Read Aloud

Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World by Gary Golio

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Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World
Author: Gary Golio
Illustrator: Rudy Gutierrez
Published: September 4, 2018 by Henry Holt

Summary: Discover the childhood story of Carlos Santana in Gary Golio’s Sound of the Heart, Song of the World, featuring illustrations by Rudy Gutierrez,the internationally celebrated artist who created the iconic Carlos Santana Shaman CD cover.

Carlos Santana grew up surrounded by music. His father, a beloved mariachi performer, teaches his son how to play the violin when he is only six years old. But when Carlos discovers American blues, he is captivated by the raw honesty of the music. Unable to think of anything else, he loses all interest in the violin. When Carlos finally receives his first guitar, his whole life begins to change.

From his early exposure to mariachi to his successful fusing of rock, blues, jazz, and Latin influences, here is the childhood story of a legendary musician.

My Review: I absolutely loved this book. My son and I had so much fun reading it, and then he asked to listen to some of Carlos Santana’s music. A few days later, we heard a Carlos Santana song on the radio, and my husband excitedly reminded my son about the book. It feels good to connect him with such a powerful man in our history. He shaped music in powerful ways. The book is beautifully written. I liked how it focused predominantly on Santana’s childhood. This kept my son’s interest and helped him connect with Santana. The art flows beautifully and looks like visual music on the page.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I would love to use this book in literature circles with kids. Students could each read a picture book about a famous person in our history of music (see some of the options below). They could share out to their peers and play a clip from the music. These interdisciplinary activities would make for a warm, powerful learning environment.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Describe Carlos Santana’s childhood.
  • What inspired Santana?
  • What was Santana’s relationship with his parents? How do you think this may have shaped his life? What did working beside his father teach him about himself?
  • Describe Santana’s journey into music. What influenced him?

Flagged Passage: Check out the beautiful interiors on the book’s Macmillan page.

Read This If You Love: How Pete Seeger Got America Singing by Leda Schubert; Stand Up and Sing! by Susanna Reich, When Bob Met Woody by Gary Golio, Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow by Gary Golio

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Madison at Macmillan for providing the book for review!**

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation by Patricia Newman

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Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation
Author: Patricia Newman
Published August 1st, 2018 by Millbrook Press

Summary: Deep in the Central African Republic, forest elephants trumpet and rumble along with the forest’s symphony. And scientists are listening.

Scientist Katy Payne started Cornell University’s Elephant Listening Project to learn more about how forest elephants communicate and what they’re saying. But the project soon grew to be about so much more.

Poaching, logging, mining, and increasing human populations threaten the survival of forest elephants. Katy and other members of the Elephant Listening Project’s team knew they needed to do something to protect these majestic animals. By eavesdropping on elephants, the Elephant Listening Project is doing its part to save Africa’s forest elephants and preserve the music in the forest.

About the Author: Patricia Newman has a passion for uncovering fascinating aspects about our world and crafting books that lead children on an adventure of discovery. She gravitates toward stories about animals and conservation science and enjoys sharing her excitement with readers. Books include Sibert Honor title Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem; Junior Library Guild Selection Eavesdropping on Elephants; Bank Street College Best Book Zoo Scientists to the Rescue; Booklist Editor’s Choice Ebola: Fears and Facts; and Green Earth Book Award winner Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. She frequently speaks at schools, libraries, and conferences about writing and conservation. Visit her at www.patriciamnewman.com.

Praise: 

“…this book does an excellent job of transporting readers and providing a clear, multifaceted picture of African forest elephants…The more you listen to wildlife, the more your mind opens up to new ideas about why the world is a place worth saving… VERDICT: A great pick for middle school nonfiction collections.” —School Library Journal

“Fascinating for earnest conservationists.” —Kirkus Reviews

Review: I am never disappointed when I read a Patricia Newman book. Each of her books are filled with fascinating information told in a way that will make any reader feel the passion that Newman obviously feels about her topics.

Her newest, Eavesdropping on Elephants, takes it to a whole new level! Not only does the book still include informational and narrative nonfiction, sidebars, glossaries, and classroom connections all well-researched and interesting, but it also includes QR codes (or links if you do not have a QR reader) to actually see and/or hear the elephants that are being discussed in the book. This really makes the book come to life in a way that I haven’t seen before.

