August 5 – National Family Fun Month

About the Holiday

Every month can be full of family fun, but in August we take time to celebrate the longer, more relaxed days of summer that can lead to special times together. Little ones especially love having fun while learning about the world and all its variations. This month is in many ways a transitional month as the weather can fluctuate from the high heat of summer to the cooling comfort of autumn, and the relaxed days of summer vacation return to the rigors of a school schedule. Today’s board book helps young children navigate these changes as they get ready to set their own course whether they’re going to daycare, starting school, or exploring from home!

Thanks to Charlesbride and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Manny Matches the Weather

Manny y el tiempo hacen juego (Spanish bilingual edition) (Steamworks)

Written by Jenny Lacika | Illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada | Translated by Anyeliz Pagan Munoz

In this welcoming board book, Manny finds that often when he dresses himself, the clothes he’s chosen aren’t quite right for the weather conditions. Manny knows he looks stylish in his outfits, but they sometimes let him down, leaving him sweating, shivering, or even soaked. He wants to learn how to pick just the right clothes.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada. Text copyright © 2026 by Jenny Lacika. Published by Charlesbridge, 2026

Mami suggests checking the temperature on a weather app, but Manny wants to figure out how to choose the right pants, shirts, shoes, and accessories “all by himself.” If only there were clues to help Manny decide. In fact, there are! Young readers will learn how they can read and gauge the temperature and other conditions from inside before they hit the outdoors as well as the skill of mixing and matching to attain the perfect combination of pieces that show off their unique style while keeping them perfectly comfortable every day.

Back matter titled “Picking up STEAM” discusses how children can use scientific tools like thermometers and observation to learn how different weather conditions and elements, such as shade and the color of the sky, look and feel. Manny Matches the Weather is part of STEAMWORKS, a series of fiction board books for ages 0-3 that relate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) to kids’ everyday lives.

Manny y el tiempo hacen juego

¡Ediciones simultáneas en Inglés y bilingüe en Español e Inglés! Acompaña a Manny a explorar la temperatura y el tiempo, ¡porque el STEAM es para todos y está en todos lados! Parte de STEAMWORKS, una serie de libros de cartón de ficción para niños de 0 a 3 años que relacionan la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería, las artes y las matemáticas (STEAM, por sus siglas en inglés) con la vida diaria de los niños.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada. Text copyright © 2026 by Jenny Lacika. Translated by Anyeliz Pagan Munoz. Published by Charlesbridge, 2026

In her engaging and confidence-building board book, Jenny Lacika introduces young children to a thoughtful and independent boy who recognizes a problem and determines to solve it on his own. The issue of dressing is unique to every child, depending on their tolerance for different weather conditions and their burgeoning sense of style. Encouraging kids to choose their own outfits and learn from their experiences even from the youngest ages is a meaningful step in their education and promotes self-reliance, creativity, and positive self-esteem. Lacika’s cheerful and straightforward text is sprinkled with questions that invite readers to share in Manny’s observations, while fostering the idea of scientific observation in themselves.

Antonieta Muñoz Estrada’s vibrant illustrations take kids into Manny’s room and outside to view how his clothing choices match the weather before he learns to take cues from what he sees and afterward. On each page, she gives readers many opportunities to point out and talk about various types of clothing and weather-dependent accessories; recognize sunny, rainy, windy, and snowy weather; and compare Mami’s weather-appropriate outfits to Manny’s as he learns.

Perfect to share with young children all year around, Manny Matches the Weather is an inviting and impactful board book that makes learning the important skill of weather-appropriate dressing fun while introducing the concept of scientific observation. It is a must for any library collection as well as daycare, preschool, and home bookshelves.

Ages Baby – 3

Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623546731

About the Author

Jenny Lacika is a children’s writer from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is the author of Beto’s Berry Treasure and Again, Essie?, winner of the Mathical Award. As a Chicana, MIT grad, chronically ill, mother of two, her work often explores themes relating to STEM education, disability and accessibility, and Chicanx culture and history. She now lives in her hometown with her husband and children.

About the Illustrator

Antonieta Muñoz Estrada is a kidlit illustrator and digital artist from Mexico. She graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Facultad de Bellas Artes in 2007, with a bachelor of visual arts degree, specializing in graphic design. She loves to draw funny, colorful characters with meaningful stories, and over all, she wants to make others happy with her illustrations. http://www.mariadrawss.com.

