March 13 – National Reading Month

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About the Holiday

Reading with your child every day gives you time to relax, giggle, talk, and enjoy some precious moments together. In fact, that’s what National Reading Month is all about! So grab some old favorites and new finds – like today’s book – and make treasured family memories.

In My Heart

Written by Mackenzie Porter | Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie

 

A little girl tiptoes into her mom’s room, giggling as she jumps on the bed and wakes her up. They have breakfast together and get ready for their day. Buckled into her car seat, the girl says, “‘Mama, I will miss you. What do you do all day?’” With loving words, her mom takes her through her day. She says, “First, before I go, my love, I give you a good-bye kiss. / Then as I am leaving, I remind myself of this: / Though we’re not together, / we’re never truly apart / because you’re always on my mind / and you’re always in my heart.”

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Image copyright Jenny Løvlie, 2020, text copyright Mackenzie Porter, 2020. Courtesy of Little Simon.

Her daughter learns that her mom starts thinking about her as soon as she drops her off to spend the day with other kids. Driving to work, Mama listens to her little one’s favorite song and thinks about how she sings along. While participating in meetings, she wonders if her little girl is learning new things too. And at lunchtime she feels especially close as she thinks of them eating the same meal. As she doodles, she’s reminded of the drawings taped up around their house.

But while the day brings joy and sweet memories, this mom reassures her wondering child that her favorite part of the day is picking her up so they can spend the evening and nighttime together. “Once I hear your voice again / the whole world melts away. / The moment you say ‘Mama’ is what I’ve waited for all day.”  

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Image copyright Jenny Løvlie, 2020, text copyright Mackenzie Porter, 2020. Courtesy of Little Simon.

For little ones missing Mom during the day, Mackenzie Porter’s lyrical story simply and beautifully connects a child’s experiences at daycare or school with their mother’s day at work. Examples familiar to all kids reassure them that throughout the day their mom is thinking about them and looking forward to being together again. Porter’s sweet repeated verse gives kids an easy-to-memorize reminder of their mother’s love to comfort them when they experience those pangs of separation. For working moms, In My Heart lets them share that they too feel those pangs but are always and forever bonded with their child.

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Image copyright Jenny Løvlie, 2020, text copyright Mackenzie Porter, 2020. Courtesy of Little Simon.

Jenny Løvlie’s soothing colors and joyful scenes of mother-and-child togetherness create a tranquil reading experience that moms and their little ones will love to share. Hugs, hand-holding, gentle caresses, and mirrored smiles demonstrate the strong and caring relationship between the two. Facing pages portraying mom at the office and the little girl at daycare or school show that they are each independent yet connected by thoughts and their mutual love.

A delightful and poignant book that is sure to become a daily read, In My Heart would be a favorite addition to home bookshelves and school and library collections.

Ages Baby and Up

Little Simon, 2020 | ISBN 978-1534454330

To learn more about Jenny Løvlie, her books, and her art, visit her website.

National Reading Month Activity

CPB - Heart Jar

Jar Full of Love

 

With this easy-to-make craft your child can see the love that’s in your heart. Whether you fill it up right away or add to it a day at a time, just looking at this jar will make your child happy. 

Supplies

  • A clear jar with a lid—you can use a recyclable plastic or glass jar or buy a mason jar or other decorative jar at a craft store
  • Red felt
  • Scissors

Directions

1. Cut red hearts from the felt

2. Add hearts to the jar in a way that’s meaningful to you and your child. Here are some ideas:

  • Fill the jar all the way to the top to show your child how your heart overflows with love for them
  • Add one heart every day. As you and your child put it in the jar, talk about a time during the day that you thought about each other.
  • Add one heart for each thing you love about your child, Write one trait on each heart
  • Add a heart each time you do something fun together

3. Display the jar in your child’s room or somewhere else they can see it

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You can find In My Heart at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

March 12 – It’s Women’s History Month

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About the Holiday

National Women’s History Month is all about celebrating women who broke barriers with their intelligence, creativity, courage, persistence, and unwavering confidence in their abilities. In every discipline, women have brought and continue to bring new perspectives, experiences, and talents to make contributions toward a better world. Celebrate this month-long holiday by reading about some women pioneers in all areas. Today’s book is a great place to start!

