Passover: Books for children the learn about Jewish religious observance ✡️

Christians respect and appreciate the Jewish Passover observants as they remember when God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Passover commemorates the night when the first born son in every home died unless there was the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the door lintels. Hence, the home with the sacrifice blood was "passed over" by the death angel.

The Story of Passover by David A. Adler

ISBN: 9780823429028
Hardcover $15.99 USD

My thoughts:  This well done picture book recounts the story of the captivity of Israelites in Egypt, their persecution by the Egyptians, decree of Pharaoh to kill all newborn male Hebrews (Israelites). The Hebrew mother of the baby Moses placed him in a basket and set it afloat in the river. Moses was discovered by the Egyptian princess and raised as her son.

Later Moses slew an Egyptian and fled. The book then switches to Moses and his brother, Aaron, who, were instructed by God to ask Pharaoh to release the Hebrews; but their request was denied. Then God sent the ten plagues. Then on the tenth plague, the first born son of the Egyptians died but the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Hebrews without killing the first born son.

I think this is a really good retelling of this horrific period of Biblical history. They do, however, leave out the sacrificial lamb and meal of the Hebrews. They leave out the marking of the door lintels with the blood of the lamb. They leave out the requirement for this blood in order for the Angel of Death to pass over the house thus saving the first born son of the household. I think this most likely because it is too harsh for a young child's book, but since this is a Jewish authored book, there may be a different reason that I, as a Christian, do not understand.

The story is harsh because the captivity period, treatment of the Israelites by Egyptians was harsh, the plagues were horrific. But it is well done and should be well received when read to children by caring, instructive parents.

Exodus 12:21-28 - Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the ...

About the book: With colorful, full-page illustrations, this Passover book for kids 4-8 tells the story of the Jewish holiday while helping children prepare for their own seder.

This simple picture book introduction to the Passover story pairs an engaging retelling with bold illustrations, perfect for young readers. One of the most significant holidays in Jewish tradition, Passover commemorates Moses leading his people out of slavery in Egypt. This Passover book for children recounts the major events of the story in dramatic but accessible language, from Jacob settling in Egypt to the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.

The text and images have been vetted for accuracy by a rabbinical authority, and the book includes an author's note about the modern Passover celebration, the seder, and how the different parts of the meal symbolize elements of the story. With its lovely colorful illustrations and simple text, this is the perfect read aloud book to accompany a Passover Haggadah for children and help prepare kids for their own seder, both at home and in the classroom.

Pippa's Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield 

My thoughts:  Pippa is a delightful little mouse who is about to prepare for Passover but can't find her favorite Sedar or Passover plate. In a hurry, scurry she goes about her critter neighborhood asking if anyone has seen it. She does eventually find it and they all gather around to enjoy the Passover meal.

ISBN: 9780823441624
Hardcover $17.99 USD

Written in easy rhyme and illustrated sweetly with cute critters amidst the environment they usually enjoy, the book is a delight. Also of note, Jewish readers will enjoy seeking out small indicators that this is indeed a Jewish story - a Star of David on a candle holder, a book titled "The Haggadah," box of Matzos, the Sedar Plate.

A fun book for ages 4 to 8. 

About the book: Sundown is near, and it's almost time for the Seder to begin-- but where is Pippa's special Passover plate?

Pippa the Mouse has been working hard all day-- cleaning her house, setting the table, cooking the meal. Everything looks great-- but her special Seder plate is missing!

Searching through her tiny house turns up nothing, so Pippa ventures out to ask her neighbors if they can help. Bravely, she asks the other animals for help, but the snake, owl, and cat haven't seen her plate, either. But it's almost time for the Seder to begin, so she keeps looking-- and when she finds it, she invites all the other animals home to join her celebration. 

A charming story with a happy ending, Pippa's Passover Plate pairs simple, rhyming text with bright paintings by Jill Weber, illustrator of The Story of Passover and The Story of Esther. In bravely facing her animal neighbors, this adorable little mouse finds not only her missing Seder plate-- but new friends.

Rising by Sidura Ludwig

ISBN: 9781536225495
Hardcover $18.99 USD

My thoughts:  This is such a beautiful book. Lovely, gentle illustrations walk the reader through the story visually and provide hidden innuendoes and clues to family, faith, and imagery. 

