Two Picture Books That Teach U.S. History & More!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

With the United States celebrating its 250th anniversary on July 4th this year, I was sent a roundup of books about the United States. As I read them, I realized I didn't want to do just one huge roundup. The books are for different ages and teach about specific Americans, country history, states as well as about why we celebrate 4th of July. They are for different ages and a variety of types of books - from board books to middle grade books and even a graphic novel. Today we are sharing two books by the same team that give information about people. places and more. The first book is America's Dreaming by Ben McKinnon and illustrated by Thai My Phuong. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

I'm An American -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

What makes a person an American? Is it their citizenship? Is it where they call home? Is it their beliefs? Today we are sharing a picture book that asks and answers this question. The book is I'm An American by Darshana Khiani and illustrated by Laura Freeman. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

A Flame Burns On: Lighting the Yahrzeit Candle

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

How do you remember a loved one who has passed? This is a question I have been focusing on lately. My father passed in January, and we are planning his celebration of life. Today we are sharing a book about the Jewish tradition of the yahrzeit candle. It is a tradition I had not heard of. The book is A Flame Burns On by Richard Ho and illustrated by Carmel Ben Ami. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. 

What Was the Turning Point in the Civil War? Alfred Waud Goes to Gettysburg

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy Memorial Day!! To honor our fallen soldiers, we thought we would share a book about them. We are focusing on the Civil War and the middle grade graphic novel we are sharing is more about how the Civil War was reported to the citizens of the United States and in particular by Alfred Waud. The book is What Was the Turning Point in the Civil War? Alfred Waud Goes to Gettysburg by Ellen T. Crenshaw. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. It is not only great for Memorial Day but also helps teach some of the history of the USA just in time for the big 250th celebration in July!

Books for Father's Day

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Can you believe Father's Day is just a month away? Are you ready for it? I expect this year to be difficult for me, but my goal is to celebrate Steve. My Dad's Celebration of Life will be just over a week before Father's Day. I know he is in a better place and in many ways, we said goodbye to him years ago as his memory and brain went away, but I still miss him. Today we are sharing four picture books that are perfect for Father's Day and just for showing father figures in the life of kids. So many picture books share the mother-child relationship, but these share a father-child or male adult-child relationship. We will start with Dear Dad by Flamingo Books and illustrated by Natalie Lundeen. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Board Books to Teach Our Youngest About the USA

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

It is hard to believe that the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday this year! With this weekend being Memorial Day weekend and the patriotic decor coming out we thought it was a great time to share some of the many books around for learning about the United States and celebrations. Today we are sharing three board books so the youngest ones can learn a bit about our great nation. Our first book involves a favorite children's book character from Eric Carle, the Very Hungry Caterpillar!! It is a tabbed board book called Across the USA with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by the World of Eric Carle. It is recommended for ages 1 to 3.

Board Books That Teach

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these two books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Boston is one of the host cities for the World Cup this year. We have been hearing about it for months. It is a perfect time to introduce young ones to soccer, and we are sharing a book that is perfect for that! Plus, another board book that is about counting and has airplanes! Starting with the soccer book, it is Hello, World! Soccer by Jill McDonald. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3. It is part of the Hello, World! series.  

Alli the Alligator -- Book Review & Giveaway with Alligator Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Cindy Miller to bring you this post.

There are many sayings about kindness. "Sprinkle kindness like confetti." "In a world where you can be anything, be kind." We teach our kids to be kind. What does it really mean to be kind? When someone is teasing you should you be kind? Today we are sharing a beautiful story about an alligator who shows us what it is to be kind. The book is Alli the Alligator by Cindy Miller and illustrated by Joan Coleman. There is a giveaway at the end of the post and an alligator craft roundup to go with the book! The book does mention being created by God a few times but this is really the only religious reference.

Books About Kindness, Culture, School, Family, & Friends

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

As spring goes on and the school year gets closer to its end, there are some fun new books that are great for teacher gifts, story time at home and so much more! Today we are sharing three books -- a board book and two picture books -- that share kindness, culture, family, friends and school. We will start with the board book. It is ABCs of Kindness at School by Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Summer Macon. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3 and is part of the Books of Kindness Collection. 

