In the Moonlight (Monday Poem)

by Eric Finney


We looked out of our bedroom at midnight:
Now how could we go to sleep
When the world out there was as bright as day
And the snow was lying deep?

So we muffled up and out we went --
Nobody heard us go --
And we stood in the magic of moonlight
In a garden wrapped in snow.

Everything changed, enchanted:
Our garden seat a throne,
The bushes softly smothered,
The trees as white as bone.

For awhile we could only look,
Held in a spell, but soon
We were shaping hard, cold snowballs
And throwing them at the moon.

Tomorrow: snowmen and snowfights
And clearing a track for the cars,
Treading it all into slush, but tonight
We snowballed the moon and the stars.



 from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018 

Winter Trees (Monday Poem)

by William Carlos Williams


All the complicated details
of the attiring and
the disattiring are completed!
A liquid moon
moves gently among
the long branches.
Thus having prepared their buds
against a sure winter
and wise trees
stand sleeping in the cold



from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018 

We Make a Fist (Monday Poem)

by Mahogany L. Browne


The girl up the block is good at coloring in the lines

The kid next door is great at popping wheelies

My cousin across the street is a magician when it comes to making songs

And my brother is good  at baking cookies

When we want to have a picnin
We bring our greatest talents
Put them all on the blanket
And share with each other
The laughter and songs
The artwork and baked goods
Created by our hands



from The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems
selected by Paul B. Janeczko 
illustrated by Richard Jones
Candlewick Press, 2019

How to Bird-Watch (Monday Poem)

by Margarita Engle


A Tanka

be very quiet
and amazingly patient
until finally
a shy dove thinks your green shirt
is part of a shady tree




from The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems
selected by Paul B. Janeczko 
illustrated by Richard Jones
Candlewick Press, 2019

Holiday Stories (FAMILY magazine reviews)

What are you hoping for this holiday season? Take a look at these upbeat family stories that turn their characters from discouragement to optimism as each story accelerates. Choose one to read for several weeks or several nights, engaging youngsters and increasing their anticipation of the approaching season. Let the celebrations begin!!

Alphabet of Dreams

 by Susan Fletcher

Mitra/Ramin and her younger brother Babak, from a noble Persian family, have become beggars due to their father’s unsuccessful plot against the tyrant-king Phraates. She has disguised herself as a boy, while her older brother, Suren, has left, at her urging, to learn what remains of their family, and dig up gold from the home they have fled, to help them recover their status. Meanwhile, Babak discovers if he sleeps with something belonging to another, he can dream that person’s dreams. 

            Author Fletcher has set this young adult novel, like a previous novel, Shadow Spinner, in ancient Persia (now Iran). It is the time of the Magi and the cusp of a new era. 

            Babak and Ramin/Mitra join the caravan of a powerful Magus who, understanding the movements of the stars, and wanting what Babak’s special abilities can offer him, is traveling to Bethlehem. In the course of their journey, three animals, a skinny, feeble donkey, a one-eyed kitten, and a mange-infested camel become their companions: they are kidnapped, escape, and are rescued, and ultimately do some rescuing themselves.

            Long fascinated by the story of the Magi’s journey to Bethlehem, Fletcher also demonstrates her fascination with Persian/Iranian history, weaving celestial events, ethical practice, and traveling details seamlessly into her absorbing holiday tale of another age.

Atheneum, $7.99

Interest Level: Grades 6+

Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale 

by Sarah Marwil Lamstein

illustrated by Neil Waldman.

            Based on a Tunisian Jewish folktale, this beautifully illustrated picture book uses watercolors and Micron archival inking pens to give crisp clarity and intriguing detail to this unconventional retelling. The year that “rain was a stranger,” the “olives shrank” on the trees, providing no oil to light the menorahs. “No olives, no oil, no Chanukah,” sighed the villagers.

            Hayim, the poorest man in the village, asks the scribe to write a letter to the Almighty. Amid laughter and pity from those in the marketplace, the scribe does so, scoffing. From the highest hill outside the village, Hayim launches his letter into a steady breeze.

            The answer to Hayim’s letter arrives as a gift from the Almighty with enough oil for the entire village, which Hayim joyfully shares. The scribe however, wonders if Hayim is a thief, and soon the entire village refuses to use the “stolen” oil.