Like all of her books, by the end I wanted to talk to people about what I read, wanted to go make a difference, and wanted to keep learning. If this isn’t a testament to how good her nonfiction is then I don’t know what is.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: “Consider an Authors for Earth Day visit in conjunction with Eavesdropping on Elephants. Students research a list of five conservation nominees selected by Patricia Newman and then vote for their favorite. Newman writes a check to the winning organization. The mission? To empower young readers to shape the world around them!”  –https://www.patriciamnewman.com/books/eavesdropping-on-elephants/ 

Research, reading, and writing activities for the classroom in conjunction with Eavesdropping on Elephants can be found on Patricia Newman’s Elephants Pinterest Board!

I, personally, am going to use Newman’s texts in my passion project research unit this year. I’m going to use her texts to show mentor texts of a nonfiction picture book and students are going to make their own nonfiction book or video. I also hope to have my lunch book club read Newman’s books as one of their month choices.

Discussion Questions: 

  • How do the videos/recordings help with the understanding of the book?
  • What is a keystone species? And how are the forest elephants a keystone species of their habitat?
  • What is the difference between ultrasound and infrasound? What does this have to do with elephants?
  • What figurative journey did Katy take to finally make it to Africa to study elephants in the wild?
  • What did the scientists learn by listening to the elephants?
  • Why are elephants’ ears the shape that they are?
  • How is what Katy did with elephant sounds similar to a dictionary?
  • How are humans a threat to forest elephants?
  • What did Teagan Yardley do when she learned about these threats?

Book Trailer: 

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Nonfiction about animals, Nonfiction titles by Patricia Newman

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Lerner Publishing and Patricia for providing a copy for review!**

Alice’s Magic Garden: Before the Rabbit Hole… by Henry Herz

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Alice’s Magic Garden: Before the Rabbit Hole…
Author: Henry Herz
Illustrator: Natalie Hoopes
Published September 1st, 2018 by Familius

Summary: Curiouser and curiouser!

In this imaginative prequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice finds herself at a gray, dreary boarding school that is decidedly up the rabbit hole. From the relentless clocks to the beastly students, Alice’s world is void of color and cheer–until Alice finds a secret garden and begins tending its wilting inhabitants. When Alice’s love touches an ordinary caterpillar, a lorry bird, and a white rabbit, magical things will happen–and that, as you know, is just the beginning of the story. Filled with literary allusions and clever nods to its classic roots, Alice’s Magic Garden is a delightful prequel that begs an escape to the whimsy of Wonderland.

Review: I love when I find a twist on a classic story that is new and fresh! Herz’s story about how Alice’s garden came to be is so unique and definitely different than I’d ever heard or read before. While it holds true to the magic and silliness of Carroll’s original, it also adds a nice lesson in the vein of kindness and happiness which will lead to some great discussions as well.

I’m also a huge fan of the illustrations. I loved how color was used to show the shift in Alice’s surroundings and the way the illustrator separated the real from the strange. Additionally, I truly loved the style of the artwork which, in my opinion, was a perfect style for the story: classic with a bit of whimsy.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use Alice’s Magic Garden as a mentor text for an imaginative prequel and ask students to create their own picture book as a prequel for a book they’ve read, a class novel, or a book club selection.

Also the story has some wonderful word choice that students can look at and discuss why the specific words were chosen.

Lastly, Alice’s could be used with secondary classes if the classic text is being read to look at allusions.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Why does the illustrator go from grayscale to color drawings?
  • What allusions to the original story do you see in the picture book?
  • How did kindness save the day?
  • How is Alice different than the other girls in her boarding school?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Fractured fairy tales or other retellings, “Jabberwocky” and other poems by Lewis Carroll

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Familius for providing a copy for review!**

What If EVERYBODY Said That? by Ellen Javernick

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What If EVERYBODY Said That?
Author: Ellen Javernick
Illustrator: Colleen Madden
Published August 1st, 2018 by Two Lions

Summary: What if everybody chose to be kind?

