Archives
- November
- Little Bear’s Thanksgiving By Janice; pictures by Mariana
- Take a Trip to the First Thanksgiving That is a True Classic Picture Book Read!
- Take a Ride this Thanksgiving!
- Have a Virtual Picture Book Read at Thanksgiving, 2020!
- November 13, 2020 is World Kindness Day….And Boy, Do We Need Picture Books to Show the Way Today!
- A Fantastic and Classic Couple of Mice, Featured on “Husband and Wife Week!”
- November is National Veterans and Military Families Month
- Today All Souls Day and the Day of the Dead Intertwine Through the Remembrance of Our Dead.
- As Families and Friends (?) Arrive at the End (?) of the Vitriol Leading up to Election Day, 2020, Perhaps a Slice of “Enemy Pie” May be a Partially Sweet Solution?
- October
- Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the “Nine Old Men” Animators that Brought the Classics to Life for Generations of Children!
- How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara, Illustrated by G. Brian Karas.
- Creepy Carrots! Words by Aaron Reynolds; Pictures by Peter Brown
- Can You Fathom That It’s 63 Years Since Don Freeman’s Pigeon Friends Named Sid and Madge Found Their Happy Home in That City By the Bay?
- “Tilly Witch” by Don Freeman
- In the Midst of a Pandemic, Some Wonderful Holiday TV Specials for Families Have Failed to Survive…in Network Television.
- Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books by Michelle Markel; illustrations by Nancy Carpenter.
- An Important Question from An Eighth Grade Student as the 2020 Presidential Campaign Comes to a Venomous and Vitriolic Close.
- Today is the 245th Anniversary of the United States Navy. Here’s a Picture Book Salute to John F. Kennedy and Perhaps the Service That Shaped His Life. GO NAVY!
- Banned Book Week Is Barely in the Rear View Mirror !
- September
- As the 2020 Presidential Election Nears, Young Picture Book Readers Might Ponder a Question. Wouldn’t it be great to be President of the United States?
- It’s “The Head of the Year” or Rosh Hashanah! Celebrate with the Picture Book Called “Happy New Year, Beni”; Story and Pictures by Jane Breskin Zalben
- Introducing the Holidays of an Ancient Religion
- “Abuela” by Arthur Dorros; illustrated by Elisa Kleven is a Great Picture Book for Hispanic Heritage Month
- Celebrate With Me the Life of Famed Picture Book Author, Tomie dePaola, on Today, His Birthday, September 15th. It’s Harvest Time with His Beloved Strega Nona!
- One’s Family Roots Are an Important Topic of Conversation for Young Readers. This Essential Classic Picture Book is a Great Way to Begin Conversations About it.
- “The Man Who Walked Between the Towers” by Mordicai Gerstein
- “The Knight and the Dragon”; Story and Pictures by Tomie dePaola
- Remembering Hope on September 11th, via a Picture Book Video Reposted as We Approach This 19th Anniversary of Loss… and Light.
- Celebrating 81 Years of Caldecott Award Winners With a Classic Picture Book Swimming in Both Sense and Sensitivity by Leo Leonni
- Eve Bunting’s Picture Book, “A Day’s Work,” Has Lessons for Young Readers on Both Labor Day, 2020 and Every Day of Their Lives.
- August
- The Doctor is Definitely In!
- Hit the Kitchen with Roald Dahl
- “Apple Picking Time” by Michele Slawson; art by Deborah Kogan Ray
- The Dream Never Dies When it Has Passion and Purpose. We Honor Dr. Martin Luther King for One Particular Day That Illuminated the “content of character” in His Life.
- It’s National “Kiss Me Day,” and Tomie dePaola’s Picture Book, ” The Journey of the Kiss,” Has at its Heart, a Traveling Message and Meaning for Young Readers…and Not So Young.
- Celebrate Canines! It’s National Dog Day and Here is a Glorious Book That Does It Sublimely and with Heart!
- It’s Snoopy’s Birthday, Young Readers, and What Could Be a Better Homage Than An Upcoming Halloween Tradition! “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schulz.
- Finding the Foundations of Faith through The Reception of A Sacrament by Young Ones, Depicted in a Picture Book.
- July
- International Friendship Day Was Celebrated on July 30th. And Here is A Perfect Picture Book on The Art Of Friendship, Despite Differences And How It Should Be Done!
- Think Steig’s “Brave Irene” Had Courage? Meet Leonard, of His “The Zabajaba Jungle.”
- It’s “blooming Christmas” in July with Raymond Briggs and his crotchety “Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.”
- “All Shapes and Sizes” by Shirley Hughes
- “The Star-Spangled Banner and Other Revolutionary Riddles,” compiled by Charles Keller and Richard Baker; illustrated by Tomie dePaola
- How Will Our Children Remember 2020 and What Lessons Will They Learn Going Forward?
