manners, Schofield-Morrison’s young child shows just what it means to be a “big boy.”

Emerging and new readers will love being able to read the story on their own, and younger children will quickly catch on to chiming in on all of the high-spirited onomatopoeic words. The story is also perfect for acting out for rambunctious story times.

Shamar Knight-Justice’s young child brims with happiness and excitement as he tackles the playground; shows an awareness of others and their feelings; and races, chases, tumbles, and climbs a slide ladder so tall you have to turn the book sideways! Vivid primary colors, dynamic typefaces, all the big-kid equipment that makes a playground so enticing, and two boys who know how to roar, stomp, kerplunk, share, and have fun together shine from the pages.

Big Boy Joy is a lively read aloud that will capture the hearts of kids and adults alike and will quickly become a much-asked-for favorite for home bookshelves and library collections.

Ages 3 – 5 (and up for newly independent and emerging readers)

Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2025 | ISBN 978-1547611515

About the Author

Connie Schofield-Morrison captured the rhythm of the neighborhood in her first picture book, I Got the Rhythm, and again in I Got the Christmas Spirit and I Got the School Spirit. She is also the author of the picture book biography Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom. Connie has been writing since she was a young girl and is inspired every day by the big sounds and bright colors of the world around her. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit her on Instagram.

About the Illustrator

Shamar Knight-Justice is an illustrator based in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up with a crayon in his hand and a love for patterns. He currently serves as the principal of an elementary school in Southwest Atlanta, where his scholars’ stories and personalities inspire him to create illustrations that honor their identities. When not drawing, Shamar loves to spend time hoarding collage materials, going on long walks with his family, and devouring the nearest pancake. Visit him at shamarknightjustice.com.

National Day of Joy Activity

Playground Spot-the-Differences Coloring Page

Search for all of the differences between these two pictures then color the scenes!

Playground Spot-the-Differences Coloring Page

You can purchase Big Boy Joy from these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

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

January 8 – National JoyGerm Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Believing that joy can spread from person to person on the strength of simple smiles and greetings, acts of kindness, upbeat moods, and general positivity, Joan E. White of Syracuse, New York, founded JoyGerm Day in 1981. The day officially became a national holiday in 1985, and is now celebrated around the world. The holiday inspires people to find ways today and every day to positively impact the lives around us at home, work, school, or even while shopping or going about one’s daily business.

To honor the day and the idea, find ways to start each morning with a positive attitude for the day to come. Need ideas for how to get started? Say “Hello” to those you meet, listen to and encourage others, happily help out where needed, share a special moment with your kids at home, or send a surprise letter, card, or text to a friend or family member far away. And, of course, don’t forget to treat yourself too! When you feel good, those around you will respond in kind. Happiness really is contagious!

Thanks so much to Beach Lane Books for sharing a copy of How to Cheer Up a Friend with me for review consideration!

How to Cheer Up a Friend

Written by Stephanie Calmenson | Illustrated by Shannon McNeill

Little ones have big feelings and even bigger hearts. When they see a friend or family member feeling down, they want to help. But “What do you do / when your friend feels blue?” In her sweet book in which the protagonist attempts to cheer up their elephant friend, Stephanie Calmenson offers refreshingly practical advice on how a child (or an adult) can really approach someone experiencing sadness or anger and help them find happiness again.

Image copyright Shannon McNeill, 2024, text copyright Stephanie Calmenson, 2024. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Writing in rhyming couplets, Calmenson starts out by suggesting a few ideas that will get readers giggling and invested in the story, such as “Do you tickle his trunk / to get him out of his funk?” and “Do something silly to make him laugh? / Give him a scented bubble bath?” Soon, the child opens his arms wide, offering a hug—but ready to happily accept either a “yes” or “no” answer.

Quieter ideas follow, including taking a walk or simply listening if he wants to “talk . . . and talk . . . and talk.” Then—only after all his feelings have been vented does the protagonist offer treats—or that hug, which now feels juuust right.

Image copyright Shannon McNeill, 2024, text copyright Stephanie Calmenson, 2024. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Stephanie Calmenson’s thoughtful look at the underpinnings of sadness or other strong emotions and how friends or family members can best help a loved one shines for its brevity and straightforward take on the issue. This approach will appeal to kids while giving them concrete examples of what to do and say (or not say) to elicit healing time or talk from friends, siblings, or others.

How to Cheer Up a Friend would be equally effective for adults looking for a book to help their own child through periods of sadness or anger as the story validates these emotions and provides a constructive solution for expressing them. The length of the story and its bookended format makes the book a perfect choice for parents, teachers, or other adults to reach for during those times when emotions may be running high or attention spans are short.

