Something I find missing in many people today is connections. People need connections with one another as well as nature. We also need to stop and just be. Today I am sharing two picture books that emphasize these messages. The first is My First Book of Zen: Simple Wisdom for Children by Tracy Gallup. It is recommended for ages 5 to 9.
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 Sarah Scheerger to bring you this post.
Have you ever had a moment where you are trying to help but your "help" is making things worse? Perhaps you are just trying to make things better but the "help" is not wanted? Today we are sharing a book about this situation. It is called Dude. Be Nice by Sarah Scheerger with Brent and Jamie Camalich and illustrated by Alex MacNaughton. There is a giveaway at the end of the post.
This year I have been sharing some summer themes to explore with your kids and keep them off screens, get outside and family time! One of my favorite topics for summer themes or even any time of the year theme. It is food! With food you can talk about growing it, cooking it, different cultures, and where it comes from. Last month I shared a review of my favorite book of 2025 thus far, The Traveling Taco by Mia Wenjen. I'm not the only one who loves this book!! In fact Mia actually asked Daria to write a song to go with the book! Daria shared her fun song, "The Traveling Taco Song," with me and asked if I would share it with you!! Check out her new video that goes with it too! You can stream the song here.
In our chaotic world I have found that I need to craft. In some shape or form crafting relaxes me and helps me feel grounded. For two weeks each February our high school stops all regular classes to teach mini courses. This year one of my coworkers suggested a mini course of designing book nooks. Now I have built dollhouses from kits and made miniatures, but I hadn't explored book nooks yet. I wanted to coteach the course! I bought a kit as well as a blank book nook to play around before the course. I didn't have much time for either of course. But the class got me hooked on book nooks!
Spring has sprung however you wouldn't know it here. I saw snow mixed in with our April showers today. I however love spring. I love seeing the world come back to life after the long winter. I love seeing the blooms and thinking about things like gardening, getting outdoors and for my family, Easter. What do you think about when spring comes? Today I am sharing four books with you that are perfect for celebrating spring and Easter. We will start with the books for just spring. The first is Alfred Blooms by Carrie Kruck and illustrated by Carmen Mok. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
I have a confession to make. I still play with dollhouses. Well, I build them and love decorating them. I recently got into book nooks thanks to a friend. We actually ran a mini course for our students in February where the kids (and we) created our own book nooks. We had a kit for the box of the book nook but then we mostly made everything that went into it. We did take the kids to Michael's for supplies so some bought furniture or decor. However, many made them completely out of things like clay, cardboard, popsicle sticks, and fabric. Some of them were amazing!! I actually made two. I did a backyard one with bird feeders and a tea shop one. They were so fun! In fact, I think I like creating my own things better than the kit ones. Today I get to share an activity book for kids who love to create and build. Instead of a dollhouse they get to build an entire town with this book! It is My First Town: A Building Block Book created by Merrill Rainey. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
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.
When Hazel was young, she loved fairies. She had a fairy tea party birthday party. It had diverse friends at it. I discovered that fairies seemed to only come in one race, white. I was sent some wool roving that had diverse skin tones, and I made some needle felted fairies in different races so the girls at the party would see their own race as fairies. This is part of why I am so excited to share this book today. It is Lily's Dream: A Fairy Friendship by Bea Jackson. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
As November hits I start thinking about calendars for the next year. We get many in the mail from various charities, but I really like ones that match our personalities, likes and mood for each year. My wall calendars from last year have added so much to my sewing room (Tea Pot Calendar) and classroom. My students and I talk about the different birds featured each month. My Page-A-Day calendars for 2024 were loved during the last school year but I am finding most of the kids ignore them this year although every once in a while, someone takes the Sudoku page to do the puzzle. This year I decided to only focus on wall calendars. I fell in love with A Calendar of Calm Wall Calendar 2025 with photographs by Ana Marques, and I knew Hazel would love Forever & Always: A Calendar Inspired by Taylor Swift Songs with images by Reese Faith Designs. These are the two I picked for us, but they have so many to choose from. Be sure to check out all the options at Workman Calendars. It is really great that they are not wrapped in plastic anymore! Workman has gone completely plastic free with their calendars!