You can purchase Manny Matches the Weather from these booksellers

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You can purchase Manny y el tiempo hacen juego from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

August 4 – Hooray for Kids Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today we celebrate kids—their joy, exuberance, and nearly endless excitement to learn new things. The youngest children are especially enthusiastic as they discover their own way of looking at and interacting with the world. Today’s books explore skills that kids use every day in fun and helpful ways.

Thanks to Charlesbride and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Moon Chef | Chef luna

Written and Translated by Delia Ruiz | Illustrated by Nomar Perez

Gaby loves helping her parents in the kitchen, and she’s made a surprising observation! When she sees the moon through the windows of her house, its shape reminds her of her favorite foods. And what’s more—the shape of the moon is always changing! Sometimes the moon is a full circle like the rellenos de papa her family ate for dinner, but days later the moon is a half-circle, reminding Gaby of the empanadillas on the platter.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Nomar Perez. Text copyright © 2026 by Delia Ruiz. Published by Charlesbridge, 2026.

As she grabs a plantain to create tostones, she realizes it looks like the crescent moon she sees out the kitchen window. On another day, she decides that the “moon is hiding” as she licks her dusky blue “flan plate clean like new, and it blends in with the sky.” When the moon reappears, Gaby is happy to find other tasty snacks to track it’s progress back to a full moon for a complete “monthly moon menu.”

“Picking up STEAM” back matter includes a discussion of the moon and its shape as a sphere that goes through various stages throughout the month. Illustrations of the moon identify the eight lunar phases, educating kids about this phenomenon. Tips for how adults and children can explore the concepts in the book at the grocery store and while looking at the moon also make science learning fun. Moon Chef/Chef Luna is part of STEAMWORKS, a series of fiction board books for ages 0-3 that relate science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) to kids’ everyday lives.

Chef luna

¡Hola, Luna! Sigue el ciclo de las fases lunares a medida que Gaby llena su plato (¡y la barriga!) con alimentos que coinciden con la forma de la luna que ve en el cielo. De la media luna a la guayaba gibosa, las formas de los alimentos crecen y decrecen a medida que avanza el mes, al igual que las fases lunares. Amplía lo aprendido más allá de la historia con el material de apoyo elaborado por expertos, que incluye información adicional sobre las fases lunares y actividades STEAM divertidas.

Parte de Steamworks, una serie de libros de cartón de ficción para niños de 0 a 3 años que relacionan la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería, las artes y las matemáticas (STEAM, por sus siglas en inglés) con la vida diaria de los niños.

Delia Ruiz’s creativity in comparing whole and sliced fruit and vegetables as well as finished dishes to the phases of the moon will excite young readers and prompt them to do the same with their own favorite foods and objects around their homes. Concrete associations such as these make an impression as children learn to connect something they know to an unfamiliar concept or subject and extrapolate that knowledge to other topics. Ruiz’s Gaby is an enthusiastic companion for little ones discovering new tastes at home and exploring their world nearby and as far as the eye can see.

With vivid colors and a cheerful, busy home, illustrator Nomar Perez invites young children to find a wide variety of shapes from circles and half-circles to crescents and slivers as well as squares, ovals, diamonds, and abstract patterns on his pages. Kids will have fun making connections from room to room and talking about the differences between the circles and examples of spheres they find. Perez’s festive taco night, lit up by the moon, fireflies, and string lights and containing a full range of shapes, offers inspiration for readers to enjoy finding shapes at home themselves!

Ages Baby – 3

Charlesbridge, 2026 | ISBN 978-1623546700

About the Author

Delia Ruiz is a Latina teacher-turned-author from San Antonio, Texas. Her books include the ¡1, 2, 3 Baila! bilingual board book series, Ways Papi Says I Love You, Moon Chef, and Roqui’s Pandero Beat, winner of the International Latino Book award. Delia hopes to inspire the next generation of writers who also come from immigrant households. She lives in Puerto Rico with her husband, their son, and their pug. Visit her at aventurasenesl.com. You can follow her journey @aventuras.en.esl

About the Illustrator

Nomar Perez was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, in the city of Ponce, and moved with his parents and five siblings to Ohio when he was ten. Nomar is heavily influenced by all types of media, most especially animation, puppetry, and computer art. He studied computer animation and painting at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and since then has worked as an illustrator on social expression products in the categories of humor, children’s, and young adult. Nomar has also illustrated numerous children’s board books and school publishing books. Coquí in the City is his author-illustrator debut. Follow him on Instagram.

