Holiday

A collection of 36 posts

Early Learning

This November, choose WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS

This November, celebrate Indigenous People’s month with this wonderful book, the Caldecott winner WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. The art is glorious and the message is important. Our Earth’s water needs protecting for the sake of all life on our

Craft and Structure

SQUIRREL NEEDS A BREAK!

I’m thrilled to announce that my newest picture book, SQUIRREL NEEDS A BREAK, will be published by Charlesbridge on May 7th! Squirrel is especially grumpy after having been stuck in the nest all winter with three rascally kits so his friends decide to take the kits for the day

Craft and Structure

Play It! "Ten Rules of Being a Superhero"

Twice during my years as a classroom teacher I had students that weren’t allowed to participate in Halloween activities for religious reasons. To keep the fun of dressing up without creating difficulties for any of your students, read Ten Rules of Being a Superhero by Deb Pilutti and become

Craft and Structure

Play the Book!

Oh, 2021, we waited all through 2020 for you and frankly, you’re not off to the start we’d hoped for. We’re exhausted in so many ways. We still need to show up for our little ones. We need a bit of lightheartedness. “Playing the book” is a

Early Learning

Less "tizzy-busy", more joy!

Pout-Pout Fish fans, this is the just-right book for the holiday season! The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish is a wonderful addition to The Pout-Pout Fish series. Mr. Fish feels caught up in the “tizzy-busy” rush to find the perfect gifts. “… a gift should have meaning, Plus a bit of

Early Learning

WHAT THE FUN?! in July and All Year 'Round

Sing it with me! “What the world Needs now Is Fun! WHAT THE FUN?!” I picked something fun for July’s professional development book: WHAT THE FUN?! 427 Simple Ways to Have Fantastic Family Fun by Donna Bozzo. As you can see from my pink sticky tabs, I found lots

Early Learning

Groundhog's Dilemma is here!

It’s self-indulgent, but I can’t resist; my December pick is my new picture book that just hit the shelves, Groundhog’s Dilemma! It’s gorgeously illustrated by award-winning author/illustrator Matt Faulkner (with whom I’m about to celebrate five years of wedded bliss.) Half of Groundhog’s

Early Learning

The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish

I’ve been hooked on Pout-Pout Fish since the beginning (fellow Michigander Debbie Diesen is a long-time friend),  and the newest book, The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish, is as wonderful as the original. Mr. Fish feels caught up in the “tizzy-busy” rush of the holidays. (Dan Hanna does a

Art

"One Family" is one you need for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but it’s a challenge to find Thanksgiving picture books that connect with kids (I find many “pilgrim and Indian” books that are cringeworthy with stereotypes). This year,  I’m focusing on the “thanks” in Thanksgiving and sharing One Family by George Shannon with pictures

Early Learning

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero

I’ll bet you a sack of Halloween candy that most of us have dreamed of being a superhero: saving the day, maybe flying, definitely wearing a cool cape and a mask. Snazzy accessories aside, if you want to be a superhero, you need this book: Ten Rules of Being

Craft and Structure

I Pledge Allegiance

Happy August! Although summer is in full swing in Michigan, one of my local elementary schools is already back in session. Whether your school bell has tolled or you have one more glorious month to enjoy, you’ll want to have this beautiful book in your classroom: I Pledge Allegiance

Body Smart

Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance

Here’s a treat for you this Halloween: a rhyming picture book that will delight your little monsters while you hit the CCSS of Fluency and Phonics & Word Recognition. Frank was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance by Keith Graves is simple, spooky, silly fun. Frank’s dancing delights

Biography

Celebrate America with "Seed by Seed"

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with a slice of apple pie and a beautiful picture book about an American legend? Seed by Seed: the Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman written by Esme Raji Codell and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins is one of

Biography

My favorite Earth Day book: Wangari's Trees of Peace

Sometimes I fear that I can’t make a real difference in helping the planet, but Wangari’s Trees of Peace: a true story from Africa by Jeanette Winter shows how powerful one person’s actions can be. Wangari Maathai was devastated to see how barren Kenya was after thousands

Early Learning

Two Perfect "Picks" for Valentine's Day: Porcupining and Hokey Pokey

This Valentine’s Day, I’d like to share with the readers I love (you!) some of the things I love: wonderful pun-packed picture books by my author-crush Lisa Wheeler and free, already-planned activities to make teaching those books super-easy. Porcupining: a Prickly Love Story and Hokey Pokey: Another Prickly

Holiday

My Book!

Every week, I write about a terrific picture book to read aloud to students along with a lesson plan or an extension activity. I am jump-up-and-down, wave-my-arms-like-Kermit-the-Frog excited to finally be able to write about my picture book! The title is To See Or Not To See. It’s the

Art

Let's Talk About Race

“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou. Next Monday we celebrate the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What better way to honor his dream of a nation where our children

Art

Max's Castle

Let me make it easier for you this holiday season, because I know how it is. You want to buy a book for a child for the holidays, but you think they’d probably like a toy better, but you don’t want to give plastic junk, and yet do

Art

Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs

‘Tis the season for gift-giving and for “best of the year” lists. The New York Public Library put 100 terrific titles on their Children’s Books 2012 list, including my pick for Most-Heart-Warming-Non-Fiction-Book:  Stay: The True Story of Ten Dogs by Michaela Muntean with photographs by K. C. Bailey and

Early Learning

What To Do With All That Halloween Candy: Try The Great Graph Contest!

When I was a kid, my brother and I would empty out our bags after trick-or-treating on Halloween and divide the candy into piles: lollipops, bubble gum, candy we were willing to trade, favorites that would be hoarded, etc.  I kept careful count of how many of each of my

Art

Abiyoyo and Abiyoyo Returns

It’s almost Halloween, and you want a book to share with your students that will give them shivers, but not nightmares. Pull out these picture books about a scary giant and the clever little boy who defeats him, and you’ll be hitting the Common Core State Standard of

Art

Bones: Skeletons and How They Work

I could say, “here’s an informational book that will tickle your funny bone” or  “it’s so good it’s scary”, but Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins needs no rib-tickling tricks to get kids’ attention. For Halloween or health units, this book is thoroughly engaging.

Art

America the Beautiful

When I see the words “O beautiful for spacious skies”, I  automatically sing in my head “for amber waves of grain”, but I didn’t know some of the other verses of this song that, for me, are so moving: “O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more

Early Learning

My Pick for St. Patrick's Day

In the past, I’ve had rotten luck finding a good book to share with wee ones on St. Patrick’s Day, but I think I’ve found gold with this one: Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato: an Irish folktale by Tomie dePaola. Jamie O’Rourke is the

Body Smart

This Leap Year - Stick!

With a title like Stick, you might not think this book by Steve Breen will work for a Leap Year celebration, but it will! Stick is an independent young frog; he likes to do things on his own, thank you very much. He doesn’t want help from his mom