February 24 – It’s Bake for Family Fun Month

About the Holiday

This time of year is perfect for gathering with family and friends and spending those cold, indoor days making sweet treats and savory dishes! Baking together is a great way to teach valuable cooking skills and a little math. Talking with kids while baking is fun too! Tell old family stories, talk about favorite recipes, and share funny or memorable culinary experiences. Of course, the best part of baking together is eating the delicious meals or treats afterward!

10 Gulub Jamuns: Counting with an Indian Sweet Treat

Written by Sandhya Acharya | Illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre

Idu and his little brother Adu were excited to help their mom get ready for their friends Dia and Mia and their parents who would be coming later that evening for dinner. The delicious aroma of spices Mamma’s cooking already perfumed the house. At last it was time for Mamma to make the dessert: gulab jamuns! Idu and Adu tried to imagine what gulab jamuns were. “‘They are little round sweets that look like doughnuts,'” their mother explained. “‘They are soaked in sugary syrup so when you bite into one, they melt in your mouth.'” Idu and Adu thought they sounded yummy.

After the treats were finished, Idu counted them in the bowl. “‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 10 gulab jamuns!'” Adu echoed his big brother: “’10 gulab jamuns!'” Mamma sent the boys off to play, but the bowl of sweets was too enticing. Adu climbed onto the table and ate one. Then he stuffed his cheeks with two more.

Idu thought his brother was funny until Mamma caught them. She asked Idu to tell her how many gulab jamuns she had made and then count how many were left. “‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 7 gulab jamuns,'” he answered. “‘Swa gua amoons,’ Adu repeated” through his full mouth. When Mamma asked what had happened to the other three, Idu told her. Then she wanted to know how it had happened.

Idu obliged, exactly imitating Adu’s actions. Adu then turned and gave Mamma a big sweet-treat smile. Mamma laughed, then grabbed one gulab jamun for herself and handed one each to her sons. That left just one more for . . . Daddy, who was just coming home from work. But what would they serve their special guests for dessert now? Idu and Adu enthusiastically offered to help their mother make more. Later, after dinner, Idu and Adu helped pass out the gulab jamuns, but there were two left over. Why? Idu’s and Adu’s bellies were already full of their new favorite dessert!

A recipe for gulab jamuns follows the story.

Sandhya Acharya’s humorous counting story is the recipe for an entertaining read aloud the whole family will enjoy. Adu and Idu’s sibling shenanigans will have young readers giggling, and the naturally occurring opportunities for kids to count the gulab jamuns offer a fun way for them to engage with math. The exercise can even be extended at home or in classrooms as children add or subtract treats or other foods from their own plates. A multilayered story, 10 Gulab Jamuns also contains gentle lessons in honesty, taking responsibility, and making amends for one’s behavior,

Vanessa Alexandre’s vivid and expressive illustrations bring out all the comical fun as Adu and Idu sneak the sweet treats, get caught, and ultimately help their mother make more. Children will especially like images of the brothers’ playful mischief-making, the bright kitchen and table laden with delicious Indian foods, and the cheerful depictions of a traditional Indian home and clothing.

A heartwarming, dialogue-rich story you can count on to become a favorite, 10 Gulab Jamuns would be a delightful addition to home, classroom, and library collections.

Ages 2 – 7

Sandhya Acharya, 2022 | ISBN 979-8985609516

About the Author

Sandhya Acharya grew up in Mumbai, India and now lives in the Bay Area. She is a mother to two young boys from whom she often draws inspiration for her writing. She worked in corporate finance and is a dance enthusiast as well. She hopes her readers have as much fun as she did with this story.

Bake for Family Fun Month Activity

Let’s Bake Together Coloring Page

It’s fun for friends or siblings to create new recipes or just cook up some favorite treats! Have fun with this sweet coloring page!