The challah bread has six strips that are braided into one load. This represents the six days of labor and day of rest. The title of the book is "Rising." The first line.... "I rise with Ima in the early morning." The next page .... "...Yeast bubbles in the warm water." ... "My hot chocolate and her tea sit beside it, steam from both our cups rising."

Then there is a two page spread for after the dough is set aside in a bowl under a towel. The picture shows a very pregnant Ima resting and the child enjoying the out-of-doors while they wait.... "It rises and we wait. Ima says everything grows in its own time."

The story and the day progresses leading to dinner and Shabbat. ... "We say, Thank you, Hashem, for so many blessings."

An absolutely beautiful book. Perfect for the Jewish home and also for respectfully teaching non-Jewish family about Shabbat and Jewish customs.

About the book: An Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Honor Book

A quiet, joyful story celebrating a Jewish mother’s tradition of making challah with her child merges a lyrical text with stunning illustrations—and includes the author’s favorite recipe.

Melt into the nooks and crannies of this book’s unhurried pages, offering a place to rest and a pregnant pause for counting your many blessings—current and imminent! Here, a child and a mother measure, mix, knead, shape, and tuck their dough under a towel like a sleeping baby. Then, as they do every week, they wait while their dough rises, soon to be baked and gratefully shared at a Shabbat gathering with loved ones. Author Sidura Ludwig’s poetic narration captures the experience of a Jewish family as they make challah—a lesson in patience, slowing down, faith, and family. Illustrator Sophia Vincent Guy brings light and warmth to the scene, from a sun-bleached, gossamer curtain to the rising steam from the bread, all rendered in delicate, decorative patterns. Whatever their background, readers will be happy to find the author’s go-to recipe for challah at the end, along with a glossary and an author’s note describing the personal meaning of her family’s weekly ritual.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies from the publisher to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

A Book of Maps for You by Lourdes Heuer & illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III

ISBN: 9780823455706
Hardcover $18.99
Neal Porter Books
Holiday House Publishing

My thoughts:  Imagine an elementary age child fully aware of the world around him down to the most minute detail mapping out that world so someone can learn about it. A map of the house that details that bathroom faucet that trickles and the pipe that sounds like a ghost. Details of the street and the houses and who lives in them. A set of details about the neighbor whose yard is called "The Farm" and sketched out are the details of that neighbors "farm yard."

And then imagine the reason behind this treasure of detail. The artist or author of these maps is leaving this world so fully detailed in maps and left the guide for you to see and discover his beloved world because his family is moving away.

A sweet book and lots of details for the interested reader to discover.

About the book: Before moving away, a young cartographer leaves some guidance behind about his old home for the child about to make it their new one.

What if you moved to a new place and found a hand-drawn local guidebook, left there just for you? In A Book of Maps for You, an artistic young person gives just such a gift. He’s crafted and annotated maps of his neighborhood, school, and house; no slide, orange tree, or chicken coop left uncharted.

He points out the best Halloween decorations, school lunches, and local stops for baked goods, books, or art supplies. He shows the best place to put your bed upstairs, right under the skylight. Just as his family’s moving truck pulls away, another pulls up, and sure enough, his book finds its way into the next child’s hands.   

During a big move, a child can feel a lot of pressure to open their heart to the place they’re headed. But what about the roads they’ve been down hundreds of times? The faces they’ve grown up seeing? The house where they know every bang of the pipes and drip of the faucet? That history deserves care, too.
A Book of Maps for You honors the homes we leave behind and the ones we haven’t met yet, reminding us that they may just be two sides of the same coin. Lourdes Heuer’s achingly subtle text speaks volumes in all it pays attention to, and all it doesn’t have to say. Maxwell Eaton III’s signature detail-rich illustrations perfectly suggest the work of a talented child, and promise plenty of surprises to drink in and explore on each page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

"Hurricane" by Jason Chin

My thoughts: Having lived my early years in the North Carolina coastal city of Wilmington and then remaining in central North Carolina until the present time, I can positively say that a hurricane is a storm to fear and become as knowledgeable about as possible. The destructive power generated by the wind, rain, and seas is to be feared and respected. That being said, I am pleased with the children's book Hurricane  by Jason Chin and highly recommend it to all school and public libraries, personal libraries for children, and especially for any home with children within range of a possible hurricane.

