Tag: Picture Book

Posted on

“Ask the Expert” Kidlit

📚💡 Need advice? These two “experts” have you covered.

One is a wise Jedi master made from folded paper.

The other runs a problem-solving business from the top of the jungle gym.

Somehow, both are surprisingly effective.

🟢 The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
When Dwight brings an Origami Yoda finger puppet to school, his classmates are skeptical. After all, the advice is coming from a crumpled piece of paper. But when Yoda starts accurately predicting outcomes and helping kids navigate everything from friendships to embarrassing middle school moments, everyone begins to wonder: Is Origami Yoda actually wise…or is there something more going on?

I loved how the book captures the feeling of desperately wanting answers in middle school and being willing to seek them from the most unlikely sources.

🛝 The Recess Genius: Open for Business by Janet Sumner Johnson, illustrated by Stacy Ebert
Regina Grey isn’t the fastest, strongest, or most popular kid at school. In fact, she’d usually rather disappear into a good book. But when she accidentally solves a classmate’s problem, word spreads fast. Soon she’s holding office hours atop the jungle gym, helping kids with everything from annoying siblings to itchy casts to gum stuck in hair.

I especially loved that Regina’s “genius” isn’t some extraordinary talent—it’s based on her creativity, her curiosity, and her observation skills.

✨ If you had a dilemma, would you ask Origami Yoda or the Recess Genius?

Posted on

Poetry for Kids by 🎨Douglas Florian🎨

📚🎨 Douglas Florian books always feel a little bit like opening a child’s sketchbook in the best possible way.

His poems are goofy, clever, surprisingly smart, and full of the kinds of wordplay kids LOVE repeating out loud. But honestly, half the fun is staring at the illustrations, which look like they were made with watercolor, crayon, collage scraps, scribbles, stamps, and whatever else happened to be nearby on the art table.

Here are three favorites I keep coming back to:

🐉 How to Draw a Dragon 
This book is basically an invitation to imagination. The poem walks kids through creating dragons with “forked tongues” and “sharp back toes,” and the mixed-media artwork looks wonderfully handmade and textured—almost like a classroom art project turned magical. The foldout dragon art show at the end is SUCH a fun touch. 

🧊 ICE! Poems About Polar Life 
This one somehow manages to be funny, informative, and beautiful all at once. Kids get poems about narwhals, puffins, krill, polar bears, and more, packed with puns and playful language (“hi-bear-nate” made me laugh). 

🐄 Cows and Sheep and Chicks That Cheep: Farm Poems 
This newest collection is pure chaotic farm fun. The poems are full of ridiculous puns (“udderly chill” cows, “a-maize-ing” corn), and the illustrations are packed with visual jokes—animals lounging in chairs, taking selfies, knitting, and generally acting like humans. The art was created with watercolor, colored pencil, collage, and even paper bags, which gives the whole thing this loose, playful texture.

I love how Florian’s books make poetry feel playful instead of precious. Kids don’t feel like they’re “studying poetry” when they read these—they just feel like they’re having fun.

✨ Which would your kids grab first: dragons, polar animals, or goofy farm animals?

Posted on

Today’s book recommendation: SECRETS OF THE SEA: The Story of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist by Evan Griffith – Nonfiction Picture Book Biography

I absolutely LOVE picture book biographies. There have been so many amazing people in the world and well-done picture book biographies capture the essence of their lives and achievements so beautifully!

Secrets of the Sea is no exception! Jeanne Power was a courageous and creative woman from the 19th century who went from being a respected Parisian dressmaker to a famous marine scientist.

At this time, pretty much everything scientists knew about sea creatures was from studying dead specimens. Jeanne came up with the idea of building her own aquarium to study marine life while they were alive, and she made many exciting discoveries!

Evan Griffith made impressive discoveries of his own during his thorough research for this book, and Joanie Stone’s illustrations really made it all come to life. I’d never heard of a paper nautilus before, but my boys and I went on a little research binge about them after reading this book.

It’s the perfect book to read to be inspired by creative problem solving and overcoming trials. Pick it up today and give it a try!

Happy reading!