You can purchase Moon Chef from these booksellers

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You can purchase Chef luna from these booksellers

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February 26 – 18th Anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Opening

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

In 2008, after more than 20 years of discussion and planning, The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, opened its doors to deposits of seeds from around the world. The vault’s mission is one that encompasses both history and the future as the facility safeguards both heirloom and modern varieties of seeds for future planting in the event that farmland, plants, and seeds are lost due to natural and/or human-created events. Each year, the seed vault typically accepts deposits during a few days in February (around its anniversary date), June, and October. Today’s book brings the story of this important global resource to children.

Thank you to Charlesbridge and Barbara Fisch of Blue Slip Media for sending me this book for review!

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Written by Megan Clendenan | Illustrated by Brittany Cicchese

Imagine a vast vault carved into the heart of an arctic mountain where priceless treasure is kept safe from dangers like fire, floods, storms, war, and climate change. Sounds like a movie plot, doesn’t it? But there is such a vault—the Svalbard Global Seed Vault that protects perhaps the world’s most valuable resource: seeds.

Before Megan Clendenan and Brittany Cicchese take children on a tour of the Svalbard Seed Vault, they plant a wide range of knowledge about seeds themselves. Kids learn world-wide traditions for saving local crop seeds, in both fortress-like seed banks and “simple community spaces with jars of seeds on shelves,” that each variety of seed has a “unique genetic code” that determines everything about it, and why some seeds may face extinction.

Then it’s off to Norway to see where a group of engineers, scientists, and architects designed the vault that was to be built “in the middle of a frozen mountain.” Step by step, kids join the crew to see equipment arrive, hear the blast that facilitated the digging and carving of the tunnel, and even meet a hungry arctic fox they befriended.

Readers learn about security at the vault, witness the care with which farmers, gardeners, and collectors from around the world contribute seeds to the vault’s shelves, and discover that in the vault’s “first five years, 80,000 unique crop varieties arrived . . . !” They also see how crucial the seed vault is through the story of the first withdrawal of seeds from the bank that helped a war-torn country recover their crops. Today, “inside the vault, a walk down the aisles becomes a walk through the world” with “more than 580 million seeds. / For you, for me / for everybody. / Just in case.”

Back matter extends the discussion of some issues presented in the text, including the difficulty of keeping seeds safe, the vault itself, the need to continually update crop seeds to reflect evolutionary changes, and an author’s note.

With the allure and story-building of an adventure about hidden treasure, Megan Clendenan draws readers into the frozen, underground world of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, where the survival of crucial food crops is protected. Her clear and lyrical text (“steel doors open and beckon into the belly of a mountain,” “walls of ice shine like stars.”) keeps readers riveted to the historical and current facts about farming, seed harvesting, and this global facility that may be unknown to many. Easy-to-understand sidebars illuminate particular aspects of Clendenan’s subject, including, information on local seed banks around the world, varietal differences and the threat of extinction of some seeds, vault design and construction, seed storage conditions, and the first seed withdrawal.

Brittany Cicchese’s lovely illustrations take children to the arctic north to view the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, with it’s ethereal sculptural entrance, and its shelves lined with boxes of seeds before transporting them to various farms, gardens, markets, and seed repositories around the world. Cicchese’s detailed and realistic depictions clearly connect readers to those who grow and sell food, the design and construction of the vault from the meeting room to the mountain tunnel, the scientists and families who provide the seeds, and the plants that grow to feed us all.

An absorbing look at one of the world’s most important resources that also offers a sense of hope in its example of global collaboration, Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a must for school, classroom, and public libraries as well as for children who love gardening, farming, science, and food.

Ages 5 – 8

Charlesbridge, 2025 | ISBN 978-1623544805

Megan Clendenan studied sociology, English, and environmental planning and has worked for nonprofit organizations focused on environmental law, women’s empowerment, mental health, and urban food security. As a children’s book author, she loves writing nonfiction that explores the connections between history, society, and the environment. She is the author of Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet, Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment, and Cities: How Humans Live Together. She lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family and two fuzzy orange cats. This is her first picture book. You can visit her at meganclendenan.com.

Brittany Cicchese enjoys capturing emotion above all else, from expressive portraits to moody illustrations. She is the illustrator of The Kitten Story: A Mostly True Tale and No More Señora Mimí. When Brittany isn’t sketching or writing, you can find her working at the library, reading a good fantasy or sci-fi book, or hiking around the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Brittany lives in Denver, Colorado. Visit her at brittanycicchese.com.

Anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Opening Activity

Just in Case Activity Kit

Educators and families will enjoy using the comprehensive Just in Case Activity Kit from Charlesbridge, Megan Clendenan, and Brittany Cicchese! It includes Connection Activities for English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science; Discussion Questions; Tips to help children harvest seeds from their own fruit and vegetable plants; a garden planner; and a list of further resources. You can find the Just in Case Activity Kit on Megan Clendenan’s website and from Charlesbridge.

You can purchase Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault from these booksellers

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Picture Book Review

July 8 – Math 2.0 Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established in 2009, Math 2.0 Day celebrates math and technology and how these two disciplines complement each other. The day was conceived to bring together mathematicians, programmers, engineers, educators, and managers to raise awareness of the importance of math literacy at all levels of education. For kids a love of math and technology begins early as they experiment and explore every day during playtime, family time and even, as today’s book shows, at bedtime.

Thank you to Charlesbridge for sending me a copy of The Animals Would Not Sleep! for review consideration. All opinions about the books are my own.

The Animals Would Not Sleep!

Written by Sara Levine | Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

All of Marco’s stuffed “animals were making a ruckus” when his mom told him it was time to get cleaned up and ready for bed. She wanted to see all the toys put away, so Marco, who thought like a scientist, got to work. He wanted to sort his animals like a scientist would, so he got out three baskets and made signs for Flying Animals, Swimming Animals, and Animals That Move on Land. Then he picked up his dancing flamingo, bird, bat, and ladybug and put them in the first basket. He placed his octopus, stingray, frog, fish, whale, and seal in the second basket, and his dinosaur, giraffe, bears, snake, pangolin, gecko, mice, and zebra in the third basket.

But the animals were still wide awake, and “they egged one another on until not one remained in its container.” Marco thought they would settle down, but when his mom called the second time, he reconsidered his strategy. This time he made signs that sorted the animals by color, but zebra started to cry. He was afraid being in such close quarters with black-and-white snake and stingray, plus he missed his friend giraffe.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-the-animals-would-not-sleep-ruckus

Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2020, text copyright Sara Levine, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Marco decided to try again. He took all of his animals out and made signs that read Small, Medium, and Large. Things seemed to quiet down, so Marco began to put on his pajamas. But then he heard moaning and groaning coming from the Large basket. When he went to check, Dinosaur and Dancing Flamingo complained about being too cramped. Plus, Dancing Flamingo missed Rainbow Bear. Then he heard noises from the Small basket. Those animals weren’t happy either.

Marco’s mom gave him two minutes to get it all sorted out. Fortunately for Marco, being a scientist meant “he was used to coming up with ideas and thinking outside the box.” The animals were getting tired, and Yellow Bear had just burst into tears for no apparent reason. Like a good scientist, Marco cared about his animals and wanted them to be happy. He had one more sorting idea. With the large animals, medium-sized animals, and small animals all tucked in with plenty of room and their friends nearby on Marco’s bed, Marco got under the cozy covers. He got a goodnight kiss from Mom and then they all fell happily to sleep.

Back matter includes an illustrated Author’s Note about the way scientists sort, or classify, animals by their characteristics as well as a discussion that explores the math in the story. “Try This!” tips provided by Karen Economopoulos, co-director of the Investigations Center for Curriculum and Professional Development at TERC, give adults ideas for various ways to engage children in sorting.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-the-animals-would-not-sleep-marco

Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2020, text copyright Sara Levine, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Perfectly capturing the way young children interact with their toys, Sara Levine combines imagination and scientific thinking in her inventive story, part of the Storytelling Math series from Charlesbridge. In Marco, who’s proud of his scientific thinking, Levine shows readers that they, too, already think like a scientist. Marco’s empathy for his animals’ complaints will get kids thinking about classification and the various ways they might sort the animals. Levine’s use of realistic dialogue that echoes bedtime routines in many homes and gives each character—human and animal—distinct personalities will draw kids in to this charming story that is organically infused with strong math lessons. Levine gives Marco a sweet final solution to his problem that will please kids and have them wanting to extend the lessons in the story to their own toys and/or household objects while they think like a scientist too.