The Winding Willow by Will Hillenbrand (a fun , sunggle-worthy wintry tale)

 The Winding Willow

Holiday House Publishing

My thoughts:  What a beautifully and artistically executed story! This sweet little mouse is headed out in the midst of a dreadful wintry storm through the countryside, and a kindly gentleman offers Mouse a ride in his carriage. Sadly, the Willow tree blocks their path. They disembark and mouse spots the missing items from the mouse household precariously clinging to the branches - an umbrella, a boot, and even a key.

Fun, silly, joyful picture books for children are delightful [Review]

Children's picture books should be fun, silly, entertaining, captivating, engaging. They should bring out the smiles and joy of being a child. In these three books the child can enjoy being a child and read about the silly, the fun and the joy that the bit of a pun, a joke, and some silliness can bring.

Zip Zap Wickety Wack: A Story About Sharing by Matthew Diffee 

ISBN 9780823458714
Hardcover $18.99 USA
Neal Porter Books
Holiday House Publishing

My thoughts:  When goat and sheep get a bit contentious over their both "saying" baa, they and the other animals suggest they choose a different "say." So they go through all the animal's ways of speaking or sounding off. Of course, no one wants to relinquish his way to "say."

Then the book goes beyond the traditional kiddie animal book and inserts a flying saucer alien into the mix. Game on! A bit of alien  advice and the action starts.

Simple illustrations capture the drool fun and personalities of the animals with bold lines and soft watercolor washes.  I really like the simplicity of the illustrations. A fun read and kids will love.

About the book: New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee makes his children’s book debut with this laugh-out-loud twist on the classic animal sound book.

The cow says “moo.” The horse says “neigh.” Everyone can agree on these.

But when the sheep says “baa,” the goat cuts in. The goat also says “baa.” Now what? No one wants to share their sound!

The sheep has an idea—he’ll just say something no one’s ever said before: “zip zap wickety wack bing bang walla balla flip flap yackety yack.” But an otherworldly visitor shows up to lay claim to this sound, too—and the alien doesn't want to share his identity either.

When the alien proposes a radical new way forward, the sheep and the goat find a compromise—and it may sound familiar to adult readers . . .

New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee’s hilarious wit will be an immediate hit with young readers in his first picture book. Sure to inspire boisterous read-alouds and threaded with a sneaky message about sharing, Zip Zap Wickety Wack will inspire new nonsense and new values in homes, classrooms, and farmyards around the world.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen & illustrated by Helen Oxenbury 

ISBN: 9781536235685
Hardcover $17.99 USA
Candlewick Press

My thoughts:  Repetitive stanzas with a bit of rhyme take the youngster on a shopping trip. Every time he searches for an item, he is given something different. And he does NOT want that! Alas, he seems stuck with critters he doesn't want until.....

He gets a good item and all seems fine. 

I love the illustrations, simple text, and bit of brown paper wrapping of parcels. A delightful book. The teaming of author Michael Rosen and illustrator Helen Oxenbury is perfect.

About the book: The incomparable creative team behind We’re Going on a Bear Hunt reunite for a read-aloud comedy of misunderstandings that has all the hallmarks of a classic.

I went to the shop to get me a carrot.

Oh dear! They gave me . . .

. . . a parrot.

Oh dear! Look what I got.

Do I want that? No, I do NOT!

As a hapless boy goes from shop to shop, requesting a series of perfectly reasonable items—a hat, a coat, a cake, a chair—he finds himself thwarted at every turn, amassing instead a growing menagerie of animals who happily follow him on his errands. It’s not until he finally asks for a cup that he’s proffered a wriggly creature that solves his dilemma . . . or does it? Adding delicious momentum to Michael Rosen’s rhymes (and mastery of the page turn) are an expressive crew of animal characters rendered as only Helen Oxenbury can, making for a timeless story guaranteed to beg many repeat readings. Oh dear! 

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?: A Hard-boiled Mystery by Brianna Caplan Sayres & illustrated by Mark Fearing 

ISBN: 9780823458271
Hardcover $18.99 USA
Holiday House Books

My thoughts:  A new take on the traditional question of "Why did the chicken cross the road?".  This is really one adults will enjoy maybe more than the little ones. That's because it is simply riddled with catch-phrases and puns. The story and "mystery" is cute and children will enjoy it.

The bright, colorful illustrations capture the barnyard and chicken community perfectly for this fun, silly book. 

I think it's delightful and a lot of fun.