- Looking at Our Past Leaders as Election 2020 Approaches
- Yes! It’s Possible for Picture Book Authors to Show the Secular, the Sacred and the Saintly in Life. Tomie dePaola Showed Us How.
- Happy Independence Day!
- Beat the Drum: Independence Day Has Come; poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins; illustrations by Tomie dePaola
- Happy July 4th!
- June
- “A Handful of Beans”: Six Fairy Tales Retold by Jeanne Steig with Pictures by William Steig
- Celebrate 51 Years of Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” That Combines Observations of Nature AND Life Lessons!
- Happy Father’s Day, With a Special Tip of the Hat to Grandfathers
- “Always Room for One More,” by Sorche Nic Leodhas; illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
- June 14th is Flag Day! Long May “Old Glory” Wave.
- Books and Summer Vacations: A Match Made in Heaven!
- Please Remember To Share the Story of D-Day On This 76th Anniversary With Your Children and Its Impact On the Freedoms They Enjoy Today!
- The Teachable Moments in Life Come Very Unexpectedly. This is One of Them.
- May
- At Three O’clock Today, Please Allow Your Young Reader to Either Listen or Participate in “Taps Across America.”
- Memorial Day and the Woman Who Made the Poppy a Flower of Remembrance
- Remembering Memorial Day and Celebrating the “Invisible”
- As We Celebrate Armed Forces Day, May 15, 2020; Please Let Your Young Readers Remember Why.
- A Prayer for Farmers and For the Renewal of Interest in Classic Picture Books!
- Each Kindness Makes the World a Better Place…Inside or Outside of the Classroom.
- Even Gorillas Need Their Moms: A Mother’s Day Tribute For Every Mom!
- Today, May 8, 2020 is the 75th Anniversary of VE Day or Victory in Europe Day That Ended WWII…at Least On That Front.
- Happy Mother’s Day to All the Moms and to All Those Who Deserve the Title!
- Cheers for the Classic Golden Book, “Nurse Nancy” and Her Healing Hands.
- It’s May 5th and Cinco De Mayo! Do You Know How to Celebrate with Your Young Reader and Why?
- This Teacher Appreciation Week May 4th -May 8th 2020, Ask Your Young Reader About a Teacher Like Mr. Falker, in Their Young Lives.
- Beware of Scots Sending Gifts; Especially if Their Name is Uncle McAllister and the Gift’s Name is Alphonse!
- April
- Bet Your Young Readers Know the Name George Washington. But Did They Know He Was Inaugurated the First President of the United States Today, April 30th? Small Catch… the Year Was 1789!
- Celebrities and Civilians; the Selfish and the Selfless
- April 23rd, by All Accounts Was the Date of the Birthday of the Bard of Avon in the Year 1564; Also Known to the World as William Shakespeare. Curiously Enough His Passing was Also in the Month of April…. in 1616. Let Young Readers Celebrate Shakespeare with This Glorious Picture Book!
- “The Folklore of Weddings and Marriages” selected and edited by Duncan Emrich; illustrated by Tomie dePaola
- It’s Official! Dr. Anthony Fauci of the White House Corona Task Force says The Tooth Fairy Can Still Come and Won’t Get Covid-19; So Please Read Peter Collington’s Wordless Picture Book Called “The Tooth Fairy.”
- “Christopher : The Holy Giant” By Tomie dePaola
- Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day 2020 with a Charming Young Girl Named Maple and a Tree All Her Own That Requires Her Love and Nurturing; Just Like Mother Earth Does!
- “Bill and Pete to the Rescue”; Written and illustrated by Tomie DePaola
- We All Know That Mary Had a Little Lamb, BUT, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by Sara Josepha Hale; illustrations by Tomie dePaola Gives The Inside Scoop!
- Mother Goose is Still “In”, as the Saying Goes, and “Hey Diddle Diddle and Other Mother Goose Rhymes” by Tomie DePaola is a Treat!
- Celebrate National Poetry Month with a Classic Tomie DePaola Picture Book called “Tomie dePaola’s Book of Poems”
- A Picture Book That Captured the 1951 Caldecott Award and Deserves an Easter Second Look!
- The Puzzle of Life Conveys a Conundrum for the Easter Bunny in This Classic Easter Picture Book.
- A Competition Conundrum Ensues for Hoppi the Rabbit in Jan Brett’s Classic Easter Picture Book Read called “The Easter Egg.”
- “The Country Bunny and the Golden Shoes” by DuBose Heyward; pictures by Marjorie Flack is a Classic Easter Read for Our Times. It Teaches Young Readers that Resilence, Tenacity and Practicality Can Overcome Much in Life’s Challenges!