Marta Álvarez Miguéns opens the story with an enchantingly wild two-page spread where Marco stands in the middle of his room as his toys bounce on the bed, climb blocks, juggle, fly, and cause a ruckus. Turn the page, though, and these animals now lie motionless around the room as Mom peeks in to check on Marco. When Marco sorts his animals into the baskets, readers can clearly see which animals go where and why. Kids will knowingly giggle when the just-sorted animals spring from their resting places to prolong bedtime. Miguéns also plainly depicts Marco’s and the animals’ facial expressions from happy and playful to sad and crying to peaceful and satisfied. These images give adults and children an opportunity to discuss emotions and how to recognize various clues in faces, a skill important for social-emotional learning. Vivid colors, adorable animals, details such as alphabet blocks that stack or are turned to spell words, and kid-appealing décor will have kids wanting to come back again and again.

A book that’s sure to become a favorite at bedtime or to enhance classroom or homeschooling curriculum, The Animals Would Not Sleep! will spark mathematical and scientific thinking and recognition in all young learners. The book offers an irresistible invitation to experiment and interact with math and science and is a must for home, school, and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Charlesbridge, 2020 | ISBN 978-1623541286 (Hardcover) | ISBN 978-1623541972 (Paperback)

Discover more about Sara Levine and her books on her website.

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

About Storytelling Math

Storytelling Math offers books that celebrate children using math in their daily lives as they play, build, collaborate, compromise, and discover the world around them. Each story features characters of color who are empowered to solve problems, enjoy activities, and help out using their knowledge of and experimenting with math. Free downloadable hands-on activity kits are available for each book on the Charlesbridge website. Sharing these joyful stories with your littlest ones and older kids will make them eager to explore, use, and learn more about math every day. You can learn more about Storytelling Math on the Charlesbridge website.

Storytelling Math: Math, Diversity, and the Power of Story was developed with Marlene Kliman at TERC—a nonprofit dedicated to STEM education—under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Enjoy this The Animals Would Not Sleep! trailer with Author Sara Levine!

National Book Month Activity

The Animals Would Not Sleep! Activity Kit

You can have fun sorting and exploring math with your class or family with the Activity Kit for The Animals Would Not Sleep on the Charlesbridge website. Download it here!

The Animals Would Not Sleep Activity Kit

**You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers**

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To support your local independent bookstore, order from

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Picture Book Review

January 21 – Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum Blog Tour Stop

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today I’m excited to be a part of Natasha Yim and Violet Kim’s blog tour to share Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum, another engaging book in the Storytelling Math series from Charlesbridge that shows children how math occurs naturally in all aspects of their life and invites them to explore and experiment.

Thanks to Charlesbridge for sending me a digital copy of Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum for review consideration. All opinions of the book are my own.

Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum (Storytelling Math)

Written by Natasha Yim | Illustrated by Violet Kim

For Luna’s birthday, Ma Ma and Ba Ba take Luna and her brothers to a dim sum restaurant. They join the sound of happy voices and chopsticks that go “click, clickety, clack.” Servers wheel trolleys piled with plates and “baskets of dim sum. Warm smells of dumplings, buns, and sweet desserts tickle Luna’s nose.” Ba Ba asks the kids what they would like and Luna exclaims that she wants pork buns. Her older brother calls for two baskets, and her little brother Benji agrees. When the server brings two baskets of char siu bao to the table, the kids open the tops to find three buns in each.

Two buns for each of them, Benji proclaims. They each take a bun from the first basket, but just as Luna lifts hers up, it slips from her hand and falls to the floor— “Splat!” “‘Oh no!’” She takes a bun from the second basket. “‘That’s all you get,’ says Kai, and Benji seconds that. But Luna protests that it’s her birthday and she should get another bun. Benji and Kai gaze into the basket sadly, wondering what to do. Then Kai reminds his siblings that their mom always says they should respect their elders. But Benji remembers her saying “‘older kids should take care of younger kids,’” so he should get one too. And Luna? She exclaims that she’s the “‘birthday girl!’”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-luna's-yum-yum-dim-sum-two-buns-left

Image copyright Violet Kim, 2020, text copyright Natasha Yim, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

The three kids stare each other down. Finally, Luna suggests cutting the two buns in half, and they do. But who will get the extra half, Benji wonders. Kai and Benji both have reasons they should get it. And Luna? She exclaims that she’s the “‘birthday girl!’” Kai thinks they should divide the half in half, but Luna tells him they’d just be back to the beginning. Kai and Benji like the idea of using their animals from the lunar calendar to choose who gets the pieces, but each has a valid claim to a half. Luna has one more suggestion that makes the division fair but the pieces tiny. Then Luna looks around and sees a hungry little boy at the next table and knows just what to do with the extra half.

