31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 29

Here Comes Santa Cat by Deborah Underwood.  October 2014.

From Amazon: "Cat took on a bunny in Here Comes the Easter Cat, but now Christmas is coming, and Cat has a hunch he's not on Santa's 'nice' list. Which means? No presents for Cat. So he tries to be good, but children, it seems, aren't wild for his brand of gift-giving. Still, Cat might surprise himself, and best of all, he may just get to meet the man in the red suit himself—and receive a holiday surprise of his own. Fans of Pete the Cat, Splat the Cat, and Bad Kitty will delight in this holiday treat."

My thoughts: At first glance this seems like a thick book (it is - 88 pages). But when there are many pages with no words, and almost all the other pages with only a single short sentence, it is a fast read. In the style that reminds me of Mo Willems and Jan Thomas, there is a narrator interacting with the Cat. It's a fun story of learning to give rather than receive.

Age: Toddler and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 28

A Thirst for Home: A Story of Water Across the World 
by Christine Ieronimo.  May 2014.

From Amazon: "Alemitu lives with her mother in a poor village in Ethiopia, where she must walk miles for water and hunger roars in her belly. Even though life is difficult, she dreams of someday knowing more about the world. When her mother has no choice but to leave her at an orphanage to give her a chance at a better life, an American family adopts Alemitu.  She becomes Eva in her new home in America, and although her life there is better in so many ways, she’ll never forget her homeland and the mother who gave up so much for her. Told through the lens that water connects all people everywhere, this eye-opening, emotional story will get readers thinking about the world beyond their own."

My thoughts: This is a tug-at-your-heart kind of story about both water and adoption. It is fairly short, though the concepts are big. I wouldn't choose to read it to my young children quite yet (maybe my preschooler, but I'd have to explain a lot), but it would be great for kids in elementary school who maybe are going to be doing a service project or fundraiser for clean drinking water, or children who have been adopted.

Age: Elementary and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 27

Otis and the Scarecrow by Loreen Long.  August 2014.

From Amazon: "On the farm where Otis the tractor lives, the farmer has introduced someone new—a scarecrow to shoo away the pesky crows. But when Otis and the animals greet the scarecrow with friendly smiles, the scarecrow’s frown never leaves his face. So everyone leaves him alone. Then one day, when a cold autumn rain sets in, Otis and the animals snuggle close and play Otis’s favorite game: the quiet game. Otis knows the puppy and ducks can’t sit still for long, and soon the farm friends begin to giggle and squirm, feeling warmed by one another’s friendship . . . but on this day, Otis can't seem to take his eyes off the lonely figure in the cornfield. A deeply resonant book about subtle acts of compassion and standing up for others, featuring everyone's favorite tractor, Otis."

My thoughts: My girls discovered Otis not too long ago, with the book Otis and the Puppy. Beautiful pictures and a feel-good story captured all of us. This one highlights Otis's compassion once again as he befriends the farm's scarecrow, even though the scarecrow is a little different than the rest of his friends.

Age: Preschool and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 26

Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet.  September 2014.

From Amazon: "Accept Hervé Tullet's irresistible invitation to mix it up in a dazzling adventure of whimsy and wonder. Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear, mix, splatter, and vanish in a world powered only by the reader's imagination. Tullet—who joins such greats as Eric Carle and Leo Lionni as a master of his craft—sets readers on an extraordinary interactive journey all within the printed page. Tullet prompts plenty of giggles in addition to a profound understanding of colors, and once again displays his unique genius and vision in a work that is a glorious and richly satisfying companion to Press Here."

My thoughts: If you enjoyed the NYT Bestseller Press Here, you'll also enjoy this book. I think I might actually like this one even more! This one is also interactive, asking you to tilt the page or rub the colors, and shows the new colors you can make by mixing them together. The paint dots and blobs look so real it seems like I could touch them and feel the bumps and ridges. The opening sentence made me smile - "It's that time again." (alluding to fans of the first book that we're going to touch the pages here too!)

Age: Toddler and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 25

Froggy Gets a Doggy by Jonathan London.  February 2014.

From Amazon: "A pet! Mom has agreed:  Froggy can have a pet.  Off to the pet store they go.  Mom would prefer a bunny or some mice, but Froggy and his little sister, Pollywogilina, have their hearts set on a doggy.  And when Froggy sees the little dog with big brown eyes, he begs to take her home. Mom cautions Froggy about all the new responsibilities he will have taking care of Doggy, but Froggy’s sure there will be no problem.  He doesn’t count on Doggy being more difficult to train than he expected. Froggy always lands himself in a pickle, but he always bounces back.  That’s why everyone loves him!"

My thoughts: Froggy's adventures are always so much fun. I like how this one teaches kids that there are certain responsibilities that go along with owning a dog. Plus the family goes to an animal shelter to get the dog, instead of a pet store - good thinking on the author's part! This is a great installment in the Froggy series.

Age: Toddler/Preschool and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 24

Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma by David Soman.  August 2014.