You can purchase 10 Gulab Jamuns at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (to support your local independent bookstore)

Picture Book Review

July 21 – It’s National Zoo Keeper Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

This week we honor the zookeepers and aquarists who care for the animals in our nation’s zoo and aquariums. Not only do they see to the animals’ feeding, housing, and health needs; maintain the facilities; and educate guests, zookeepers and aquarists also help scientists conduct research that helps them learn more about how to protect and preserve the world’s varied species. To celebrate today, take a trip to your local zoo or aquarium or visit the website of a zoo far away and learn about the animals there.

One Blue Gnu

Written by Danna Smith | Illustrated by Ana Zurita

Feeling lonely at the zoo and with a new cellphone from an accidentally dropped box in hoof, one blue gnu calls two white sheep and gets a party started. The sheep call three orange apes with an invitation, and they in turn call “four red pandas in the sun” who “agree a party would be fun.” The invitation calls and texts get passed along to more and more animals at the zoo until a sleepy pig calls the wrong number, and instead of reaching the hippos, gets the tiger.

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Image copyright Ana Zurita, 2022, text copyright Danna Smith, 2022. Courtesy of Amicus Ink.

Another try alerts those hippos and then, finally, “ten purple birds” receive an invitation. At last, it’s party time with “fifty-five beasts just keeping cool, / splashing around in Blue Gnu’s pool.” Floating and diving, the animals are having so much fun, but who is creeping closer and closer? One hungry-looking tiger! In no time, he’s in the midst of them all—and has a plan: “The tiger calls a pizza man!”

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Image copyright Ana Zurita, 2022, text copyright Danna Smith, 2022. Courtesy of Amicus Ink.

Full and happy and dry, Blue Gnu’s friends decide it’s time to go back to their homes. The animals leave as they came. “Ten purple birds take off in flight. / Nine gray hippos slip from sight.” After each group finds their way home, Blue Gnu is alone once more. But not for too long—another party is in the works.

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Image copyright Ana Zurita, 2022, text copyright Danna Smith, 2022. Courtesy of Amicus Ink.

Danna Smith’s rollicking zoo story combines counting up to ten and back down to one for younger kids and more advanced addition and subtraction for older children with the names of colors, numbers, and animals in her clever rhyming romp that kids will want to visit again and again. And let’s not forget friendship—that’s here in abundance too, as sequence calls go out from one group to another to another to create one enormous bash! The added suspense of Tiger’s intentions is quickly resolved in a surprising and kid-favorite way that’s sure to please readers. Smith’s jaunty cadence is a joy to read aloud, and the non-stop action and exceptional vocabulary will captivate both kids and adults.

Ana Zurita populates this zoo with adorable animals, depicted in vibrant colors set against textured and wildly detailed backgrounds that also accentuate the educational aspects on each page. Readers will love pointing out the colors and patterns of the animals’ clothes, counting the animals in each group, and recognizing ascending and descending numbers set in circles on each page. Humorous details also reward careful searching of the pages, such as a sneaky hippo trying to nab a cupcake and the yak’s “snack.” Tiger’s determined stride and furrowed brow will have kids guessing, but only until the page is turned and the laughs ring out. Eagle-eyed future math whizzes may love discussing fractions as the pizzas are gobbled up, and saying goodbye to each group gives kids another chance to show their growing number skills.

Sure to be an immediate favorite read aloud, One Blue Gnu is a must on home bookshelves and for all classroom and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Amikus Ink, 2022 | ISBN 978-1681527451

Discover more about Danna Smith and her books on her website.

To learn more about Ana Zurita, her books, and her art visit her website.

National Zoo Keepers Week Activity

One Blue Gnu Activities

You’re invited to enjoy these One Blue Gnu activities that let you do everything from designing your favorite pizza to practicing your counting, coloring, writing, and observational skills in these printable activity sheets.

One Blue Gnu Pizza Color and Count Page
One Blue Gnu 8-Page Activity Guide (includes coloring page)

**You can find One Blue Gnu at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

July 23 – It’s Culinary Arts Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

There’s a true art in putting together a delicious meal from seemingly disparate parts, and this month’s holiday honors those with a talent for combining tastes, flavors, and textures. With fresh ingredients available at farm stores, farmers markets, grocery stores, and maybe even your own garden, July is a great month for celebrating the culinary arts. This month spend time with your kids in the kitchen. It’s a terrific way to learn new cooking skills and practice practical math while creating experimental or favorite recipes. And, of course, be sure to remember to make a few treats!

