What is the most important gift for a child? Is it toys or new clothes? Today we are sharing a new picture book about Ramadan and what a young girl prays for and really wants for EID. The book is Ramadan Rain by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Aliaa Betawi. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Do you have a pet? Is it a dog? How does your dog see the world? One of my friends has a golden lab and he is afraid of everything! The only things he hurts are the wild bunnies in her yard. It is so funny to see a rather large dog who is so scared. He also loves just about every person. We joke that if someone broke into her house, he would go over to them and lick them or try to get them to play. Even well-trained dogs have their own personalities and ways of seeing the world. Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book about a dog who definitely lives her life her own way. The book is How to Be Best in Class by Lorena M. Proia. There is a giveaway after my review!
Valentine's Day is less than a month away. One of the things I love about Valentine's Day is the love! It is a day about love of different types. Last week we shared a roundup of books about family love. Today we have books about different kinds of love and Valentines. Our first book is Llama Llama Loves His Teacher by Ana Dewdney and illustrated by JT Morrow. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6.
Each year I take time to reflect on the past year and look towards the new one. I reflect on my word for the year and pick one for the new year. My word for 2025 is hope. I knew with the change of the president I was going to need some hope to survive the year. I will say that our country is in total chaos, but it is not as bad as I worried it would be. It saddens me to see the history he has destroyed with his upgrades but that is for another time. I picked hope for 2025 so I could keep my hope and try to focus on the positive sides of things and the positive that I hoped for.
The last few weeks have been a bit crazy at school. We finished our first semester on Friday. I finally have some time to craft more, but Hazel is also home for break, so a lot of my evening time at least is spent with her. I have four amazing products to share with you that are perfect for paper lovers and paper crafters. They make amazing gifts as themselves or for you to make gifts for others! We will begin with a book that literally is called Book for Paper Lovers: Color Your World by the Editors of Flow Magazine. There is no suggested age on these products today due to them being for adults however this one definitely works for kids who can write and create!
How often do you have to wait? How often a day? How often do your kids have to wait? Waiting can be hard for kids, but there are different activities they can do. In a society that seems to think the solution is handing them a screen, we have a new book (released today) that shares many fun ways to wait! The book is While We Wait by Bee Johnson. It is recommended for ages four to eight.
When you were young did you love stickers? I did. Growing up stickers were such a big deal. We were just discovering Lisa Frank. She became even more popular and well known in the 90's. I always wanted a sticker book but also didn't want to waste my stickers by putting them in a book. Sticker books in the 80s were really just notebooks or journals where you kept your stickers forever. Stickers are not just for kids though!! Nor are sticker books. Today we are sharing three new sticker books (two released last week and one being released this week) that are not children's sticker books. Along with my reviews I am going to share some ways to use these stickers in crafts. The first book is A Book Lover's Sticker Book illustrated by Christina Chun.
How do you like your stories? Andrea Zuill let's readers know that she likes them a little spooky in today's book dedication. The book is perfect for this season because it involves fresh tomatoes!! It is also a great book for the Halloween season. The book is Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 and at the end of this post is a snail craft roundup to go with the book! (You'll have to add fangs if you want vampire snails!)
Today I am sharing a new picture book (released last week) that is pure fun. Imagine if animals wore shoes. What kind of shoes would each animal choose? That it is the premise of the book. The book is What Kind of Shoes Does a Hippopotamus Choose? by Kat Maconie and illustrated by Sebastien Braun. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
Summer is always full of fun, but there are those days when the weather doesn't agree with getting outside. It can be too hot or too wet. And kids can get bored inside. Personally, I have always loved origami. It can be made as a lesson, I use it in my geometry class all the time, as part of a gift or craft, or just for fun. Today I am sharing some new origami resources for different ages and abilities as well as roundup of resources we have reviewed previously. Today's new resources include four books and three packs of origami paper. We will start with the book that comes with its own paper and is for ages 6 to 9. It is The Origami Kid: A Paperfolding Adventure by Robert McGuire. The previous review roundup includes over 100 products and projects!
