June 28 – It’s National Camping Month

About the Holiday

June is the perfect month to explore the great outdoors up close through camping. Whether you enjoy pitching a tent, renting a cabin, or parking an RV, all the enjoyment of hiking, fishing, swimming, and of course toasting marshmallows and singing around the campfire await! If you’re more of a stay-at-home camper, the wilds of the backyard (or even the family room) offer plenty of adventure!

Wild About Camping

Written by Jane Whittingham | Illustrated by Bryanna Chapeskie

Two kids are excited to be “out the door, down the stairs,” and on their way to the woods for a camping trip. Winding roads take this sister and brother into the heart of the forest, but they’re not the only ones who are ready for an adventure. As the little girl secures the guy rope at the front of the tent, two “pulling, tugging moose” assist in the back.

With the tent set up, brother and sister run to the beach and begin building a sandcastle while not far away a pair of industrious “digging, scurrying squirrels” try to hide their piles of acorns before the seagull descends. And, of course, swimming is enjoyed by kids and loons alike!

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Image copyright Bryanna Chapeskie, 2022, text copyright Jane Whittingham, 2022. Courtesy of Nimbus Publishing Limited.

Dinner time is just the beginning of a full night of treats and songs and spooky stories – all echoed by woodland creatures who add their own take on after-dinner snacks, nighttime music, and “eerie sounds.” Too soon, it’s time for sleeping bags for a tired sister and brother as well as a family of “tunnelling, burrowing moles” below.

Of course, summer camping trips aren’t made for turning in early, but for late-night laughs under a star-filled sky for all “wishing, dreaming kids.”

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Image copyright Bryanna Chapeskie, 2022, text copyright Jane Whittingham, 2022. Courtesy of Nimbus Publishing Limited.

Jane Whittingham’s bouncy, rhythmic story delights with surprising and funny juxtapositions that bring kids and forest animals together to enjoy a favorite summer activity. Her short, exuberant sentences will spur kids to read along – and maybe even add their own woodland creatures to the party.

The vivacious kids and lively animals in Bryanna Chapeskie’s vibrant illustrations will entice readers to keep turning the pages to discover who is joining the camping trip next. The brother and sister’s ear-to-ear smiles are infectious, and there are plenty of humorous details to keep the giggles going right up to the starry end, when they can join in with the brother and sister as they “Hee Hee! Ha Ha!” into the night.

A fun and lively read aloud, Wild About Camping is a spirited romp that will get kids excited about camping trips long or short, outdoors or in. A charming addition for home and library bookshelves for summer story times or winter warmups.

Ages 4 – 8

Nimbus Publishing Limited, 2022 | ISBN 978-1774710432

Discover more about Jane Whittingham and her books on her website.

You can connect with Bryanna Chapeskie on Instagram.

National Camping Month Activity

Pretend Campfire

Kids and their friends and family can enjoy the cozy fun of a campfire in their own family room with this craft that’s easy to make from recycled materials. While the supplies might make the campfire artificial, kids will love it if the marshmallows are the real thing!

Supplies

Three or four paper or cardboard tubes
Cylindrical bread crumbs or oatmeal container
Tissue paper in red, orange, and yellow
Brown craft paint
Brown marker
Brown construction paper or white paper
Strong glue or hot glue gun
Chopsticks (one for each person)
Marshmallows

Directions

To Make the Logs

Cover the ends of the tubes with circles of brown construction paper or white paper and glue into place
Paint the tubes and the ends if needed, let dry
Paint the sides of the cylindrical container with the brown paint, let dry
With the marker draw tree rings on the ends of the tubes. Decorate the sides with wavy lines, adding a few knot holes and swirls.

To Make the Fire

Cut 9 squares from the tissue paper (3 in each color, about 8 to 6-inch square)
Layer the colors and gather them together at one tip. Fold over and hold them together with a rubber band.
To Assemble the Campfire
Stack the tube logs
Put the tissue paper fire in the middle of the logs

To “Roast” Marshmallows

Stick marshmallows on chopsticks for “roasting” and eating!

You can keep your logs and fire in the cylindrical log until the next time!

