The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, by Julia Sarcone-Roach “By now I think you know what happened to your sandwich.  But you may not know how it happened.  So let me tell you.  It all started with the bear.” The narrator tells of a happy bear in a forest who finds a truck with baskets of…

Read More

Me…Jane

Me…Jane, by Patrick McDonnell How did Jane Goodall grow up to live in Africa and study chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream Game Reserve (now Gombe Stream National Park)? This is a wonderful picture book about Jane Goodall as a child — told simply, with fun, colorful illustrations. When Jane was a young girl, she had…

Read More

Our Tree Named Steve

Our Tree Named Steve, by Alan Zweibel, illustrated by David Catrow A father writes a letter to his children, who are away visiting grandparents.  The letter tells the story of a tree, and also of the family through the years. The family bought some land to build a house.  When they all went to see…

Read More

The Secrets of Stonehenge

The Secrets of Stonehenge by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom In this non-fiction picture book, Manning and Granstrom take a close look at Stonehenge.  This is an informational picture book for slightly older children, or for preschoolers and up with a strong interest and longer attention span. Manning and Granstrom begin their book in Stone…

Read More

Gravity

Gravity by Jason Chin “Gravity makes things fall to Earth.  Without gravity, everything would float away.” Chin’s non-fiction picture book explains gravity in a way that everyone, even the youngest listeners, can understand.  The simple text is accompanied by colorful, engaging illustrations. The illustrations follow a young boy playing with space toys on a beach,…

Read More

Velma Gratch & The Way Cool Butterfly

Today I felt as if Monarch butterflies were fluttering everywhere in my little part of Vermont.  I think this group will migrate south to overwinter, then return in the spring.  So, this picture book review is timely. Velma Gratch & The Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison and Kevin Hawkes Velma was the youngest of…

Read More

Poached – Book Review

Poached by Stuart Gibbs It all started when Vance Jessup bullied Teddy Fitzroy into dropping an arm and foot (from a mannequin) into the shark tank at FunJungle. When he was being chased by security guards, Teddy escaped by hiding in the koala exhibit with Kazoo the Koala.  He still had the backpack that Vance…

Read More

The Magic Rabbit

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate “Ray and Bunny lived together in a tiny apartment in the city.  They were business partners.  Ray was a magician, and Bunny was his loyal assistant. They were also best friends.  They did everything together.” So begins a fun story about two friends and a little magic. Each…

Read More

First Day of School

School is back in session for many families around the country.  Students starting new schools, students returning to the same school, and students starting school for the very first time…..and teachers starting school again, too. I posted this last year, so this is a post from the vault.  I really just love this picture book…

Read More

Seal Island School

Seal Island School by Susan Bartlett, illustrated by Tricia Tusa Seal Island, Maine had one school and one teacher.  Forty-nine people lived on the island.  Each year a new teacher came to the school, and each year he or she left in June.  The teachers all said it was too lonely there. Pru Stanley really…

Read More