Independence Day is past. Summer is quickly passing. Kids are enjoying their break from school as are teachers. But what is happening to your kids' math ability this summer? According to Learner.com, 70-78% of elementary students experience a decline in math skills over the summer. (Source) Most schools now assign summer reading to prevent the summer slide in literary skills, but does your child's school assign summer math? Most high schools do these days. Now I am a huge advocate for a break! I love summer! It is my favorite season, and I remember the days of having nothing to do and being able to hang out with friends and relax. However, summer slide is real. (There is a slide after any vacation and the longer the vacation the more skills lost.) There are things to do to help with the math summer slide even if your child does not have math summer work. Today I am going to review two great resources for different ages to help with the summer slide or just give extra practice to two ages groups: middle grades (8+) and high school. These books are amazing resources to help with math skills and also can give students extra practice or a leg up on the upcoming math year. At the end of the post, I have a roundup for different ages math products and activities to try this summer to keep your child's brain thinking mathematically.
Ready for another summer theme? It is a good one--artists. Art and artists are a fun summer focus. You can read books, watch videos, do crafts and visit museums. It is so fun!! Today we are going to focus on the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. At the end of the post will be a roundup of resources on Hokusai as well as a roundup of resources on other famous artists. Today's products are not completely books. The first is Hokusai Prints Sticker Book: A Collection of Over 160 Removable Color Stickers by the Great Artist compiled by Tuttle Studio and illustrated by Katsushika Hokusai.
New York City is a special place for Hazel and me. At a young age, she wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. I have been lucky enough to take her on several trips to New York. And we are going again this summer for my birthday!! I promised to take her to see a Broadway show. After all her dream is perform on Broadway some day and she has never actually been. As we are planning our weekend away, these two new books arrived and only added to my excitement for our trip! The first is a beautiful book called Unknown New York: An Artist Uncovers the City's Hidden Treasures by Jesse Richards. This is not a children's book but is also a book that could be read with a child to learn more about the city.
Are you a Swiftie or have a Swiftie in your life? The Eras Tour may be over but there are fun Taylor Swift things to do besides listening to her amazing music! Today I am going to share a fun new sticker book perfect for the Swiftie in your life. It is Unofficial Taylor Swift Eras (The Sticker Version) by Workman Publishing and illustrated by Brooke O'Neill. It is recommended for ages 7 and up. Yes, that can include adults!!
Happy First Day of Summer!! To kick off this season I get to share a fun book about sea creatures. Every summer Hazel and I always studied something about the ocean/beach. We always have a beach trip since we get the Cape house for a week. Plus, there are always great crafts to do with the treasures you find on a beach. So, to go with today's book I am sharing a roundup of sea star themed crafts! The book today is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sea Star by Kathleen Welton and illustrated by Chau Pham.
When Hazel was young, she loved when we read books about other places and cultures. She would have loved The Tales of Charlie Wags Series. And guess what? Charlie Wags is back and this time he visits Paris!! The book we are sharing today is The Tales of Charlie Wags: Paris by Sofie Wells and Ali Barclay with pictures by Sanna Sjöström. After my review there is a roundup of Paris-themed crafts as well as other books to learn and explore Paris from home! Plus, there is a giveaway!!
Are you into manga? It seems like manga is a growing artwork. It is originally a graphic novel from Japan. Now we see manga style artwork without the comic part. Today we are sharing some new manga artwork product by Camilla d'Errico. The products are post cards and a sticker book. The post cards are Pop Manga Postcards.
The end of January is coming near. Lunar new year and the Read Your World Celebration are getting closer but so is Valentine's Day. Today we are going to focus on Valentine's Day and love. I am sharing two books for younger children that are perfect to get ready for Valentine's Day or in a loving mood and at the end of the post is a roundup of ideas for kids to make valentines and children's love songs to sing. One is a musical board book. It has buttons to push to hear the songs. It is Little Love Songs by Sandra Boynton. It is recommended for babies through age 5.
This week seems to be dragon week with the young adult book I shared yesterday and today's picture book. Plus, lunar new year begins next week. It will be the year of the snake, but let's face it dragons are always part of the lunar new year. Today I get to share with you a wonderful book with so many great themes for young kids to learn, and there is a giveaway at the end of the post! The book is Sharing Is Caring, Dragon! by Bianca Schulze and illustrated by Samara Hardy. I have had the pleasure of sharing another of the dragon series books previously.
Are you ready for a sweet, magical book? I get to share one with you today and guess what? There is a giveaway at the end of this post! In this magical book a sweet dog visits New York City, so I am also sharing a small New York City craft round-up. Let's get into the book--it is The Tales of Charlie Wags: New York City by Sofie Wells and Ali Barclay with pictures by Sanna Sjöström.