Dozens of Doughnuts

Written by Carrie Finison | Illutrated by Brianne Farley

On a bright autumn morning, LouAnn is busy making a dozen doughnuts—her last treat before her long winter nap. “One dozen doughnuts, hot from the pan. / Toasty, and tasty, and ALL for— / DING-DONG! / ‘Woodrow?’” At the door stands a little beaver. LouAnn invites him in and seats him at the kitchen table. They’re just about to split the doughnuts when the doorbell chimes again.

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Image copyright Brianne Farley, 2020, text copyright Carrie Finison, 2020. Courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

This time it’s Clyde, the raccoon. LouAnn welcomes him in and offers him her plate of doughnuts while she whips up another batch. These doughnuts—four for each—are frosted in blue. They’re all about to take a bite when “DING-DONG!” Tospy the possum arrives. “‘Delicious!’ cries Topsy. / She gulps down a swallow. / LouAnn’s heart feels warm, / but her belly feels hollow.” She stirs and she fries and soon has “One dozen doughnuts, hot from the pan. / Some for each friend, and the rest for— / DING-DONG! / ‘Mouffette?’”

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Image copyright Brianne Farley, 2020, text copyright Carrie Finison, 2020. Courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

A skunk joins the group, nibbling and toasting with three doughnuts each as LouAnn uses her last egg to make more. This is it—the last dozen doughnuts. LouAnn is ready to munch when… you know! But there’s not a friend at the door—there are two! Two little chipmunks cram their cheeks full. And LouAnn? “She’s ready to sleep through the snow, ice, and sleet. / But winter is near and there’s NOTHING to eat!”

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Image copyright Brianne Farley, 2020, text copyright Carrie Finison, 2020. Courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

From deep down in her grumbling, rumbling belly there emerges a huge “ROAR!” as all of the friends “dash for the door.” LouAnn cries it out and collapses on the floor. Then “DING-DONG!” Who could be left? Who is there now? It seems Woodrow and Clyde, Topsy and Mouffette, and even Chip and Chomp are more observant than they might have seemed. They’ve brought milk and flour, eggs and supplies. And after snugging LouAnn into her favorite chair, they go to work. Soon there are “dozens of doughnuts, / hot from the pan. / Stacked up in heaps, and they’re ALL for LouAnn!” But does she gobble them all down, or are there some left for—?

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Image copyright Brianne Farley, 2020, text copyright Carrie Finison, 2020. Courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.

I’ve been looking forward to reviewing Dozens of Doughnuts ever since I met Carrie Finison at a kidlit conference last year, and am excited to feature this charmer for Culinary Arts Month. Finison’s bright, bouncy rhythm and perfect rhymes set up brilliant suspenseful page turns that, while disappointing for LouAnn, will have readers in gales of giggles and chiming along after the first surprising twist. LouAnn’s ready willingness to share her dozens of doughnuts is kindness at its best and also provide an invitation for kids to do a little math as each friend shares in LouAnn’s generosity. When LouAnn, getting hungrier and sleepier, finally cracks, sending her friends running, the final “DING-DONG!” ushers in another sweet surprise. Just like readers, it seems LouAnn’s friends have been paying attention to the numbers, and they want to be sure that LouAnn gets her equal share too. Finison’s storytelling provides a baker’s dozen of delight and will become a favorite read aloud for any child.

Deliciously enchanting, Brianne Farley’s illustrations introduce some of the most adorable forest animals around as they come to visit LouAnn, lured by the aroma of her doughnuts. Farley has designed for LouAnn a little stone house that’s an ingenious update on a bear’s cave and has decorated it with from a fresh color palette. Likewise, her autumn foliage makes use of creative raspberry russets and glowing yellows. LouAnn’s facial expressions clearly depict her waning enthusiasm for all the interruptions, but also her gracious personality once she opens the door. Kids will love watching the window beside the front door and trying to guess who each new guest will be.

