PPBF: Moonshot

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11Written and illustrated by: Brian FlocaPublished: Atheneum, revised 2019Themes: space exploration, moon landing, lyricalSuggested ages: 4-10 First page:High abovethere is the moon,cold and quiet,no air, no life,but glowing in the sky. Review/Synopsis:With stunning artwork and lyrical flow, Moonshot takes us alongside Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong on their...

PPBF: Digestion the Musical

Digestion the MusicalWritten by Adam RexIllustrated by Laura ParkPublished 2022 by Chronicle BooksAges: 3-9Themes: Digestion, the human body, humor First page: Act 1Body! Body! Body! Body!Your bones hold up your muscles, and your muscles make you go.And your heart will have to hustleJust to get your blood to flowaround yourBody! Body! Body! Body! Review/Synopsis:Did you...

I LIKE TO BE LITTLE

I Like To Be LittleWritten by Charlotte ZolotowIllustrated by Erik BlegvadPublished 1990 by HarperCollins When talking about classic picture books one of my top recommendations is I Like to be Little. There are many amazing new and classic books for kids that when one sticks with you, it’s due to a beautiful combination of personal...

The Barn: PPBF

The BarnWriter: Leah H RogersIllustrator: Barry RootPublisher: Candlewick, 2021Ages: 3-7Themes: Memory, Farming, Animals First page: "I am a barn." Review/Synopsis: The Barn is a story of the life of a barn. Narrated from the barn's perspective, it reads with a gentle, lyrical voice. It describes the entrances and exits by the animals, the comfort and...

FallWritingFrenzy 2022

It's time again for the FallWritingFrenzy hosted by Lydia Lukidis and Kaitlyn Sanchez and guest hosted by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris. Thank you all for your hard work in making this fun contest a go for the fourth year in a row. Tricky Northern HalloweenWC 110 (picture: empty street, #11, credit Daniele Colucci - Unsplash) In the...

Amah Faraway

Amah FarawayWritten by Margaret Chiu GreaniasIllustrated by Tracy SubisakPublished 2022 Kylie and her mom fly across the Pacific to visit her Amah. She's nervous and feels a bit out of place at first, but with time the in-person connection grows and it becomes hard to think of leaving to go home. This book is a...

The Porridge Pot Goblin

The Porridge Pot GoblinWritten by: Jacqueline JulesIllustrated by: Hector BorlascaPublisher: Apples and Honey Press, 2022Ages: 4-7+Themes: siblings, Jewish heritage, problem solving While Rose and Benny help prepare for Shabbat, they have the misfortune to be visited by none other than a goblin. It's invisible, but still leaves tracks and a mess in its wake. The...

How Can We Be Kind

How Can We Be Kind, Wisdom from the Animal KingdomWritten by: Janet HalfmannIllustrated by: Darla OkadaPublisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (Quarto) - 2022Ages: 3-6+Themes: Kindness, animals, non-fiction. Beginning: How can we be kind? We can look after each other, like European badgers do. Review: Kids can be kind, but did you know animals have their...

The Little House of Hope

The Little House of HopeWritten by: Terry Catasús JenningsIllustrated by: Raúl ColónPublisher: Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, 2022Ages: 3.5+Themes: Family, belonging, immigrationInformational fiction, semi-autobiographical First Page:It was a little house. Una Casita. Review:Esperanza and her family came to America from Cuba and find the perfect house for them. It smells a bit like wet socks,...

When Cloud Became a Cloud – PPBF

When Cloud Became a CloudWritten and illustrated: Rob HodgsonPublisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2021Recommended ages: 3-8Themes: science, weather, STEM, water cycle, working togetherNon-fiction/informational fiction Synopsis: Cloud didn't use to be a cloud, she used to be part of the lake and then the evaporated droplets formed together into Cloud. She loves to travel and with...