Here are the two things I know to be true: Never devalue a truly great readaloud picture book when you find it. And never try to force a lapsit book into a starring role in front of a crowd.
Review of the Day: Nerp! by Sarah Lynne Reul
May 21, 2020 by
You know those parents that get roped into reading to their kids’ preschool/Kindergarten/church group and walk aimlessly through libraries and bookstores in a hazy daze of barely contained fear? This book is for them. Guaranteed laughs, short content, and the kind of book I could see a kid demanding over and over again. Worth buying? “Yerp!”
31 Days, 31 Lists: 2019 Picture Book Readalouds
December 4, 2019 by
The other day I had the unique pleasure of promoting some of my favorite 2019 books of the year with a room full of librarians. As in any kind of promotion, you tailor your talk to the needs and wants of your listeners. And what do librarians need at any and all times? Readalouds! Now […]
Review of the Day: Mr. Nogginbody Gets a Hammer by David Shannon
September 6, 2019 by
I don’t know what it took to make Mr. Nogginbody come into the world, but whatever confluence of the planets allowed this madcap exercise in increasing hijinks to happen, I say let’s have more of it! In a sea of picture books that remain unmemorable five minutes after you’ve read them, Mr. Nogginbody hits the nail on the head. Hard.
31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Four – 2017 Picture Book Readalouds
December 4, 2017 by
When I became a children’s librarian the most nail-biting aspect of the job was, without a doubt, storytime. Granted, this may have had something to do with the fact that part of my training meant doing a storytime for adults. Kids, as it turns out, are a completely different ballgame. My earliest attempts at reading […]
31 Days, 31 Lists: Day Four – 2016 Great Picture Book Readalouds
December 4, 2016 by
To be fair, every single picture book, with the exception of the wordless ones, is a readaloud. You’re not supposed to just silent there silent and stony when a child’s on your lap. Picture books are meant to engage through the voice of the reader. That said, not all of them do well when it […]
Review of the Day: They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel
September 21, 2016 by
They All Saw a Cat By Brendan Wenzel Chronicle Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4521-5013-0 Ages 4-7 On shelves now It’s funny. Unless you’re a teacher or librarian, a grown adult that does not work or live with children will come into very little contact with picture books. Then, one day, they produce a few kids and […]
Review of the Day: Who Broke the Teapot?! by Bill Slavin
August 25, 2016 by
Who Broke the Teapot?! By Bill Slavin Tundra Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-77049-833-4 Ages 3-5 On shelves now In the average life of a child, whodunits are the stuff of life itself. Who took the last cookie? Who used up all the milk and then didn’t put it on the shopping list? Who removed ALL the […]
Review of the Day – A Toucan Can: Can You? by Danny Adlerman and Friends
July 15, 2016 by
A Toucan Can, Can You? By Danny Adlerman Illustrated by Lindsay Barrett George, Megan Halsey, Ashley Wolff, Demi, Ralph Masiello, Wendy Anderson Halperin, Kevin Kammeraad, Pat Cummings, Dar (Hosta), Leeza Hernandez, Christee Curran-Bauer, Kim Adlerman, and Symone Banks Music by Jim Babjak The Kids at Our House Children’s Books $19.95 ISBN: 9781942390008 Ages 3-6 On […]
Review of the Day: One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom
April 29, 2016 by
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree By Daniel Bernstrom Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel Katherine Tegen Books (an imprint of Harper Collins) $17.99 ISBN: 978-0-06-235485-3 Ages 3-6 On shelves May 3rd Like any children’s librarian, I like to assess each picture book that crosses by my eyeballs for readaloud potential. While every picture book (even […]
Press Release Fun: Shortlist for an Early Literacy Development Award
December 19, 2015 by
This is the kind of award librarians should know about and don’t tend to. For anyone searching for good picture book readalouds, this list is invaluable. Read on: Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy Announces 2016 CLEL Picture Book Awards Shortlists Denver, Colorado, December 15, 2015 – Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) announces the Shortlist […]
Review of the Day: Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin
September 24, 2015 by
Robo-Sauce By Adam Rubin Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri Dial (an imprint of Penguin Books) $18.99 ISBN: 978-0525428879 Ages 4-6 On shelves October 20th. When I whip out the old we’re-living-in-a-golden-age-of-picture-book-creation argument with colleagues and friends, they humor what I’m sure they consider to be my hyperbole. Suuuuuure we are, Betsy. Not prone to exaggeration or […]
Review of the Day: Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
June 12, 2014 by
Hug Machine By Scott Campbell Atheneum (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4424-593509 Ages 3-7 On shelves August 26th Do you remember that old Shel Silverstein poem “Hug O’ War”? This may be considered sacrilege but did you ever notice how the guy could do something brilliant one moment, like “Sister For Sale” […]
Review of the Day: The Grudge Keeper by Mara Rockliff
May 28, 2014 by
The Grudge Keeper By Mara Rockliff Illustrated by Eliza Wheeler Peachtree Press $16.95 ISBN: 978-1-56145-729-8 Ages 4-7 On shelves now. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that the phrase, “There’s no use crying over spilled milk” was invented with the intention of comforting a two or three-year-old. Small children, one learns, […]
Review of the Day: The Simples Love a Picnic by J.C. Phillipps
May 10, 2014 by
The Simples Love a Picnic By J.C. Phillipps Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-544-16667-7 Ages 3-7 On shelves now I am on a mission. A quest. A journey to find the funniest picture books published for children in a given year. It isn’t an easy thing to do. First, you have to deal with the […]
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