Welcome to my blog. This blog pretty much reflects me, and I am one eclectic person. I have restaurant reviews, shop reviews, posts about human trafficking, poems (written by me or just appreciated by me), reflections from sermons, events, old mission trip newsletters – and much more. I also just got married, so there’s a whole category of posts on the wedding planning.
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I went ahead and splurged on the treasury edition that has 4 of Virginia Lee Burton’s classic stories. We’ve borrowed it from the library enough that it was time to add it to our home library. The kids love this story and the personification of Mary Anne the steam shovel. They could help me finish the repetitive lines throughout by the end of the week, and my 5 year old even wanted to say the little boy’s lines when we got to them. He said them from memory and wasn’t too far off from the text.
We went on a train ride the last day of the week with my sister, to experience what a real steam engine would be like. Alas, it was pulled by a diesel, but the conductor had a side by side illustration of a diesel and a steam so we could see the differences. It was a super fun experience for the kiddos regardless, especially trying to walk around while it was moving and going between cars. We’re also blessed to live close a river and there used to be a canal running alongside the river throughout our side of the state. Sunday afternoon, we visited a museum with all sorts of artifacts of the time of the canal and the river boat culture.
Social Studies
“Superpower” has amazingly detailed pen drawings of steam trains and the various engineering aspects of it. We spent a lot of time inspecting the pictures, but the text was very much beyond our abilities. “Creekfinding” was a really great true story about a man who re-wilds a farm, describing the process of restoring a creek that ran through it, enough for trout to thrive again. I recently took an EPA class on wetlands so this really checked some boxes for me – wetlands are amazing!
Art
These books are very cool, even though my kiddos don’t have the skills to draw with this kind of detail or sight. It’s valuable to see the stages of a drawing, from simple shapes to gradual adding of details and then definition and bolder markings. I almost always learn something more about art when we do these exercises and read these books.
Science
“Engineer it!” books are awesome! They are “super simple” and, practically, would be great for older elementary. My kids just don’t have the skills yet to do this kind of stuff on their own, but my engineering-minded 5 year old was really inspired just looking at the pictures.
“Make Way for Animals!” was such a neat read! All about wildlife crossing of various kinds across the world. These kinds of books awaken your mind to problems that you would never know existed unless you were right there dealing with it. We’ve been thinking of all kinds of crossings that could be implemented when we’re out driving and what animals they would serve.
This week’s poem is a classic, The Song of the Engine:
When you travel on the railways, And the line goes up a hill, Just listen to the engine, As it pulls you with a will, Though it goes so very slowly It sings this little song, “I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN,” And so it goes along.
But later on the journey, When you’re going down a hill, The train requires no pulling, And the engine’s singing still, If you listen very quietly, You will hear this little song, “I THOUGHT I COULD. I THOUGHT I COULD!” And so it speeds along.
“The Song of the Engine” by Christine Weatherly
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
This book was a little too much for my kiddos, and not for the content, but for the amount of words. I try to read our weekly book while the kids are eating breakfast. My 3 year old always speeds through her food, but even though my 5 yr old takes his time, they were both getting antsy before I finished reading. The subject matter, however, did bring a lot of discussion, as did the other books I found to enhance our week. My only complaint is that it was written by a young white girl and not in “own voice.” But, I found plenty of books to balance that so my kids could hear about this history of our country from people who had it in their own families. It is very important to me and there are so many books available out there that I have no excuse to not include them.
Social Studies
We used “The Drinking Gourd” as our first chapter read aloud, reading three chapters one night before bed and the next three the following night. My 5 year old recognizes the Big Dipper constellation already, so he was pretty interested. We skimmed through “The U.S. Civil War” book picking up highlights and details and then tied in “Before She was Harriet” to talk about life before, during, and after the war. “Show Way” was awesome! We actually saved it for our Language Arts day and it tied in with the storytelling through piece quilts that we learned while Rowing “The Rag Coat.”
Art
We skimmed through this book to see how artists will draw a picture in stages – photograph source, straight lines or circles for framing, light sketching, and then filling in more detail until complete. Lots of great pictures and things to talk about.