Backmatter includes a description of Dim Sum and the Chinese Zodiac as well as a paragraph that explores the math found in the story and four activities to get kids working with math.

Natasha Yim’s charming tale will captivate readers with her funny and realistic competition between the siblings for the remaining two pork buns after Luna drops one. Her pitch-perfect dialogue invites kids to try and figure out how to divide the buns along with Luna, Kai, and Benji. Yim’s storytelling organically incorporates important concepts of one and two while also introducing the idea of one half in a way that they can—and will want to—replicate at home. Through Kai, Luna, and Benji’s challenges to each other, kids also learn about superlatives and comparatives “oldest and older” and “tallest and shortest” as well as “bigger” and “bravest.” Luna’s solution to their dilemma is sweet and will entice kids to enjoy dim sum themselves.

Violet Kim’s vibrant illustrations take kids into a bustling dim sum restaurant, where they can see—and almost hear—happy diners and busy servers with their carts. By changing the perspective of her images, Kim allows kids to clearly see the buns in the baskets and take part in deciding how they can be divided. Children can also count chopsticks, tea cups, and other items on the table as well as the contents of baskets stacked on carts. Kim envisions the siblings’ competitions in humorous images that also demonstrate superlatives and comparatives that provide both math and language lessons. Readers will also empathize with Luna, Kai, and Benji as they debate, their facial expressions depicting their thought processes, doubts, and frustrations.

An enchanting read that combines math with familiar family dynamics, Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum is a story that will spark mathematical experimentation and understanding both at home and in the classroom, making the book an excellent choice for family, school, and public libraries.

Ages 3 – 6

Charlesbridge, 2021 | ISBN 978-1623541996

Discover more about Natasha Yim and her books on her website.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-Luna's-Yum-Yum-Dim-Sum-Tour-Graphic-Covers

To learn more about Violet Kim, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Storytelling Math Chat

You’re invited to listen to authors Natasha Yim, Sara Levine, and Ana Crespo as well as Charlesbridge editor Alyssa Mito Pusey and math expert Marlene Kliman talk about the math, diversity, and importance of storytelling in Storytelling Math..

**You can find Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

January 14 – World Logic Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

World Logic Day, sponsored by UNESCO in association with the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences aims to raise awareness and appreciation of the intellectual history, significance, and practical uses of logic to the broad community of scientists as well as the public. Celebrations of the holiday center on promoting international cooperation, supporting the development and activities of logic within universities, research facilities, and schools, and enhancing the understanding of logic and its implications for science, technology, and innovation.

Lia & Luís: Who Has More? (Storytelling Math)

Written by Ana Crespo | Illustrated by Giovana Medeiros

When Luís and his sister Lia were playing together, Luís worked quickly and bragged about the rickety tower he’d built. Lia didn’t really mind because she liked to take her time. Lia’s tower may have been shorter, but it stayed up longer. After playing, they ran “downstairs to their family’s store [to] pick their favorite Brazilian snacks.” Luís told his father, “I want biscoito de polvilho, Papai!” while Lia said, “Coxinhas de galinha, please!”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lia-&-luís-who-has-more-bragging

Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Papai handed Luís a bag of little nuggets and put two pear-shaped treats in a bag for Lia. Again, Luís began bragging, showing his sister that he had more than she did. This time Lia didn’t like it. But was Luís right? His bag was bigger than Lia’s. It was four blocks high and Lia’s bag was only two blocks high. Luís’s bag was also wider and deeper than Lia’s.

But Lia noticed something else. “Can’t you count?” she says then points out that she has two croquettes while her brother has only one bag. Could she be right about having more? Luís can’t leave this challenge unanswered, so he opens his bag and spills out the contents on the table. Lia looks at all of the tiny nuggets but is still unconvinced. She picks up a biscuit and a croquette. They are definitely different sizes and weights.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lia-&-luís-who-has-more-biscuit-bag-taller

Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Luís begins to put a biscuit in his mouth, but Lia wants him to wait. “Para!” she tells him. Lia takes some time thinking about the problem. Finally, she has an idea. She gets the scale from the family store and puts her croquettes on one side and Luís’s biscuits on the other. The scale dips toward Lia; “she wins.” Lia doesn’t like seeing her brother so sad. She thinks again and has another idea. She breaks off a bit of a croquette and adds it to Luís’s biscuits. The scale balances! They eat up all their snacks. Will Papai give them mais?