Image copyright Shannon McNeill, 2024, text copyright Stephanie Calmenson, 2024. Courtesy of Beach Lane Books.

Shannon McNeill’s adorable elephant and empathetic child immediately win over readers’ hearts with their connection that is clearly based on mutual love and trust. In her soft-hued gouache, pencil, and cut paper illustrations, McNeill’s droopy, sad-eyed elephant is the picture of sadness, stubbornness, and even laugh-inducing perseverance as his friend tries various silly solutions to restore happiness. The image of the elephant hunkered down in its wash tub as it hides from a hug is an effective portrayal for children who prefer body autonomy or for the barrier some people present when experiencing strong emotions.

As the elephant begins to talk, his words and feelings fill the page as colorful shapes, and he begins to gesticulate, He cries, stomps, and flops down in a tirade to demonstrate those emotions he may not have words for. But as the storm abates, he feels better and can happily accept that big hug in a two-page spread that will delight young readers.

An endearing story that provides satisfying help with an emotion we all experience, How to Cheer Up a Friend is a valuable book for families and teachers to have on hand for those times when feelings are strong. The book is highly recommended for home, library, and classroom collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2024 | ISBN 978-1665910248

About the Author

Stephanie Calmenson is the acclaimed author of many popular books for young readers including Dinner at the Panda Palace; May I Pet Your Dog?; and the Ready, Set, Dogs! and Allie and Amy series written with Magic School Bus author Joanna Cole. A former early childhood teacher and children’s book editor, Stephanie feels fortunate to be able to teach, entertain, and encourage kids through her books. To read more, please visit StephanieCalmenson.com.

About the Illustrator

Shannon McNeill is a Canadian-born, San Diego-based illustrator whose books include Are We There Yet? by Dandi Daley Mackall, Wild & Wooly by Mary Jessie Parker, How to Cheer Up a Friend by Stephanie Calmenson, and her own Wheels, No Wheels. Her work is influenced by local nature, loitering in coffee shops, old books, child art, and long walks around the block. Learn more at LittleDrawings.com.

National JoyGerm Day Activity

Spread Happiness Cards

Kids can spread happiness to their friends, family, teachers, and other people in their lives with these cute Happiness Cards! Just print, cut, and give!

Spread Happiness Cards

You can purchase How to Cheer Up a Friend at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 14 – Celebrating the Book Birthday of Just a Worm

Posted by Kath Carroll

Just a Worm

By Marie Boyd

Worm is inching along on a beautiful summer day singing a happy little ditty: “La la la la… Slop, slip, wiggle. / I’m taking a little twirl. / Dop, dip, squiggle. / I’m off to see the world.” And so he was! But on his way he passed two kids who just didn’t see worm the way he saw himself and made him wonder…. Worm bolstered his self-confidence, telling himself that there were a lot of things he could do.

Just then he wiggled up to a row of brilliant purple flowers, where caterpillars, a chrysalis, and a butterfly were hanging out. Just out of curiosity, worm asked one of the caterpillars what she could do, and—Wow!—when he learned about making a chrysalis and metamorphosis, and becoming a butterfly, he was impressed. And maybe a bit intimidated.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-just-a-worm-ew-reaction

Butterfly also seemed to have multiple talents as did Spider and Dragonfly, who informed worm that he’d never be able to fly because he was “‘just a worm.'” Worm seemed resigned to his fate when he came upon ladybug and asked what she could do. Ladybug said, “‘I protect plants by eating insects, like aphids.'” This reminded worm that he did have a talent. “‘I eat dead animals and plants and keep the garden clean,'” he said with growing confidence.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-just-a-worm-butterfly

By the time worm meets bee, he’s ready to advocate for his own contribution to the garden. Then when snail crawls by and tells worm about the slime that protects him, worm realizes he’s found a friend he can relate to because worm makes slime too! Snail thinks that’s pretty cool, and worm agrees! In fact, worm understands that he can do a lot of things and that many of them benefit the garden. He even lists them all for snail, and as he looks around at the beautiful flowers and luscious berries, he takes some credit for growing “all of this” and proudly states “I’m a WORM!”

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Marie Boyd’s clever story combines salient information about a variety of insects with worm’s confidence-boosting journey from feeling inferior to the other garden dwellers to realizing his own role and importance in the plants’ growth and vibrancy. From page to page, readers can sense worm’s developing appreciation for his talents, and when he shakes off his misgivings and gives ladybug a small list of his accomplishments, kids will be right there to cheer him on. Readers may be surprised to discover just how much worms do contribute to a healthy garden ecosystem even as they come to understand that there is no such thing as “just a worm” in nature. Worm’s personal growth will also resonate with children, who are trying out new things and beginning to find their place in the world.