Science
Simple Machines are so much fun and I learned right along with the kids about some daily things we all use and what type of simple machine they are. We did a quick run-through on our favorite and least favorite things of different seasons, and our five senses. I am hoping that someday, my kids will look at the food I put on their plates and realize that each piece plays some part of building a healthy body. Until then, PBJ sandwiches it is! (actually, my kids are great with fruit, so I’m calling that a win for now)
Additional Books:
I thought I was doing a really great job at balancing stories of historic slavery and biographies of diverse people doing really awesome things and also just living lives like our family. Kids connect information in wonky ways sometimes though, and my 5 year old saw a picture of a modern Jamaican man and said, “Oh, Mommy. He has dark skin so he was enslaved.”
Yipes. So, we had to have a quick talk about how people with dark skin live and move all over the planet and that not everyone with dark skin has themselves (or in their family history) been a slave, and U.S. chattel slavery was a long time ago. I’m glad that I also borrowed these books from the library so we can see black people living their full lives, overcoming adversity of all kinds, and NOT just as enslaved people in the 1800s.
I struggled finding a poem this week for us to memorize. My kiddos are little and don’t understand a lot of poetic symbolism. They also can’t memorize something too long. I decided to stick with the sun theme for this week.
Stand with your back to the shining sun; watch your shadow dance and run.
Stand and face the shining sun; look ahead – your shadow’s gone!
“Shadows” by Judith Nicholls
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
I skimmed through this book the week before we were to read it. I wish I had read it thoroughly, although I don’t think that would have mattered. By the time I reached the end, I had to ask my kiddos to give me a minute to compose myself to finish reading. What a tender, tender story! I just learned that there is a named “movement” in the world called “death positivity.” I didn’t know it was a named thing, but I definitely find value in talking about the reality of death with my kiddos. I don’t sugarcoat it, but I try to explain things at an appropriate comprehension for them. Neither of them appear to be scarred by discussing the topic. All that to say that I might need to use a recorded read-aloud for the rest of the week; I can’t keep crying during storytime!
Social Studies
These Foxfire books are so neat! A collection of a periodical of the same name, there is so much in these books with information, culture, old photos – if my kiddos were a little older I think they would have spent hours poring over these pages.
We used this books as an opportunity to learn about topographical maps and marveled at how the mountains look like wrinkles on the map.
Art
This was a great little book to go along with our “facial expressions” lesson. Simple step-by-step guide to drawing facial features and a handful of emotions. I used a dry erase board and the kids marveled at how emotions could be changed just by different mouth and eyebrow placement.
We took a trip to Honeygram’s (my mother) for some quilting learning. The kids were able to pick out 4 pieces of fabric that meant something to them and then we encouraged them to think of a memory that tied back to the particular piece. That was a little challenging for a 3 and 5 year old, but we came up with some good stories to go with our mini-quilts.
Math
I initially selected “The All-Together Quilt” for Language Arts day, but as I read it, we found that it fit much better in the math section.
A group at a community center all pitch in to select fabric, cut them to size, choose pattern, and sew together a beautiful quilt to donate to the local library.
Science
We read these books and then the kiddos watched a series of YouTube videos on coal mining in old Appalachia, how the cotton gin worked, and how cotton is grown, harvested, and processed today.
Additional Books:
We got Dolly Parton’s book through her Imagination Library and it must have been a common thing to piece a quilted coat together in Appalachia. This story was easier for my 3 year old to swallow, as the father survives in her story.
“Good People Everywhere” talks about how all sorts of people in a community do all sorts of good things – some we see and some we don’t until we need their help. This was a good bedtime read aloud.
I looked for books in my master list that talked about community and gifts, and these two popped up. I love a good nature picture book and since we don’t live anywhere near a desert, “Saguaro’s Gifts” was a very good read. “Catch That Chicken!” is about a little girl who is so fast at catching chickens, but she learns a better way than being fast through the advice of her family and community members. My 5 year old especially liked this book because it is a Vox book and he can listen to it without me having to read it for him.
I borrowed these books because they were about community and clothing, however, I chose not to read them to my kiddos this time. “Ogilvy” was a little confusing as the bunny kept changing what he called his outfit based on what he would be allowed to do that day with the group. It wouldn’t have made much sense to my kids. “The Most Beautiful Village in the World” was a truly sweet book of a child and his father going to market in Afghanistan. I could have read it to the kids and skipped the last page, but I don’t like to leave things out of stories. The author wrote this story to talk about a village wiped out from war. We have talked about war before, but I decided that The Rag Coat had enough heavy, sad topics in it that we could avoid the subject of war until another time. What I find most fascinating about it is that the author/illustrator is Japanese and this was translated into English.