            Watercolor paintings in blues and grays partnered with earth tones and edged in crisp black ink emphasize the lyrical text, bringing to life a reminder of the original Chanukah. The merchant who responds to Hayim’s letter, also receives a letter questioning Hayim’s integrity. His arrival and presence in the village shames those who accused Hayim. An author’s note on the final page highlights the miracle told in the First Book of Maccabees from the Old Testament.

Boyds Mills Press, $16.95

Interest Level: Grades 2-4

The Family Under the Bridge 

by Natalie Savage Carlson

illustrated by Garth Williams

            Armand, an old hobo living on the streets of Paris, likes his unattached life, despite his need to beg and sleep under a bridge. His odd jobs barely keep him fed, but when he returns to the bridge where he usually sleeps in winter, arriving just before Christmas, he finds three red-haired children and a dog behind a canvas in his usual place.

Their mother is working at a laundry and their landlady has put them out because there is not enough money to pay the rent since their father died. After an excursion together, that included singing for coins, and a visit to Father Christmas in the store, the Calcet children’s mother is angry that they are begging. Although Armand leaves, he returns to rescue the children from some women who would separate the family. That night when Armand reunites the children and their mother, she is upset that he has brought them to a gypsy camp. The children are delighted, however, playing together with the gypsy children, and sleeping in a “house on wheels.”

But the gypsies must leave suddenly, and the Calcets still do not have a home. Garth Williams occasional drawings glow even in charcoal shades, enriching this charming story with his characteristic warmhearted illustrations.

However, an unexpected solution brings this lovely warm adventure to a perfectly nuanced conclusion in a surprising celebration for the holidays.

           

HarperCollins, $6.99

Interest Level: Grades 2-5

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Unfurling People (Monday Poem)

by Elizabeth Acevedo


People leave their homes
even when they love their homes
because people are like flowers:
and sometimes, the places where we live
do not have enough to water us all,
or they have enough sunlight,
but it's being used to scorch us;
or the soil is fertile, but those who tend it
want to pluck us straight out
before we've grown to our full potential.
And so, immigration is like tucking your roots
carefully into yourself
and repotting in a different land.

Immigration is an attempt to 
bloom and blossom
and brighten a new place
with the colors and scents
you've brought with you.
IT is an attempt to remember
where you are from, and the place that made you,
and also unfurl to the possibilities
of the new place you call home.

Immigration is learning to stretch
into a bridge,
backward and forward,
one limb in each place,
learning to hold tight to traditions
and customs and names and memories in one hand,
and with the other hand let go and lean in
to a place you hope will see you
for all the beauty that you bring.




from Woke: A Young People's Call to Justice 
by Mahogany L. Browne, 
illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
Roaring Brook Press, 2020
 

Iroquois Prayer (Monday Poem)

Anonymous


We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.
We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the care of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squashes, which give us life.
We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit.
We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, has banished diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to our grandfather, He-no,
  that he has protected his grandchildren from witches and reptiles, and has given to us his rain.
We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
  in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children.



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Monday Poem)

by Robert Frost


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little house must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy falke.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Something Told the Wild Geese (Monday Poem)

by Rachel Field


Something told the wild geese
It was time to go.
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered, ---"Snow."
Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned, -- "Frost."
All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.
Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly,---
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.




from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Ready for Reading! (FAMILY magazine reviews)

Tempting to young readers is this small but delightful collection of early chapter books. With irresistible characters and eye-catching illustrations, these cheery stories grab readers’ attention and keep them coming back for more. Dog fans or cow pokes are hooked by short chapters, well written text, unforced language, and print that is easy to read. Adult caregivers may want to take turns reading chapters with youngsters to keep the story flowing. Have fun!

Slingshot and Burp 

by Richard Haynes

illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

            The two title characters are cowboy enthusiasts; also, best friends, neighbors and double cousins. And, they each have an older sister -- who are also best friends with each other. The two pairs are not in agreement about the use of their “shared” clubhouse.   

            Complete with cowboy slang, wild adventures into the southwestern desert they call The Boneyard (really their backyard), jail time, blood-squirting zombie skulls, and even a ghost cat, this early chapter book is perfect for young readers and cowboy junkies. When the sisters change up the boys’ bunkhouse with pink streamers, curtains, flowers and dolls, Slingshot and Burp are outraged.

