Search Results for "Pictures" |

Math for the Young Set

February 20, 2024 1 Comment

There are all kinds of ways to bring math into a young child's life. Count birds outside the window. Talk about shapes and give them names. Discuss measurements while cooking. Our favorite way is to read stories and look at picture books, absorbing math concepts easily.

Banning Books

December 13, 2023 4 Comments

This month we had planned to write about several books we love that have been banned, but we realized that along with giving you a list of banned books we really wanted to write about the current tsunami of book banning in our country.

Scary Stories

October 15, 2023 No Comments

According to multiple sources, being scared and overcoming our fear is good for us, and this is especially true when reading or listening to scary stories.

Bible Stories

July 15, 2023 No Comments

This month, we look at Bible stories which have been awarded recognition by the Caldecott committees, beginning in 1938.

More More More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams

Books for Baby Gifts

June 21, 2023 1 Comment

Books are a wonderful way to encourage families to start the read-aloud habit early and often. Here are suggestions from people who work with children, families, and books.

A Shelter for Sadness

June 21, 2023 3 Comments

Sometimes, I am so touched by a book that I cannot figure out how best to share it with kids. Such is the case with A Shelter for Sadness by Anne Booth and David Litchfield.

Poets and Picture Books

June 19, 2023 2 Comments

Poets and picture book writers both know the weight of a word, the sound of a syllable, the turn of a line, and they both know that every word matters.

Robert Lawson Gave Me Animals

May 19, 2023 No Comments

Is there anything finer than a middle grade book with interior art? Yes, a middle grade book about woodland animals with excellent interior art.

The Secret Garden

April 26, 2023 6 Comments

Now that books are being banned and “revised” for language used before we “knew better,” I find myself thinking about this a lot.

This is the Planet Where I Live

February 27, 2023 2 Comments

Illustrating a book written by K.L. Going, This is the Planet Where I Live, Debra Frasier works with collage that exuberantly celebrates our connections to everything on this earth.

Abecedaria, Part 2

October 19, 2022 No Comments

Not all alphabet books are for the purpose of early literacy, nor do they meet the criteria for traditional alphabet books ... Still others are thematically connected, as are the following Caldecott Honor ABC books.

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackwell

October 15, 2022 1 Comment

I love reading wordless picture books and picture books that are very busy (think Richard Scarry’s books) with small groups of kids. My latest favorite of this “genre” is Sophie Blackall’s If You Come to Earth.

Abecedaria, Part 1

July 19, 2022 No Comments

Traditionally, alphabet books, or abecedaria, serve as beginning literacy instruction for babies and young children to promote letter, sound, and word development. But, greater potential than instruction exists in this form of picture books.

How Parks Connect Us
… and Why It Matters

April 22, 2022 1 Comment

Spring is in the air, and we’re pulled outdoors to wander in our favorite city parks. Ducks are dabbling; frogs are trilling; the apple trees are bursting into bloom. Everywhere, it seems, children frolic and neighbors wave. It’s been a long winter, but our cities are alive.

Zoom Storytime

March 23, 2022 No Comments

Never did I ever think I would do storytime on a screen. I want to see those sweet faces, get the high-fives and hugs, watch their delight in a story’s twists and turns. However…needs must!

Transportation, Part I: Hitting the Road

January 20, 2022 No Comments

From an early age, children are captivated by “things that go,” from climbing on trucks in a Big Rig library event to racing bicycles along a park path. This article offers a line-up of Caldecott Award books that feature various modes of land transportation.

Reading the Art in Caldecott Award Books

Picture Book Illustration

May 26, 2021 No Comments

In picture books, the illustrations often carry half, or more than half, of the narrative. Increased understanding of illustration techniques can enhance your appreciation and pleasure when reading and sharing picture books.

Nonfiction Storytime, Part 3

May 19, 2021 No Comments

In my experience, you can elevate the learning experience with nonfiction books through the development of activities that connect with a specific topic or the theme of your program.