I found another short rhyme from my Mother Goose book to fit the topic this week:
Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye, And a long tail which she let fly; And every time she went through a gap, A bit of her tail she left in a trap.
“A Needle and Thread” from Mother Goose
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
Our library didn’t have this book in their registry, but they ordered it for me to have on hand. What a place! I thought the text might be a little long and involved for my littles, but they have been very interested in the story. It doesn’t hurt that I have a strong connection to Japan, having lived there for a year back in 2008 to teach English with a church. I have also made it a point to take the kids to the only true Japanese restaurant that is local and familiarize them with the food, culture, and language.
Can I share something funny? You get spam calls a lot, right? I get them all the time and I got tired of answering them just to have them start rattling them off whatever pitch they have. So, about a year ago, I started answering my phone in Japanese if I didn’t recognize the number. It’s been a very fun and beautiful thing. They have no idea what to make of it. And, bonus, my kiddos often holler out, “konnichiwa!” whenever my phone rings. It has only backfired a couple times when it’s a doctor’s office or some other official call. Usually they laugh with me when I explain what is going on.
Social Studies
I love seeing pictures of Japan in these books and reading familiar words – testing out my katakana (one of the syllabaries) again. [My 5 yr old pointed to a “conbini” (convenient store) sign and asked what it said. I sounded out the katakana and realized it was “ta-ba-ko” (cigarettes).] I remember very little wildlife when I was living there beyond birds and insects, except when I was out in the country or visiting Hiroshima. But the kids were delighted with the pictures of snow monkeys in the hot springs.
Art
The crafts in this book are so fun and neat! We are looking forward to trying some others throughout, but I think we will do the Japanese-style tie-dye this time around. Simple supply lists and cultural tie-ins without appropriation for the win!
Math
This book was a little over our level as we have barely handled our numbers and counting and small grouping problems. This book asked us to practice subtracting and adding double-digit numbers. I would have done it a little differently, had I taken the time to read the book ahead (mom win!).
Science
We have read “Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather!” once before, but it’s always a good time to revisit a book. For better or for worse, the 3 year old’s takeaway was to go through the house saying, “Boy, were we wrong!” to just about everything happening. I loved learning about meteorology when I was younger and I’m still fascinated with weather. I met a local weather man celebrity when I was a kid through Girl Scouts and it made a big impression on me.
Additional Books:
“Red Sky at Night” was a very easy read, but the illustrations are beautiful and picking through the sayings made us have to take our time. This book is filled with phrases used to “predict” the weather. At the back of the book, the author lists all the phrases and shares a brief explanation and whether it’s accurate or not. I read a few phrases I had forgotten hearing from my grandparents!
These books were super sweet stories, and all over the interests. Niki Nakayama is a biography of a professional Japanese-American chef. Natsumi’s Song of Summer is about cousins sharing a love of insects. And Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin is about a little girl wanting to carry the legacy of her ojichan (grandpa), a concert violinist. Another favorite book centering Japanese culture was “Ojichan’s Gift” also by Chieri Uegaki but we didn’t reread it this time around.
Here is a fun poem I found for this week. Even more special, my mom shared that she had memorized this poem when she was in 1st grade:
Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you: But when the leaves hang trembling, The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I: But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by.
“Who Has Seen the Wind?” Christina Rossetti
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
This book is all sorts of silly. We decided to do this one a little out of order from the curriculum so that it would time nicely with local apple harvest. We have a local orchard that, while we can’t pick them from the trees, we can peruse several varieties and pick up honey and other yummy treats. They make a mean cider too! I am excited to try making an apple pie with the kiddos – we will be having a family reunion this weekend and it will be fun to make something to share with everyone. I also took the many travels of the girl as an opportunity to learn the names of the continents.
Social Studies
These books provide just enough information to be interesting for my 5 yr old without overwhelming him. We also enjoyed making the flags for Italy and France and marveled at how similar they were to each other! The library didn’t have the book on Sri Lanka in, so I found this book about cinnamon.
I think the kids were “geography”d out, so I stretched out this part over the whole week. We picked a new destination book for each day and that was still a little too much for the kids, but they are pretty little. I’m just real glad that I got the names of the continents in their vocabulary and hope to cement those in their minds.