If you tell someone that they can’t play with you, there’s no harm done, right? But what if everybody said that? What if everybody forgot to be kind…and made fun of other kids’ artwork at school, or told a fib, or refused to share with a person in need? The world wouldn’t be a very nice place to live. But what if everybody thought before they spoke, so the world would be a kinder place?

With clear prose and lighthearted artwork, this companion book to the bestseller What If Everybody Did That? explores the power of words and shows kids that the things we say matter.

About the Creators: 

Ellen Javernick has taught 1-3 grade classes for over 20 years. Her B.A. is from DePauw University. Her M.A. in Early Childhood Education is from the University of Northern Colorado. She has completed classes with Barbara Wise and is Lindamood-Bell trained. In addition to being a teacher, Ellen has written more than 20 books for children. She currently teaches second grade in Loveland, CO.

The weird fourth kid in a family of 8, Colleen Madden made it through childhood pretending to be a wookie and doodling in her cardboard box art studio. Colleen spent some time acting and training at The Second City in Chicago, then went on to graduate from a small liberal arts school on the East coast. Colleen eats and works and runs around in the Philadelphia area.

Praise: “A reminder to be aware of what one says, as well as a discussion starter about actions and consequences.” —Kirkus Reviews

Review: Empathy and kindness are both things that I truly believe need to be directly taught to children. Kids are born thinking only of their own needs and maybe of the needs of their family, but they have to learn how to care about those around them. This teaching can start at a very young age but then needs to be reinforced for years to come. Anyone who teaches knows this is true. We may have some of the best students but even they make a mistake sometimes that is hurtful to someone else. What If Everybody Said That? is a testament of thinking about others. Though a bit didactical, the different scenarios put on each page truly do show a cause and effect of the words we say to others.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This text is a perfect book to add to any community building, kindness, empathy, or anti-bullying text set.

Discussion Questions: 

  • How does each spread show the cause and effect of what she said?
  • What finally made the young girl realize she needed to apologize?
  • What if everybody said that? (Pick a page and discuss)
    • Look at the cause and effect from everybody saying what the girl said.
    • Compare and contrast the two pages.
  • What is something you can think of that you said before that may not have been the best choice?

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, Eraser by Anna Kang, I Walk with Vanessa by Kerascoët, and other books helping students think about the words and choices they make

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Two Lions for providing a copy for review!**

Review and Giveaway!: Eraser by Anna Kang, Illustrated by Christopher Weyant

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Eraser
Author: Anna Kang
Illustrator: Christopher Weyant
Published August 1, 2018 by Two Lions

Summary: Eraser is always cleaning up everyone else’s mistakes. Except for Ruler and Pencil Sharpener, none of the other school supplies seem to appreciate her. They all love how sharp Pencil is and how Tape and Glue help everyone stick together. Eraser wants to create so that she can shine like the others. She decides to give it a try, but it’s not until the rubber meets the road that Eraser begins to understand a whole lot about herself.

Inspired by a school essay their daughter Kate wrote in the third grade, the author and illustrator behind Theodor Seuss Geisel Award–winner You Are (Not) Small have created a desktop drama about figuring out who you are, finding happiness, and the importance of second, third, and maybe even fourth chances.

About the Creators: Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small and its follow-ups That’s (Not) Mineand I Am (Not) Scared. Christopher’s work can be seen routinely in The New Yorker magazine and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. As an author, Anna regularly goes through first, second, and third drafts. Chris wears down many erasers while making his art. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their rescue dog. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.
Twitter: @annakang27 @chrisweyant05
Instagram: annakangbooks; christopherweyant
Facebook: Anna Kang – Author; Christopher Weyant

Ricki’s Review: I love this author-illustrator team. Every book that they’ve written has been brilliant. This book offers readers a glimpse inside the mind of the lesser-known characters in life. It forces us to think about who we are overlooking and who deserves more praise. It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and the lives of those who are close to us, and we often forget to consider those who feel distant to us. My son and I talked about this together, and he said there are some kids at school that he doesn’t talk with often. I asked him what this book taught him, and he said that it reminded him to talk with more friends in his class and to be kind. With a valuable message and a powerful punch, this book is sure to become a favorite in classrooms.