**You can find Wild About Camping at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support you’re local, independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 27 – It’s Pride Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

To commemorate the Stonewall Riots, which took place in Manhattan on June 28, 1969 as a protest demanding the establishment of places where LGBTQ+ people could go and be open about their sexual orientation without fear of arrest, Brenda Howard instituted Gay Pride Week and the Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade in 1970. These events later inspired the New York City Pride March, which became a catalyst for the formation of similar parades and marches across the world. Pride Month was officially recognized in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. During the month of June the LGBTQ+ community celebrates diversity, cultural accomplishments and influence, and the strides that have been made politically and socially.

The month also highlights the need for renewed vigilance to protect hard-won rights while moving forward to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community achieves full equality and acceptance. Globally, activists work year-round to end abuses and advocate for laws and policies to protect all. Around the world, the rainbow flag, designed in 1978 by American artist, gay rights activist, and U.S. Army veteran Gilbert Baker, flies proudly over a variety of events, including parades, marches, concerts, book readings, parties, and workshops.

Sam Is My Sister

Written by Ashley Rhodes-Courter | Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley

All summer long, brothers Evan, Sam, and Finn “played with trains, climbed trees, and fished in the river behind Grandpa’s house.” They made a rocket from a cardboard box and shot into outer space. “‘Zoom! Zoom! Brothers to the moon!’ Evan cheered.” When they went to the library, they gathered all the books about space they could find and headed to the check-out desk. But on the way, Sam spied a “glittery book that had a long-haired princess on the cover.” He took it from the shelf and checked that one out too.

Outside the library, Evan wanted to know why Sam wanted “‘a girl book instead of a space book.'” Their mom said “‘Books are for everyone to enjoy,'” and Sam said that girls could go to space too, but Evan still didn’t understand why Sam wanted that book. Soon it was time to get haircuts before school began. Evan and Finn had their hair cut short, like dad’s, but Sam was happy with long hair. Mom and Dad said okay. Evan quietly asked Dad why Sam didn’t want to look like them anymore. Dad told him that was up to Sam. Evan did see how happy Sam looked.

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Image copyright MacKenzie Haley, 2021, text copyright Ashley Rhodes-Courter, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

On the first day of school, Sam asked to wear a dress instead of shorts. Evan protested, saying “‘Dresses are for girls…. Why do you want to dress all wrong?'” Sam answered, “‘I want to wear what I like.'” Instead of a dress, Mom brought Sam a hair bow to wear. Sam loved it. But at school some of the older kids made fun of Sam and tried to grab the bow. One boy asked why Sam was wearing it and another said “‘Boys don’t put stuff in their hair.'” Sam shouted back, “‘Well, I do!'” and went to sit under the climbing dome. Evan chased after Sam and suggested they play spaceship, but Sam didn’t want to.

“Mom and Dad started letting Sam wear dresses after school and on the weekends. … Evan had never seen Sam so happy.” One day while drawing, Evan asked Sam about wanting to look like a girl. Sam explained, “‘Because I am a girl…. On the inside.'” Evan still didn’t understand, so Sam explained that it was like trying to draw with the wrong hand. When Evan tried it, he grew frustrated and understood that it just didn’t feel right. He was glad he didn’t have to do that all the time.

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Image copyright MacKenzie Haley, 2021, text copyright Ashley Rhodes-Courter, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

That night Mom and Dad sat down with Evan, Sam, and Finn and said they had talked with some doctors and experts. They explained what they had learned about how even though called a boy at birth, Sam identified as a girl. “‘The word for that is transgender,'” Mom said. “‘Yes, that’s me!’ said Sam.” Dad affirmed Sam’s right to choose what was best for her, and Mom said their job was making sure Sam, Evan, and Finn were “‘happy and healthy.'”

Later, while the kids were playing, Evan asked if they’d still be able to do all the same things they had always done together, and Sam said, “‘of course!'” When Sam began wearing dresses to school, neither the boys nor the girls wanted to play with her. Evan stood up for Sam, telling the kids, “‘Hey, don’t talk like that to my sister!'” Sam was happy to hear Evan call her his sister. That night as the three watched the moon rise, Finn and Evan wondered if Sam would still want to come with them. “‘Princesses can go to the moon,’ Sam whispered back. ‘Yes they can,’ Evan said. ‘Zoom! Zoom! Family to the moon!'”