Using their Double-Barreled Spitball Blaster loaded with grapes, the two cowboys massacre the dolls and stuffed animals in the pink hair salon. Peppery mad Ma McKenzie and cross Calamity Kate charge the cowboys, who are marched into Mom-and-Dad court, where they are charged with four counts of doll murder and destruction of doll property, pronounced guilty and sentenced to two whole days of being grounded.

            As it turns out the girls have opened a dog sitting and grooming business in the clubhouse and were practicing on the dolls and stuffed animals. The two cowhands are camping overnight outside when one of the dogs escapes. The adventure to save Jackpot, the pup, while it’s still dark, has the boys exploring, as tall-tales fill their minds. They lose their bikes, flashlights, and Super X. But they rescue the dog, and make a deal with the Scorpion Sisters to “borrow” Jackpot until they can visit Big Jim at the Boots and Saddle Tack Shop to show him the treasure they’ve discovered during their adventure.

            Occasionally included are a map and vigorous black and white illustrations to accompany the lively text.

Candlewick Press, $14.99

Interest Level: Grades 1-4

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea 

by Hilary McKay

illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

            Lulu, an animal lover with pets, and her neighborhood friend, Mellie, go with Lulu’s parents on vacation to a cottage by the sea. Lulu’s dog, Sam, goes too. When they arrive, however, the owner of the cottage warns them about a “dog from the sea” who is a thief and has already taken a “whole roasted chicken” from a family staying in the house last week. Even the dogcatcher hasn’t been able to grab him!

            Although the others are not happy about this dog, for Lulu, the unnamed dog is a challenge. She and Mellie learn about the dog in town from unhappy restaurant owners. And along the path to the beach that day, Lulu follows behind the others and drops dog biscuits. That night after everyone else is asleep Lulu goes out to take the rocks off the trash can so the dog from the sea can eat the burned sausages. She gets a bucket of water for the dog to drink, and even sits down to pet him.

            Over several nights and trips to the beach they become friends. Then the cottage owner sees them playing together and calls the dogcatchers, scaring the no name dog away.

            Periodically, expressive black and white pictures illustrate this charming and completely dog-focused chapter book for young readers. Text and illustrations combine to keep readers engaged.

            During the early morning hours of the last day of vacation, the two girls run off to fly Mellie’s kite, hoping to attract the dog’s attention. But, it’s an accident that finally gets everyone focused. And the dog from the sea gets a new home!

            This is another perfect early chapter book for young readers along with other titles in this series.

           

Albert Whitman & Company, $13.99 hardcover, $4.99 paperback

Interest Level: Grades 2-4

Good Dog, McTavish  

by Meg Rosoff

illustrated by Grace Easton

             A playfully witty and wily early chapter book is this story of McTavish, a shelter pooch, who adopts the Peacheys, an inept family, after Ma resigns from being a mother. Boycotting the often “boring, thankless jobs” like “cooking meals that get cold,” “keeping track of appointments,” and “finding lost keys,” Ma now decides to take time to practice yoga. No one else in the family cleans, cooks, or keeps everyone organized, and before long the household is falling to pieces, Pa Peachey is cranky, Ava (14) grumbles, and Ollie (12) complains. Even the youngest, Betty (8) who is the most sensible, feels “lost, lonesome, and lacking in love.”

            Betty manages to get the family - minus Ma, who is practicing her tree pose - to the animal shelter where Betty and McTavish (a mix of Scottish terrier, Jack Russell, poodle, Tibetan spaniel, and Bichon Frise) connect. Soon McTavish has made his home in the Peachey household and, in consultation with Betty, has begun a three-step process that gets the laundry done, the mess decluttered, and everyone out the door on time for school and work. Soon, the family has even figured out a way to begin cooking meals instead of eating tiresome pizza every night.

            Although the book doesn’t directly approach the problem of Ma feeling unappreciated, the quirky black and white and gray illustrations, satirical character exaggerations, sheer wackiness, and oversimplified, if nonetheless, feel-good ending, make for an unconventional, yet entertaining and clever tale for early readers.