The Genie Game -- Middle Grades Novel Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this day and age, there seems to be a lot to talk about. There are the environmental issues around the world. There are rights and protections that seem to be in the possibility of being lost. Today we are sharing a magical middle grade novel that could lead to discussions about some of these issues. The book is The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14. 

Asian Folktales for Children

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Hazel was young, she loved having me read folktales from different countries. She also loved fairy tales (and somewhat still does). These tales allowed us to travel with our imaginations and learn about different cultures and countries. May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and today's book is perfect for it and coming out just in time! It is Asian Folktales for Children retold by David Conger, Liana Romulo, Joan Suyenaga, and Marian Davies Toth and illustrated by Patrick Yee. It is recommended for ages 5 to 14. 

Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

On the Fourth of July, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday. We've already reviewed a fun picture book perfect for little ones getting ready for the festivities and have many more piled up and waiting for a roundup. However today we are going to share a book that isn't just for this big birthday but is a piece of history many people do not think about, forget or do not want to think about. And to me this is a book that should be included in everyone's celebration as it is important to remember the people who helped build our great country but often do not get the credit for their work. There are many groups that can be included but today's book focuses on Black people. The book is Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Earth Day Book Extravaganza for Ages 2 to 12

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

Happy Earth Day 2026! There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day! One is learning about the Earth and the life on it. Another is doing something to help our world. Today we are going to share a roundup of books from board books to a middle grade book on topics including animals, plants, gardens, and being eco-friendly. We will start with the two board books from the same series. They are You Are a Garter Snake! and You Are a Robin! by Laurie Ann Thompson and illustrated by Jay Fleck. They are part of the Meet Your World Series. The series is recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Newly Released Picture Books About Family and Friendship

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring time seems to mean gatherings with family and friends. There is Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, showers and weddings. Today we are sharing three new picture books about special ties with family and friends. The first book is about friendship. It is Sheep & Goat Climb the World by A. C. Paolini and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

New Fun Graphic Novels

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Do you read for fun? Do your kids? According to a flyer shared with one of the books: "Reading for fun in the US has fallen by nearly 40 percent!" For many kids reading has become a chore. It is not fun when you don't get to read what you want. For reluctant readers and others graphic novels bring some of the fun back to reading. Today we are sharing two middle grade novels that are fun and interesting and even have some facts in them! The first is A Fishboy Named Sashimi by Dan Santat. This book is recommended for ages 6 to 10 and is the first in a series.

Barbed Wire Between Us -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

April is poetry month and today we are going to share a book written in reverso poetry. They say history repeats itself and today's book illustrates this in a powerful way. The book is Barbed Wire Between Us by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Violeta Encarnación. It is recommended for ages 7 to 12. 

Books to Gift This Spring & Beyond!

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these products in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring brings many gift giving times. There are the holidays--Mother's Day and Father's Day, graduations, weddings, new babies and more. Today we are sharing some fun books for gifts for these occasions (Father's Day ideas will come later). We will start with ideas for Mother's Day. The first book is a board book. It is World's Best Mom by Lynn Giunta. The recommended ages are 0 to 3.

Mom-Themed Picture Books with a Flower Craft Roundup

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

April showers bring May flowers. May flowers are perfect for Mom for Mother's Day! Today we are sharing two newly released mom-themed picture books and one of them is about flowers, so we are including a flower craft roundup! Each book is a wonderful reminder of how important mom is to kids. The first book is When We Were Snails by Nan Cao. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Paint by Sticker: Architecture -- a Relaxing Friday Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Did you have a sticker book when you were a child? Or a sticker collection? I loved stickers when I was young. Hazel did too. I find my students still love stickers even as high school students. A while ago I noticed Paint by Sticker books. I saw them first for children. I thought they were interesting but didn't give them much thought. I saw them come out with more complex ones for adults. This was during the big rise of adult coloring. I had so many coloring books I didn't spend the money on the sticker books. However, I jumped at the opportunity to review one for today. It was released this week. It is Paint by Sticker (Official): Architecture by Workman Publishing. This is not one of the kids versions but one for adults or young adults.

Music of the Bells -- Picture Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book that shares a story of a young girl combining her family culture with her new society culture. It teaches about Kathak, a classical form of Indian dance. The book is Music of the Bells by Anitha Rao-Robinson and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.