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Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts

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.

New Picture Books About Accepting to Oneself

 


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

Have you ever noticed an animal that doesn't seem to realize what animal it actually is? Or perhaps you have noticed an animal that seems the wrong size for the type it is. Animals just like people have personalities. They show up in so many different ways. I know I see it in my pets. Today we are sharing two newly released picture books about animals who are uniquely themselves. The first book is Gigantic by Rob Biddulph. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

What Can You Make with a Cardboard Box? -- Cardboard Creations Crafty Sunday


What can you create from a cardboard box or two? This is what we asked our students for the last two weeks in February. Our school stops academics for two weeks and offers mini courses. One mini course is always for the theater department to prepare for the METG drama festival. For the non-theater kids, we change the course offerings each year, and they pick two classes--one for each week. This year I was offering Cardboard Creations with the physics/chemistry/math teacher. The first week is four days because of Presidents' Day and the second week was supposed to be five days, but we had a blizzard so it turned out to be only three days. 

The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Got Lost in Africa: The Ostriches -- Book Review & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a digital 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 Jennifer Ussi to bring you this post.

I love stories that are fun to read and teach about different places and animals. They are even better when they have life lessons in them as well.  Today we get to share the sixth book in The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Got Lost in Africa: The Ostriches by Jennifer Ussi and illustrated by Lekshmi Bose. We shared our review of the first book in this fun series previously. This post has an amazing giveaway at the end of it!

Books for Young Ones with a Garden Theme

 

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

With the mounds of snow and below 0 temperatures, I have to say I am dreaming of springtime. Today we get to share three books released this week that bring a little spring to our winter freeze. Two are board books and one is a picture book with an Easter theme. All three books have to do with gardens! Both of the board books are from the Baby Botanicals series. The first one is Good Morning, Garden! by Jillian Miao and illustrated by Riley Samels. It is recommended for ages 0 to 3. 

Picture Books with Animals Sharing Friendship, Community & More

 

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

There were many books released this week. Today we are sharing four of them about animals, community, friendship and more. They are all picture books, and each has a lesson in it. We will start with one about a hummingbird's annual migration. It is Hummingbird's Big Trip by G. Brian Karas. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Raven's Gift: A Feathered Flight of Faith -- #ReadYourWorld Review

 



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

Today is the BIG DAY!! It is Read Your World Day! To celebrate we get to share our last Read Your World review for 2026! The book is Raven's Gift: A Feathered Flight of Faith by Claire Annette Noland and illustrated by Desiree Cordon. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and is a Christmas book. But before I tell you about this fun book, let's tell you about Read Your World Day!

How to Hatch -- Non-Fiction Picture Book Review

 

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

Winter is in full swing. There is even talk of a storm hitting here this weekend. My mind is thinking spring already!! Spring when there are new baby animals. Many lower elementary classes hatch some type of eggs in the spring. Have you ever wondered about how a bird hatches from an egg? Most kids wonder this at some point. Today we are sharing a new non-fiction picture book that shares how a gosling gets out of the egg. The book is How to Hatch: A Gosling's Guide to Breaking Free by Sara Holly Ackerman and illustrated by Galia Bernstein. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.

The Language of Birds

 

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

I will admit that the title of today's book intrigued me. After all anyone who has been following Crafty Moms Share knows I have a thing for birds. This book is not really a book about rather connections for a young bird lover with social anxiety. The book is The Language of Birds by Jon-Erik Lappano and illustrated by Zach Manbeck. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Got Lost in Africa: Book 1-The Pangolins -- Book Review & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a digital 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 Jennifer Ussi to bring you this post.

Cats can do amazing things. I know I have three of them. I love my cuddle times. In fact, I have one on my lap as I write this post. Today I get to share a fun middle grade/early chapter book with you about a curious cat who gets lost in Africa and has many adventures to find her way home. The book is The Incredible Adventures of Casper the Cat Who Gets Lost in Africa: Book 1-The Pangolins by Jennifer Ussi and illustrated by Lekshmi Bose. And there is a giveaway at the end of this post!

Mimi and Ary -- Book Review & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Rashad Mirzayev to bring you this post.

Kids have many experiences that can make them feel scared or lonely. It takes time and experience to learn how to deal with these moments. Today I am sharing a book that helps teach these lessons in a fun and creative way. The book is Mimi and Ary by Rashad Mirzayev. There is a giveaway at the end of this post. 

Bella and Bird Explore Anger -- Book Review & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Deana Plaskon, PhD, LMHC to bring you this post.