Candlewick Press, $15.99

Interest Level: Grades 2-5

 

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Has My Heart Gone to Sleep? (Monday Poem)

by Antonio Machado
translated by Alan S. Trueblood


   Has my heart gone to sleep?
Have the beehives of my dreams
stopped working, the waterwheel
of the mind run dry,
scoops turning empty,
only shadow inside?
   No, my heart is not asleep.
It is awake, wide awake.
Not asleep, not dreaming --
its eyes are opened wide
watching distant signals, listening
on the rim of the vast silence.




from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Steam Engine (Monday Poem)

by Skila Brown


Biggest beast you've ever seen.
Gobbling up a coal cuisine.
One hundred tons of steel machine.
Belching out a steam smoke screen.



from Clackety Track: Poems about Trains by Skila Brown, illustrated by Jamey Christoph
Candlewick Press, 2019

Thoughts (Monday Poem)

by Jacqueline Bouvier


I love the Autumn,
And yet I cannot say
All the thoughts and things
That make me feel this way.

I love walking on the angry shore,
To watch the angry sea;
Where summer people were before,
But now there's only me.

I love wood fires at night
That have a ruddy glow.
I stare at the flames
And think of long ago.

I love the feeling down inside me
That says to run away
To come and be a gypsy
And laugh the gypsy way.

The tangy tast of apples,
The snowy mist at morn,
The wanderlust inside you
When you hear the huntsman's horn.

Nostalgia -- that's the Autumn,
Dreaming through September
Just a million lovely things
I always will remember.




from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Following a Favorite Folk Tale (FAMILY magazine reviews)

 

Explore new variations of a century old (or more) folk tale that has been charming children and their families for generations. “The Little Red Hen” is an enchanting and well-known tale with possibilities for new perspectives. Try these. You can probably come up with a completely new and different version of your own. Have fun!

 

The Little Green Hen by Alison Murray

This irresistible picture book is a playful, environmentally focused variant of The Little Red Hen. In a retelling with a twist, the story portrays the green hen as careful caretaker of a beautifully fruitful apple tree. “She pruned the dead branches. She kept the pests under control, and she sowed the apple seeds, so more trees and more apples would grow.”

            But once the seedlings sprouted, the Hen needed help. The peacock, the fox, and the fat ginger cat decline. However, different from the original version, the dog (who loves sticks), the teensy brown sparrow (who is partial to pesky bugs), and the squirrel (who buries things where no one can find them) all agree to help. In gratitude, the orchard is bountifully productive through spring, summer and fall.

Then comes the rain. The hen and her friends are safe together in the hollow trunk. The peacock, the fox and the cat, however, drift across the floodwater on a log together, until they see the apple tree.

Bright digital illustrations fill the pages with colorful scenes, expressive faces and hopefulness. Together, the text and accompanying pictures demonstrate the effect of the flood and the cleanup necessary. This time when the hen asks for help, the enthusiasm includes everyone, and the results bring comfort and contentment for all.

Candlewick Press, $16.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Kindergarten

Manana Iguana

by Ann Whitford Paul

Illustrated by Ethan Long

            In this Southwestern conception of “The Little Red Hen,” Iguana wants to celebrate spring with a fiesta on Saturday/sabado. Her friends in this tale, which uses both English and Spanish language words to tell the story, are delighted about the party, but not too interested in helping to get ready. Conejo/Rabbit does things too fast and would spoil them, Tortuga/Tortoise believes he’s too slow, and Culebra/Snake says he’ll help. . . manana, when he grows some arms. 

            Iguana ends up writing the invitations and delivering them, stuffing the piñata, cooking the food, and hanging the streamers to decorate, all by herself. When sabado arrives, Coneja, Tortuga, and Culebra are excited to welcome the guests. But by then Iguana whips her tail, “NO!” She is grouchy, having made all the preparations by herself! “Now I …will greet my guests at my fiesta,” she tells them. And she does.

            The three non-helpers watch from the sidelines as the guests party with Iguana, laughing, eating, breaking the piñata, and having a generally terrific time at the fiesta.

            The watercolor and gouache illustrations are comic strip funny, with zany expressive large eyes, colorful southwestern colors and plenty of white space to highlight the action.

            When the guests are gone, an exhausted Iguana goes to sleep. In a change of heart, the previously unwilling friends decide to surprise her by cleaning up the mess. When Iguana wakes to see the results, she thanks the three and invites them to help her “eat the leftovers.” An inclusive conclusion to this satisfying tale.