Following the text readers will find a Glossary of Portuguese words used in the story and an Exploring the Math page, which describes the math concepts contained in the story as well as activities kids and adults can do to reinforce the math learning.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lia-&-luís-who-has-more-one-hundred-biscuits

Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

In her charming Storytelling Math book, Ana Crespo effectively uses siblings’ natural competitive spirit to explore concepts of comparing and measurement. These include size (and the comparatives taller, wider, deeper), quantity, and weight. As the story opens, Luís has built a taller tower than his sister, the image of which is later used to compare Lia’s snack to Luís’s. Crespo combines an engaged narrator plus dialogue sprinkled with Portuguese words that are organically defined to create a lesson in math that will keep readers turning the pages to see who actually does have more. As Lia and Luís try various methods to find an answer, kids can take time too to think about how they would solve the problem and discuss the idea of “more” and how they would define it. Lia and Luís may be competitive, but they’re also cooperative, making this a sweet sibling story as well.

Giovana Medeiros’s bright, crisp illustrations of these enthusiastic twins clearly depicts the math concepts discussed while also portraying the distinct personalities of Lia and Luís, inviting readers to root for one or the other or to just wait and see who wins. Medeiros includes lots of other opportunities to interact with math through counting the twins’ blocks, items on the shelves and in the display case of the family’s store, and the biscuits poured out on the table. Images of the balance scale allows kids to see how Lia’s croquettes weigh more and how adding a bit of one gives Luís the same amount by weight that Lia has. Speech bubbles and the characters’ actions help readers translate the Portuguese words themselves.

Sure to inspire kids to explore the cabinet, fridge, or classroom and engage with the math of comparing and measuring for themselves, Lia & Luís: Who Has More? would be a fun book to add to home, classroom, and public library collections to spark observations and experimentation that lead to deeper STEM learning.

Ages 3 – 6

Charlesbridge, 2020 | ISBN 978-1623541279 (Hardcover) | ISBN 978-1623541859 (Paperback)

Discover more about Ana Crespo and her books on her website.

To learn more about Giovana Medeiros, her books, and her art, visit her website.

World Logic Day Activity

Screen Shot 2021-01-13 at 4.21.02 PMcelebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-lia-&-luís-who-has-more-activity-guide

Lia & Luís: Who Has More? Activity Kit

You can have fun experimenting with math using your toys, snacks, and other household items with the downloadable Activity Kit available on the Charlesbridge website!

**You can find Lia & Luís: Who Has More? at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookseller, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

October 29 – It’s National Book Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

For readers every month is National Book Month, but October is especially set aside to highlight books and the love of reading. Fall is a book bonanza as publishers release new books in all categories and the holiday gift-giving season beckons. Books, of course, make superb gifts for all ages! So whether you’re looking for a new or new-to-you book to read right now, or new titles to give to all the family and friends who will be on your list, this month is a perfect time to check out your local bookstore to see what wonderful books are on the shelves! This month is also a perfect time to discover books that get kids excited about math and science in a whole new way – like today’s book!

Thank you to Charlesbridge for sending me a copy of The Animals Would Not Sleep! for review consideration. All opinions about the books are my own.

The Animals Would Not Sleep!

Written by Sara Levine | Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

But the animals were still wide awake, and “they egged one another on until not one remained in its container.” Marco thought they would settle down, but when his mom called the second time, he reconsidered his strategy. This time he made signs that sorted the animals by color, but zebra started to cry. He was afraid being in such close quarters with snake and stingray, plus he missed his friend giraffe.

Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2020, text copyright Sara Levine, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Marco decided to try again. He took all of his animals out and made signs that read Small, Medium, and Large. Things seemed quiet and Marco began to put on his pajamas. But then he heard some kind of moaning or groaning coming from the Large basket. When he went to check, Dinosaur and Dancing Flamingo complained about being too cramped. Plus, Dancing Flamingo missed Rainbow Bear. Then he heard noises from the Small basket. Those animals weren’t happy either.

Marco’s mom gave him two minutes to get it all sorted out. Fortunately for Marco, “being a scientist, he was used to coming up with ideas and thinking outside the box.” The animals were getting tired and Yellow Bear had just burst into tears for no apparent reason. Like a good scientist, Marco cared about his animals and wanted them to be happy. He had one more sorting idea. With the large animals, medium-sized animals, and small animals all tucked in with plenty of room, friends nearby, and cozy warmth on Marco’s bed, Marco got under the covers and got a goodnight kiss from Mom. Then they all fell happily to sleep.