By Jakki Licare

Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist

Written by Jess Keating | Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

 

Eugenie’s favorite place was the aquarium. She loved the smell, the colors of the fish, but most of all she loved the sharks. Eugenie wondered what it would be like to live underwater and swim with the sharks. She had to find out. In the summer, Eugenie’s mother took her to Atlantic City. “Stuffing sticky gum into her ears to keep the water out, Eugenie dove, … down, …down, …down.” She pretended to be a shark swimming strong through water. 

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Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2017, text copyright Jess Keating, 2017. Courtesy of Sourcebooks Explore.

Most people were scared of sharks, but Eugenie thought they were magnificent.  She was determined to learn more about them. “So she dove…this time into books.” At the library she learned about every shark she could find. She also became Queens County Aquarium Society’s youngest member. While Eugenie’s mother couldn’t give her a pet shark, she did surprise Eugenie with a fifteen gallon fish tank. Eugenie bought guppies, clown fish and snails. 

As Eugenie grew older she decided to become a zoologist, but many professors didn’t encourage her. Most thought women couldn’t and shouldn’t be scientists. “Eugenie knew better. Her dream was as big as a whale shark. So again, Eugenie dove.” She studied hard and rose to the top of her field. 

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Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2017, text copyright Jess Keating, 2017. Courtesy of Sourcebooks Explore.

Eugenie was ready to finally dive into the ocean. In the red sea, she discovered three new species. In the Palau Islands, Eugenie finally saw her first wild shark. It was beautiful. At the time many believed sharks had to always be moving to stay alive, but Eugenie discovered caves with sharks resting together. “Eugenie had proven she was smart enough to be a scientist and brave enough to explore the oceans.”

Still most of the world believed sharks to be dangerous and hunting sharks was very common. Eugenie wanted to prove to the world that sharks weren’t ‘mindless killers.’ Eugenie created an experiment where she would train a shark to push a target. It was a success! Sharks even remembered their training two months later. Eugenie proved that sharks were smart and deserved to be protected. 

Facts about sharks, a detailed timeline of Eugenie Clark’s life, and an Author’s Note follow the text.

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Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2017, text copyright Jess Keating, 2017. Courtesy of Sourcebooks Explore.

Jess Keating’s straightforward manner of writing really homes in on the  struggles and successes of Eugenie Clark. Keating adds in splashes of nautical language,  making this a fun and engaging read. Eugenie’s fight for gender equality was a strong theme that ties in nicely with the world’s misunderstanding of the sharks that Eugenie loved. In Eugenie’s college years, Keating writes how people tried to convince Clark to be a secretary or housewife and poignantly points out that even after she earned her degree many still doubted her ability. Young readers can see how Eugenie didn’t let that stop her from doing what she was meant to do.

Keating emphasizes not only Clark’s passion, but her hard work and courage in a variety of situations as well. The picture book begins with Clark’s passion for sharks and then transitions to the brave girl trying to deep dive with bubble gum in her ears. Later, Keating shows the reader how hard Eugenie worked to earn her degree and how brave she was to deep dive alone. The conclusion of the book  circles back to her passion to protect her beloved sharks’ through scientific experiments. Kids with any passion can see how hard work and perseverance can create a huge impact on the world.  

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Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2017, text copyright Jess Keating, 2017. Courtesy of Sourcebooks Explore.

Marta Álvarez Miguéns’ illustrations are beautiful and whimsical. Bright blues and greens invite you to dive right in.  Sharks swim through the library aisles while Eugenie reads and tag along with her through her aquarium trip. The illustrations do a great job of reinforcing Clark’s determination and courage. In the college classrooms Miguéns depicts Eugenie as the only girl in the lecture hall. She depicts her with squinty eyed determination; taking notes while the rest of her classmates look bored. Eugenie is also illustrated bravely diving alone with sharks.

The sharks’ large eyes make the sharks feel friendly and encourages the readers to give them a chance as well. In the conclusion of the book, Miguéns shows Eugenie standing next to a little girl who looks happily at the sharks. This illustration emphasizes the fact that Clark’s scientific achievements have given younger generations the chance to enjoy sharks as well.  The end pages are covered with realistic depictions of different types of sharks and nautical sea creatures, allowing those less familiar with these animals to analyze and compare.