           

Holiday House, $7.99 (paperback)

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

The Little Red Fort by Brenda Maier, illustrations by Sonia Sanchez

            Beginning with Ruby’s ideas and a pile of boards she found, she asks her three brothers to help her build. They are dismissive, “You don’t know how to build anything.”

            I’ll learn, she tells them. “And she did.” Just like the Little Red Hen.

            When she asks for help drawing the plans, they all laugh. “‘Not me,’ said Oscar Lee. ‘I don’t think so,’ said Rodrigo. ‘No way,’ said Jose.” The response is the same when she asks for help to gather supplies, cut the boards and hammer the nails.

Then, when she asks who wants to play in the fort she has built, with assistance from her mother and grandmother, all three boys are eager and no longer busy. “Not so fast,” says Ruby.

            Dynamic artwork uses recycled paper, gouache, charcoal pencil, pen and both traditional and digital brushes, to capture the female energy, creativity and go-getter positivity of this small Latina. While the brothers use their energy for ignoring, Ruby stays with it and the bright colors of her success remind her brothers that despite saying “We didn’t want to play anyway,” they really did want to play.

            Whispering together, they decide to get to work: Oscar Lee makes a mailbox, Rodrigo plants flowers, and Jose paints the fort fire engine red. Delighted, Ruby invites them for cookies.

            The rhythm and rhyme of the familiar and repeated lines from the classic tale match the color and movement of the illustrations perfectly to create this humorous and gender-bending story of changing stereotypes. (Fort building ideas and an Author’s Note are included at the end.)

Scholastic, $17.99 (hardcover) $4.99 (paperback in Spanish – El fuertecito rojo)

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

Leaves (Monday Poem)

by Elsie N. Brady


How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colours gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly flyl
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.



from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018

The Squirrel (Monday Poem)

Anonymous


Whisky, frisky,
Hippity hop,
Up he goes
To the treetop!

Whirly, twirly,
Round and round,
Down he scampers
To the ground.

Furly, curly,
What a tail!
Tall as a feather
Broad as a sail!

Where's his supper?
In the shell,
Snappity, crackity,
Out it fell!



from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018

To a Red Kite (Monday Poem)

by Lilian Moore


Fling
yourself
upon the sky.

Take the string
you need.
Ride high

high
above the park.
Tug and buck
and lark
with the wind.

Touch a cloud,
red kite.
Follow the wild geese
in their flight.



from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018 

Windsong (Monday Poem)

by Judith Nicholls


I am the seed
that grew the tree
that gave the wood
to make the page
to fill the book
with poetry.



from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018

The New School Year Beckons: Welcome! (FAMILY magazine reviews)

As the season changes from summer to autumn, the intensity of students returning to classes energizes many opportunities available for educational adventures. Read and savor this first-class fiction, remembering that it takes a village to make learning available to everyone. May we do all we can to make school a tantalizing, absorbing experience that summons every person to lifelong learning. 

The Invisible Boy

by Trudy Ludwig

illustrated by Patrice Barton

            Brian is shy and feels invisible. Children with “volume control” issues get the teacher’s attention, the best players and their friends are chosen first for the kickball game, even lunchtime conversation about birthday parties shows that Brian wasn’t included. However, during Choosing Time Brian does what he loves: drawing fire-breathing dragons, space aliens, greedy pirates, and tellingly, “superheroes with the power to make friends.”

When a new boy, Justin, joins the class and is teased, Brian thoughtfully puts a note in his cubby. Pencil sketches painted digitally show Brian in blacks and grays initially. This contrast highlights his separation from the other parts of his world painted in vibrant colors.

As Justin includes Brian on his team for a special project and at the lunch table, Brian is no longer gray, and his colors begin to change and glow. This clear and uncomplicated story, complemented by direct and skillfully expressive illustrations, is reassuringly universal.

Questions for discussion are included, along with recommended reading for both adults and kids, at the end.

Alfred A. Knopf, $16.99

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2

 

All Are Welcome

by Alexandra Penfold

illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

            The diversity and strength of an inclusive community are evident and honored in this lyrical, rhyming picture book. Wearing hijabs, a yarmulke, turbans, and a Sikh patka, characters also include a blind child and a child in a wheelchair. Both children and adults in this welcoming story show a rainbow of skin tones, hair colors and styles.