Back matter includes an illustrated Author’s Note about the way scientists sort, or classify, animals by characteristics and a discussion that explores the math in the story as well as Try This! tips for adults to engage children in sorting by Karen Economopoulos, co-director of the Investigations Center for Curriculum and Professional Development at TERC.

Image copyright Marta Álvarez Miguéns, 2020, text copyright Sara Levine, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Perfectly capturing the way young children interact with their toys, Sara Levine combines imagination and scientific thinking in her inventive story, part of the Storytelling Math series from Charlesbridge. In Marco, who’s proud of his scientific thinking, Levine shows readers that they too already have this ability. Marco’s empathy for his animals’ when they are unhappy will engage children in thinking, along with Marco, about classification and the various ways the animals can be sorted, getting them excited about how math is used every day. Levine’s use of realistic dialogue that echoes bedtime routines in many homes and gives each character—human and animal—distinct personalities will draw kids in to this charming story that is organically infused with strong math lessons. Levine gives Marco a sweet final solution to his problem that will please kids and have them wanting to think like a scientist too.

Marta Álvarez Miguéns opens the story with an enchantingly wild two-page spread of Marco standing in the middle of his room as his toys bounce on the bed, climb blocks, juggle, fly, and cause a ruckus. Turn the page and, as Mom peeks into the room, these animals now lie motionless around the room. When Marco sorts his animals into the baskets, readers can clearly see which animals go where and why. Kids will knowingly giggle when the just-sorted animals spring from their resting places to prolong bedtime. Miguéns also plainly depicts Marco’s and the animals’ facial expressions from happy and playful to sad and crying to peaceful and satisfied. These images give adults and children an opportunity to discuss emotions and how to recognize various clues in faces, a skill important for social-emotional learning. Vivid colors, adorable animals, details such as alphabet blocks that stack or are turned to spell words, and kid-appealing décor will have kids wanting to come back again and again.

Ages 3 – 6

Charlesbridge, 2020 | ISBN 978-1623541286 (Hardcover) | ISBN 978-1623541972 (Paperback)

Discover more about Sara Levine and her books on her website.

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

About Storytelling Math

Storytelling Math: Math, Diversity, and the Power of Story was developed with Marlene Kliman at TERC—a nonprofit dedicated to STEM education—under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Enjoy this The Animals Would Not Sleep! trailer with Author Sara Levine!

National Book Month Activity

The Animals Would Not Sleep! Activity Kit

You can have fun sorting and exploring math with your class or family with the Activity Kit for The Animals Would Not Sleep on the Charlesbridge website. Download it here!

The Animals Would Not Sleep Activity Kit

**You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

Manny Matches the Weather

Manny y el tiempo hacen juego (Spanish bilingual edition) (Steamworks)

Written by Jenny Lacika | Illustrated by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada | Translated by Anyeliz Pagan Munoz

Manny y el tiempo hacen juego

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About the Holiday

Moon Chef | Chef luna

Written and Translated by Delia Ruiz | Illustrated by Nomar Perez

Chef luna

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About the Holiday

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Written by Megan Clendenan | Illustrated by Brittany Cicchese

Anniversary of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault Opening Activity

Just in Case Activity Kit

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About the Holiday

The Animals Would Not Sleep!

Written by Sara Levine | Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

About Storytelling Math

National Book Month Activity

The Animals Would Not Sleep! Activity Kit

You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Share this:

About the Holiday

Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum (Storytelling Math)

Written by Natasha Yim | Illustrated by Violet Kim

Storytelling Math Chat

You can find Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

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About the Holiday

Lia & Luís: Who Has More? (Storytelling Math)

Written by Ana Crespo | Illustrated by Giovana Medeiros

World Logic Day Activity

Lia & Luís: Who Has More? Activity Kit

You can find Lia & Luís: Who Has More? at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookseller, order from

Share this:

About the Holiday

The Animals Would Not Sleep!

Written by Sara Levine | Illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns

About Storytelling Math

National Book Month Activity

The Animals Would Not Sleep! Activity Kit

You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Share this:

**You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers**

**You can find Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum at these booksellers**

**You can find Lia & Luís: Who Has More? at these booksellers**

**You can find The Animals Would Not Sleep! at these booksellers**