All posts tagged: children’s books

MALCOLM MITCHELL’S FABULOUS CHILDREN’S BOOK–MY VERY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, plus reading struggles, being a literacy crusader, more

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By Leslie Lindsay  Have you ever struggled to find the perfect book? I know I have! And I’m a ‘reader.’ How about a child in your life? I’m betting so. This darling children’s book–with bold, bright illustrations–by football champion Malcolm Mitchell is sure to delight.  ~BOOKS ON MONDAY|ALWAYS WITH A BOOK~ CHILDREN’S LITERACY  Henley hates to read. When Henley is supposed to be reading before bed, he builds a castle with his sheets. Henley hates reading so much, he took a wagon full of books to the town swimming pool to find out how well they could swim. MY VERY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE WORLD (Scholastic, December 29) is super-adorable–the words, the illustrations–all of it, is so heartfelt and moving. It’s about being a kid who hates to read, but all of his classmates seem to thrive with a book in hand. It’s based on the real-life experience of football star Malcolm Mitchell, who says, “When I was a kid, reading was my biggest challenge. It was the thing that scared me most, because it …

Darling children’s book TOLD IN HIGHLY IMAGINATIVE ILLUSTRATIONS SUPPORTS THE VALUE OF OBSERVATION, SMALL THINGS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, PLUS EXPAND YOUR READING EXPERIENCE WITH AN ACTITIVITY

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By Leslie Lindsay  Delightful children’s book about a little mouse who comes to stay and leaves the family with a delightful array of treasures.  ~A LITTLE LITERACY|ALWAYS WITH A BOOK~ Kid Lit Monday When a foreign exchange student comes to live with a typical suburban family, he brings with him a boundless sense of curiosity — and a stream of unexpected questions (which his hosts are never quite sure how to answer). But when the moment comes to say good-bye, a beautiful surprise awaits, and a gift the family will never forget. Here, this darling story of a little mouse who comes to stay with a family, we are introduced to a new way of looking at the world. All of the ‘big’ things in life are underwhelming to Eric. He doesn’t care about them, but is more intrigued with the scraps–the tin foil, a gum wrapper, a bottle cap. The family finds this strange, unsettling, but decide it must be his way. Here is where the real magic happens. Could it be that the …

Chad Otis talks about his debut children’s book–OLIVER THE CURIOUS OWL–about his artistic process, living in a school bus as a kid, exploring the big wide world, curiosity, imagination, and being an over-caffeinated uncle.

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By Leslie Lindsay  Darling children’s picture book about a little owl who goes on an adventure far from his home, asking more that just whoo-whoo. ~BOOKS ON MONDAY|ALWAYS WITH A BOOK~ Every child–especially those around ages 2-4 love to ask ‘wh-‘ questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Especially why. Here, author/illustrator Chad Otis, brings to life the adorable owl, Oliver, in this charmingly sweet and funny tale of curiosity, OLIVER THE CURIOUS OWL (Little, Brown Young Readers, August 11 2020). Oliver lives in a tree in the woods with his mother and father and siblings…but they only ask ‘who?’ Oliver needs more. He wants to know: who lives in the faraway woods? Where does the river go? Why can’t I leave our tree? So one day, he and his little friend, Bug, go. They leave the safety of their nest and meet new friends–bats and beavers, alligators and seals, too. They try new things and eat new foods and maybe they get a little scared. But it all turns out okay in the end. OLIVER THE CURIOUS OWL is about getting …

Mom, pediatric SLP, and author of THE MONKEY BALLOON Becca Eisenberg talks about using mealtime as a way to enhance speech and language skills, plus how pets are therapeutic, asking ‘what if’ questions and a GIVEAWAY!

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By Leslie Lindsay  What happens when a child lets go of a balloon? This bright and engaging story uses the imagination of a little girl and her father, exploring ‘what-if’ questions. **GIVE–AWAY!!** I’m passing along a complimentary gently-used copy of THE MONKEY BALLOON. Must reside in the continental U.S. to be eligible. Details below! (keep scrolling) ~APRAXIA/BOOKS on MONDAY~ Written by a parent, pediatric speech-language pathologist, and instructor Becca Eisenberg, M.S., CCC-SLP brings to life a very real–and all-too-common childhood experience of losing a balloon. Little Mimi and her father are at a local fair when she selects a balloon–a monkey balloon–from a vendor, but soon the balloon slips out her hand and into the sky. THE MONKEY BALLOON is gone, but Papa and Mimi make the most of it. They get ice cream–maybe the monkey balloon is there? They go to the park–could it be going down the slide? They see children riding the school bus, they discover colorful fish at the ocean…they look at the zoo…but no balloon. Mimi does not despair. In fact, she …

Mother-daughter duo brings STEM to life in darling new picture book about an inventive little girl who wishes to fly in FLY FLY AGAIN

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By Leslie Lindsay  A clever and uplifting story of a girl named Jenny who dreams of flying…plus, the illustrations!  Books on Monday: Children’s Literature Series| Always with a Book When I was younger, my dad would read to me, his arm draped around my tiny shoulders, blonde ponytails. And this time was special. It was when I learned I could do anything, be anything. It was then I first thought, “Hey–I want to be an author, too!” I fell into the rhythm of books and imagination at an early age. And like little Jenny in FLY, FLY AGAIN (January 7th Greenleaf Book Press), I was given the message, that if I work hard, I just might get to where I want to go. From mother-daughter duo, Katie Jaffe and Jennifer Lawson comes a darling and delightful read about the concepts of flight–lift, gravity, thrust, and drag. Plus, pitch, roll, and yaw. Little Jenny is clever and creative, and she wants to fly. Along with her neighbor friend, Jude, and a menagerie of pets, Kitty and …