Shark Lady is not just for shark enthusiast. This wonderful book shows us  that any dream is possible with hard work and perseverance. It would make an inspiring addition to home, school, and public library collections.

 Ages 4 – 8 and up

Sourcebooks Explore, 2017 | ISBN 978-1492642046 (Hardcover) | Scholastic, 2018 ISBN 978-1338271478 (Paperback)

Discover more about Jess Keating and her books and illustrations on her website.

To learn more about Marta Álvarez Miguéns, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Women’s History Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-shark-fin-craft

Fintastic Shark Fun

 

Eugenie wanted to swim with the sharks and now you can too! Follow the directions below and to make your own shark fin. 

Supplies

  • 2 pieces of 8.5 x 11 gray cardstock paper
  • Ribbon
  • Tape
  • Scissors
  • Pencil

fin outline white

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Directions

  1. Tape the top of the two pieces of paper together
  2. Fold them back together
  3. Measure an inch up from the bottom of the papers (the un-taped side) and trace a straight line across both papers
  4. Trace a shark fin outline onto your paper. The shark outline should stop an inch above the bottom
  5. Cut out the fin on both pieces of paper. If you should cut through the tape, re-tape the tops together
  6. Fold along the lines of both papers so the folds face towards each other.
  7. Tape the folds so the fin becomes a triangle
  8. Cut two slits parallel to the folded lines
  9. Thread ribbon through slits

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You can find Shark Lady at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

 

March 11 – COVER REVEAL!

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From a New York Times bestselling author with over fifteen million books in print, the hilarious story of an injury-prone reindeer who saves Christmas:

Comet, the Unstoppable Reindeer

By Jim Benton

 

It’s the night before Christmas, and Comet is ready…until he’s injured in an unexpected elf incident and replaced by a rookie named Freddy.

Comet can’t believe his bad luck. Then he realizes something even worse—in all the confusion, Santa has left the toys behind and isn’t answering his phone. Injury and all, Comet sets out to deliver the presents, crisscrossing the globe from Japan and Egypt to France and Cleveland. After a run-in with a goose, a near miss with a minivan, and too many chimney crash landings to count, can Comet hobble his way into pulling off a Christmas miracle?

Ages 3 – 7 

Two Lions, 2020 | ISBN 978-1542043472

Comet, the Unstoppable Reindeer will be released on September 15. The book is now available to preorder.

About the Author

Jim Benton Photo

Photo by Laurie Tennent

Jim Benton is the award-winning creator of the New York Times bestselling series Dear Dumb Diary and Franny K. Stein as well as the popular It’s Happy Bunny brand. His books have sold more than fifteen million copies in twenty-five countries and have garnered numerous honors. Like Comet, Jim knows what it’s like to hobble around in a cast; however, he is still learning to fly. Find out more about him at www.jimbenton.com.

You can connect with Jim Benton on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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You can preorder Comet, the Unstoppable Reindeer on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 10 – International Day of Awesomeness

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About the Holiday

Today we celebrate awesomeness, and in particular the fact that you are awesome! Begun as an inside joke among coworkers, International Day of Awesomeness continues to grow, attracting more and more awesome individuals around the world. To celebrate get creative and perform feats of awesomeness—whatever that might mean to you. You can also read about awesome people and their accomplishments to get you fired up to do awesome things of your own all through the year. Why not start with today’s book?!

Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama (Work It, Girl Series)

Written by Caroline Moss | Illustrated by Sinem Erkas

 

Encouraging, supportive, and always smiling, Michelle Obama inspired millions of kids across the country during her eight years as First Lady and continues to motivate children to be and become the best version of themselves. Through her fast-paced, engrossing biography, Caroline Moss creates a reading experience that gives children the opportunity to get to know their idol the way friends do: by talking together. In ten short, but information-packed chapters, Moss captures Michelle’s voice and spirit through snapshots of formative events that influenced and changed her life, all told in a conversational style with plenty of dialogue and fascinating details.

Accompanying this personal narrative are Sinem Erkas’s stunning 3-D cut paper artwork. Bold colors, stirring imagery, and portraits that follow Michelle through times of happiness, sadness, and change reveal to readers Michelle’s intelligence, spark, hard work, and enthusiasm for life that fuels her vision and success.