The detailed images of doughnuts on each animal’s plate makes it easy for children and adults to talk about math concepts, including counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and sorting. When hunger and weariness finally overtake LouAnn, kids and adults will recognize her meltdown and commiserate with her. The return of LouAnn’s friends with supplies and good cheer makes this pre-hibernation party one that all children will want to attend (with their own doughnuts, of course!).

Endearing to the max, Dozens of Doughnuts is a joy to share and is sure to stir up enthusiasm for repeat readings at home, in the classroom, or for public library collections.

Ages 3 – 8

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-0525518358

Discover more about Carrie Finison and her books on her website.

To learn more about Brianne Farley, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Culinary Arts Month Activity

Are some of your CDs a little passé? Not if you can turn them into cute décor like this doughnut – or bagel – hanging.

Supplies

Unused CDs or cut circles from cardboard or regular or thick poster board
Craft paint in tan, black, pink, yellow, white (or any colors you want for the doughnut and the icing)
Ribbon, any color and length you want
Fine-tip markers in bright colors
Glue
Glue dots (optional)
Paint brush

Directions

Paint a wavy edge around the CD or other material and let dry
Add “frosting” by painting from the wavy line inward to the clear center of the CD, leaving the clear circle unpainted. If using another material, draw and cut a center “hole” for your doughnut.
When the “frosting” is dry, draw sprinkles on it with the markers
With the ribbon make a loop hanger and attach it to the back of the CD with glue or glue dots
Hang your decoration

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**You can find Dozens of Doughnuts at these booksellers**

Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 26 – It’s National Bike Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Established in 1956 and sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, National Bike Month celebrates all the fun and benefits of cycling. In years past, communities around the country have celebrated with special events, tours, and safety lessons. The month also hosts Bike to School and Bike to Work days to encourage people to leave their cars at home, get fresh air and exercise, and have fun at the same time. While National Bike Month is peddling down, there’s still a whole summer in which to take part in this wonderful activity.

Two Dogs on a Trike

Written by Gabi Snyder | Illustrated by Robin Rosenthal

You know that when you open the cover of a book, little ones are counting on hearing something special. That’s just what awaits them with Two Dogs on a Trike. As the story opens “One dog stands alone” behind a wall. But the gate is open and he eyes with interest the tricycle that’s just about to pass out of sight. Someone else—turbaned in a towel and enjoying a steaming mug of coffee—is watching too. As the dog jumps on the back of the tricycle and joins a poodle, the watcher trades the robe, slippers, and coffee for shorts, sneakers, and a headband and takes off after the “two dogs on a trike.”

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Image copyright Robin Rosenthal, 2020, text copyright Gabi Snyder, 2020. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Along the way the dogs pick up another friend and abandon the trike in favor of a scooter as the follower dons a helmet and roller skates. With the addition of a dachshund wearing a cone and the acquisition of a tandem bicycle outfitted for four, the dogs are speeding downhill while their sunglasses-wearing tag-along sips a cool drink while balanced on a skateboard.

Going uphill, those dogs decide on a new mode of transportation. Ding, ding! Now there are “five dogs on a trolley.” And you-know-who? Yep—zipping right behind them in a sporty racecar. It’s lunchtime and there’s no better way to enjoy a slice of pizza in style then on a train with a shaggy sheepdog conductor. Surely, that follower can’t still be…following. Well, yes and no—and how was that pizza delivered on the roof? From pizza on a train to a dance party on a ferry?! These dogs know how to have fun! Do you think they know they’re being spied on from a submarine? Next they all take to the sky and then into outer space where “ten dogs…WAIT! That watcher, follower, tag-along finally catches up with them and…”THAT’S NOT A DOG!”

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Image copyright Robin Rosenthal, 2020, text copyright Gabi Snyder, 2020. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Now there are “Nine fleeing dogs on a hot-air balloon!” Then “Eight dogs on a plane!” They hurry, hurry on the ferry and speed back on the train! But still that cat is after them on a Segway, on a unicycle, and on a very low, cool bike. Behind the wall and the now-locked gate, “one dog stands alone.” Next door, a towel-turbaned mouse peeks out a little door and spies someone wheeling into view. As it rolls by, the cat jumps on, and they’re followed by…guess who!