Boyd’s beautiful and original illustrations, created with intricate paper quilling are wonderfully detailed, textured, and expressive of the uniqueness and interconnectivity of nature. She also weaves in metaphorical clouds, which at worm’s lowest point, turn grey and black as they build overhead. But with his newfound confidence, they dissipate to be replaced with white, fluffy clouds that also blow away to reveal a clear, blue sky.

A multilayered story that delivers two important life lessons in a unique and charming way, Just a Worm will become a quick favorite for home, school, and public library story times. The book would be especially fun to pair with home gardening or planting activities for classrooms, libraries, and extracurricular organizations.

Ages 4 – 8

Greenwillow Books, 2023 | ISBN 978-0063212565

About Marie Boyd

Marie Boyd is a law professor, author, illustrator, and self-taught quilling artist. Her author and illustrator debut, Just a Worm (Greenwillow Books 2023), follows worm through the garden as he learns about his neighbors and how he helps keep the garden healthy. Originally from Salt Lake City, Marie lives in Columbia, South Carolina with her husband and two young children. You can find her at marieboyd.com and on Instagram.

Just a Worm Book Birthday Activity

Make a Quilled Snail

Author/illustrator Marie Boyd built worm’s gorgeous garden world with quilled paper, and now you can make worm’s friend snail for yourself with this tutorial on her website!

Quilled Snail Craft

**You can find Just a Worm at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

January 30 – It’s International Quality of Life Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

How one achieves their definition of a good quality of life may differ for every person, but in general it encompasses being happy and satisfied with one’s relationships, work, living conditions, and self. Whether you find happiness and quality of life in outdoor or indoor pursuits, with others or alone, at work or at home, this month’s holiday gives you time to get in touch with your inner quiet place and reflect on changes or improvements to bring you more peace and happiness in life.

Charlotte and the Quiet Place

Written by Deborah Sosin | Illustrated by Sara Woolley

Charlotte is a girl who likes quiet who lives in a noisy world. Everywhere she goes, it seems, it’s impossible to escape from sounds that disturb her peace. At home the hallway creaks where “the floorboards groan,” the living room is like an arcade where the “TV bellows and blares,” and the kitchen is filled with Otto’s barks for his dinner. Even in Charlotte’s bedroom, “which is supposed to be a quiet place, the old steam radiator hisses, whistles, and whines. Where can Charlotte find a quiet place?”

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Image copyright Sara Woolley, 2015, text copyright Deborah Sosin, 2015. Courtesy of sarawoolley.com

When Charlotte goes to school, things are no better. In the classroom kids are boisterous and bells ring; the lunchroom echoes with clattering trays and scuffing chairs; and the playground blares with big voices and stomping feet but also with the little squeaks and rattle of the swings. “Even in the library, which is supposed to be a quiet place, the children giggle, yammer, and yell. Where can Charlotte find a quiet place?”

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Image copyright Sara Woolley, 2015, text copyright Deborah Sosin, 2015. Courtesy of sarawoolley.com

The outside world resounds with the din of jackhammers, horns, sirens, shouts, cars, music, and the “screeches, rumbles, and roars” of the subway. “Even in the park, which is supposed to be a quiet place, the leaf blower buzzes, blusters, and hums.” Charlotte puts her hands to her ears. “‘Nooo!’” she cries, “‘I have to find a quiet place!’”

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Image copyright Sara Woolley 2015, text copyright Deborah Sosin, 2015. Courtesy of sarawoolley.com

On Saturday Charlotte takes her dog for a walk in the park. Suddenly, Otto spies a squirrel and takes off running, wrenching his leash out of Charlotte’s hand. She chases after him down a hill, over a bridge, into the middle of a grove of trees. Out of breath, Charlotte and Otto sit beneath a tree. Gasping, Charlotte’s “belly rises up and down, up and down. Her breath goes in and out, in and out. Hooooo ahhhhh. Hooo ahhh.”

Slowly, Charlotte’s breath comes easier and “her mind slows down.” In this state, she discovers another, even quieter place. It is a place deep inside where her breath is soft and her “thoughts are hushed and low.” It is “a place as quiet as the small silence on the very last page of her favorite book, the silence right after ‘The End.’”

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Image copyright Sara Woolley, 2015, text copyright Deborah Sosin, 2015. Courtesy of sarawoolley.com

In a little while, Charlotte and Otto leave the grove, but now whenever home or school or the neighborhood is too loud, Charlotte remembers where she can find a quiet place. She simply closes her eyes and pays attention to that place deep in her belly and deep in her mind—“that quiet place inside.”

