The Chinese Emperor’s New Clothes by Ying Chang Compestine is a fresh retelling of the tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes with a fun twist. Instead of the emperor being the one fooled by the non-existent magical clothes, in this story a young boy emperor named Ming Da in ancient China tricks his corrupt ministers…
I firmly believe that there is nothing more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup on a wintry day. Perfect Soup by Lisa Moser is the story of one mouse’s quest for just this experience. Murray the mouse doesn’t just want any bowl of steaming hot soup though, he…
“Something smells good at N. 10 Garden Street. Delicious, actually!” This is the first line of the book What’s Cooking at 10 Garden Street? by Felicita Sala, a book that is part cookbook, part story, and completely gorgeous. There are 15 recipes contained in this story of an apartment…
When picking gifts to go along with the elementary aged books below, I tried to find items that were really interactive and learning focused. I did not include more passive items such as clothing, stuffed animals, or decorative items, instead opting for gifts that would encourage imaginative play…
There are so many gifts to buy throughout the year with birthdays and special events, but during the holiday season I especially suffer from gift fatigue. There are just too many decisions to make about buying gifts, especially for kids, that will not just end up as more clutter…
I am always trying to find ways for our family to experience different cultures from our home. We don’t have an unlimited travel budget (I wish!) but I still want my kids to at least know about the rich variations in customs, foods, and traditions around the world. To…
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin is one of those books that I wish I had known about sooner. When I first discovered this gem a few years ago, I instantly fell in love with the warm, cozy illustrations, the quirky characters, and the engaging plot. First published…
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’ by Eileen Spinelli is easily my kids’ favorite Thanksgiving book. I say “my kids'” and not mine because it took me awhile to really appreciate this book and I probably still don’t love it as much as my children. Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’, like many…
There are so many wonderful children’s books that celebrate the sense of togetherness and gratitude that surrounds Thanksgiving. Just by the nature of the holiday, most of those books feature food in some form and it was so difficult to sift through all those books to find a few…
My family didn’t really celebrate Halloween much when I was growing up. We would wear costumes to school and have a party there, but my parents weren’t really into decorating for Halloween and we lived in a rural area that made trick-or-treating difficult. But one vivid memory I have…
There are so many wonderful new Halloween children’s books but for this post, I’m going back to an old classic: The Candy Witch by Steven Kroll. First published in 1979, this book is both delightful fun and thought provoking for young kids. In The Candy Witch, Maggie the…
When I first heard that illustrated versions of the Harry Potter were going to be released, I had mixed feelings about the idea. On one hand, I could see how illustrations could add to the experience of reading the books, but I also couldn’t imagine illustrations that would live…
First published in 1938, Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor is a simple, quaint story that stands the test of time. Sylvie Ann is visiting her grandparents farm on Halloween and decides to search for a pumpkin to turn into a “pumpkin moonshine” but when she finally finds the perfect…
I often find that there is something special about a children’s book written and illustrated by the same person. The pictures and words often have a special harmony when they come from the same creative mind. This is certainly true of the book Pumpkin Soup written and illustrated by…
For some reason, it has been difficult for both of my children to learn the months of the year. When it comes the days of the week, the seasons of the year, or even telling time, they quickly became proficient, but the months of the year have been more…
I love any book that is illustrated by Hiroe Nakata, but the Duck series by author Lynne Berry are some of my favorites. These seasonal books follow a family of 5 ducks as they have different outdoor adventures including ice skating in Duck Skates, camping in Duck Tents, and…
There are so many wonderful children’s books about apples, apple farms, and autumn fun that it was hard to choose which ones to feature! Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington made the cut partly out of nostalgia. This is one of the first autumn books that I read regularly…
Seasoning vegetables for Honey Garlic Roasted Vegetables
Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle is a feast for the senses. While the text draws readers into the rhythms of a year on a farm, the illustrations provide sumptuous, colorful detail and are as informative as the text itself. Each page details…