Math
These books actually tied in real well with math this week. Who Knew? introduced sequencing as each wild animal group learns that Fall has come now. Bob and Pup-Pup are a good tie-in for baking practices and learning about measurements – however, there are no measurements mentioned in the book. We also found a video on YouTube of a guy showing how to bake an apple pie. My 5 year old has recently discovered baking videos, including the mini-chef videos, and was captivated.
Science
We were all set to make some apple pies today as our science lesson, but I have a sinus infection and just was not up for it. But we reviewed what foods are fruits and what are vegetables and where do they grow (under the ground, above the ground, on trees or bushes, etc). There was a fun experiment in the STEM book about growing broccoli flowers, so I think we’ll try that next week. The Fresh Produce Guide book was a gift from my mom from a nearby intl market called Jungle Jims. It’s quite the store and I highly recommend the Fairfield one if you’re ever in the Cincinnati area. This guide lists which produce is grown/available in which seasons, how to store it, prepare it, what it pairs well with, what spices to use with it, and the general nutrition facts. I use this book more than I ever thought I would.
Additional Books
These books were very helpful in establishing map intelligence and the life cycle of an apple. We did an apple study last year through Treehouse Schoolhouse but it’s always helpful to repeat lessons, especially with my little little ones. Me on the Map was fun and helped us imagine ourselves on the map. When I was in 7th grade, I told my social studies teacher that I wanted to be a cartographer when I grew up. She disdainfully told me that everything had been discovered and we wouldn’t need mapmakers anymore. I believed her. But now, I know that map skills are still immensely valuable. It means a lot to me to be able to hear the name of a place and be able to find it on a map because I have cultivated that skill. I hope my kiddos have the same knowledge as they get older.
Here is a fun poem I found for memory work this week, “If I Were an Apple”:
If I were an apple And grew upon a tree, I think I’d fall down On a good boy like me. I wouldn’t stay there Giving nobody joy; I’d fall down at once And say, “Eat me, my boy.”
Anonymous
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
Robert McCloskey was born and grew up not too far from here. In fact, just last month I learned of an event honoring Robert McCloskey and a couple other Hamilton, Ohio notables at Hamilton Heritage Hall downtown. We packed up the kiddos and went down for a fun read aloud (always nice when someone else reads aloud to my kids, ha!), scavenger hunt through the old courthouse, and some vintage toys. I also kept in mind that we were going to study Lentil this year and going back through Hamilton, getting some more information from the local historians – this is an even sweeter read. Many of the buildings in Lentil’s town of Alto were inspired by, now historic, buildings and landmarks throughout the east side of Hamilton.
Social Studies
We had to stretch Social Studies into Language Arts day too because there was so much to talk about and my kiddos still have a pretty short attention span. We talked about Ohio, where we live, so that was fun. We talked about Veterans and reading this book about the young woman who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fit right in for our learning.
Patriotism is a hard part for me. I don’t want my kiddos to think they can’t be appreciative of being born in this country because there are bad parts of it. But I also don’t want them to think that only the USA has good qualities and that mistakes have never been made in our history. It’s a hard balance – also making sure that we are talking about things that are at the right maturity and comprehension level for these little ones. I am purposefully avoiding the phrase “our land” and instead saying, “the land around us” or “the land on which we live” in order to acknowledge that the land was once managed by different people over history.
Art
It is just so fun to look at how people have lived over history and compare/contrast those with our own homes or the homes of extended family and friends. I did not know that Ancient Rome had multi-story apartment buildings. Incredible!
These books were fun to look at while looking at different home architecture. We were amazed and inspired at these gingerbread houses. We also loved seeing real examples of the mansard roofed Second Empire home as Colonel Carter throughout our home state. As we flipped through the pages, my 5 yr old began to point out the homes that fit the description.
Science
Thankful that the kids have learned about the 5 Senses in Sunday School, so we had an easy entry to these books. Also cut up a lemon with our lunch, and then promptly tossed it into the compost. haha! Not even the dog was interested after taking a lick! These kids really like learning how their bodies work.
As the Tag-Along student took her nap, the 5 yr old and I put together a box guitar. He really liked strumming and I cut out a cardboard pick for him to use too. He then popped his harmonica in his mouth and is on his way to becoming a one-man band. Just need some cymbals!