Kellee’s Review: There are times in all of our lives that we question our purpose. Someone louder, prettier, more aggressive, or different than you may get recognition where you don’t even though you feel you deserve it. But it is all about valuing yourself and showing others that value, but we don’t need others to tell us our worth. That is what Eraser teaches us. When we finished, Trent said that Pencil learned that she needed help and Eraser learned she IS important. If that isn’t a message that I want my son to learn, I don’t know what is. Oh, and it is quite funny sometimes, and like Kang & Weyant’s other books, it is told in dialogue only so the illustrations play a big part in the telling of the story.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might give students a list of the names of all of the students in their class. The students might look through this list and ask themselves, “Who do I talk to often? Who could I get to know more? Do I show every person on this list that they matter?” This activity connects well with the theme of the book and reminds students to support others in their world.

For more information, and to download a free activity kit, visit annakang.com, or download here.

Discussion Questions: 

  • How does Eraser’s feelings change throughout the book? What causes these changes?
  • How do the other school supplies act toward Eraser? Does this remind you of any instances in your life?
  • What is the message of the book? What does it teach us?

Book Trailer!:

Spreads:

Giveaway!:

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Read This If You Loved: Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall; The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt; That’s (Not) Mine by Anna Kang, You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Barbara at Blue Slip Media for providing copies for review!**

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan

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Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968
Author: Alice Faye Duncan
Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie
Publication Date September 11th, 2018 by Calkins Creek

Summary: This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who in 1968 witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final stand for justice before his assassination–when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest.

In February 1968, two African American sanitation workers were killed by unsafe equipment in Memphis, Tennessee. Outraged at the city’s refusal to recognize a labor union that would fight for higher pay and safer working conditions, sanitation workers went on strike. The strike lasted two months, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was called to help with the protests. While his presence was greatly inspiring to the community, this unfortunately would be his last stand for justice. He was assassinated in his Memphis hotel the day after delivering his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” sermon in Mason Temple Church. Inspired by the memories of a teacher who participated in the strike as a child, author Alice Faye Duncan reveals the story of the Memphis sanitation strike from the perspective of a young girl with a riveting combination of poetry and prose.

About the Creators: 

Alice Faye Duncan is the author of multiple children’s books, including Honey Baby Sugar Child, which received an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Literary Work for Children. She is a librarian in Memphis and is a National Board Certified Educator.

R. Gregory Christie has illustrated more than fifty books for young adults and children. His work has won a Caldecott Honor, a New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of the Year Award (two times), the Coretta Scott King Honor in Illustration (three times), the NAACP’s Image Award, the Boston Globe-Horn BookAward, and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. He currently operates his store of autographed children’s books, GAS-ART Gifts, in Decatur, Georgia.

Praise: 

★ “Duncan creates 9-year-old Lorraine Jackson to tell the full story of the Memphis sanitation strike of 1968. The author’s choice to not focus on the singular efforts of King but on the dedicated efforts of community signals a deeply important lesson for young readers. Strong historical details back up the organizing feat…(t)he narrative is set in vignettes that jump between verse and prose, set against Christie’s bold paintings… encapsulates the bravery, intrigue, and compassion that defined a generation, presenting a history that everyone should know: required and inspired.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★“In this impressive picture book, a character inspired by an African American family involved in the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike tells her first-person account of the experience in verse and prose. Each full-page spread functions as a chapter with…informative back matter (which)…includes a time line and source notes. The excellent gouache art is typical of Christie’s distinctive and impactful style, with impressionistic images set on pages saturated with shades of blue, yellow, or orange. Most gratifyingly, the determination of the characters and the import of this part of history are imbued with dignity throughout.” – Booklist, starred review

Review: I was lucky enough to hear Alice Faye Duncan speak about this book. As a librarian, she wanted to tell this story, and, if I remember correctly, she wrote many different versions of this story. And when Boyd Mills Press first acquired her story, she once again revised the text. And wow! I am so happy that she kept going because the book which she, with R. Gregory Christie’s absolutely beautiful illustrations, created a brilliant picture book.