About the book: A barnyard mystery takes on a noir-esque spin in this hilarious picture book chock full of puns, perfect for fans of 7 Ate 9 and Interrupting Chicken.

Inspector H. Poulet has a new case on her wings. The Chicken has apparently crossed the road, and no one knows why.

Can the Inspector get to the bottom of this tangled nest of questions? Squawking from one udderly unhelpful clue to the next, H. Poulet follows The Chicken’s path across the farm. But the case seems totally scrambled! If the Inspector can’t solve it soon, she’ll have egg on her face.

In the end, the mystery resolves itself with a sunny-side-up twist: a surprise birthday party awaits H. Poulet on the other side of the road. The animals flock together for a barnyard bash, and the Inspector retains her eggcellent reputation—despite having missed all evidence of the party.

From the bestselling author of Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?, this laugh-out-loud farm adventure has wacky, kid friendly illustrations by animator Mark Fearing. Readers young and old will love spotting the clues that H. Poulet overlooks and relish every cleverly crafted pun.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided complimentary copies by the publisher or its representative to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.

How the Forest Feels: Sensory Play Nature's Way by Wendi Silvano & illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen from Holiday House Publishing

 

My thoughts:  It is healthy and invigorating to get outside and experience nature and one of the best settings to do this is "the forest." Trees, leaves, shade, light, wind, chill, warmth. Textures of rough tree bark or soft grasses. Slithering critters. Leaping frogs. Leaves colorful in Fall or green in summer. 

In How the Forest Feels: Sensory Play Nature's Way parents and children have a "guided tour" of how to find and experience  many of the sensory stimulating natural bits of our environment. Stepping outside of the city, the home, the backyard, the apartment and finding a "forest," however large or small you can find, can enrich the child and parent alike. A forest experience can give stimulus to natural instincts within our being and that which makes us human.

A delightful book and one I think will benefit us all. 

About the book: Forest school meets sensory play in this cozy picture book about a grandparent and grandchild on an exploratory walk through the woods.

Smooth and wet is a stone in a creek. Slippery and cold is the splash on your cheek.

A boy and his grandfather travel through a scenic forest on a sensory adventure written in soothing rhyme. Everywhere they look, there are fascinating things to see and feel. The boy is naturally curious… and in the woods, it’s okay to touch!

Some things are sticky. Some things are firm. Some are oozy or crumbly or coarse. The boy delights in using his sense of touch to explore the natural world—made even sweeter by grandpa as his companion.

With soft, velvety illustrations, this sumptuous story is just right for kids who learn by doing, and makes an ideal read-aloud for preschools with sensory awareness on the curriculum. Back matter features an author’s note about the five senses, as well as an interactive sensory treasure hunt for curious young readers (with adult supervision).

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

Night Light (An "I like to read comics") by Michael Emberley [Review]

Hardcover $14.99
Holiday House Books
ISBN: 9780823458165

My thoughts:  Comic books are a niche in the reading world from which serious readers and academics typically shy away. As a child I looked forward to the Sunday Comic section of the newspaper and also enjoyed the frequent reading of comic books. In adult life I found the world of "real" books. There can be a place in the reading world for comic books such as Night Light. Personally, I steer clear of comic book style books, but something about Night Light beckoned to me; and now I can see that they can be quite beneficial and good for young readers and possibly reluctant readers.

This is a cute story of father and son (or older brother and younger brother) reading together a bedtime story and then the lights go out. With few words and lots of boxes of illustrations, the solution these two have to bring light back into the bedroom is innovative and charming.  Sparse text and abundant drawings take the two on a search for light. The story and illustrations gently overcome fear of the dark, stoke the imagination for a solution to gaining more light to bring brightness back, and a compassionate solution to restoring another's stolen light.

Cute. Sweet. Charming.

About the Book:  Perfect for new readers in the first grade: a comic about a child, a parent, and the magic of a starry night. By Geisel Award-Winner Michael Emberley!

A blackout! Right in the middle of “the last” bedtime story. The child cries. It’s too dark! The parent gathers stars from the sky light up the child’s room. Now someone else is crying! It’s the moon! The parent returns the stars to they sky, and parent and child pack up their blankets and pillows to sleep outside.

New readers can practice phonics reading with the silent letters "g" and "o" in words such as too, night, light, right, and tight. Children can also read about these characters in I Did It! a Theodor Geisel Award Winner and Let’s Go!, which is on the ALA Best Graphic Novels reading list.