My Facebook newsfeed is full of back-to-school photos. Has school started where you live? We drop Hazel off at boarding school for the first time today! My classes begin on Tuesday though. It seems everyone is thinking back-to-school. Today I get to share with you a perfect book for this time of year. It is Willard DoGooder and the Trail of Friends by Jen Kirkley and illustrated by M. Brayer.
Have you ever felt like you were getting sick but needed to keep getting things done? Or perhaps you have a child who doesn't slow down even though he/she is obviously getting sick? Today's book is perfect for this situation. It is a fun picture book about a dragon who is getting sick but doesn't want to quit. The book is Roar-Choo! by Charlotte Cheng and illustrated by Dan Santat.
My plans for this week were to take it easy and enjoy some time with friends and family. Unfortunately, Hazel came home with a cold last week and shared it with me over the weekend. Our Christmas plans were cancelled, and Hazel and I have been watching a Harry Potter marathon. I want to share a fun craft I made last week. I am going to hang in on our front door once I take the Christmas wreaths down.
Do you still use wall calendars? I love having them. We actually use quite a few. I have one in my classroom, one near our desk computer, one in my sewing room and my husband hangs one in our bedroom too. Plus, he has one next to his desk. I always love seeing what different calendars are offered and I also think of them as great gifts. The pictures are often beautiful or fun and it helps to have the paper calendar to check dates, appointments, etc. Last week I shared two Page-A-Day calendars that I will use in my classroom, but today I am sharing two wall computers based on some of my favorite things: birds and teapots. The first calendar is Audubon Kids Birding Calendar 2024 by National Audubon Society, and the second is The Collectible Teapot Calendar 2024 by Sarah Archer with photos from Betty Shin Binon.
Looking to teach little ones about the world? Today we are sharing a fun pop-up book that takes us around the world. I am also sharing links to crafts, activities, and recipes to go with each city and/or its country. The book is The Pop-Up Guide: Cities Around the World by Maud Poulain and illustrated by Sandra de la Prada. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.
Summer has begun! Today I am sharing a fun, fantasy picture book that is perfect for some summer fun. It is How to Ride a Dragonfly by Kitty Donohoe and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am also including fun facts about dragonflies and a craft round-up.
Spring is in the air! I see the tips of our daffodils, tulips and irises poking out of the soil between the mounds of snow. Spring is my favorite season. I love watching the world come back to life. I saw my first robin last week, so I know the warmer weather will be here soon. That means it is time to think about my garden. Today I am sharing a beautiful book comparing love to a garden. I made a match game with the beautiful illustrations and have a round-up of flower and garden crafts as well as a giveaway!! It is fun post! The book is called My Love for You Is Like a Garden by Laura Smetana.
Are you working from home with a small child at home? Does your child like to "help" you work? Today's book is for you! It is Help Mom Work from Home by Diana Murray and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.
Today we get to talk about one of my favorite subjects! MATH!! As a former high school math teacher, I always love talking math. My life has been a bit busier because I have been volunteering and subbing at the high school end of Hazel's school. My volunteer work is helping kids with their math and sometimes even being in the classroom as an extra adult to help. I love it! It feels good to be back in the classroom and especially without all the grading and politics! Today I am going to share four books that involve math, and they range for ages 7 through adult. We will start with the origami book. Origami is a fun activity to bring into the math classroom and there are so many math applications involved. The book There's Math in My Origami! 35 Fun Projects for Hands-On Math Learning by Fumiaki Shingu, shows how math can be taught in the origami projects. It is recommended for ages 7+.
Protest! What comes to mind when you hear the word? There have been so many protests throughout history and many in recent times even during the world pandemic. Some protests are peaceful and some are not, but today's book will focus on peaceful ones. The book is Protest! How People Have Come Together to Change the World by Alice and Emily Haworth-Booth. This book is recommended for ages 8 to 12.