- “The Bunny Who Found Easter” by Charlotte Zolotow; illustrated by Helen Craig
- A Classic Tasha Tudor Tale for Easter When Traditions Are Remembered and Embraced
- Amid This Year of the Pandemic, Families of the Jewish Faith Will Gather, Celebrate and Endure as They Remember the Origins of Passover.
- Passover Begins the Evening of April 8th 2020. Enjoy This Classic Patricia Polacco Picture Book Read That Resonates Today.
- Major Praise for This Classic Holy Week Picture Book – “Easter” by Jan Pienkowski
- Birth, Rebirth and Resurrection in a Perfect Picture Book for Holy Week.
- March
- Tomie Forever! A Salute of the Heart to This Picture Book Champion of World Renowned Whose Books Will Keep His Legacy Alive for Young Readers!
- March is National Nutrition Month. Let’s Celebrate the Green Bean with “How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans,” By David LaRochelle; illustrated by Mark Fearing.
- The Beauty Of Picture Books and the Arts in General Are a Comfort During Turbulent Times. Even a Mouse Named Frederick Knows That!
- Turn Off the TV and Turn a Page Of Tasha Tudor’s “The Springs of Joy” in These Trying Times.
- Happy St. Patrick’s Day And What Better Day Than Today to Meet “Fin M’Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill” By Tomie dePaola
- “Fight the Night” by Tomie dePaola “Hey Tomie! This Picture Book Couldn’t Have Come at a Better Time”
- Stuck in the House Because of School Closings? Create a Family Reading Tradition and Allow Young Readers to Catch Up On a Ton of New and Classic Reads!
- “Fiona’s Lace” by Patricia Polacco
- It’s The Little People in “Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk” : An Irish Tale Told and Illustrated by Gerald McDermott
- “Queen Esther: A Bible Story Book” by Tomie dePaola ; a Picture Book of a Biblical Heroine in Time for Purim
- “O’Sullivan’s Stew” by Hudson Talbot Is Perfectly Served Up On St. Patrick’s Day
- Here’s to Strong and Resilient Women! On International Women’s Day, May We Know Them, Be Them and Raise Them.
- Hey, Folks! We Need Just a Tad of a “Little Good Feeling” by Way of a Picture Book by Russell Hoban with pictures by Lillian Hoban
- February
- It’s National Tooth Fairy Day. Please Allow Your Young Reader to Develop Visual Literacy and Imagination with “The Tooth Fairy” by Peter Collington
- Believe in Your Dreams, Young Readers! Here’s Someone Who Did…”Mae Among the Stars” by Roda Ahmed; illustrated by Stasia Burrington
- “God is Great, God Is Good” by Sanna Anderson Baker; illustrated by Tomie dePaola
- Happy Belated Birthday, George Washington! Here’s a Bitingly Clever Picture Book On George’s Toothy Travails!
- “I Am Abraham Lincoln” By Brad Meltzer; pictures by Christopher Eliopoulos
- “Who Was Abraham Lincoln?” By Janet B. Pascal; illustrated by John O’Brien
- A Picture Book That Lets Young Readers Know the Story and the Person Behind Valentine’s Day.
- “All You Need Is Love” in These Uncertain Times. A Great Message for Young Readers in A Picture Book called “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst; illustrations by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
- Classic Japanese Folklore and a Caldecott Winner; All in One!
- Did He or Didn’t He? See His Shadow Today, That Is. Inquiring Animals are Fed Up With the Groundhog Celebrity!
- A Book Report That Leads to Awareness of Racial Injustice in the History Of Baseball and a Picture Book That Tells the Tale for Young Readers.
- A Picture Book Compass for the Historical Fight for Fairness That is a Peek into the Past for Young Readers.
- January
- Celebrate Groundhog Day With This Fun and Fact-Filled Book….and a Young Reader!
- You’re Never Too Old to Dream….. or Learn! Have Your Young Readers Find Out About Mary Walker!
- A Satisfying Classic Picture Book Penchant for Pandas.
- Hey, Eager Young Minds! 2020 is the Year of the Rat…. According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar!
- “Little Old Farm Folk” Written and illustrated by Andrea Wisnewski
- “Maybe God is Like That Too” By Jennifer Grant; illustrated by Benjamin Schipper
- National Winnie-the-Pooh Day! Oh, Bother. Not Really. We Love You Winnie!
- “The Tasha Tudor Book of Fairy Tales” by Tasha Tudor
- “The Truth About Grandparents” by Elina Ellis
- Over its 125 Year History, Guess What Book Was Checked Out The Most From the New York Public Library?
- “The Legend of Old Befana; An Italian Christmas Story” Retold and Illustrated by Tomie de Paola