For so many children the world is a blaring, clattering place where their thoughts are drowned out by the noises around them. Deborah Sosin’s award-winning Charlotte and the Quiet Place validates these feelings and offers children a way to discover inner peace wherever they are. As a tonic to today’s hyper-stimulated environment, kids and adults alike will benefit from the method of mindful reflection Sosin presents. Sosin’s combination of evocative verbs and repetition makes the story fresh and an excellent read-aloud while also mirroring the sounds that are a part of our everyday life.

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Image copyright Sara Woolley, 2015, text copyright Deborah Sosin, 2015. Courtesy of sarawoolley.com

Sara Woolley’s beautiful watercolor illustrations vividly depict not only Charlotte’s world but the sounds that disturb her peace. Amid the fully realized home, school, and neighborhood environments, complete with realistic details kids will recognize, sharp cracks of equipment, blaring bells and whistles, high-pitched voices, and other noises spark the page. Portrayals of Charlotte, her hands over her ears and her eyes sad, express her distress in a way kids will understand. When Charlotte finds the grove of trees in which she first experiences inner peace, Woolley’s color palette turns softer, with peaceful tones of green, blue, and yellow where, previously, “louder” purples, reds, and golds predominated.

Charlotte and the Quiet Place is a very welcomed book for those times when peace seems elusive and will give comfort to children who prefer quiet places and have more introverted natures. The book would make a wonderful addition to all children’s book shelves as well as to school and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Parallax Press, 2015 | ISBN 978-1941529027

Visit Charlotte and the Quiet Place on her own website! You’ll find resources, images and videos, and more!

View a gallery of artwork for books, comics, and other illustration work by Sara Woolley on her website!

Meet Deborah Sosin

Deborah Sosin is a writer, editor, and clinical social worker specializing in mindfulness-based psychotherapy. She holds an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and an MFA from Lesley University. Debbie’s picture book, Charlotte and the Quiet Place, illustrated by Sara Woolley, was published by Parallax Press in 2015 and has won multiple awards including the 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Gold Award, the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal, and the 2015 National Parenting Publications Bronze Award. Debbie’s essays and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe Magazine, Salon, Cognoscenti, Brevity Blog, The Writer’s Chronicle, Journal News, Writer’s Digest, Zone 3 Literary Journal, JMWW Journal, The Manifest-Station, and elsewhere. Her essays also appear in the anthologies Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Did What? and The Apollo 11 Moon Landing (Perspectives on Modern World History). (Photo by Kevin Day Photography)

You can connect with Deborah Sosin on: Her Website | Facebook | Twitter

Hi Debbie! I’m really thrilled to have you join me today to talk about your work. In your career you write for adults and children, work within the publishing industry, provide publicity services, and teach. How did you get started? Did you always want to write?

I kept a diary starting at around age ten and always loved writing for school or for fun. I started getting more serious about writing for publication in the past ten years, studied at GrubStreet, attended the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, and eventually went back to school to get an MFA in Creative Writing. I wish I had started earlier, but it’s been rewarding to finally follow my true passion.

What influenced you to write Charlotte and the Quiet Place?

I wrote the book as an independent project as part of my MFA studies at Lesley University. They say “write what you know,” so I thought about my childhood growing up in kind of a noisy house, where my brother played the piano, my father had a radio and TV on simultaneously, and my mother was on the phone a lot. And then I thought about my longtime meditation practice and how tuning in to my breathing has helped me find a quiet place inside. So I wanted to write a story about children finding their own quiet place inside themselves.

You give school presentations on mindfulness and your picture book Charlotte and the Quiet Place for various ages. Is there an experience from any of these that you would like to share?

School visits are my favorite part of being an author! No matter what age the students are, they love to help me tell the story by repeating the “noisy” sounds and the “hoo ahh” breathing sounds. We usually do a few calming/breathing exercises together and, without fail, even the squirmiest group will settle into a beautiful, shared, often profound silence. Once, when asked where Charlotte finds her quiet place, one kindergarten girl said, “In her belly and in her brain, where it’s calm.” Many kids get that idea. What could be better? I also love showing them my early scribbles and illustrator Sara Woolley’s wonderful sketches and storyboards, and sharing the step-by-step process of publishing the book, from concept to completion.

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Deborah Sosin reads Charlotte and the Quiet Place to students at Newton Montessori School. Photo courtesy of Newton Montessori School.

Can you talk a little about mindfulness and how it can benefit children?