We adapted a poem from Mother Goose called “Whistle” here:
“Whistle, daughter, whistle; Whistle, daughter dear.” “I cannot whistle, mommy, I cannot whistle clear.” “Whistle, daughter, whistle; Whistle for a pound.” “I cannot whistle, mommy, I cannot make a sound.”
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
We started with the first book in Five in a Row Vol. 1. I’m going to tell you, I had a hard time with this book being on the list. I had a hard time because I have been to China, in a river city. I saw the cormorant fishing boats and the children running around the edge of the Li River, jumping into the water to cool off in the hot summer sun. It’s been a few years, but I know that the country is not as it is depicted in the book. Of course, I understand the book was written in 1933, BUT the racial undertones and the artist’s renders of the people and the countryside left a lot to be desired. So, I decided to take this book as a teaching tool in how we can look at older books and recognize problematic content. I decided that with my supplemental books and activities, I would do my best to present a more accurate and respectful picture of China and its people. Stories of Color has a great new list called “Read This, Not That” and “The Story About Ping” made the list of books NOT to read. Our library doesn’t have their suggested alternative, but it’s on my list to nab whenever it comes available!
Below you will find pictures of the books I used for the different subjects and additional books I found that fit for more read aloud time. At the bottom of the page are links to each book for purchase.
Social Studies
I found these books valuable in that they presented how China looks today. A lot of the country is still rural, as depicted in the book, but much of it has been highly developed and metropolitan. I appreciated the current pictures of the Yangtze River – showing that the waters are not, in fact, yellow. We also visited a local Chinese restaurant and discussed how the people who work there look nothing like the people in the book. We talked about how the book depicted a way of life in a much earlier time in history and a particular part of an extremely large and diverse country.
Math
Math is not my forte, but at this level, I really have no excuse for working it out. These books were perfect today. We read How Do you Count a Dozen Ducklings? together and for our bedtime read, we did Ducks on the Road. My little man (5 yrs) grouped the ducks in 3 and counted them easily that way. I was floored. Numbers are going to come easy for him like it does for his dad.
Math day is also our outdoor nature club day. We spent the afternoon with other homeschool friends, and amazing grown-up volunteers at a nearby state park. We always have great time there. Here’s hoping that we have a healthier year and are able to go more regularly throughout the winter.
Science
Oh this was a fun day! We did an experiment (provided in the book) where we picked a variety of objects and predicted whether they would sink or float. The kids did great and were surprised at some of the results. “Swim Swim Sink” was a perfect picture book tie-in.
This Safety Smart DVD with Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King was a great watch while I got our lunches put together. Not too long, but memorable. We discussed what we already knew (from swimming lessons this summer) and what we didn’t know yet. I’m our designated family life guard for swimming outings. I’m glad I wasn’t rusty on the big points. We’re also going to try to trek out tomorrow for some wild duck observations, that is if we can get ahead of our ragweed allergies. The assault on our sinuses is strong this year!
Additional Reads
These three stories are very different in origin and setting. The Ugly Duckling is a classic, as is The Nightingale. I had these easy readers left over from my ESL tutoring years. “Along the Tapajós” follows two siblings on their way to school and their life on a Brazilian tributary to the Amazon River. This book was translated from Portuguese and I’m always glad to include stories from own voices.
The “Duck on a…” books found their way in my list and they’re silly enough that I knew my kiddos would love them. And they did. “I Am Golden” addresses the challenges that Third Culture Kids (specifically Chinese American) face belonging and not belonging to two different cultures. Another great Own Voice picture book.
We also memorized a poem by Jack Prelutsky called “Yellow-Bill Duck.” I found it in our “Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!” anthology of animal poems for each day of the year. The kids loved the repetition of it:
I’m a yellow-bill duck with a black feather back, I waddle waddle waddle, and I quack quack quack!
I dabble for my dinner with a swish swish swish, and I gobble gobble gobble all I wish wish wish!