Emotions can be tough for everyone but especially for kids. They don't always know how to express themselves or how to control the big emotions. Today we get to share a wonderful new book that helps them handle anger better. The book is Bella and Bird Explore Anger by Deana Plaskon, PhD, LMHC and illustrated by Lea Marie Ravotti. There is a giveaway at the end of this post!!

2026 Calendars for Different Uses

 

Disclosure: I was sent each of these calendars in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

We all have calendars on our phones and computers. Do you use them? Or do you prefer paper calendars? Or perhaps you are like me and want both. When Hazel was younger, we had a "family" calendar hanging in a common room so we could keep track of everyone's appointments, meetings and Hazel's classes. This allowed us to figure out care and rides for Hazel. I had fun with that calendar, and some years even did photo calendars with pictures of Hazel from the past year or photos from a big trip like Hazel's first trip to Disney World. Other times I just picked a special calendar that I liked the pictures, messages and had big enough squares for us to write the appointments on. Now I use my phone calendar to keep track of my appointments and meetings as well as Hazel's appointments. We still hang a calendar in the same spot but don't write on it as much! Steve actually hangs a calendar in just about every room in our house. He takes all the ones companies send us and place them around just in case we wonder the date or perhaps to decorate the room. To be honest I hardly ever see the one hanging on the back of my bedroom door. However, I have found as a teacher and a blogger I need different types of calendars for different reasons. When Workman Calendars asked me to review some, I was very excited! They have different types as well as so many different themes! There is truly something for everyone! My uses for these calendars vary from at home and at school. I will review them by type starting with wall calendars.

Loon Cove Summer -- Middle Grade Novel

 

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

How is your summer going? Mine has been good and relaxing. I am trying to make a dent in my summer reading pile but have not gotten very far. It has grown since I last shared it. And I have two more that are coming out in August!

Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars -- All Sorts of Outdoor Activities Summer Theme

 

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

Do you have an explorer on your hands? You know the child who wants to be outside exploring everything. The kid who wants to check out nature, hike, fish, and more? Getting outdoors and trying some of these activities is an amazing summer theme, and I have an amazing book to share with you to help them try some of these activities with an adult or on his/her own. The book is Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars by Steven Rinella. This book is recommended for ages 8 to 12. At the end of the post I will share even more resources for this summer theme!

Animals Are Great -- Book Review & Giveaway

 


Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post.

Do you have little ones wiggling, hopping, slithering around this summer? I have a great book for you all about animals and it is a companion book to a song! I feel like there are a lot of new books about animals these days. I have reviewed several for various age groups recently. Today I get to add one more to the list and this one feels like it should be sung! The book is Animals Are Great by Latifa Kimberly Reeves, Mark Larson, and Lisa Hart.

Summer Themes: Bird Watching -- Turn This Book into a Bird Feeder -- Book Review with Craft Roundup

 

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

When Hazel was younger, I loved coming up with different themes to focus some of our books and activities. As she got older, it became themes for the summer. Now she is in high school and I'm lucky to watch television with her. As I was finding products to review, I realized many would lend to fun themes to focus your kids this summer. They range from educational, nature, crafts and more. Today's theme is bird watching! To introduce this theme I am sharing a wonderful book with you. It is Turn This Book into a Bird Feeder by Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Anna-Maria Jung. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12 but could be for younger kids with adult help! After my review there will be a roundup of DIY bird feeders, bird crafts and other bird books to learn about them.

I Am Not Sophie! -- Book Review & Giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Amplify Publishing Group to bring you this post.

When I was young, I loved playing make believe. Hazel played in her own way. I always love books that encourage such play and today I get to share one with you. It is the sweetest book. It is I Am NOT Sophie! by Robyn Hodess and illustrated by Terry Kole. At the end of this post is a giveaway!!

My Hand Is the Sun -- Board Book Review with Handprint Animal Craft Roundup

 

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

What can you make a handprint into? There are so many possibilities. Today I am sharing a sweet board book that looks at just that. The board book is My Hand Is the Sun by Christine Naumann-Villemin and illustrated by Géraldine Cosneau. It is recommended for ages 2 to 4. I am also sharing a handprint animal craft roundup to go with this adorable book.

A Tall Tale: How Ostriches Got Their Long Necks & Long Legs -- Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Expound Publicity to bring you this post.

Do you like origin stories or how animals got their characteristic stories? Some are cultural and some are just made up. Today I get to share a book with you that is fun and a bit silly. It "explains" how ostriches got their long necks and long legs and has a few other messages in it. The book is A Tall Tale: How Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs by Scott Sollers and illustrated by Alejandro Echavez. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.