Night Running by Elisa Carbone, illus. by E.B. Lewis

It is 1838 in Virginia (now West Virginia) and James is finished with being a slave on Master Graham’s farm. Zeus is looking pretty sad. He knows James is planning to run away. As much as James loves Zeus, he’s afraid the dog who is noisy and rambunctious will give him away. Zeus has other [...]

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Birthday at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson, illus. by Doug Cushman

It’s time for another bash at the Panda Palace. This time it is Mouse’s birthday. The restaurant is appropriately decorated and the animals are ready to party. After games comes presents. Each animal offers up his gift with a one or two quatrain rhyme minus the last word. Flip the page and children can complete [...]

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What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson, illus. by Lydia Monks

My favorite story time treat is to share a story that involves quacks, meows, and other animal sounds. My granddaughter’s nickname is Ladybug. This book combines both of these concepts in a wonderful picture book that can be shared in a group or in a one-on-your lap setting. Julia Donaldson uses lilting rhymed text to [...]

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The Fairytale Cake made by Mark Sperring, decorated by Jonathan Langley

Family traditions have to start somewhere. This book may be the perfect beginning to a birthday tradition in your family. Brightly colored, detailed illustrations show the King and Queen of Story Land mixing a huge bowl of cake batter while the Big Bad Wolf (still in Grandma’s nightgown) blows on the fire to increase the [...]

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Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! By Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel, illus. by Janet Stevens

The best part of the Summer Reading Program for me is the enthusiastic book reviews we receive from our child readers. This book was introduced to me by Delaney and her mother early in August. They laughed as they remembered the fun they had when they read this book together, over and over. So thank [...]

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Muti’s Necklace by Louise Hawes, illus. by Rebecca Guay

My last review for the week features another story with a strong female lead – this time set in Ancient Egypt. Hawes has taken an ancient Egyptian tale and adapted and expanded it for modern audiences to create a story about the importance of familial love and standing up for what you value the most. [...]

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The Scarlet Stockings Spy by Trinka Hakes Noble, illus. by Robert Papp

This beautifully illustrated book is set in Philadelphia in 1777 and stars a plucky young heroine – Maddy Rose – whose brother Jonathan has gone away to bravely fight in the war that has already claimed the life of her father. Not content to sit at home just helping her mother earn a living with [...]

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Everybody Bonjours! by Leslie Kimmelman, illus. by Sarah McMenemy

Get ready to say “Bonjour” to an exciting, fun-filled trip to Paris! This vibrant, colorful picture book follows a little girl and her family’s vacation to Paris and describes in rhyming text the many ways to use the greeting “Bonjour” when visiting France. They visit all the famous spots, including the Eiffel Tower, the Arc [...]

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Ahwoooooooo! by Yannick Murphy; Illus. by Claudio Muñoz

I ran across another great book about grandparents. Ahwoooooooo! is the story of a young wolf cub. The moon is bright, and Little Wolf wants to learn how to howl now. His mother and father are busy. He walks in the woods and meets several other animals. Of course Owl, Frog, and Whippoorwill can only [...]

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Twenty Heartbeats by Dennis Haseley; Illus. by Ed Young

Haseley tells this folktale-like story of a wealthy man who wants a painting of his favorite horse. He pays a great painter to do the picture. Then he waits… and waits… and waits for the painting to be finished. He and his horse grow old. Finally giving up in anger, he goes back to the [...]

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