Nonfiction to the Rescue, Part 2

April 22, 2021 No Comments

By featuring both nonfiction and fiction during storytime, you provide children an opportunity to experience the contrast between what is real and what is imaginative. Both are important for a successful reading experience. Here are 18 of my favorite nonfiction books to use in storytime programs.

The Soaring Imagination of Uri Shulevitz

March 30, 2021 4 Comments

In two of his picture books Uri Shulevitz introduces a child alone in a room, isolated, similar to our quarantined children today who are stuck at home, cut off from friends. But where is the iPad, television or computer screen? Look closely—there are none in the pictures.

Geography, Part 1

March 24, 2021 1 Comment

Many picture books have anonymous settings, but some include authentic landmarks identifying locations that can be pinpointed on a map. Traveling from west coast to east coast, several Caldecott Award books feature settings in the United States, and we can become armchair travelers through the illustrations.

Nonfiction to the Rescue, Part 1

March 18, 2021 1 Comment

As a children’s librarian, a primary goal for me is to help children embrace imagination through books, from imagining we are superheroes to going on a hunt to find a bear, flying in the sky, exploring a new land, to diving deep in the ocean. For some time however, including nonfiction titles in my programs has been a top request from parents and educators.

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Ashley Bryan: Brave for Life

February 25, 2021 3 Comments

Ashley Bryan's life has been so full of making children’s books and there are so many wonderful children’s books that we can only call out a few—a few enticements, and encourage you to take yourself on a wonderful journey into Ashley Bryan’s world.

Visual Artists, Part 2

February 24, 2021 1 Comment

When considering picture book biographies of visual artists, one cannot overlook the three illustrators who have garnered Caldecott Honors for their autobiographical works: Bill Peet, Uri Shulevitz, and Peter Sis.

The Very First & Last Page

January 14, 2021 6 Comments

Last week I zoom-visited a kindergarten class to read my own picture book. The class was terrific and at the end we had a time for Q & A. They are working on the difference between asking a question and “sharing.” It’s an important and difficult skill. One little girl, who might’ve been a stringer for the New York Times, or perhaps an after-school prosecutor, so mature and earnest in her questioning was she, asked to see “the very first page of the book.”… more

Making Peace with January

January 7, 2021 10 Comments

This year, Hal Borland’s Book of Days migrates upstairs with me to read during my afternoon rest and before bed. It’s a daily journal beginning January 1, written from his farm in rural Connecticut, meant to help him answer the questions: Who am I? Where am I? What time is it? At 68, I ask those questions, too. Borland’s entries mix mid-70s science with New England lore, his natural observations of the seasons with his own quiet musings. January 6: Frost flowers fascinate me. They are related to frost ferns, those intricate patterns that formed on windowpanes before we slept in heated bedrooms. Frost ferns were indoor plants, created by the humidity in the room. Frost flowers are wildlings, outdoor grows created by humidity in the starlight.

Shall I Knit You a Hat?

December 10, 2020 1 Comment

I’ve received a wonderful early Christmas gift this year — two new regular storytimes to conduct. Both interested in the season’s books — and do I have Christmas books to share! The only downside — and I can live with it — is that it’s via the technologies with which we see people these days. I’m so grateful for the Zooms, the FaceTimes, the Facebook Lives…it’s the only way to safely see folks and it makes things like storytime possible.… more

Javaka Steptoe

October 29, 2020 No Comments

Though our focus this month is on Javaka Steptoe, we want to begin this column with another book by his father, John Steptoe, Daddy is a Monster…Sometimes. This book is narrated by two children, Bweela and Javaka, who begin, “We are Bweela and Javaka and we have a daddy. He’s a nice daddy and all, but he got somethin’ wrong with him… .”

