LOVE is a TRUCK by Amy Novesky Pictures by Sara Gillingham

Love Is a Truck by Amy Novesky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Helen Swiski for recommending this board book, since Leo loved it- you knew Crew would too! Crew is in his truck loving phase now (he has been for awhile) & what he loves about this book is the progression from beloved red fire engine then to dump truck, bulldozer, digger, cement mixer, loader, lifter, flatbed trailer, ice cream truck, and then all the ways any child could arrange and play with trucks! Best of all is the truck in bed with the child at night, a smile on his face as mom says good night!!! We read this book over and over throughout the day.

View all my reviews

Hot Dog b y Doug Salati

Hot Dog by Doug Salati
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Mary Alice my book loving librarian friend! This Caldecott Medal winner is perfect for young children through Adults. A little dachshund like dog living in the city is walking on a steaming hot day and all the city noise, clamor, crowds STOP this pup from moving anywhere anymore. Thankfully his astute senior owner knows the perfect place & using all forms of transportation they head toward a beautiful sea and spend a joyful day finding stones & shells by the sea!!! Each page and Illustration by Doug Salati was truly gorgeous, evocative, and best of all celebratory. I loved the city scape and the sea shore adventure, highly recommended!!!

View all my reviews

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My grandson loves dinosaurs and this book is one of his favorites! How a Tiny T. Rex figures out how to hug his sad best friend is the BEST! We will be reading the other books in this series too!

View all my reviews

Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham

Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From a blog post, this Jane Whittingham book is perfect for my animal loving grandson, and the pictures, photographs of the many different animals AND children each with a different body part highlighted. With activities detailed at the end, this book is perfect for little minds, hands and eyes, the pages are heavy but not board book material, they will stand up to the sometimes rough little hands turning those pages! Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

a bear, a bee, and a honey tree

A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From a blog post I can't remember this book struck me as a book my K granddaughter would love with all the word, word play, and antics of the bee and bear trying for the honey high up in a tree. I am also going to enjoy this with my grandson who will be 2 years old. With great illustrations by Brandon James Scott, Daniel Bernstrom deliver s a delightful book of the bear and bee fighting over the honey, who will be the winner? Excellent picture book will appeal to all younger children and their parents!

View all my reviews

A Letter From Your Teacher On the Last Day of School by Shannon Olsen & illustrated by Sandie Sonke

A Letter From Your Teacher: On the Last Day of School by Shannon Olsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a great read and this will be a present my K granddaughter and her mom, a K teacher will love celebrating a wonderful school year on the last day of school. With beautiful illustrations (by Sandie Sonke) the rhyming text by Shannon Olsen had me turning the pages, enjoying each and every high and low of the students as they become very special students and friends, ready for the next year of a new teacher and making new memories. Excellent for students, teachers & parents!

View all my reviews

28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World by Chalres R. Smith, Jr.

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this as part of the #yearofya twitter chat (African American Authors) and loved the moments and heroes that changed the history of America and the world. Told in 28 days with beautiful words and illustrations such as American doctor, Daniel Hale Williams performing the 1st heart operation, Madame CJ Walker, Bessie Coleman, etc. A very essential and memorable book that will teach all who read it about civil rights and equality. Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

The Journey by Francesca Sanna

The Journey by Francesca Sanna
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this amazing picture book for #yearofya May book chat dealing with immigration/refugees. The author decided to write this book after she met 2 refugee girls and with this impetus she began to gather true stories of migration from many many people the book is a collage of all their stories of hope, strength, determination and possibilities. So glad I OWN this treasure & will be sharing it with all my friends, readers, and family.

View all my reviews

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber by Sue Macy

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber by Sue Macy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of #YearofYA and their monthly chat, STEM and YA. Join us on Thursday 1/26 at 8PM EST for our twitter chat. Sue Macy has written a gem of a picture book highlighting the life and career of Mary Garber who only wanted to play sports and write about them. I fell in love with Mary in the man's world of sports and reporting - with World War II taking the young men overseas, Mary became a sports writer. She had a way with her writing- she was honest, positive, and covered Jackie Robinson as he overcame prejudice with grace. She had to endure being the only woman wearing a press pass (banning women from the press box). Mary attended and reported on black athletes games as well as whites. Mary Garber may have been small in stature but she was a strong voice for equality in sports, newspapers and life. She was small but mighty in her pursuit of reporting and her life was a long and rich fifty years worth of writing and awards.

View all my reviews

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman

The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial by Susan E. Goodman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this as part of the twitter chat for #YearofYA for January's topic, STEM and women in history taking place Thursday 1/26 at 8PM EST, join us! The story of African American youngster, Sarah Roberts in history begins with the day she was told she could not attend her school anymore; it was now only for white children. The story of Sara, her life, the court case arguing for equal education, begins a long struggle in history for children like Sarah. Author Susan Goodman's research and EB Lewis's paintings create a compelling picture of segregation and it's effects in history. This is a picture book all children, teens, and adults would enjoy because of its many messages-integration was a must, segregation was wrong and even losing can be a victory if people stand together for equality.

View all my reviews

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Brooks

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Nerdy Nonfiction award winner was a wonderful picture book I read as part of the #YearofYA STEM chat which will take place Thursday 1/26 at 8PM. The story of a black man in America during the time of The Great Depression where the all white world stopped Vivien Thomas from becoming a doctor but the study of medicine did not elude him. The reason being --white Dr. Alfred Blalock was totally impressed with Vivien and his confidence and knowledge that he gave him a job and took him with him as he became the chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This wondrous book details all of Vivien's wonderful surgical skills, his medical advances and his place in the world where racism thrived and his coworkers resisted his place next to Dr. Blalock. I loved Gwendolyn Brooks' narrative and Colin Bootman's perfect illustrations!

View all my reviews

Ada Lovelace: Poet of Science, The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley

Ada Lovelace: The Poet of Science by Diane Stanley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this nonfiction Nerdy award winner as part of the #YearofYA monthly STEM YA chat taking place Thursday 1/26 at 8PM. Diane Stanley's words & Jessie Hartland's drawings about Ada Lovelace's life and becoming the first computer programmer was a new direction for me (one I really enjoyed) in this exciting children's picture book. Ada was an imaginative yet very helpful heroine in her world and now the world can read this book and see her important contribution in computer programming's history.

View all my reviews