Books to Celebrate Easter

I did a previous blog encouraging themed browsing boxes at home.  I love playing librarian to my daughter and creating a collection of holiday books for her learn about, enjoy, and celebrate the season.  I recently put together a browsing box full of Easter books.  Below is a list of Easter books for you to create your own themed browsing box at home.  Happy reading!

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

Happy Easter, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff

Llama Llama Easter Egg by Anna Dewdney

Duck & Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny! by Tad Hills

Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly and James Dean

The Easter Egg by Jan Brett

The Easter Bunny’s Assistant by Jan Thomas

Marley and the Great Easter Egg Hunt by John Grogan

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick! by Lucille Colandro

Easter by Gail Gibbons

Crafts for Easter by Kathy Ross

How to Draw Easter Symbols by Christine Webster

Max’s Easter Surprise by Rosemary Wells

Easter Bugs by David Carter

Easter Parade: A Pop Up Book by Andrea Green

Somebunny Loves You by Rachel Hale

Spot’s First Easter by Eric Hill

Ollie’s Easter Eggs by Olivier Dunrea

Hoppy Clubhouse Easter by Marcy Kelman

Where’s Baby’s Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz

Biscuit’s Pet & Play Easter by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Happy Easter, Biscuit! by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

A Very Busy Bunny by Barbie Heit

Happy Easter, Baby! by Sara Miller

Team Umizoomi: Follow That Egg! by Brain L. Perkins

Spongebob: Show Me the Bunny! by Steven Banks

Minnie: Easter Bonnet Parade by Bill Scollon

Mickey’s Easter Hunt by Sheila Sweeny Higginson

Disney Princess: A Royal Easter by Andrea Posner-Sanchez

Disney Princess: A Princess Easter by Andrea Posner-Sanchez

Doc McStuffins: Bunny in a Basket by Sheila Sweeny Higginson

Strawberry Shortcake: Easter Surprise by Amy Ackelsberg

Dora’s Easter Basket by Sarah Willson

Dora: Eggs for Everyone! by Laura Driscoll

Hello Kitty: Happy Easter by Rebecca Gomez

Barbie: An Egg-cellent Easter by Rebecca Frazer

Backyardigans: The Mystery of the Jeweled Eggs by Lara Bergen

Mater and the Easter Buggy by Kiki Thorpe

Cars: The Easter Buggy by Frank Berrios

Toy Story: The Bunny Surprise by Apple Jordan

It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz

The Easter Beagle Returns by Charles Schulz

Lego City: Follow That Easter Egg! by Trey King

Fancy Nancy’s Elegant Easter by Jane O’Connor

Pinkalicious: Eggstraordinary Easter by Victoria Kann

The Night Before Easter by Natasha Wing

Clifford’s Happy Easter by Norman Bridwell

Peppa’s Easter Egg Hunt by Ladybird Books

Corduroy’s Easter Party by Don Freeman

Corduroy’s Easter by Don Freeman

Here Comes T Rex Cottontail by Lois Grambling

Happy Easter, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

The Dumb Bunny’s Easter by Due Denim

Pooh’s Easter Egg Hunt by Isabel Gaines

Bunny’s Easter Egg by Anne Mortimer

It’s Easter, Pooh! by Andrea Posner-Sanchez

The Easter Bear? by Ann Braybrooks

Minnie & Moo: Attack of the Easter Bunnies by Denys Cazet

Galaxy Zack: A Galactic Easter! by Ray O’Ryan

Bunny Double, We’re in Trouble by Dan Gutman

Junie B. Jones: Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park

Calendar Mysteries: April Adventure by Ron Roy

My #nf10for10 - My Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books from 2015

I joined the 10 for 10 picture book fun last August, so I’m back to give the 10 for 10 nonfiction books a try.  Many thanks to the wonderful hosts: Cathy Mere (Reflect and Refine), Mandy Robeck (Enjoy and Embrace Learning), and Julie Balen (Write at the Edge).  I’m excited to be joining the nonfiction fun!

I feel many exceptional children books where created last year.  I’d like to highlight my 10 favorite nonfiction picture books from 2015.

1.Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul

This literary nonfiction book depicts all the phases of the water cycle through poetic prose.  From rain to fog and mist to snow, the story is accompanied with beautiful water color illustrations.  This is wonderful book to teach cause and effect, prediction, and repetition.  

2.One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul

This literary nonfiction biography tells the true story of Isatou Ceesay.  Her home in Gambia became littered with plastic bags, so she began creating woven purses out of them.  Her innovative way of recycling cleaned up community, created jobs for local women, created revenue for families in need, and transformed her home.  This inspirational tale can be used to teach character traits, cause and effect, and main idea.

3.I (Don’t) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies

This literary nonfiction book is about a girl who dislikes snakes.  However, her family loves them and has them as pets.  One by one, the girl says something she hates about snakes while her family describes why snakes look and act they way that do.  Eventually the girl begins to dislike snakes less and less, and in the end loves them!  Each page is filled with realistic illustrations to accompany the family dialog and snake facts.  This book would be great to teach opinion, perspective, and point of view.  