It wasn’t until I read Chasing King’s Killer that I knew the whole story about why Martin Luther King, Jr. was in Memphis at the time he was assassinated. Thirty-six years old is too late to learn about the last fight that MLK was able to stand behind. The story is written in vignettes in a first-person point of view of a Memphis resident who was nine at the time of the sanitation strikes. With the past look, it allowed Duncan’s character to have insight into things a nine-year-old may not while also being able to give a first hand account. The mixture led to a historical narrative filled with emotion and truths.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Use this book. However it works in your classroom. It can be used in a history, reading, writing, or art lesson. Or the text for all of the above. The writing, art, and history in this book is one that needs to be shared.

Discussion Questions: 

  • Lorraine is our main character. How could you change the title to show her part of the story?
  • How did the author intertwine Lorraine’s and MLK’s stories to tell this story?
  • Why did the sanitation workers strike in Memphis is 1968?
  • How does a first person point of view differ the text versus a third person?
  • As a class, take a historical event and create a multi-format book about the event.

Flagged Passages: 

Read This If You Love: Be a King by Carole Boston Weatherford, Chasing King’s Killer by James L. Swanson, Books (historical fiction or nonfiction) about the Civil Rights Movement

Recommended For: 

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**Thank you to Workman Publishing for providing copies for review!**

Fiction Picture Book Round Up

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As I receive and read picture books, I put aside books that I hope to get to write a post about; however, my pile has gotten so big because of all of the amazing books coming out, that I cannot give them each their own post. So every once in a while I do a picture book round up, and today I am happy to share some of my recent favorite fiction reads (Wednesday I shared nonfiction titles). Please know that putting these in a round-up does not lower their value! They are all ones that I recommend and loved!

I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep
Author: Dev Petty
Illustrator: Mike Boldt
Publication Date: October 16th, 2018 by Doubleday Books for Young Readers

Summary: Fans of the hit I Don’t Want to Be a Frog will hop with joy for this fourth book in the series–a hilarious and clever twist on the classic childhood issue of not wanting to go to bed.

Frog is excited about autumn and the coming of winter. But when Owl informs him that frogs hibernate till spring, Frog is upset at missing out on all the snowy fun. In this hysterically funny twist on the classic “I don’t want to go to bed” dilemma, Frog comes up with all kinds of reasons why he’s not going to sleep through winter, until he devises a clever way to convince his friends to come along for the ride.

Featuring the beloved young frog character from the hit I Don’t Want to Be a Frog and his cast of zany animal friends, this new story is sure to bring a smile to every kid who’s ever protested at bedtime. And parents will appreciate a bold new twist on a timeless childhood topic. It’s another surefire crowd pleaser and perfect read-aloud.

My Thoughts: This is my first Frog book by Petty, and I can see why everyone loves them! It is a perfect mixture of humor and information, and Frog’s voice is just so whiny and perfect! I’m wondering if the other books in the series also have the same cast of animal friends because they add to Frog’s story so much.

Quiet Please, Owen McPhee!
Author: Trudy Ludwig
Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Published July 3rd, 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: From the author-illustrator team who brought you The Invisible Boy comes the story of a boy who won’t stop talking–until he gets laryngitis. You don’t have to be a chatterbox to appreciate this tale of listening and learning. 

Owen McPhee doesn’t just like to talk, he LOVES to talk. He spends every waking minute chattering away at his teachers, his classmates, his parents, his dog, and even himself. But all that talking can get in the way of listening. And when Owen wakes up with a bad case of laryngitis, it gives him a much-needed opportunity to hear what others have to say.

From the author-illustrator team behind The Invisible Boy comes a bright and lively picture book that captures the social dynamics of a busy classroom while delivering a gentle message about the importance of listening.

My Thoughts: Like The Invisible Boy, Ludwig’s story of a boy that many will relate to will start so many discussions about listening and other aspects of being a good friend, student, and person in general. I think it will also show readers that Owen wasn’t being malicious in any way because sometimes when other kids are a certain way, kids assume they are doing it on purpose, but really it is just part of their personality and haven’t yet figured out the cause and effect of their behavior. Teachers and kids will all like Owen McPhee and the lesson he learns.

