written by Lisa Amstutz Kids love apples—fresh, in juice or cider, dried, or best of all—as applesauce! Why not try making fresh, homemade applesauce with your kids this year? This easy crockpot version will fill your home and classroom with apple-icious smells all day long! Don't forget to read children's books like my new book, Applesauce Day, while you feast. Easy Crockpot … [Read more...]
Picture Books about Growing Up and Being Yourself
It helps kids if we reinforce that every child learns (valuable) life lessons as he or she grows up. And growing up sometimes isn't easy. Reading picture books about growing up and being true to yourself can help. Here's a batch of newly published titles that hit the right spot. Picture Books about Growing Up and Being Yourself (Fall 2017) Philomena's New Glasses by Brenna Maloney … [Read more...]
What’s New for 2017 Back to School Picture Books?
Each year about this time, we discover the new back to school picture books. Teachers and parents, you'll find lots of great choices for 2017, great choices to be enjoyed by children ad perfect for reading aloud. 2017 Back to School Picture Books Here Comes Teacher Cat by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Claudia Rueda You'll love this sweet, silly story about a reluctant … [Read more...]
Easily Make Your Own Literacy Book Bags
You've heard of busy bags, but do you also know about literacy book bags? These are bags with a picture book and playful toys, games, or other related hands-on activities to do. And you can easily make your own! Literacy book bags help children go deeper into the story. The bags encourage a child to retell (reenact) the story. This helps with sequencing as well as understanding story structure. … [Read more...]
Picture Books About Books, Words, and Storytelling
Reading picture books about books, words, and storytelling builds more literally a child's understanding of all three concepts. Of course, reading in general builds a child's understanding of these in a more abstract sense. Both are foundational. It's helpful to introduce these kinds of books to children so they start to think about the person behind the stories (the author) as well as how to … [Read more...]
Hands-On Journal: My Book of Beautiful Oops! #BeautifulOops
My Book of Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg is a hands-on, write-in, decorate-in, scribble-in journal based on the iconic Beautiful Oops! (affiliate link) book. I'm working with Workman Publishing to share this sweepstakes of My Book of Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg! (Read the author's post on Imagination Soup about My Beautiful Oops and making your own "beautiful oops" here.) A … [Read more...]
6 New Giggle Worthy Picture Books (Summer 2017)
Giggle along at these silly stories -- here are six new picture books that will entertain and delight the young readers on your lap. 6 New Giggle Worthy Picture Books (Summer 2017) Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins Rupert tells his two exuberant and talkative friends that the book is supposed to be wordless but the friends just can not stop "helping" with ideas for the book, infuriating Rupert and … [Read more...]
New Picture Books about Families (& New Baby)
Build empathy and understanding of family, your own and other people's, with picture books like these new releases -- including two about a new baby. New Picture Books about Families (Including a New Baby) We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Ryan Wheatcroft FAMILY Lots of diversity is depicted in the multiple illustrations on each page that show different families and their … [Read more...]
The Best Narwhal Books for Kids
Do you have a child who LOVES narwhals? I do! Which means we read narwhal books, write narwhal stories, and collect narwhal plush toys. (Her last birthday party was narwhal themed!) Based on our research, here are the best narwhal books for kids. ENJOY! The Best Narwhal Books for Kids Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea (book #1) by Ben Clanton My daughter is the biggest fan of narwhals so we … [Read more...]
Delightful New Picture Books for Summer
If you're looking for newly published picture books, summer 2017, keep these delightful choices in mind. Maybe even put some on hold at the library. Because there are lots of great books to read with kids. Delightful New Picture Books for Summer (2017) I'm Silly (My First Comics) by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm EMOTIONS Tizzy Tornado is feeling silly. But Tizzy's acted too silly and … [Read more...]
Lovely Fairy Tales and Myths to Enjoy With Children
Some of these newly published fairy tales and myth books are familiar while others are totally new. Read these stories with your children. Then see what wonderful discussions you might have as you explore the richness and meaning of the stories together. Fairy tales began as allegories to explain abstract concepts with themes of birth, death, love, jealousy, growing up, and … [Read more...]
Folktales for Kids
Do your kids know about folktales? These are stories from a culture's oral traditions meant to share values and / or explain something in the natural world or about human nature, often are about ordinary people, and can including talking animals like fables. Sometimes folktales contain a wise life lesson at the end just like a fable does. When researching about folktales, it is clear that there … [Read more...]