Back matter includes an Author’s Note about her own family, on whom the story is based. as well as resources for adults looking for more information on organizations that support the LGBTQ community.

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Image copyright MacKenzie Haley, 2021, text copyright Ashley Rhodes-Courter, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

In her sweet and thoughtful story, Ashley Rhodes-Courter offers validation and acceptance for transgender children and their families. Through realistic dialogue and Evan’s often pointed questions and observations, Rhodes-Courter invites siblings and other family members, friends, and readers to engage in thinking, discussing, and understanding the feelings and experiences of a transgender child. She also depicts the types of hurtful comments and ostracizing that transgender children experience at school and in their communities. Rhodes-Courter uses these occurrences, however, to also demonstrate how supportive siblings can stand up for their sister or brother. Sam’s family’s strong and loving acceptance is a highlight of the story. As Sam begins to show a preference for long hair, princess books, and dresses, Rhodes-Courter demonstrates the steps, through language and actions, that parents and other adults can take to affirm a child’s autonomy and ultimately build a happy and inclusive family with unbreakable bonds.

MacKenzie Haley’s expressive illustrations will draw readers in with her depictions of imaginative play and the consistency of the siblings’ relationship throughout the changes taking place for Sam and within the family. Portrayals of Evan’s confusion lead into welcome images of his conversations with Mom and/or Dad as well as his unstinting embrace of and support for his sister. Images of the courage that Sam and Evan display in responding to the playground taunts will tug at readers’ hearts, and the family’s unity is inspiring.

An uplifting and heartwarming story that resonates with understanding for transgender children and beautifully depicts the acceptance all children should receive from family and their community. Sam Is My Sister is a must for inclusive family bookshelves and for all school and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 7

Albert Whitman & Company, 2021 | ISBN 978-0807506516

Discover more about Ashley Rhodes-Courter and her books and her advocacy work on the behalf of children on her website.

To learn more about MacKenzie Haley, her books, and her art on her website.

Pride Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-rainbow-magnet-craft

Rainbow Magnet

If you’re stuck on rainbows, you can make this mini rainbow to stick on your fridge or locker!

Supplies

7 mini popsicle sticks
Paint in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, Indigo, violet (ROYGBIV)
Adhesive magnet
A little bit of polyfill
Paint brush
Glue or hot glue gun

Directions

Paint one popsicle stick in each color, let dry
Glue the popsicle sticks together side by side in the ROYGBIV order, let dry
Roll a bit of polyfill into a cloud shape and glue to the top of the row of popsicle sticks
Attach the magnet to the back of the rainbow

**You can find Sam Is My Sister at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 22 – It’s National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

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About the Holiday

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month ushers in a full summer of delicious and nutritious eating with bushels of scrumptious strawberries, blueberries, peppers, squash, lettuce, tomatoes, and so much more. Whether you enjoy the season’s delicacies in a smoothie, as dessert, or as the highlight of a main course, the flavor of locally grown produce can’t be beat. June is also a perfect time to get kids involved in gardening and learning about the growth cycle of plants, fruit, and vegetables from the tiniest seed to ready to pick. Today’s book cleverly combines children’s fascination with this wonder of nature with their own beginnings.

How You Came to Be

Written by Carole Gerber | Illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi

Little ones are always interested in where they came from and how they were born, and parents fondly remember all those months of anticipation and love that led up to the birth of their child. But how can a mom (or dad) relay those special feelings and extraordinary changes in a way that a toddler or preschooler can understand?

In How You Came to Be, a mother talks lovingly to her baby using sweet, conversational language that is straightforward and sure to make both adult and child smile. Carole Gerber begins with the moment of conception when “…a wiggly little cell from another / joined a round little cell from me. … Together these two tiny cells formed / one brand-new cell that would become YOU.” Then with each month, Gerber offers size comparisons to a fruit or a vegetable to help little ones visualize their growth and the developmental changes that came with it, from a pea in the first month to a melon in the ninth.