Pet this Book
Play this Book
Author: Jessica Young
Illustrator: Daniel Wiseman
Published May 22nd, 2018 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Summary: For fans of Press Here, this new interactive picture book line invites readers to touch and move and “play” with theese books. Hello, friend! It’s time to play! We’re taking care of pets today. To start our show we need a band–maybe you can lend a hand!

There are lots of ways little hands can care for animals. Each page of this book invites readers to pet the cat, wash the puppy, brush the horse’s mane, and more–no animals required! With a delightful rhyming text and engaging illustrations, this book is full of pets who can’t wait to play. The only thing they need is YOU! Just use your imagination, turn the pages, and Pet This Book!

There are lots of ways little hands can make music. Each page of this interactive book invites readers to strum the guitar, slide the trombone, crash the cymbals, and more–no instruments required! With a delightful rhyming text and engaging illustrations, this book is full of instruments waiting to share their sounds. The only thing this band needs is YOU! Just use your imagination, turn the pages, and Play This Book!

Pair with each other for all kinds of play!

My Thoughts: We love interactive picture books in my house, and I am always excited when I find a new one that is unique, and this time I found TWO! Such a fun way to promote imagination while also promoting love for animals and music.  Oh! And I love the godo use of onomatopoeias. Trent will want to read these over and over; I see lots of PURRs and CRASHs in our future.

The Dinosaur Expert
Author: Margaret McNamara
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Published July 17th, 2018 by Schwartz & Wade

Summary: Dinosaurs, girl power, and science combine in the newest addition to the Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series.

Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in another picture book, and this time the focus is on dinosaur-loving Kimmy. During a field trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about the Stegosaurus and the Archaeopteryx and even the ginormous Titanosaurus. That changes when one of her classmates questions whether girls can be paleontologists. Kimmy starts to feel shy. What if they can’t? What if no one wants to hear what she has to say? It will take some help from Mr. Tiffin–and from a famous scientist–for Kimmy to find her voice again.

Join Mr. Tiffin’s class as they learn about dinosaurs big and small, feathered and scaly, winged and ocean-dwelling. And root for Kimmy, the dinosaur expert . . . who might just learn something about herself.

My Thoughts: This book made me so mad at first! It definitely shows why representation is important! Kids like Jake, who says girls can’t be scientists, wouldn’t exist as often if women scientists were more prolific in our discussions or if we made sure to talk about how prejudice stopped women from being many things, not brains. Kimmy’s story also shows how this lack of inclusion could shut down a brilliant kid because they feel inferior. Luckily, Kimmy had Mr. Tiffin and Dr. Brandoni de Gasparini there to show her that she had a voice worth sharing. And thank you to the author for including the back matter with more female paleontologists! What a wonderful book!

Stone Underpants
Author: Rebecca Lisle
Illustrator: Richard Watson
Published August 1st, 2018 by Maverick Arts

Summary: Pod lives in the Stone Age and finds that he often has a cold bottom! So he invents underpants! Unfortunately his choice of material is not always practical. Will he find something that is both warm and flexbile, so he can play with his friends?

A hilarious story by prolific young fiction writer, Rebecca Lisle. Her first picture book explores the humorous side of the Stone Age, with equally funny illustrations by talented illustrator, Richard Watson.

My Thoughts: Trent is currently obsessed with Captain Underpants (the movie and show), so when I told him I had a book called Stone Underpants, he actually laughed out loud and said that he wanted to read it. But this book is more than just a silly joke about underpants, it is about cause and effect as well as problem and solution. His bottom is cold, what will he do? Are stone underpants the best idea? Read to find out.

Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy
Author: Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Scott Campbell
Publication Date: Sepember 11th, 2018 by Disney-Hyperion

Summary: It is impossible not to crack up while reading this all-dialogue bedtime story by Drew Daywalt, the New York Times #1 best-selling author of THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT. Scott Campbell’s expressive illustrations bring home the hilarity.
Roderick hates going to bed, and the young boy has become quite resourceful in coming up with ways to delay the dreaded hour when the lights must go out. Roderick’s loving parents–fed up with the distractions and demands that have become his anti-bedtime ritual–decide to get him a stuffed animal to cuddle with and help him wind down. However, Sleepy quickly proves to be a bit high-maintenance. Just when we fear the night may never end, Sleepy’s antics become too exhausting for Roderick to bear.