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Image copyright Robin Rosenthal, 2020, text copyright Gabi Snyder, 2020. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Learning to count to ten and back should always be this much madcap fun! Gabi Snyder and Robin Rosenthal’s superbly devised and executed concept book offers jaunty rhymes and non-stop laughs to entertain kids while they engage with early math, addition, subtraction and even literacy. Along the way, they’re also introduced to different vehicles and wheels of all kinds. Snyder’s short sentences pop with rhythm, making them easy to remember, and little ones are sure to excitedly join in on subsequent readings. When readers reach the count of ten, Snyder’s clever line break, which, besides turning the story on its head and sending it zooming in reverse, invites kids to supply the missing rhyming word. In this second half, exclamation points replace periods, demanding a dramatic reading that will have kids giggling all the way to one. As the cat hops on the back of a trike with the little mouse in tow, children will eagerly want to turn to the first page again and replace those dogs for cats. Children a little older may like to keep the story going by next putting the mouse on the trike and thinking up their own new follower.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-two-dogs-on-a-trike-hot-air-balloon

Image copyright Robin Rosenthal, 2020, text copyright Gabi Snyder, 2020. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Robin Snyder’s vibrant digital artwork is crisp and fresh and layered with details that invite giggles, prediction, and lots of engagement. As each spread includes one more (or one less) dog and introduces a new mode of transportation, children and adults will find many concepts to discuss as well as many opportunities to count—from the number of trees on a hill to the stars on a dog’s pants to the windows in a city scape and the stars in the sky. Little ones will want to linger over each page to examine the pack of dogs and see which one is added or subtracted. The dogs’ facial expressions—especially as they discover the cat in their midst—is comic gold, and the cat’s nonchalant surveillance heightens the humor and the suspense.

Sure to unleash a joy for learning and to become a favorite read aloud, Two Dogs on a Trike is a must for at home, in the classroom, and for public libraries.

Ages Baby – 5

Abrams Appleseed, 2020 | ISBN 978-1419738913

Discover more about Gabi Snyder and her books on her website.

To learn more about Robin Rosenthal, her books, and her art, visit her website

National Bike Month Activity

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Dog on a Bike Coloring Page

Is this dog riding in the city? In the country? Outside your house? Inside your house? Draw a background and then color this printable page.

Dog on a Bike Coloring Page

**You can find Two Dogs on a Trike at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

July 8 – Math 2.0 Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday celebrates the merging of math and technology together as the foundation of most of the things we use every day, such as computers, phones, tablets and other electronics. Math and technology are also employed by architects, scientists, researchers, and manufacturers. Math 2.0 Day was established to bring together mathematicians, programmers, engineers, educators, and managers to raise awareness of the importance of math literacy at all levels of education.

A Million Dots

By Sven Völker

With one green dot (and one brown rectangle) you can make a tree. Add one plus one and you can make two trees. Two plus two? Well, four trees might get a little boring. Why not put two apples on each tree? Then four people can enjoy a snack. In the autumn, those apples fall. There are four plus four dots on the ground—how many does that make? Eight!

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Eight plus eight? A nice number of dots for a ladybug’s wings. Won’t you count them? How about adding those sixteen to another sixteen? Those thirty-two dots are still contained in a box. But thirty-two plus thirty-two? At sixty-four the dots spill out, colorful and free! Sixty-four plus sixty-four dots make one hundred and twenty-eight bubbles in a fizzy drink. Add one hundred and twenty-eight to itself and what do you get? A face full of freckles! What happens if you keep adding and adding? What can you make? Two thousand and forty-eight plus two thousand and forty-eight makes a night sky of stars, their reflections on the sea and the lights on the ship that sails it.