Caren Stelson

October 27, 2020 1 Comment

Caren Stelson The book I wish everyone would read: I love Make Way for Ducklings written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, and I wish every parent and child would read this ageless picture book together. Why do I love Make Way for Ducklings? Let me start with the fact that my family is from Boston and Make Way for Ducklings takes place in the city of Boston. In

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Curiouser and Curiouser with John Owens

October 22, 2020 No Comments

Once in a while a debut book comes across my desk and I’m too curious to put it into a to-be-read pile. I glance at the cover throughout the day until I can’t resist opening the book. What is it about? Am I going to like it? Then I keep turning the pages, marveling over the illustrations … and there are no words!… more

Brenda Sederberg and Her Reading Team
October 2020

October 13, 2020 No Comments

Raising Star Readers is delighted to hear that Brenda Sederberg’s Reading Team has added to its membership: welcome, Baby Phoebe! Brenda is also focusing on adding something else—she is expanding on the list of her Team’s old favorites by intentionally looking for books that are diverse and inclusive

A Good Word

October 1, 2020 No Comments

As teachers and writers, we all love words. Wouldn’t we love to be able to infuse that same love into each and every one of our students! Teaching English to middle schoolers and high schoolers for years gave me plenty of opportunities to try out different ways of attempting to kindle enthusiasm in my students for becoming avid lexophiles.… more

John Steptoe’s Beautiful Books

September 24, 2020 No Comments

This month we want to celebrate the work of John Steptoe, brilliant artist and writer, who was born on September 14, 1950. His work is a year-round birthday present to all of us.

Alphabet Forest 2020

September 12, 2020 No Comments

Alphabet Forest 2020

Author, illustrator, and educator Debra Frasier introduces the Alphabet Forest 2020, in which your favorite authors, illustrators, and volunteers share videos, activities, and ideas for a literacy experience at home or in a classroom. Play the vocabulary game! Get your paper, glue, and favorite crayons or markers ready!

Debra Frasier demonstrates how to make a Game Card so we can collect our words, just as hundreds of people do each year at the Minnesota State Fair.

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Thanks for the Memories, Miss Rumphius!

September 10, 2020 8 Comments

Today, the day I am writing this column, has been a long one. It started with a 4 a.m. alarm. It is the day Darling Daughter moves to college. In Boston. Which is far from Minnesota and so necessitates a plane ride. During a pandemic. Alone, as her university is not allowing parents on campus during this challenging time. Tell me you think I’m very brave.… more

Books Set in Bookstores

May 26, 2020 1 Comment

For many of us, wandering around inside a bookstore is our Happy Place. It can also be a place of mystery, surprise, romance, adventure, how-tos, and an opportunity to tap into the knowledge of the universe. Here then are fifteen books for children that are set in bookstores. Archie Greene and the Magician’s Secret
written by D.D.

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Fillyjonk in Moominland

May 7, 2020 1 Comment

I’m trying hard not to be a Fillyjonk. Honestly, I am. Mrs. Fillyjonk is a character in Tove Jansson’s wonderful Moomintroll series. Fretful Mrs. Fillyjonk needs order in her world. If anything is out of place, or goes wrong, she is flattened by depression and anxiety. Is anything more out of order than the world we live in now?… more

Deb Andries and Her Reading Team
April 2019

April 30, 2020 1 Comment

We’re especially delighted to celebrate with Deb Andries (a.k.a. Grammy) this month as she launches her newest Reading Team. Here’s how Deb describes the experience: My heart has always felt this “explosion of love” when we’ve welcomed a grandchild into our family. I vividly remember when our grandson Parker, now 14, was born, and the pure and elevated joy I felt.… more

Compassion and Empathy in Peace-making

April 14, 2020 2 Comments

One of the activities I do with young people is called speed dating. It’s an empathy building exercise because, I have found, we actually have to practice talking to each other and really listening.