Hey everyone! I thought I’d try to show what we’re using for our homeschool and supplemental books and strategies for each week. This is our first year doing a “true” homeschool curriculum, but we went through the Treehouse Schoolhouse year-long Nature Studies last year while the kiddos were 2 and 4. That was so much fun and we learned so much (yes, me too!) and I decided that, especially at this age, a picture book-based curriculum would be the best set up for our home. By the way, I’m planning to pull out the Nature Studies in another few years for a repeat use, with the writing practices this time – my kiddos are still learning their letters. 🙂
Our local library system isn’t quite as extensive as some (only two branches) but we are relying heavily on their resources. I’m also depending on a massive spreadsheet (I’m such a nerd) listing a plethora of picture books and their topics so that I can easily search for applicable picture books which I have sourced from a wide range of online lists as well as the weekly notices of new additions at our local library. It’s an illness…but I need all the lists! Here are some of the online booklists I’ve used:
Brightly – subscribe for lists regularly emailed based on the age of your child
For our 2023-2024 school year, we are using Five in a Row Vol. 1 for both my 5 yr old (primary learner) and my 3 year old (I’m calling her the Tag-along).
I have rearranged the order of the weeks to fit with certain seasons/holidays. I’ve also given us some gap weeks not just for our own seasonal breaks, but to fit in a Christmas and an Easter Study (through Treehouse Schoolhouse). We did the Christmas one last year, gently, but this will be our first time going through the Easter one.
I’m also planning to do an American civics study in May and enroll the kiddos in a local intro to music class. Above all, I LOVE reading aloud to my kids. We have so much fun and I learn so much with them. Picture books are poignant, silly, creative, emotional, and beautifully illustrated. Here’s to a great school year with you!
Towards the end of the year, and a little more willingness to get out into the world after the start of the pandemic, the kids and I began venturing to the library to pick out books. Now, I will say that for several weeks, we stuck to requesting them online and then picking them up in the drive-thru. But in the early part of 2022, the library opted to start the toddler/preschool storytimes again and we were so glad to have a safe-ish place to see other people and engage with reading and the library as a whole.
My son was really beginning to nurture a joy of being at the library by the time the pandemic began, and I was anxious to get my daughter in the same routine. I also was turned on to the incredible reading lists from Read Aloud Revival and also from Brightly. Our favorite finds are from a combination of those lists and some that little hands randomly pulled off the shelves.
I’m going to make this list highlighting the ones we really enjoyed and then give our honorable mentions (just the other books we also checked out and weren’t terrible. haha)
“Mama, Do You Love Me?” by Barbara M Joosse and Barbara Lavallee (illust)
Children’s Storytime Book, Arctic and Wild Animal Picture Book, Native American Books for Toddlers (0-12y)
“Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb” by Al Perkins and Eric Gurney (illust)
The dancing, prancing monkey musicians in this Bright & Early Board Book will have kids (and their lucky parents) drumming and humming along with the story as they learn to identify their hands, fingers, and thumbs. (0 – 3y)
“Mail Duck” board book with flaps by Erica Sirotich
Mail Duck is delivering differently shaped packages to all his friends on his mail route. (Trudy likes triangles, and Harry likes hearts!) Lift the flaps to peek inside and guess what each friend received. Then head back to the post office for a big surprise… (0 – 3y)
“First Snow” by Bomi Park
In this beautiful book from debut creator Bomi Park, a young girl wakes up to the year’s first snowy day. (2-4)
“Wolf in the Snow” wordless book by Matthew Cordell
A girl is lost in a snowstorm. A wolf cub is lost, too. How will they find their way home? (2 – 6y)
“The Birds of Bethlehem” by Tomie dePaola
On the morning of the first Christmas, the birds of Bethlehem gather in the fields–not only to eat but to share the exciting news. (3 – 5y)
“City Dog, Country Frog” by Mo Willems and Jon Muth (illust)
In spring, when City Dog runs free in the country for the first time, he spots Country Frog sitting on a rock, waiting for a friend. (3 – 5y)
“Because of an Acorn” by Lola & Adam Schaefer and Frann Preston-Gannon (illust)
Because of an acorn, a tree grows, a bird nests, a seed becomes a flower. (3 – 5y)
“Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt De la Peña and Christian Robinson (illust)
This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share. (3 – 5y)
“High Five” by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri (illust)