I Like to Read Comics are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories, these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds. We hope that all new readers will say, “I like to read comics!”

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Holiday House Books to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine alone and are freely given.

His Fairytale Life (A Book About Hans Christian Andersen) by Jane Yolen & illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes [Review]

My thoughts:  The author, Jane Yolen and illustrator, Brooke Boynton-Hughes, magically opens the story of the sad life of the master storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen, with a simple statement and explosive and dream-like spray of beautiful illustrations. Simply put, his mother couldn't read but was a grand teller of stories and his life was stressed with poverty and disappointment. 

Neal Porter Books
Holiday House Publishing
ISBN: 9780823451036
Hardcover $18.99 US

He finally began his schooling with the little ones but he was a gangly teen. His life was sad, so sad. The illustrations are extraordinarily appealing and beautiful capturing the pure essence of Andersen's life in a mind filled with stories just waiting to come out.

His stories became legendary as did the man himself long after he died. Such is often the plight of an artist. Andersen's life was so very sad but his mind and his stories brought such joy to the world. This retelling for young children is excellent.

About the book: The storyteller becomes the story in this illuminating biographical picture book of Hans Christian Andersen, father of the modern fairy tale.

A century and a half have passed since Hans Christan Andersen’s death, but his stories are more alive than ever. Across languages, borders, and disciplines, his timeless creations have left a footprint beyond measuring. Now, come along back to the beginning and meet the human that came before the legend.

He was a boy

who lived with a mother

who could not read,

but remembered every fairy tale

she’d been told…

Appropriately penned by Jane Yolen, who Newsweek has called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America,” His Fairytale Life is as immersive and transporting as all good fairy tales should be. Each page sings with Brooke Boynton-Hughes’s dazzlingly intricate illustrations. Classics lovers and Disney fanatics alike will cherish this dreamy tome.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson & illustrated by London Ladd [Review]

When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson & illustrated by London Ladd

Holiday House Publications
ISBN: 9780823453801
Hardcover $18.99

My thoughts:  Having been raised as a Southern white girl, I remember many of these songs. Spirituals. Soulful songs. I remember learning a little of the history behind some of them. Perhaps some will say it is wrong for a southern white child to learn to sing these spirituals so steeped with African American history. But we did sing them in school. No one made fun of them. No one talked ill about them. They were sung in music class as a means of teaching us a form of music whose epic history belonged to the South and a part of history with which we should be acquainted.

As I grew older, I learned more of the history and the people connected to this music and sorrow filled my own being to think of their sadness and pain and suffering. I was glad, though, that they had a spiritual connection to the God who could deliver them from their sorrows.

This book is a treasure to teach children of all races about the music that encouraged and brought a whisper of hope to those who sang it. There is a darkness in the book through the visual art and that is good because that was a dark period in history and there was darkness hovering over the African Americans. But in this darkness they sang of the undergirding strength they found in their faith as their spirits connected to God.

Libraries need this book. 

About the book: Your spirit will soar! A girl connects with heritage, history, and a higher power through the lyrics of twelve beloved spirituals and four seminal events in African American history.

A beautiful keepsake to be shared by multiple generations.

When I hear spirituals

Sometimes

A big, full feeling

Grows in my chest . . .

Her heart pounds, she gets a lump in her throat, and tears flow down her cheeks. She wants to clap her hands and stomp her feet. There is healing, tenderness, strength, pride, and above all, hope.

The author of the classic picture book Bright Eyes, Brown Skin, Cheryl Willis Hudson, has woven together lyrics of twelve timeless, Black spirituals with a moving exploration of how music holds memories, emotions, and empowerment.

Songs include “Go down, Moses,” “Nobody Knows the Troubles I See,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” “Rock-a-My Soul,” “Get on Board, Little Children,” and more.

Evocative illustrations by award-winning artist London Ladd depict important people and places in Black history and culture: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Great Migration, and the Enslaved People’s Uprising of 1811.