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

In Chapter 1, readers are invited in to Michelle’s home on her 8th birthday. They learn about her family, the house they share with relatives, including her favorite aunt, Aunt Robbie, and the loving atmosphere that formed her values and sense of community that “would inspire her to go on and change communities across the US – and beyond.”

Chapter 2 takes readers into Michelle’s second-grade classroom, where “she loved reading, making up stories in her head and on the page, and creating art” and was frustrated by the inattention of the other kids who always seemed to be “bouncing off the walls.” Here they also discover certain events on her road from that classroom to high school graduation that helped Michelle develop her strength and self-confidence.

In Chapter 3 Michelle enters Princeton University, the college of her dreams. She makes friends, gets a job that “helped her think about a world outside her own,” and had a small, but life-changing experience that made her realize that “she did not have to blend into the background” or always “take the easy route. She started to imagine herself as a helper and an influential voice in her community, as a smart mind with ideas to share with the world.”

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

By Chapter 5 Michelle has graduated from Harvard Law School and taken a job at a Chicago law firm. But while she loved her job, she was struggling with medical challenges faced by her father and her best friend. “Michelle had a lot to juggle, but she was becoming pretty awesome at taking on lots of different tasks with a smile.” When does Michelle meet Barak? That comes in Chapter 6, when he got a job at the same law firm Michelle worked for. Readers get to hear about his first day on the job and the impression he made on her, how she came to think of him as her best friend at work, and about their first date.

Chapter 7 begins as Michelle is thinking about the course she wants her life to take. She realizes that she didn’t want to be a lawyer. “But what did she want to be; who did she want to be? Michelle had no idea, but she knew she wanted to change the world around her and leave it better than she found it.” She soon found herself working at Chicago City Hall. Her enthusiasm and success there led her to be hired by an organization that “found inspiring young people who showed promise in making a difference” and who would go on to “take leadership jobs in their communities.” It was also during this time that Barak proposed and took a new job helping to register first-time voters.

In Chapter 8, the Obamas’ lives take a big leap toward their future as Michelle gets a new job with the University of Chicago, where she was to “create a sustainable program that would help connect the university with its community.” During these years Malia and Sasha are born and Barack runs for and wins a seat in the US Senate, going on to become President. What did Michelle think about all of these changes? Young readers will discover her conflicting feelings: wariness, excitement, pride, and the belief that “one person could make a difference.”

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Image copyright Sinem Erkas, 2020, text copyright Caroline Moss, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

As Chapter 9 opens, Michelle and Barack and their family have moved into the White House. For Michelle that meant developing an “‘official initiative’ for her time in the White House.” Readers learn how she designed her ‘Let’s Move!’ program, aimed at keeping “kids healthy through education and learning good habits.” In Chapter 10, the Obamas leave the White House, “but Michelle knew her story had just begun.” She wrote a book sharing her stories and her life. Now new adventures await her and it will “only be a matter of time before she [sets] out to change the world once more.”

Sprinkled throughout the text are inspirational quotes from Michelle Obama that are called out in eye-catching blocks and soaring illustrations. Back matter includes ten key lessons from Michelle Obama’s life on how to become a leader, questions to prompt kids to think about what is important to them, and resources for further reading and exploration.

Emphasizing family, community, self-confidence, and the importance of seizing opportunities to make a difference, Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama is highly recommended for home, school, and public libraries to hearten and embolden young readers to listen to their inner voices and take action for what they believe in.

Ages 8 – 12 and up

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-0711245181

Discover more about Caroline Moss and her books on her website.

To learn more about Sinem Erkas, her books, and her art, visit her website.

International Day of Awesomeness Activity

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Awesomeness Cards

 

Do you have some awesome people in your life? Give them one of these printable Awesomeness Cards and watch them smile!

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You can find Become a Leader Like Michelle Obama at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

March 9 – National Reading Month World So Wide Book Tour

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About the Holiday

Starting off with Read across America Day on March 2nd, the month celebrates reading, its joys, and benefits. When you read with your child or children every day you’re helping them develop the language and literacy skills that will promote future success in school and beyond. Even if your child isn’t talking yet, they’re listening and learning about their language as you read to them. Older kids also love being read to, and setting aside time to read together builds strong bonds that can last a lifetime. The month is officially marked with special events in schools, libraries, bookstores, and communities that bring authors, illustrators, and educators together with kids. 