Discover the lost art of the high five and improve your slapping skills just in time for the annual high five contest! (3 – 5y)
“Dumpy to the Rescue! by Julie Andrews Edwards & Emma Walton Hamilton and Tony Walton (illust)
After bringing dinner to some of his farm animal friends, Dumpy helps Mama Goat search the farm for her missing baby and solve the mystery of the farmyard thief. (3 – 5y)
“The Mitten” by Jan Brett
Grandmother knits snow-white mittens that Nikki takes on an adventure. Readers will enjoy the charm and humor in the portrayal of the animals as they make room for each newcomer in the mitten and sprawl in the snow after the big sneeze. (3 – 5y)
“One More Acorn” (Earl the Squirrel) by Don & Ron Freeman
An adorable, heartwarming story about a squirrel looking for that one last acorn. (3 – 5y)
“Blizzard” by John Rocco
Based on John Rocco’s childhood experience during the now infamous Blizzard of 1978, which brought fifty-three inches of snow to his town in Rhode Island. (3 – 5y)
“Bunny Slopes” by Claudia Rueda
Shake to help Bunny make it snow, tilt to help Bunny ski down the slope, and turn to help Bunny escape a cliff in his path. Is there any obstacle Bunny can’t conquer? (3 – 5y)
“Hank Finds an Egg” wordless book by Rebecca Dudley
From delicate ferns to the glow of Hank’s little campfire, Hank Finds an Egg immerses you in its vivid miniature world. (3 -6y)
“Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter” by Kenard Pak
As leaves fall from their trees, animals huddle against the cold, and frost creeps across windows, everyone knows–winter is on its way! (3 – 6y)
“Little Penguins” by Cynthia Rylant and Christian Robinson (illust)
As the snow starts to fall, the excited penguins pull out scarves, mittens, heavy socks, and boots, and Mama helps them bundle up. (3 – 7y)
“Gary” by Leila Rudge
Most of the time, Gary is just like the other racing pigeons, eating and sleeping and dreaming of adventure. There’s just one thing that separates him from the ordinary pigeons: he can’t fly. (3 – 7y)
“Red and Lulu” by Matt Tavares
Red and Lulu live in the most beautiful evergreen tree. But one day, they are separated and it will take a miracle to bring them together again. (3 – 7y)
“Every Friday” by Dan Yaccarino
All week long, a boy and his father look forward to their Friday ritual–breakfast at their favorite diner. (3 – 7y)
“Billy and Goat at the State Fair” by Dan Yaccarino
Billy and Goat are best friends, but very different from each other. Goat is excited to go to the State Fair, but Billy isn’t sure about all the crowds. Can they both have a good time? (3 – 7y)
“Snowman’s Story” wordless book by Will Hillenbrand
One wintry day, a hat lands on the head of a newly made snowman and brings him to life. But, this hat wasn’t empty! (3 – 7y)
“The Christmas Fox” by Anik McGrory
One by one, from field and forest, the animals make their way to a barn, bringing a gift for a special new baby. What could the fox possibly give? (3 – 7y)
“Can You Make a Scary Face?” by Jan Thomas
Help the lady bug throughout this book by making a scary face and other antics. (3 – 8y)
“Outside My Window” by Linda Ashman and Jamey Christoph (illust)
Children living in different parts of the world see very different things when they gaze out of their windows. (4 – 8y)
“Strega Nona” by Tomie dePaola
Strega Nona–Grandma Witch–is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. (4 – 8y)
“Strega Nona Does It Again” by Tomie dePaola
Angelina is so beautiful that all the young men in the village are chasing her, but the one she has eyes for doesn’t know she exists. At his wits’ end, her father sends her to his dear cousin–Strega Nona. (4 – 8y)
“Waddle! Waddle!” by James Proimos
Waddle…waddle… belly slide! into a charming and funny story about friendship, featuring three adorable penguins! (4 – 8y)
“Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit!” by Alyssa Stain Capucilli and Pat Schories (illust)
Biscuit has so much to be thankful for on his first Thanksgiving. How will he and the little girl spend this special day? (4 – 8y)
“Kitten’s First Full Moon” by Kevin Henkes
It is Kitten’s first full moon, and when she sees it she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. And she wants it. (4 – 8y)
“Baby Bear’s Book of Tiny Tales” by David McPhail
This collection of simple, short, and irresistibly sweet stories are about Baby Bear finding things–and figuring out what to do with them. (4 – 8y)
“Doug Unplugged” by Dan Yaccarino
After a morning spent learning facts about the city, Doug suspects he could learn even more about the city by going outside and exploring it. (4 – 8y)
Honorable Mentions
“My Heart Fills with Happiness” by Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett (illust) (0 – 2y) Native American
“A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream – Fairies Primer”board book by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver (illust) (0 – 3y) – Poetry, Classics
Xapa to the World 