Journey through Black history and music in this layered picture book.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

New Editions of A PLACE FOR BUTTERFLIES🦋 and A PLACE FOR BIRDS🐦 - beautiful flying critters [Review & Giveaway]

A Place for Butterflies (Third Edition) Hardcover by Melissa Stewart & Higgins Bond

ISBN: 9781682636633
Hardcover $18.99 US

My thoughts:  A beautifully illustrated and designed book featuring the ecological importance of butterflies and the needs butterflies have in order to continue to flourish in the world. The destruction of habitat areas specific to the needs of different species of butterflies and how people are beginning to awaken to these needs is gently covered. The solution to this and how people are beginning to recreate "a place for butterflies" is basically the theme of the book.

Easy text throughout the book that interestingly instructs the young reader is followed with a few butterfly facts. A disappointment to me is the statement that  "butterflies have lived on the earth for 140 million years." Otherwise, I love the book.

About the book: The latest updated edition of this fact-filled, colorful look at the amazing world of butterflies, which includes two brand new illustrations and a call to action to protect these creatures and their habitats.

In simple yet informative language, A Place for Butterflies introduces young readers to the basic facts about butterflies, including how they transform from caterpillars to butterflies, where they live, what they eat, and how they benefit plants and animals. Sidebars throughout the book contain information about how human action has harmed butterflies in the past, and the many ways people can protect certain butterfly populations, like by preserving forests and meadows and cutting down on pesticide use. Also included are pointers on how readers can help butterflies in their own neighborhood.
     

A Place for Birds (Third Edition) Hardcover by Melissa Stewart & Higgins Bond

ISBN: 9781682636626
Hardcover $18.99 US

My thoughts: The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the colors are brilliant. A beautifully put together book for young readers. The book focuses on the human impact on the environment and its effect on birds. The effect of energy producing wind turbines, the effect of city lights on migrating birds, and how large windows confuse birds causing their crashing deaths are just some of the problems. But the main focus of the book is how people can do things that help negate the impact they are having on birds' environment.   

I don't care for the statement at the end of the book stating that birds "have been around about 150 million years." But other than this, I truly love the book and believe it has a positive and beautiful approach to protecting birds and their environmental needs.

About the book: The latest updated edition of this fact-filled, colorful look at the amazing world of birds includes two brand new illustrations and a call to action to protect these beautiful creatures. Secret word: calm

In simple yet informative language, A Place for Birds introduces young readers to the ways human action or inaction can affect bird populations and opens kids’ minds to a wide range of environmental issues. Describing various examples, the text provides an intriguing look at birds, at the ecosystems that support their survival, and at the efforts of some people to save them. At the end of the book, the author offers readers a list of things they can do to help protect these special creatures in their own communities.  

   

GIVEAWAY

2 Book Prize: A Place for... Butterflies / Birds

Begins September 18

Ends October 20 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize books are provided and shipped/mailed directly to the winner by Peachtree Publishing. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.

A Nature Diary Series #4: My Tiny Life by Ruby T. Hummingbird & authored by Paul Meisel

Find it on Holiday House
CLICK HERE

My thoughts: Upon opening this delightful book I saw information on the beautiful, tiny hummingbird that is perfect for the parent to read prior to reading My Tiny Life to a child. It educates the parent (or older individual who is reading to the child) enabling them to better educate the child. Wonderful!

Then the story of this tiny life begins and it takes one through the year as the hummingbird emerges and develops into an adult that migrates to its Winter home and back to its seasonal, summer home. Such a strong tiny bird and such a wonderful life.

The Voice in the Hollow by Will Hillenbrand [Review & Giveaway]

ISBN: 9780823436811
Hardcover $18.99 ~ US

My thoughts:  The illustrations are absolutely stunning. Beautiful. Sweeping in scope. Visual story-telling par excellence. 

Tiny Hubert, a library loving mouse, leaves the library and cuts through the "Hollow" to get home quicker because the storm is intensifying. He meets a caring stranger who traverses the dangerous Hollow with him.

My Baba’s Garden by Jordan Scott & illustrated by Sydney Smith

 

My thoughts:  A gentle story of multi-generational love and caring. The Baba (grandmother) whose early life was one of deprivation and lack of food, lives simply growing and cooking her own food and does so in abundance. She helps care for her grandson. Through her actions she demonstrates her way of life and how she tends her garden and cooks the food she grows. She even captures earthworms on rainy days and places them in her garden. This demonstrates a care for the little things that make a garden grow.

As she ages and needs to be removed from her own home, she goes to live with her family. Her grandson returns much of the love and tenderness to her that she has previously bestowed on him.

A sweet tender story that is lovely and beautifully told.