I received a copy of World So Wide from Two Lions for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own. I’m happy to be teaming with Two Lions in a giveaway of the book. See details below.

World So Wide

Written by Alison McGhee | Illustrated by Kate Alizadeh

 

As a new mom and dad welcome their baby into the world, they marvel that somewhere in the world a child is the “youngest person alive” just “opening their eyes” to…what? To something outside or to “the love in someone’s eye?” Will the first thing they hear be tender words, the first touch a warm embrace?

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Image copyright Kate Alizadeh, 2020, text copyright Alison McGhee, 2020. Courtesy of Two Lions.

Then with wonder these new parents address their own new baby—the youngest person in the world whose first sight was their smile. As their baby grows, they tell them there was “so much you wanted to say, / so much we wanted to hear, / so many firsts along the way.” And looking forward into their son’s bright future, they hope that one day the “newest person in the world / will open their eyes to see / a grown-up you smiling back at them.”

This mom and dad, their hearts bursting with love, tell their little one that when he has a baby of his own, he too will “hold that baby tight” and reveal to them a “life that’s bright and true” just as they will do for him—who is their new world.

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Image copyright Kate Alizadeh, 2020, text copyright Alison McGhee, 2020. Courtesy of Two Lions.

Alison McGhee puts into words that heart-swelling awe new parents feel for their babies as they contemplate this new life in the world, all the firsts to come, and the journey they will share with their child into the future. Her lyrical story offers adults gentle assurances of unending love to share with their little ones. As the babies grow into toddlerhood and begin navigating the worlds of school and activities, the open-ended text invites adults and kids to engage in explorations of what they see, hear, feel, and think, creating a new experience with each reading.

Wispy, dreamy, and full of movement, Kate Alizadeh’s vibrant illustrations are moving snapshots of those moments that mean so much—gazing into a newborn’s eyes, cradling that tiny body in your arms, and watching as they become their own person. Lovely spreads of rolling fields dotted with wildflowers mirror the wider world while projections of the baby’s future see a young man with a child of his own living in the city and exploring the seaside.

A warm and gentle hug in a book, World So Wide would make a touching baby shower or new baby gift as well as a sweet addition to home libraries for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers to share their deep love for their child.

Ages Baby – 6

Two Lions, 2020 | ISBN 978-1542006330

About the Author

Alison McGhee is the author of many highly acclaimed works. Her children’s books include the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds; the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winning Bink & Gollie, cowritten with Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Tony Fucile; and the Christopher Award–winning Firefly Hollow, illustrated by Christopher Denise. Her novels for adults include Pulitzer Prize nominee Shadow Baby and Never Coming Back. She lives in Minnesota, Vermont, and California. Learn more at www.alisonmcghee.com. You can connect with Alison on Instagram | Twitter

About the Illustrator

Kate Alizadeh is the author-illustrator of Quiet and the illustrator of That Is Actually MY Blanket, Baby! by Angie Morgan. Her distinctive hand lettering appears on the covers of Unboxed and Second Best Friend by Non Pratt, and her black-and-white illustrations are featured in Proud: Stories, Poetry and Art on the Theme of Pride, compiled by Juno Dawson. A graduate of Falmouth University, she is currently based in Northern Ireland. Learn more at www.katealizadeh.net. You can connect with Kate on Instagram | Twitter

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You can find World So Wide at these booksellers

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

March 6 – It’s National Reading Month

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About the Holiday

The month of March is a reading lover’s favorite! Why? Because from the 1st to the 31st, every day is dedicated to reading. Special events for adults and children take place at libraries, bookstores, community centers, and schools, bringing authors, illustrators, educators, and readers together to get them excited about this favorite past time. A love of reading is a life-long pleasure with so many benefits. 

You Are Mine, Porcupine

Written by Helen Wilbur | Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman

 

A mother porcupine is teaching her little pup the ways of their world. Because porcupines move rather slowly, her first lesson is to beware of the dangers, like bears and wolves, that lurk in the forest. She reminds her little one: “So don’t forget those long, sharp spines / Protect all wandering porcupines.” The baby sleeps the day away in a hollow log, coming out at night for “porcu-play.”