Amy Webb opens up about her new children’s book on limb differences and developmental disabilities

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By Leslie Lindsay Delightful read for children and their caregivers about a little girl with special needs and how other children react.  I have always, always been a fan of children’s picture books and find that they teach empathy in such simple, wholesome ways. WHEN CHARLEY MET EMMA is no exception. I love the the simple watercolor illustrations, but also the sentiment. When Charley goes to the playground with his mother, he sees Emma, a little girl with limb differences; she doesn’t have hands and is in a wheelchair. At first, Charley’s not sure how to react. Charley remembers what his mother taught him: “Different isn’t bad, sad, or strange–different is just different and different is okay!”  This is the message I absolutely love! WHEN CHARLEY MET EMMA is about friendship, kindness, being differently-abled, but still able to do many things others enjoy.It’s a fabulous message for children and their caregivers as we navigate a more diverse world where disability is more ‘in the open.’ I enjoyed the backmatter of this book–designed for caregivers and teachers when guiding a child through …

BookS on MondaY: Certified health coach and plant-based chef Vicky Marquez talks about her newest book for kids, THE ROOTLETS, how eating healthy begins in childhood, kid-pleasing recipes, & more

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By Leslie Lindsay  As a vegetarian momma, I’ve always found it a fun challenge to raise healthy, independent food-conscious kiddos. When they were babies, my husband and I often got the question, “Are you going to raise your children as vegetarians?” Sometimes it came across as simple curiosity, other times, it felt judgmental. My response was always something along the lines of, “We’re providing a balanced diet with plenty of protein, fruits, and veggies, though I will not be handling raw meat at home.” That said, I was totally fine if my kids wanted to order chicken fingers at a restaurant, or have a bite of grandma and grandpa’s steak.  Food choices, we determined, were to be determined by the person eating them, what he or she felt comfortable with. In no way did my husband and I try to “force” a plant-based diet on our kiddos, but now, at nearly ten years old, our youngest almost exclusively rejects meat, all her choice. The oldest seems to think chocolate is its own food group! When …

BookS on MondaY: Husband-Wife creative team talk about their new children’s book, MY PANCAKES TASTE DIFFERENT TODAY, the environment, and a mouthwatering discussion on a breakfast staple.

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By Leslie Lindsay  Can a pancake save the world? That’s the question this delightful children’s tale sets out to seek.  Before going fishing one day, Ethan eats his favorite breakfast–pancakes! As his mom explains how pancakes are made with the help of the sun, clouds, rain, animals, and farmers, Ethan sees the world in a new way.  While playing outside, Ethan decides to create a big splash by throwing a can of in the lake and accidentally contaminates the environment. Time passes and one day Ethan notices that his pancakes taste different. Could that can in the lake have made that change? Ethan enlists the help of his friends to correct his mistake. Do Ethan and his friends repair that mistake, but most of all–what do they learn in the process? Today, I am honored to have Bruce Galpert here to chat with us…over a big plate of pancakes!  Leslie Lindsay: I’m always curious about what inspired the idea behind stories, what drives someone to spend countess hours crafting a story…can you tell us your …

The Teacher is Talking: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise

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By Leslie Lindsay It was a steamy day in Chicgaoland.  Too steamy for the pool, but just the right amount for an air conditioned library.  My 6 year old, 8 year old, and I headed to the library where we stumbled upon this book, MISS MORE THOUGHT OTHERWISE, an endearing story about the first children’s librarian, Anne Carroll Moore.  Written by Jan Pinborough and whimisically illustrated by Debby Atwell, this new book (May 2013) is sure to become a treasure for young and old book lovers alike. In a time when children were thought to be seen and not heard–or educated–Anne (Annie) Moore grew up the youngest of 7 older brothers.  But she loved to be read to by her attorney father.  As she grew older, her love of learning and reading remained.  Instead of marrying or taking care of the home for her parents as many young unmarried women did, Annie became a lawyer studying the profession at the heels of her father.  It’s hard to believe that books were once kept away from young …

Write On, Wednesday: Inspiration in all the Wrong Places

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By Leslie Lindsay(image  (by TeddyAndTaft) We writers look for inspiration in just about everything we do–and everyplace we go.  So, it isn’t all that unusal that I am finding inspiration in all of the wrong places.  Let me explain: Just this week, the latest Ballard Designs catalog landed in my mailbox.  I haven’t taken the time to flip through it till this morning.  There on page 8 of the catalog is a little ditty about first impressions (it has to do with your entryway/front porch).  Since my book opens with a knock on the door, this was perfect.  Also perfect is that my female character later declares that she is giving up her pharmaceutical sales rep career in favor of becoming a decorator.  I think I just may borrow and recreate a similar statement for my character as the one in the Ballard catalog.  See what I mean about inspiration? And then last night, reading a book to my kids, I come across all kinds of great alliteration and onomatopoeias….skitter, scurry, skate, slither…the book was sort …