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Image copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022. Courtesy of Rise x Penguin Workshop.

Along the way, kids discover that in the second month they were the “size of a kidney bean. / Your head was really big, / with lots of room inside / for your brain to grow.” They also learn about how their face was taking shape and the umbilical cord that nourished them. In the fifth month, little ones find out that while they were now the size of a banana, their bones were beginning to develop, their legs were getting longer, and they were able to kick. “Sometimes when I rubbed my belly, / I felt you thump back. / Was that your way of saying hello?” What a wonderful line for a mom to read to show a little one how strong their bond is and how long they’ve been communicating.

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Image copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022. Courtesy of Rise x Penguin Workshop.

“In the ninth month,” the mother narrator says, “you were large enough and strong enough to come out into the world.” She recalls all of the preceding months and ends with this message that every child will want to hear: “I loved you from the beginning / and I always will.”

Back matter includes a glossary of five words that adults can use for extended discussions with their child, a list of stages as a fetus develops the ability to move and the five senses. Two paragraphs also describe a vaginal birth and a C-section birth in language that is age accessible.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-how-you-came-to-be-baby

Image copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022. Courtesy of Rise x Penguin Workshop.

It’s easy to imagine a parent and child reading How You Came to Be while snuggling, giggling, and being amazed together. Carole Gerber’s scientifically sound and charming storytelling will make this book a family favorite, and offers a fun way to revitalize grocery shopping as well!

Sawsan Chalabi’s gorgeous illustrations, which juxtapose lush depictions of fruit and vegetables entwined with vines or growing on trees or in gardens with images of mothers thinking about and preparing for their baby’s arrival and are placed on velvety black backgrounds, draw readers of all ages into the marvels of birth. Her two-page spread of a mother cradling her newborn surrounded by wildflowers is as simply beautiful as the expression of love the page’s verse contains.

A tender and evocative way for parents and children to share their exquisite bond and unending love, How You Came to Be will make a much-appreciated baby shower or new baby gift and a favorite addition to family bookshelves as well as public library collections.

Ages 2 – 4

Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2022 | ISBN 978-0593225738

Discover more about Carole Gerber and her books on her website.

To learn more about Sawsan Chalabi, her books, and her artwork, visit her website.

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month Activity

Play with Your Food Games

Young children will have fun testing their memory and matching these fruits and vegetables from today’s book.

To Play a Memory Game

Print two copies of this Play with Your Food Memory Game Template
Cut the cards apart
Place the cards randomly face down on a table
Turn over one card and try to find it’s match. If the images on the card match, put them aside. If the cards don’t match put them back on the table and try again until a match is made. Continue playing until all the cards are matched.

To Play a Matching Game

Print two copies of this Play with Your Food Matching Game Board Template
Cut one template into individual fruit and vegetable cards
Let toddlers or preschoolers match the individual cards to the fruit and vegetables on the game board

**You can find How You Came to Be at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

June 1 – National Dinosaur Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today, we celebrate dinosaurs—those beasts that, although they are of a distant past, remain ever present in our hearts. Their size, diversity, and shear awesomeness make them a favorite of kids, and ongoing discoveries continue to fascinate adults as well. To celebrate, visit a national history museum, watch your favorite dinosaur movies or TV shows, join your kids in playing with their dinos (you know you want to!), and pick up today’s book!

Jack Horner, Dinosaur Hunter!

Written by Sophia Gholz | Illustrated by Dave Shephard

Growing up in Montana, Jack Horner was lulled to sleep by the “crunch, swoosh. Crunch, swoosh” of his father’s gravel business, and as soon as he was big enough to hold a shovel, he began digging. He loved being outdoors, searching for dinosaur bones. He dreamed of being a paleontologist when he grew up. His digging usually only produced rocks, sticks, and dirt, but once he “spied a peculiar rock” and when he had carefully swept the sand aside, he discovered a clamshell. His first fossil find made him look at his backyard differently – as “an ocean covering the land millions of years ago–an ocean filled with ancient beasts.” Jack wanted to find more fossils.