From Amazon: "It is Halloween and Lulu must decide on a costume. Should she be Ladybug Girl or something new? She tries many different costumes, but nothing seems right. Maybe she'll think of the perfect costume as she enjoys the autumn day with her family by pumpkin picking and going on a hayride. But it isn't until Lulu and Bingo help a little girl who is lost that Lulu discovers who she was meant to be for Halloween..."

My thoughts: One week until Halloween! In this newest book in the Ladybug Girl series, Lulu has trouble deciding how she wants to dress-up for trick-or-treating, since she's Ladybug Girl every day. I'll admit this wasn't my favorite book in the series (my kids have Ladybug Girl and Bingo and LOVE it), though I do love the illustrations.

Age: Preschool and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 23

P is for Pirate by Eve Bunting.  August 2014.

From Amazon: "The word pirate means one who plunders on the sea, and piracy has been around for as long as men and women have longed for adventure and lusted for riches. But it wasn't all fun and pillaging! Being a pirate was not an easy life. Written by award-winning author Eve Bunting, poetry and expository text are used in this alphabetical examination of the history of piracy. Topics include legendary ships, fabled hideouts, and notorious villains like Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Includes the pirate code of conduct as well as the different occupations aboard ship."

My thoughts: There are so many books by Sleeping Bear Press in the __ is for ______ series, and they're all so well written! They're so informative they could be considered non-fiction, yet they are almost always featured as picture books. This one really does tell a lot about pirates, from ships to specific pirates, to even the execution dock and flogging... Because of the detail, I don't think even my preschooler would be interested in this one, but pirate-loving kids in elementary school would eat it up!

Age: Elementary and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 22

Everything's Better with a Beard by The Robertsons.  March 2014.

From Amazon: "The Duck Commander family is known for their long, flowing beards. In this photographic picture book with whimsical, rhyming text, objects both animate and inanimate are given the Duck Commander family treatment—with beards! Whether it’s a dog, a truck, or a duck, one thing’s for sure: Everything’s better with a beard!"

My thoughts: Yes, my husband and I are fans of Duck Dynasty. This book uses real photographs (Photoshopped of course!) and flowing rhymes to create a silly little poem fitting the style of the Duck Commander clan. "Behind every beard you'll find a great guy: like Lincoln, and Moses, and Santa, and Si!" It's very lighthearted and just plain goofy. It's great if you just need a little laugh!

Age: Toddler and up

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31 Days of NEW Kids Picture Books: Day 21

Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss.  September 2014.

From Amazon: (No real description of the book itself, it just gives praises to Dr. Seuss's writing)

My thoughts: This is a collection of four short stories that Dr. Seuss wrote but never made their way into book format. It features characters that we know already - Horton, Marco, Officer Pat, and the Grinch. The contributor (Charles D. Cohen) writes an introduction about how he came by these stories, which is great background information for parents who love Dr. Seuss. A great addition to the library of any Seuss fan!

Age: Preschool and up

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Storytime: Owls

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 30 minutes + play and craft


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Little Owl's Night - Divya Srinivasan

I told the kids that owls are special because they sleep in the daytime and come out to play at night. This cute little book introduces what other things are out in the nighttime.

3) If You're an Owl and You Know It

From Librarian Lisa

If you're an owl and you know it flap your wings
If you're an owl and you know it flap your wings
If you're an owl and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you're an owl and you know it flap your wings

Blink your eyes...
Turn your head...
Hoot like this...

4) 5 Little Owls 
From Sunflower Storytime

Five little owls sitting in a tree, one flew away - how many do you see?
Four little owls...

I created a set of flannel owls to use for this and the next rhyme, based on Leah's hoot owls.

5) 5 Colorful Owls

From Storytime Fun

One blue owl when the moon was new,
Along came a green one and that made 2.
1 - 2

Two little owls perched high in the tree,
Along came a white owl and that made 3.
1 - 2 - 3

Three little owls flew past the barn door,
Along came an orange owl and that made four.
1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Four little owls sitting side by side,
Along came a red owl and that made five.
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Five little owls hooted, "Whoo, whoo, whoo,"
And they all flapped their wings and away they flew.
5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

6) Wow! Said the Owl - Tim Hopgood

I pulled out some colored flannel pieces and handed them out to the kids, so when the colors came up in the story, the kids brought their pieces up to the board. I love how this book ends - the owl seems to be missing out on so many beautiful colors during the daytime because he's usually asleep, but he discovers there's beauty at night too.

7) Twinkle Twinkle (traditional) & Moon Moon Moon (Laurie Berkner)

What are two things in the sky at night that owls get to see? The stars and the moon... (here's a link to my moon storytime, where I explain the motions I use for the song)

8) I'm Not Sleepy! - Jonathan Allen

I hadn't seen the Baby Owl series before this storytime. Wow they are so cute! I love this one because every single family at storytime could relate. :)


9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments again, as well as the fake leaves to throw around, but the kids all wanted to just do the table activity. I printed an owl outline on cardstock and put out watercolor paints.

Other owls ideas:

Owl Babies - Martin Waddell
Little Owl Lost - Chris Haughton
I'm Not Cute! - Jonathan Allen
I'm Not Scared! - Jonathan Allen