The mystery of Janette Sebring Lowrey hangs over our latest episode of this podcast. Neither Kate nor I had ever read this book before, and yet it bragged back in 2001 of having sold nearly 15 million copies. But is it actually any good? We consider The Poky Little Puppy on all his roly-poly glory.
I like a dead pet book with good practical advice, some honestly touching moments, and, yes, a bit of humor. A book like The End of Something Wonderful: A Practical Guide to a Backyard Funeral by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic. Euphemisms and platitudes can take a hike. This book proves that there’s more than one way to funeral.
Children find great comfort in absolutes. That which is right and that which is wrong. But the world we live in is filled with gray. It’s chock full of different perspectives and points of view. So kids would do well to learn how to consider something, whether it’s a number, a time of day, or a snowy sky, from a multitude of angles. A list of 2019 books for our times.
For those of you prone to creating displays based on current events, why not consider a Black Mermaid Magic round-up of all the books in your library that apply? Tell ya what. I’ll make it easy on you. Here are the titles you can consider including.
Lists of “classic” picture books are often white white white, with the occasional racist inclusion. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for picture books from the past that could be deemed “classic” and come from a variety of different perspectives and voices. When it occurred to me the other day that we hadn’t done Stevie yet on this show, I was a little mad at myself. It wasn’t that we hadn’t done a Steptoe before (see: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters) but this was the book that put the man on the map.
There are kids out there that like comics and like realism and have long been starved for illustrated stories of the past. Hand them this book, and then hand it to all the science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts too, because this is a book for everyone. Impossible to forget, undeniable in its delights.
Comics are a form of literature both near and dear to my heart. This past year I had the pleasure of heading up the children’s committee of the Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards. Here are the winners in the children, middle grade, and YA categories.
Having started this list in 2013, and subsequently updated it in 2017, today I give you the full monty. Readers have been very good about suggesting titles, so here is what I’ve been able to add.
We are pleased as punch to introduce you to special guest star and graphic novelist, Lucy Knisely. Naturally we asked what book she’d like to do and to our infinite delight she selected one we’d never done. Today’s magnificent title Shrek! We get to talk about whether or not Shrek is actually Superman, how the succulent wedding bouquet was ahead of its time, and what this book has in common with the film US.
Lisa Moore Ramée has taken the complexity of the real world, with all its police shootings and racism and destructive tendencies and made it personal for young readers. I don’t care what kid you hand this book to. Every single one of them will understand what’s going on here and, maybe, what’s going on in the wider world. The new required reading.
The time has come, dear readers, to update the Complete Listing of All Public Children’s Literature Statues in the United States once again. If you happen to know of an obscure one that I could be missing, lay it on me and I’ll add it to the upcoming updated post.
Meet the most necessary and least loved age range of children’s books.I have been carefully combing through every last easy book and early chapter book I could get my grubby little hands on and, with the help of my co-workers, I’ve come up with a good, if imperfect, list.
To celebrate this podcast being picked up by SLJ, Betsy and Kate tackle Sendak’s best known book. Does it deserve its everlasting fame and glory? Find out for yourself! And believe me, there is a special kind of challenge in finding new things to say about this old chestnut.
Children are forever being picked up and taken to new locations without their input or consent. In today’s book review, you can see a kid taking the initiative. A father/daughter tale unlike any other out there today.
I’ve become very curious about the release of another Mister Rogers picture book biography. In fact, I had lots of questions for both the author and the illustrator. So before we get to the business of the cover reveal, let’s ask those two some questions about what really is going on here
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