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Image copyright Stephanie Fizer Coleman, 2020, text copyright Helen L. Wilbur, 2020. Courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press.

After dinner, mama porcupine shows her porcupup how they use their “claws and padded feet” to “climb where porcu-grown-ups sleep.” After a swim, the little pup is lured away from his mother’s side by the promise of sweet clover and dandelions. But after nibbling his fill, porcupette discovers he is lost. Unseen by the pup, “a wolf creeps softly through the night, / His eyes aglow, his teeth shine white.”

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Image copyright Stephanie Fizer Coleman, 2020, text copyright Helen L. Wilbur, 2020. Courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press.

But he smells the wolf coming close and knows just what to do. He doesn’t back away or flee but instead starts to chatter. The wolf moves closer, his teeth are near, but the porcupup raises his quills. “A growl, a howl––the wolf backs out, / A pack of prickles in his snout!” Hearing the ruckus, Mama hurries over and is proud to see that her little one has sent the wolf running. Now, it’s time to have some fun. They find tasty berries for a snack then curl up in their tree trunk den. As Mama sings “porcu-lullabies” she reassures her porcupette, “‘You’ll grow and grow; you’ll be just fine. / You are mine, porcupine.’”

Back matter reveals interesting facts about porcupines, their quills, teeth, diet, and habits.

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Image copyright Stephanie Fizer Coleman, 2020, text copyright Helen L. Wilbur, 2020. Courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press.

With charming rhymes, lovely language, and clever endearments, Helen L. Wilbur teaches readers about the life of a porcupine through her sweet mother-and-child story. Sprinkled with suspense, the story will captivate kids as they explore the forest with a porcu-peer and cheer as he outwits an adversary. and Wilbur’s heartening tale also shows children how much they are loved and reassures them that they too will grow up to be brave, smart, resourceful, and just fine.

Stephanie Fizer Coleman’s striking illustrations of a forest at twilight invites readers into the porcupines’ world where they slumber in a hollow log, nibble clover, and climb a tree. Her mottled greens and violets, accented with vibrant foliage, create a peaceful and tender setting for the mama porcupine’s important lessons. The silhouette of the wolf gives way on the next page to obvious danger, but is little porcupine paying attention? Readers need not worry as the porcupette knows just what he’s doing—an instinct clearly shown in the following spread. Along the way, children will enjoy finding other forest creatures behind trees, in tall grasses, and among branches. The final pages, dotted with cheerful flowers and depicting the porcupines’ delightful mother/child relationship, make this an engaging daytime or bedtime book.

Lyrical, comforting, and informative, You Are Mine, Porcupine makes a sweet, multilayered addition to home, school, and public library collections.

Ages 5 – 7

Sleeping Bear Press, 2020 | ISBN 978-1534110038

Discover more about Helen L. Wilbur and her books on her website.

To learn more about Stephanie Fizer Coleman, her books, and her art, visit her website.

National Reading Month Activity

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Cute Porcupine Coloring Page

 

This little porcupine is just waiting for you to come and play, so print this coloring page, grab your crayons, and have fun!

Cute Porcupine Coloring Page

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You can find You Are Mine, Porcupine at these booksellers

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

Picture Book Review

March 5 – It’s International Ideas Month

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About the Holiday

The onset of spring with its  wide-open sunny days seems to beckon to us to open our minds to all sorts of new possibilities. Perhaps that’s why International Ideas Month is celebrated in March. This creative holiday invites would-be inventors and clever folk of all stripes to think differently and pay attention to your brainstorms. You never know––there may be a book, a work of art, a new invention, or a solution to a need inside you just waiting to be let out!

I received a copy of The Story of Inventions from Frances Lincoln Books for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

The Story of Inventions: A First Book about World-Changing Discoveries

Written by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams | Illustrated by Amy Husband

 

It might be said that inventions have been around as long as there was a need. But which invention really got things rolling? That would be the wheel, and that’s where The Story of Inventions begins. The wheel dates back to the Bronze Age––3500 BCE. Laid flat, stone wheels helped potters make pots faster and in different shapes. Wheels for vehicles took longer to be developed.