Mindfulness has become a catchword these days, but my favorite definition is from Dr. Amy Saltzman: “Noticing what’s happening right here and now, with a friendly, curious attitude, then choosing what to do next.” Many top-notch scientific studies show that mindfulness can help kids with concentration, attention, self-soothing, anxiety, depression, sleep, mood, compassion, confidence…I could go on. Compared with adults, most kids are naturally mindful, that is “in the moment,” but kids do get stressed out and worried about the past or the future, so mindfulness helps. I sometimes worry that parents and teachers might use it for disciplinary reasons (“Enough! Go be mindful in the corner!”), which is not the point. It’s a whole-life practice, not a technique or intervention. And, as the book shows, mindfulness can lead us to a quiet place inside that we can access whenever we want.

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Students at the Cottage Montessori School in Arlington, Massachusetts play the Silence Game with director Karen Wagner, watching the sand in the hourglass. Photo courtesy of Stacey Moriarty.

Can you tell me a little about your work with Grub Street, a creative writing center in Boston?

I started taking classes at GrubStreet in 2008; my first class was “Six Weeks, Six Essays,” and from that class, I helped form a longtime regular writing group. I started blogging soon after and then submitted personal essays for publication, with some good luck. GrubStreet is a fantastic, inclusive community, with excellent faculty and a huge range of motivated, smart, and enthusiastic students, from beginners to veterans. After a few years, I applied to teach classes there and am proud to be on their instructor and consultant rosters now.

You are an accomplished choral singer, having performed at Lincoln Center, the United Nations, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and on an international tour. When did you begin choral singing? Do you have an anecdote you’d like to share from any of your experiences?

I’ve been singing my whole life and have been in choruses since elementary school. Singing with other people is extremely gratifying and, after all the “verbal”-type things I do, including my work as a psychotherapist, it’s a lovely change of pace. I spent about 15 years in the Zamir Chorale of Boston, which specializes in Jewish choral music. Our tours to Eastern Europe, Italy, and Israel were extraordinary. In 1999, when we sang at Auschwitz and Terezin, the sites of former concentration camps, it was hard to keep our emotions in check, but it felt important to revive the voices of the Jewish people that the Nazis had attempted to quell. A PBS documentary film, “Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland,” chronicled our tour that summer. I think it’s still available through the Zamir Chorale website.

What’s the best part about writing for children?

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Children enjoy drawing their noisy and quiet places at an Oblong Bookstore event in NY. Photo courtesy of AM Media Group

After having focused almost exclusively on nonfiction for most of my writing career, it’s been wonderful to work in the very precise and rich world of picture-book writing with so many lovely, funny, imaginative, and supportive fellow writers I’ve met through SCBWI and the amazing Writers’ Loft in Sherborn, Mass.

Thanks, Debbie, for stopping by and chatting! I wish you all the best with Charlotte and the Quiet Place and all of your future endeavors!

International Quality of Life Activity

Share a Smile Cards

Life is better when you share smiles with those you know—and those you don’t! Try it! When you’re out today at school or other places, look someone in the eye and smile. You’ll probably get a smile back—and you can be sure that you will have made the other person’s and your day better!

Here are some Smile Cards that you can share. Why not slip one into your dad’s pocket or your mom’s purse, put one in your friend’s backpack, or sneak one onto your teacher’s desk? You can even leave one somewhere for a stranger to find! Have fun sharing your smiles, and see how much better you and the others around you feel!

Click here to print your Share a Smile Cards.

**You can find Charlotte and the Quiet Place at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Parallax Press

Picture Book Review

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Written by Rajani LaRocca | Illustrated by Abhi Alwar

Back to School Month Activity

Make Your Own School Bus Craft

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Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle

Written by Laura Sassi | Illustrated by Farah Shah

International Day of Friendship Activity

Pom-Pom Pumpkin Village – by Laura Sassi

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About the Holiday

Big Boy Joy

Written by Connie Schofield-Morrison | Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice

National Day of Joy Activity

Playground Spot-the-Differences Coloring Page

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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

How to Cheer Up a Friend

Written by Stephanie Calmenson | Illustrated by Shannon McNeill

National JoyGerm Day Activity

Spread Happiness Cards

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Just a Worm

By Marie Boyd

Just a Worm Book Birthday Activity

Make a Quilled Snail

You can find Just a Worm at these booksellers

To support your local bookstore, order from

Share this:

About the Holiday

Charlotte and the Quiet Place

Written by Deborah Sosin | Illustrated by Sara Woolley

Meet Deborah Sosin

International Quality of Life Activity

Share a Smile Cards

You can find Charlotte and the Quiet Place at these booksellers

Share this:

**You can find Just a Worm at these booksellers**

**You can find Charlotte and the Quiet Place at these booksellers**