Storytime in the Time of Coronavirus

April 9, 2020 No Comments

I’ve had the great joy these last few weeks of pulling together “distanced” storytimes for a few families who could use a half hour of sitting on the couch and letting someone else entertain and interact with the kids. This has been a stretch for me. Though I’m grateful for all of the apps and platforms that allow us to see and talk virtually — during this time, especially — I would not choose to do storytime this way.… more

Peace and the Sense of Belonging

March 31, 2020 1 Comment

Caren: “More Together than Alone,”
Peace and the Sense of Belonging Home. Community. A sense of belonging. Don’t we all long for love and connection? And when the anchored sense of belonging disappears, we spot it — on the drawn face of a child alone on a playground or on an elderly face of someone alone on a park bench. Haven’t we all felt that moment of dislocated loneliness?… more

Just Spring

March 26, 2020 No Comments

Phyllis: e.e. cummings said it best when he described the world as mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. Snow melts and runs babbling away, days lengthen, green sprouts of skunk cabbage and rhubarb poke out. This month we are looking at muddy, squishy, rainy, wet stories in honor of spring. Mud by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer, begins, “One night it happens.…… more

Avi

March 4, 2020 1 Comment

Such is the narcissism of youth that, sadly, one often learns about some important things about a parent only when they have passed on. Such was the case of my mother. Even as I began to publish, she never told me that she had wanted to be a picture book writer. I only learned of that when, after she died, I came upon some manuscripts she had written.… more

Norma Gaffron and Her Reading Team
February 2020

February 11, 2020 No Comments

Norma Gaffron is thrilled to have this chance to share her family’s long tradition of reading aloud. Her children and grandchildren are now grown, but they took the time during their Christmas Eve celebration to share a picture book together. Norma’s son Tim took the photos of Lauren (21), Norma (88), and Erik (25) enjoying Tuesday by David Wiesner.… more

Library EMT

January 16, 2020 No Comments

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” —Mahatma Gandhi I went into the weekend prepared to take it easy from a long and busy week. I quickly shifted my focus to the horror happening in Australia. I was watching a video that showed a small fraction of the animals and humans faced with this disaster.… more

Ann Angel and Her Reading Team
January 2020

January 7, 2020 No Comments

Raising Star Readers relishes this chance to catch up with Ann Angel and her multigenerational Reading Team. For this entry, Ann was especially focused on how the words and visual art in picture books lead kids to think and to dream. Here’s how Ann describes it: Long before I had kids and grandkids, I thought I’d grow up to be a visual artist.… more

“I love that you always find a bookstore!”

December 11, 2019 No Comments

After posting photos on Facebook of a recent trip to Chicago, my friend Joanne posted the above comment. My heart soared a bit, knowing that my passion for books and bookstores garnered such a lovely, positive observation. It’s no secret that just about anytime I find myself traipsing through a new town, I am eager to check out the local bookstore. It seems fitting that as 2019 comes to a close, I recap my bookstore adventures from the past year and share a few highlights from five favorites.… more

Pterodactyls and Dragons

December 5, 2019 No Comments

“The Boy chiefly dabbled in natural history and fairy-tales, and he just took them as they came, in a sandwichy sort of way, without making any distinctions; and really his course of reading strikes one as rather sensible.” The Reluctant Dragon Kenneth Grahame wrote “The Reluctant Dragon” as a chapter in his book Dream Days, in 1898, ten years before publishing The Wind in the Willows.… more

Snapshot: Wordless Books

November 21, 2019 No Comments

Wordless picture books are great for many reasons. They emphasize the importance of art, build on important literacy skills, help children become storytellers, and they are a reliable source for imagination.

#OneStatelinerStory

November 20, 2019 No Comments

Modeled after the One School, One Book premise, Phillipsburg School District Elementary ELA & Social Studies Curriculum Director Darlene Noel created a school-wide event called #OneStatelinerStory: Every Classroom. Every Student. Every Family. The fundamental purpose of this event is to build a community of readers through a shared reading experience. Think of it as a really large book club!

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