Once horse-drawn chariots came into being, though, what was one of the first things they were used for? “They bumped across Asia to Egypt, where they carried Egyptian archers into war.” The Romans built roads and suspension and smoothed out the ride. Eventually, rubber tires were invented, highways were built, and tires thick, thin, threaded, large, and small “roll around Earth and rove off-road on Mars.”

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Image copyright Amy Husband, 2020, text copyright Catherine Barr and Steve Williams, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

Today’s GPS can be traced back to 270 BCE with the invention of the lodestone compass in China. China was also the place where paper had its beginning under a mulberry tree. This first paper, invented in 105 AD, was a messy concoction of mulberry bark mashed up and combined with rags and water. Pressed flat and dried, this early paper was used for wrapping and for writing. Today, of course, paper is used for our newspapers, artwork, and even this book.

Telling time by sundial used to rely on the weather, but as bigger and better clocks were invented—beginning in 725 CE and using some pretty amazing technology—it became easier and easier to make it to school, to the office, to meet friends…. Now there are atomic clocks that, in space, are so accurate they lose “only a second every 15 billion years.” In 850 CE, gunpowder was invented by mistake, but it changed the face of war forever.

Jumping ahead to 1712, “water, wind, and horse power” were replaced when the invention of the coal-powered steam engine revolutionized transportation and how and where people worked. “Today coal and oil still power most electricity on Earth. But these fossil fuels are polluting our skies, so sun, water, and wind are once again being used to help us survive this threatening climate change.”

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Image copyright Amy Husband, 2020, text copyright Catherine Barr and Steve Williams, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

The invention of vaccinations in 1798, computers in the 1830s, electricity in 1832, the telephone in 1876, the automobile in 1886, and the airplane in 1903, bring us to 1907 and the invention of plastic. With its many traits and uses, plastic “quickly became one of the most useful materials people had ever seen.” But now plastic is “piling up, polluting and poisoning the planet. By recycling and other measures, “we can help wildlife and protect the environment too.”

As World War II raged in 1945, scientists discovered how to split the atom, leading to the development of the nuclear bomb. “Just two nuclear bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people in Japan at the end of World War II. These explosions shocked the world and people everywhere marched for peace to ban the bomb.” Today efforts to keep the world safe from nuclear weapons continues. The relatively recent invention of the internet and today’s focus on nanotechnology are changing the world every day. How will we use them “to care for each other and the planet Earth? One day you may decide.”

A glossary of words used throughout the book follows the text.

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Image copyright Amy Husband, 2020, text copyright Catherine Barr and Steve Williams, 2020. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

Focusing on revolutionary inventions, how they work, and what effect they have had on the earth instead of particular inventors, Catherine Barr and Steve Williams weave together a fast-paced survey of life-changing technologies throughout history. Brief descriptions of each invention follow its trajectory from its development date through improvements over time to today’s version. Fascinating nuggets of information are found within each account and will entice readers to learn more. But this book contains more than just a list of inventions. The thread of a cautionary tale also runs through the text, engaging readers to think not only about how inventions can positively change the world but also to consider their deleterious effects. Highlighting new innovation, Barr and Williams offer the promise of new innovation and invite readers to lend their creativity and voice to finding solutions. 

Through her charming cartoon illustrations Amy Husband takes readers from Bronze Age brick buildings to the surface of Mars, with tours past the Roman Colosseum, down dusty hoof-trodden lanes, along four-lane highways, and even with a pitstop at an electric car charging station. Her ship captains from various eras navigate by the stars, a lodestone, a compass, and GPS. Husband’s detailed images help readers envision early versions of inventions and how they have changed over time as well as the problems that precipitated some inventions. In the case of pollution, plastics, war, and climate change, Husband depicts examples of both the causes and how people are trying to make things better.

Offering a dual way for readers at home and in the classroom to learn about and from inventions of the past and today, The Story of Inventions will spark discussions on and further research into the innovations that have influenced and made modern times.

Ages 5 – 8

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2020 | ISBN 978-0711245365

Discover more about Catherine Barr and her books on her website.

To learn more about Amy Husband, her books, and her art, visit her website.

International Ideas Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-share-your-bright-idea-activity

Share Your Bright Idea! Page

 

Do you sometimes have a lightbulb moment when an idea seems just right? Use this printable Share Your Bright Idea! Page to write about or draw your idea!

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You can find The Story of Inventions at these booksellers

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

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