4.A Rock Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas

This literary nonfiction book highlights the beauty of rocks.  They can glow in the dark, grind food, spark fire, and provide shelters both big and small.  The lyrical rhyming text is illustrated with glowing illustrations.  The definitions in the back of the book provide more insight into the rocks on each page, providing fun facts to build knowledge.  

5.Glow: Animals with Their Own Nigh-Lights by W.H. Beck

This nonfiction book highlights (pun intended) stunning creatures that use bioluminescence to glow in the dark.  Used to hunt, hide, make friends, or escape an enemy, the glow of these creatures are fascinating.  Shown in a black background, each animal’s photograph is detailed and stunning. Some images are scary while others are captivating. The text is simple and poetic, with sidebar facts that provide more details. 

6.Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner

This literary nonfiction book tells the story of one Almendro tree in the rainforest.  It is the source of blooms, birds, insects, and animals.  Messner’s text is poetic in nature with further sidebar information providing more detailed facts.  As the numbers of creatures increase, the reader understands the impact one tree has on multiple lives.  

7.Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares

This literary nonfiction biography tells the story of Pedro Martinez’s rise to greatness.  When Pedro was young, he played ball with his older brother Ramon in the Dominican Republic.  When his brother is drafted, Pedro hopes to follow in his footsteps.  As Pedro joins the major leagues as well, the love of these two brothers remains strong as their careers intertwine.  With beautiful illustrations, this true story can be used to teach character trails and theme.

8.Trapped: A Whale’s Rescue by Robert Burleigh

This literary nonfiction book tells the story of a humpback whale trapped in fishermen netting and the rescue to save her.  The touching tale is told through simple, but beautiful prose.  The illustrations are gorgeous paintings with realistic details.  This story is a wonderful way to teach children the important connection between people and animals.

9.Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls

This literary nonfiction biography is about Emmanuel, a young boy with a deformed leg in Ghana.  He never lets his disability hold him back; he hops two miles to school, learns to play soccer, and learns to ride a bike.  Eventually, he rides his bike 400 miles across Ghana to become a national hero and speed the message that a disability is not inability.  Told through lyrical words and bold illustrations, this story can be use to teach theme, main idea, and character traits.

10.Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

This nonfiction poetry is about a young girl in Cuba who broke the traditional taboo against female drummers.  She showed that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.  Told through poetry, this true story is accompanied with vivid and colorful illustrations.  This book can teach children about theme and character traits.  

Books to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

I did a previous blog encouraging themed browsing boxes at home.  I love playing librarian to my daughter and creating a collection of holiday books for her learn about, enjoy, and celebrate the season.  I recently put together a browsing box full of St. Patrick’s Day books.  Below is a list of books for you to create your own St. Patrick’s Day themed browsing box at home.  Happy reading and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day by Jan Holub

A Berry Lucky St. Patrick’s Day by Mickie Matheis

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Hello Kitty by Sanrio Company

Saint Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons

The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola

St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine

St. Patrick’s Day Countdown by Salina Yoon

That’s What Leprechaun’s Do by Eve Bunting

Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola

St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting

Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting

Let’s Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by Peter Roop

St. Patrick’s Day by Molly Aloain

What is St. Patrick’s Day? by Elaine Landau

St. Patrick’s Day by Carmen Bredeson

Shannon and the World’s Tallest Leprechaun by Sean Callahan

The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever by Teddy Slater

St. Patrick’s Day by Jennifer Gillis

The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan

St. Patrick’s Day: Day of Irish Parade by June Preszler

O’Sullivan Stew by Hudson Talbot

Fun St. Patrick’s Day Crafts by Carol Gnojewski

Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day by Kathy Ross

The Last Snake in Ireland by Sheila MacGill-Calahan

Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball by Debbie Dadey

March Mischief by Ron Roy

Georgia’s Greatness by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The Challenge Continues . . . Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge 2001

And the reading challenge continues!  As stated in a previous post, my librarian friend Ashley Lambacher of the Book Talker and I are hosting the Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge.  Our goal is to read all the past winners from the children’s book category in chronological order from 1982 to the present.  I will read the K-2 picture book winners and Ashley will read the 4-8/3-5 chapter book winners.  Because 2000 was skipped, today I continue my challenge by reading the winner of the K-2 Buckeye Book Award in 2001, Bark, George by Jules Feiffer.

Bark, George is about a young pup learning to speak like a dog.  When his mother asks him to bark, he returns with a meow.  Then he quacks, oinks, and moos.  Georg is taken to the doctor. Surprisingly, the vet reaches into him and pulls out a cat, duck, pig, and cow!  Once they leave the doctor’s office, George’s mother asks him to bark.  Instead of barking, George says, “hello.” The simple text and cartoonish drawings of Bark, George interest young readers.  Making for a good read aloud, children enjoy the unexpected humor of this story.  Still a popular book, this title is checked out often in my libraries today.  An understandable winner for a Buckeye Book Award.

Ashley, your upcoming 2001 book is The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey. Fifteen years laster, this series is still going strong.  A fitting win for a Buckeye Book Award.

Would you like to join Ashley and I as we read through Ohio’s award winning books?  We welcome any and all who are interested in participating in this fun reading challenge.  For more information, click here.