My Thoughts: HAHAHA!! Man, I have a Roderick. Every night, I hear, “MOOOOOOM!” and some sort of question or demand or request or something else, so this whole book cracked me up! Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy is going to be a wonderful story addition to our bedtime routine, and maybe, just maybe, Trent will see that Sleepy is him and Roderick is me. And Scott Campbell is one of my favorite graphic novelists, so the illustrations are just perfectly expressive and a bit crazy.

Mermaid School
Author: Joanne Stewart Wetzel
Illustrator: Julianna Swaney
Published July 17th, 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: Starting school is always exciting… especially when you’re a mermaid! From schools of fish to the A B Seas, this whimsical underwater tale puts a fun twist on what to expect on the first day of school.

It’s Molly’s first day at mermaid school, and there’s so much to learn! Follow the mermaids as they count clamshells, recite the A B Seas, and make new friends. They even enjoy story time about children who walk on land! At the end of the day, it’s time to sing the goodbye song and head home. With sweet, rhyming language and a peek into a fantastical undersea world, Mermaid School touches on all the major moments children will experience on their first day. And don’t miss the mermaid school handbook in the back of this book for more mermaid fun!

My Thoughts: Add this title to your beginning of the school year read aloud list. Mermaid School looks at all of the scary and amazing things that come with starting a new school. The sing-songy rhyming text adds a lovely read aloud aspect, and the illustrations are perfect tones for a book about a school under water. One of my favorite parts though may be the school handbook in the back matter! It was quite funny, and it would be a lot of fun for kids to make their own handbooks for different types of schools.

All Are Welcome
Author: Alexandra Penfold
Illustrator: Suzanne Kaufman
Published July 10th, 2018 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Summary: A warm, welcoming picture book that celebrates diversity and gives encouragement and support to all kids.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where kids in patkas, hijabs, and yamulkes play side-by-side with friends in baseball caps. A school where students grow and learn from each other’s traditions and the whole community gathers to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 

All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, they are welcome in their school.

My Thoughts: YES! I love that more and more books about inclusion and kindness are making their way onto the market. I read Each Kindness every year, and this year I added I Walk with Vanessa, but as soon as I read this one, I knew it had to be added as well. Anyone who teaches wants all students to feel welcome in their school and classroom, and reading this book with them will help everyone realize that diversity is what makes our world an amazing place.

One of a Kind
Author and Illustrator: Chris Gorman
Published May 8th, 2018 by Nancy Paulsen

Summary: Bold, graphic art by indie rocker Chris Gorman of Belly captures the thrill and challenges of marching to your own beat. 

Meet a pogo-dancing, punk-rock-loving kid who loves to express himself in his own unique way. His clothes, hairstyle, music, and just the way he hears the world, all set him apart. Not everyone understands him, but he likes being one of a kind–even though it’s lonely sometimes. Fortunately, it’s a wide world out there, and if he looks around a kid is sure to find other one-of-a-kinds with common interests.

My Thoughts: I hope that everyone who reads this book take it the same way as me: Being different is awesome but there are also others out there who will love you for who you are, and may just like some of the same things you like. I know some may take it as we are all not one of a kind and need to find others like us, but I don’t see that. I definitely connect with the little boy, and I loved the message that there are friends out there for everyone and that each unique individual will find a place in our world.

Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude
Author: Josh Funk
Illustrator: Stevie Lewis
Published August 28th, 2018 by Henry Holt/MacMillan

Summary: Holt has bought Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, about the two lions who faithfully guard the New York Public Library. When Patience goes missing, Fortitude realizes the secret to Patience’s disappearance may be within the Library itself.

Lost in the Library is the first picture book that Macmillan plans to publish in partnership with the New York Public Library; it’s scheduled for publication in 2018.

My Thoughts: Josh Funk never lets me down! This magical book about the library after hours is so much fun to read, and I loved the theme supported by all that Fortitude did to find Patience. Also, where Patience is found truly is a love note to the amazing things you can find in a book. With Funk’s amazing rhyming verses and Lewis’s colorful illustrations, the New York Public Library comes to life! (And don’t miss out on the NYPL facts in the back matter!)

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