World maps in both the classroom and on the playground emphasize cultural variety. Talented students learn from and teach each other, and celebrate the Lunar New Year with a dragon dance.

The lilting rhymes in the text - with the final line in each four-line stanza repeating the title - demonstrate the cheerful images. “We will learn from each other. / Special talents we’ll uncover. / There’s a big world to discover. /All are welcome here.”

Families with single parents, parents of the same gender, and parents of different races are all featured and clearly valued in both text and brightly illuminated illustrations, which were created using acrylic paint, ink, crayon, collage and Photoshop. The final double-page spread unfolds into four panels to showcase a festive observance (including potluck) of shared discovery and celebration. To be read and re-read, this book is a profound and vital tribute to individuality, diversity and acceptance, as the interactions so lovingly demonstrate.

Alfred A. Knopf, $17.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 3

Ready and Waiting for You 

by Judi Moreillon

illustrated by Catherine Stock

            Starting in a new school? This sunny picture book is about welcoming, from the bright yellow school bus and its driver, to the crossing guard, the principal, the school secretary and the attendance clerk, “Come in. Come in. Come in through this door. Are you new? We’re ready and waiting for you.” The “open door” foldout concept, designed by the author, delivers the same message of welcome, inviting the readers into each scene.

            If you’re a preschooler, a homeschooler, or simply a second-grader moving to a new school, the librarian, computer tech, gym, art, and music teachers, cafeteria cooks and workers, custodians, playground monitors, parent volunteers, and classroom teacher are all at the doors to greet you. The rhythm and rhyme of the repetitive text accompanied by colorful torn-paper illustrations together stimulate excitement for beginning the school year and propel the story.

The exuberant hospitality of school employees and students with a variety of skin tones and kind-hearted bustle is a promising beginning for any student transitioning to an unfamiliar school setting. “Come in through this door . . . We won’t be a whole school till you do. Everyone’s waiting for you!”

Eerdmans, $17

Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2

Spin Me a Web, Spider (Monday Poem)

by Charles Causley


Spin me a web, spider,
Across the windowpane
For I shall never break it
And make you start again.

Cast your net of silver
As soon as it is spun,
And hang it with the morning dew
That glitters in the sun.

It's strung with pearls and diamonds,
The finest ever seen,
Fit for any royal King
Or any royal Queen.

Would you, could you, bring it down
In the dust to lie?
Any day of the week, my dear,
Said the nimble fly.




from Sing a Song of Seasons
A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
selected by Fiona Waters
illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Candlewick Press, 2018

This is Just to Say (Monday Poem)

by William Carlos Williams


I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold




from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Dream Variations (Monday Poem)

by Langston Hughes


To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun,
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done.
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently,
    Dark like me---
That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun,
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done.
Rest at pale evening . . .
A tall, slim tree . . .
Night coming tenderly
    Black like me.



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

The Rider (Monday Poem)

by Naomi Shihab Nye


A boy told me
if he roller-skated fast enough
his loneliness couldn't catch up to him,

the best reason I ever heard
for trying to be a champion.

What I wonder tonight
pedaling hard down King William Street
is if it translates to bicycles.

A victory! To leave your loneliness
panting behind you on some street corner
while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas,
pink petals that have never felt loneliness,
no matter how slowly they fell.


from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Sea Shell (Monday Poem)

by Amy Lowell


Sea Shell, Sea Shell,
Sing me a song, please!
A song of ships and sailormen,
And parrots, and tropical trees,
Of islands lost in the Spanish Main,
Which no man ever may find again,
Of fishes and corals under the waves,
And seahorses stabled in great green caves.

Sea Shell, Sea Shell,
Sing of the things you know so well.



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Sea Joy (Monday Poem)

by Jacqueline Bouvier


When I go down by the sandy shore
I can think of nothing I want more
Than to live by the booming sea
As the seagulls flutter round about me

I can run about -- when the tide is out
With the wind and the sand and the sea all about
And the seagulls are swirling and diving for fish
Oh -- to live by the sea is my only wish.



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Daddy Fell Into the Pond (Monday Poem)

by Alfred Noyes


Everyone grumbled.The sky was gray.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And there seemed to be nothing beyond,
THEN
Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight,
"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed." Click!

Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft
And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.

O, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
WHEN
Daddy fell into the pond!



from  A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
Selected by Caroline Kennedy
Hyperion, 2005

Feeling Growly? Go for Gleeful instead of Grouchy (FAMILY magazine reviews)

Although it’s summertime, 

the grumps sometimes show up. 

But, never fear, 

there are a few possibilities 

for changing crabby to cheerful 

in these lively picture books. 

If one of those you love is grumbly, irritable 

and out of sorts, 

this may not change it up, 

but at the very least 

reading these stories reminds us that 

we all have a bad day occasionally, 

and gives an opportunity to laugh at ourselves 

by laughing at the characters 

whose lives aren’t so different from our own.  

Grumpy Pants 

by Claire Messer

            Penguin is peeved. “He didn’t know why and he didn’t care.” He tries to shake it off by pulling off his grumpy coat, boots, socks, overalls – even his grumpy underpants! But he’s still grumpy!  So -- he counts to three and splashes into the bathtub. The nice cold water, time to play with his duck, make a bubble beard, and then put on his favorite pajamas, drink a cup of hot chocolate, and read his favorite book, “little by little,” help him to feel much better.

            Linoleum prints use bright colors to show Penguin’s grouchy to glad change. His fretful face wearing a sunshiny yellow raincoat and hat, under a cloudy, rainy sky is a sensitive show of contrasts. Lots of white space allows readers to watch his cranky face and gestures. Accented by the large font and lean language, this artful blend of narrative and image creates a reassuring framework for managing strong emotions.

            Finding his favorite teddy, climbing into bed, and falling asleep, Penguin knows that tomorrow will “be a good day because all the grumpiness has been washed away,” – a totally satisfying ending to a day, and for a story!

Albert Whitman, $16.99

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 1

Grumpy Bird  

by Jeremy Tankard

            Bird wakes up grumpy, too grumpy to eat, too grumpy to play, too grumpy to fly! Deciding to walk, grumbling bird meets a series of cheerful animals (sheep, rabbit, raccoon, beaver, fox) all of whom greet him, ask what he’s doing and decide to walk, following bird. As time passes the walk evolves into an unexpected game of follow-the-leader. Bird becomes so tickled he forgets he’s grumpy and invites everyone to fly back to his nest for a snack. And surprisingly, everyone does!

            The ink and digital illustrations are a mixed media treat with cartoon-like animals outlined boldly in black, and layered over photos of farm, meadow, trees, and ocean with fanciful stars, flowers, grass and bubble shapes doodled in various colors on each double page spread. Expressive faces and bodies show the animal characters dancing across the pages as their joyful energy helps to transform Bird’s grumbling grouchiness. Enchantment makes for a winsome ending.

Scholastic, $6.99 (board book) $15.99 (hardcover)

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Kindergarten

Grumpy Monkey  

by Suzanne Lang

illustrated by Max Lang

            With a wonderful red cover to accent the huffiness of the title character, this mesmerizing picture book deftly captures the importance of valuing emotions and encourages readers to simply recognize our feelings. Jim Panzee wakes up to discover that nothing is right with the day – “the sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, the bananas were too sweet.” The animals Jim meets describe him as grumpy, but Jim insists that he is not!

            “You’re all hunched,” says Norman the gorilla. Jim loosens up. Lemur mentions his bunched-up eyebrows. Jim unbunches. Jim trips over Snake, who notices his frown. Jim makes a smile that looks happy. But Jim still doesn’t feel happy inside. Many other animals suggest singing, swinging, rolling, strolling, splashing, hugging, napping, jumping, even dancing. But Jim doesn’t “feel like doing any of that.” He yells at his animal friends, storms off -- and then feels sorry.

            The watercolor illustrations change colors from page to page, allowing the varied feelings to emerge through both the cartoonish characters and their expressions, as well as the jungle-like backgrounds, and even the careful use of white space to feature the animals engaging in their own choices of ways to enjoy the wonderful day.

            Jim and Norman compare grumpiness when Norman acknowledges that perhaps it was a mistake to dance with a porcupine. Both agree, “I’ll probably feel better soon enough.”        

Although a chimpanzee is an ape, not a monkey, this doesn’t need to distract from this tantalizing tale. Sometimes we all just need time and space to be grumpy.

Random House, $8.99 (board book) $17.99 (hardcover)

Interest Level: Pre-Kindergarten – Grade 1