A special love to awesome picture books!

Oh picture books...how I adore you!
 Let's start with an amazing equation as a presentation to this book: Amy Krouse Rosenthal + stories= inspiration. Yes. That's how I would define her. She is a total inspiration. Whatever she does, whether it is a book, or making a short film/video, or city project, she inspire people to notice, to care, to pay attention to life's details. In her newest book This Plus That Life's Little Equation, Amy brings us some simple yet wonderful day-to-day observation. This book is all about possible combinations in less, the adding of this plus this equals this experience. It is also about what happens when we divide little or big tasks. Another fun book to share because you know that...
joy+books= endless blessings!
Jack's Path of Courage The Life of John F. Kennedy by Doreeen Rappaport and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Yes, not only was John F. Kennedy, the most memorable and amazing USA President this country ever had, but he was above everything a unique individual. He worked very hard in life to become his own "talent", to shine in his own way. Joe, his brother, was outstanding at everything he did. It was hard for John not to be compared with this brother. But his determination and courage in life made him succeed in life. This is another publication by the amazing Doreen Rappaport who has done several high-quality and accessible biography for children.

Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! And Other Poems More or Less About Manners by Robert Kinerk and Pictures by Drazen Kozjan is a must read!!! What a fun book. I can't wait to read this ALOUD to my students. The verses are so catchy and fast, it is impossible to resist great manners with a book like this! Seriously. A collection to be read over and over.

Underground  Finding the Light to Freedom by Shane W. Evans is a living proof that you can tell a powerful story with as few words as the author has done here. This IS a story about freedom, about the underground railroad, about history but Shane W. Evans decided to tell it in a unique way. But for a book like this to have a long lasting impression in a reader, it needs powerful strong images. And this book has it. Even the colors used are very limited. Amazingly creative.

Little Chicken's Big Day by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis is another short and sweet picture book for the early and young readers in Preschool thru 1st. This particular range of ages would appreciate the curiosity and wondering mind of Little Chicken who is ready to explore the world at its fullest. Luckily, mother is only a couple of steps away for those moments where anyone could need a final push to get home.


Happy Endings A Story about Suffixes by Robin Pulver and Illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed. I'm really curious to see the students' reaction to this book. Would it help them understand suffixes better? Would it hold their interest? I look forward to giving my students a chance to explore this book and watch their reactions. The story is about how all the suffixes in the book react when they found out that they will be tacked after lunch. In order to save themselves, the best they can do is prove that suffixes are indeed needed and are helpful.

  Fred Stays with Me  by Nancy Coffelt is a great story about a little girl spends her time with the best of a companion, her dog Fred. Sometimes she lives with her mom. Sometimes she lives with Dad but no matter wherever she goes, Fred is sure to follow. Of course a pet always brings new challenges to any household but nothing that it can't be resolved and negotiated. I love the positive outlook this book gives to the characters' situation even with a sensitive topic like divorce.

 A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid is simply an adorable picture. From the illustrator who created The Wonder Book, comes a sweet story about Petunia who wants nothing ELSE but a skunk for a pet. She thinks they are adorable, so cute, with their amazing strips, and big black eyes...until she encounters a real skunk and she realizes they STINK!!! The simplicity of the illustrations and few colors used for this book makes it even more STINKY cute!

Bugs by the Numbers by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss is one AMAZING nonfiction book!!! When I started reading this book I thought to myself, "The authors must have read a book on presentation by Steve Jobs!" As many of you know Steve Jobs works very hard in the art of giving magnificent presentations for Mac, working on particularly so his ideas stick with people. So they would remember. That's how I feel about this book. Each fact given in this book about a particular animal is given in such a creative way, and visually attractive! The layout, the format, the numbers, the illustrations, everything in this book worked together beautiful to give the audience a book that they would for sure REMEMBER!