About the book: The special relationship between a child and his grandmother is depicted in this sumptuous book by an award-winning team.

Inspired by memories of his childhood, Jordan Scott's My Baba's Garden explores the sights, sounds, and smells experienced by a child spending time with their beloved grandmother (Baba), with special attention to the time they spent helping her tend her garden, searching for worms to keep it healthy. He visits her every day and finds her hidden in the steam of boiling potatoes, a hand holding a beet, a leg opening a cupboard, an elbow closing the fridge, humming like a night full of bugs when she cooks.

Poet Jordan Scott and illustrator Sydney Smith's previous collaboration, I Talk Like a River, which received a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award expored a cherished memory shared between a father and son. In their new book, they turn that same wistful appreciation to the bond between a boy and his grandmother. Sydney Smith's illustrations capture the sensational impressions of a child's memory with iconic effect.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided a copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

"I Don't Care" and "The Universe In You: A Microscopic Journey" [Review & Giveaway]

 

THE UNIVERSE IN YOU. A Microscopic Journey by Jason Chin

Published by Neal Porter Books

Hardcover | $18.99

ISBN: 9780823450701

Age: 8-12

My thoughts: What begins and ends as a charming children's story book has sandwiched in the middle a full-blown science exploration into the makeup of living matter on earth.

It begins by comparing the tiniest bird in the United States to the next smallest creature. It is measuring in centimeters, then millimeters, and goes on to explain matter down to the break down of atoms and on to quarks, etc. that are the building blocks of the universe.

From illustrations of children and hummingbirds to diagrams of atoms, molecules, DNA, etc. the explanation goes, or gallops, across the pages, It is intended for the age 8 to 12 child. It is "heady" material for the average child but should open the mind of children interested in deeper science than that of birds, plants, rocks, and water.

School and public libraries should definitely have copies of this book. I even encourage teachers of science classes to get a copy. Parents with children who are seekers and inquisitive should definitely have a copy. But it isn't necessarily a bedtime read.

About the book: Themes: Measurement, Science & Nature, Shapes

Jason Chin, winner of the Caldecott Medal for Watercress, dives into the microscopic building blocks of life in this companion to the award-winning Your Place in the Universe.

In Your Place in the Universe, Jason Chin zoomed outward, from our planet, solar system, and galaxy to the outer reaches  of the observable universe. Now, Chin reverses course, zooming in past our skin to our cells, molecules, and atoms, all the way down to particles so small we can’t yet even measure them. 

Like its companion, The Universe in You is a mind-boggling adventure that makes complex science accessible and enjoyable to readers of any age.

Impeccably researched, wholly engrossing, and with extensive backmatter for additional learning, The Universe in You is another knockout from the award-winning creator of Redwoods, Grand Canyon, and other distinguished works of nonfiction for young readers. 

I Don’t Care by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal 

ISBN: 89780823443451
Hardcover | $18.99
Ages 3 - 6

Neal Porter Books/Holiday House had the honor of publishing I Don’t Care, a lyrical story of friendship by New York Times bestselling author Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Caldecott Honorees Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal.
 

My thoughts:  Charming, delightful, winsome. Beautifully written to engage the attention and heart of the young listener. The text with it's light rhyme frolics across the pages showing two beautifully drawn young girls who seem at odds with one another yet don't really care what the other thinks.

As the story progresses they are drawn to each other and become very caring of each other. I absolutely love the illustrations. The captivating expressions of these two girls as they traverse the emotional journey that carries them from standoffishness to joyful togetherness.

I highly recommend.

About the book: I Don’t Care is truly a special picture book. With bouncy, rhythmic text, Julie celebrates the similarities and differences between two unlikely best friends. Like the two stars of this story, co-illustrators—and real-life besties—Juana and Molly know that differences just make a good friendship stronger. As artwork passed back and forth between their mailboxes, childhood versions of each artist came to life and came together on the page into one unified creation.
 
Named one of the fall’s most anticipated releases by both BookPage and Kirkus Reviews, critics agree this delightful picture book is one friends of any age won’t want to miss. Julie, Juana, and Molly would love to speak with you about how a manuscript from the point of view of one child grew to be a story of true collaboration between author and illustrators—the likes of which are not often seen.

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DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winner's prize is provided and shipped directly to the winner by publisher or publicist. Chat With Vera is not responsible for lost or misdirected prizes.