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Thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight plus thirty-two thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight makes sixty-five thousand, five hundred and thirty-six—enough dots for a soccer field to mow. Twice that is a desert of sand to scoop. Moving on to two hundred and sixty-two thousand, one hundred and forty-four plus the same, a blanket of steam streams out of a train stack five hundred and twenty-four thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight dots long, past the coal car and the long tanker car.

But what can be made when these half-a-million dots and a little are added together? One million and forty-eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-six dots filling apartment buildings, office towers, and inspiring skyscrapers in a fabulous city—maybe it’s yours!

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One, two, ten, even one hundred—you can see that number of people or items in your mind. It’s hard, though, especially for children, to visualize a thousand, a hundred thousand, a half a million, even a million. In his stylish book, Sven Völker translates these numbers into dots and uses them to create images that are both humorous and awe-inspiring. One dot nearly fills the page, but by the time the numbers have been doubled and doubled multiple times, half-a-million and then a million minuscule dots require pages that fold out and out and out and out…and out! Each number is presented in words and numbers allowing children to see and learn each interpretation. Kids who love numbers and counting and visual proofs will have a blast connecting these dots.

An entertaining and educational way to relay the idea of number to kids at home or in the classroom, A Million Dots will elicit multiple exclamations of “Wow!” as the numbers add up.

A Million Dots is a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Award winner for 2019.

Ages 4 – 12

Cicada Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1908714664

To learn more about Sven Völker, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Math 2.0 Day Activity

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Totally Cool Mystery Phrase Math Puzzle

There’s no mystery to how fun math can be! Use the numerical clues in this printable Totally Cool Mystery Phrase Math Puzzle to discover a hidden message! Add the numbers under each line then use that number to find the corresponding letter of the alphabet. Write that letter in the space. Continue until the entire phrase is completed.

June 3 – National Repeat Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Does it ever feel like you’re just doing the same thing over and over again? Well, today we celebrate that feeling. While repetition can sometimes drive you a little crazy—like when that catchy tune loops endlessly through your head—it can also be very beneficial as any musician knows. Using repetition is also a terrific way to introduce learning and laughs for kids—like in today’s book!

Dirty Birdies

By Jennifer Sattler

In Jennifer Sattler’s funny counting book, little ones meet one long-legged blue bird with yellow spots who’s just loves dancing it up in a mud puddle. She’s having so much fun that she doesn’t even realize how dirty she’s getting until she stands still and the oozy mud begins to drip from her wings, head, and beak. Then “1 dirty birdie meets 1 painting birdie.”

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This mini-Michelangelo is really splattering the purple paint until there are “2 dirty birdies.” What happens when they team up and discover an extremely tall yellow fellow with his head in a hole? I bet you guessed: there are now “3 dirty birdies.” These intrepid birds pick up another fluffy friend before encountering a very messy snacker and adding her to their group.

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The five dirty birdies take stock and decide they need to clean up. With a sponge, a brush, a little green duckie, and a very looong tub, they rub-a-dub-dub in a bath. They dry their feathers, and… can’t resist getting dirty all over again!

Eight questions following the text will entice little ones into a repeat reading along with some fun observations, counting, and discussions of size.

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Jennifer Sattler’s Dirty Birdies is such a playful way for little learners to interact with counting, size, shapes, and observational skills. The repetition in the text invites little ones to joyfully read along, while her colorful illustrations of these slightly goofy birds, abashed at their messy appearances, will have little ones giggling with each turn of the page. The lead-up to the final page offers rib-tickling suspense, and the carefree final spread will have kids saying, “Again! Again!”

Ages Birth – 5

Sleeping Bear Press, 2018 | ISBN 978-1-58536-389-6

Discover more about Jennifer Sattler, her books, and her art on her website.

National Repeat Day Activity

Find the Differences Puzzles

The two pictures in these puzzles may look like exact repeats of each other, but if you look closely you’ll see some differences. Can you find the differences in both of these Find the Differences Puzzles?

Bee Find the Differences Puzzle | Kids Taking a Drive Find the Differences Puzzle

Picture Book Review

March 27 – National Joe Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Are you just a regular Joe? Well, not today! Today you’re special! Today, we’re honoring all those regular Joes, cups of Joe, and people named or nicknamed Joe—or Jo. Why? Just because! So celebrate today by indulging in your favorite coffee, getting in touch with any friends or family named Joe—or Jo—or even changing your name to Joe for this particular day.

Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown

Written by Eric Litwin | Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

“Groovy Joe is totally fun. / He’s a song-singing, / tail-wagging / party of one.” And how does he rock? Wow! Like this: “Disco party bow wow! Disco party bow wow!” But just as Joe is feeling the beat, there’s a knock on the door. Who is it? One tuba-playing dog who wants to join in. Now there are two dogs and a big ol’ tuba taking up space, but does Joe mind? Not at all! He just keeps groovin’ with a “Disco party bow wow! Disco party bow wow!”

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Image copyright Tom Lichtenheld, 2017, text copyright Eric Litwin, 2017. Courtesy of tomlichtenheld.com.

They’re soon interrupted by another knock at the door. Two more dogs come in, so now there are four! Four dogs mean there’s even less room for Joe. “Does Joe get upset? Goodness no!” So the four set to rockin’ ‘til there’s another knock at the door. “Who’s there?” asks Joe, and the answer is four. “Four who? Four more dogs are going to disco with you.” These dogs bring a flute, a cello, a violin, and a guitar. With eight in the room it’s getting pretty crowded, but does Joe care? Not a bit! They just “Disco party bow wow! Disco party bow wow!”

A pretty cool squirrel has danced onto the scene, and pretty soon he’s joined the band with his tambourine. Is eight dogs and one squirrel all the room can hold? No! Even though “This party is rocking” and “they’re packed on the floor… Groovy Joe says there’s always room for one more!” Do you know who that is? You’re about to find out because there’s a knock at the door. “Knock! Knock! / Who’s there? / Joe invited. / Joe invited who?” Just look! “Joe invited YOU to come to the party!”

So put on your dancing shoes and get your voice ready to sing because “there’s always room for more” at this “Disco party bow wow! Disco party bow wow!”

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Image copyright Tom Lichtenheld, 2017, text copyright Eric Litwin, 2017. Courtesy of tomlichtenheld.com.

What little one can resist the upbeat beat of a dance party—especially one as inviting as Eric Litwin and Tom Lichtenheld’s disco bash at Groovy Joe’s? With a little math and a lot of inclusiveness, Litwin shows how adding more friends multiplies the fun. His infectious rhythm and repeated phrasing will have listeners memorizing and reading along with the knock-knock jokes and the call to party. Joe’s final invitation to kids to join in will have them up and dancing along joyfully.

Tom Lichtenheld’s shaggy Joe’s not worried about how much room he has. He’s only got smiles for the other dogs who come knocking at his door. As each new musician joins the band, readers will love watching the various dogs play their instruments and boogie to their own music. With each knock, the dogs stop their playing and turn their eager eyes to the door anticipating the fun repartee to come and the appearance of more friends. Presented addition problems, clearly drawn instruments, and a crew of recognizable dog breeds also give adults and kids lots to talk about during the party.

With playful, action-packed fun for energetic story times, Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown would be a terrific and favorite choice for preschool, kindergarten, and home libraries. The story would even be fun to act out for added learning opportunities.

Ages 3 – 5

Orchard Books, 2017 | ISBN 978-0545883795

Discover more about Eric Litwin, his books, music, and more plus find free downloads on his website

To learn more about Tom Lichtenheld, view a portfolio of his books, and find fun activities, visit his website.

Dance along with Joe and Eric in this Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown book trailer!

National Joe Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-build-a-band-game

Build a Band Game

Play this fun game to gather all the instruments you need to create a band. The first person to collect all six instrument cards is the winner!

Supplies

Printable Paper Die Template
Printable Musical Instruments Cards—print one page for each player
Scissors
Tape

Directions

Print the Paper Die Template, cut it out and assemble the cube die.
Print the Musical Instruments cards, cut out cards, and separate the instruments into piles
Players take turns rolling the die to collect musical instrument cards
The first player to collect all 6 instrument cards is the winner

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