Since 1900, most of kids' riding and rolling has happened on bicycles. It’s no wonder that children love these clever machines. As kids learn to ride, their worlds widen; their independence grows.
Picture books can foster a deeper appreciation for the “Earth’s beating heart,” our global ocean. From ocean shores to the depths of the sea, these five Caldecott award books transport readers to this extraordinary environment.
There is a boy in my storytime who is learning English alongside at least one, if not more, languages. He is a serious two-year-old. He never talks. He does not sing along. He is loathe to “participate” in any way ...
We're always excited when Nikki Grimes shares one of her new books with us. This one is especially lovely, A Cup of Quiet, which celebrates the grandparent and grandchild relationship as well as all the sounds we hear when we're quiet and we pay attention.
With recent hurricanes and flooding so much in the news and a part of conversations, we've pulled together a group of books that will help those who learn from fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
A close and fascinating look at the illustrations in three Caldecott books about political figures ... and how those books have been updated over the years.
September may seem like the month that marks summer’s ending, but it is also a month of beginning — the traditional start of the school year, the beginning of fall.
Adults should get something from storytime, too. I read a book that’s maybe more for them than the kids — it’s extra special when there’s a book like this that is fascinating for these wee ones and their adults.
Do you remember summer nights when you were a child? Running on bare feet? The grass silk-soft and dewy? Crickets chirping? A bright slice of moon? Fireflies and the first stars?
Now that it’s summer, we have some school age kids coming, and I find that I need to select some picture books with more words, more humor, gorgeous art, etc. They’ll sit politely for a couple of lift-the-flap books and one-word-per-page books, but then they need something for them. When the babies start wiggling and running and sharing snacks, I pull out the big-kid books.
Following up on Gail Nordstrom and Heidi Hammond’s Caldecott Lines of Connection article, “Food for Thought,” Gail decided to give artificial intelligence a challenge to write an article on the same topic. Here’s how it went down.
Sean Sherman, “In an epiphany, I tasted how food weaves people together, connects families through generations, is a life force of identity and social structure.” These formidable themes are central to recent Caldecott Award books.
I have picked out a month’s worth of snowy books for the long wintery month of January. But I’m second guessing it now. Must our storytime be so snowy?
If you’ve ever dipped a toe into the children’s book publishing world, you’ve probably heard cautionary tales about writing in rhyme. In short, most insiders say, “Please don’t rhyme.”
Writing this book was a wonderful experience for me. I am proud to be a part of writing a book that incorporates themes of friendship, kindness, cooperation, and building self-confidence.
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.
Kurtis Scaletta is an experienced writer of middle grade and chapter books. Now his first picture book is out and we're curious about his experience of writing in this format.
For a child experiencing anxiety, phobias, depression, or grief, a picture book is a good conversation starter. This list, developed by Ann Jacobus and Nancy Bo Flood, is essential.
Once in a while, a duo creates several books together and they get to know one another. We're curious about how that works. Meet David LaRochelle, author, and Mike Wohnoutka, illustrator, of six books together (so far).
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 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.
I wonder how often a picture book biographer has been friends with her subject for several decades and then worked closely with that person to get her manuscript just right.
While experiences in the natural world are beneficial to both children and adults, they are especially crucial for young people. This selection of Caldecott Honor books invites readers to explore and appreciate the natural world.
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.
In the far reaches of the northern hemisphere, snow graces the winter landscape and shapes the activities of the season. Picture books set in winter typically feature snowy backdrops. This column takes a look at five Caldecott Award-winning snow stories.
Now that snow has fallen in many places throughout the land, it's time to celebrate the frozen crystals in picture books, nonfiction, and early chapter books.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, stretching for 150 miles along the Canadian border, is the setting for John Owens’ newest wordless picture book.
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.
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.
We feel called this month to celebrate the many accomplishments of Black women in this country — some of whom are historical icons, too many of whom we have we have never heard of.
In the second part of our Transportation series, we look at Caldecott Award books that consider trains from different vantage points, from the outside or inside, from a real or fantastical world. Climb aboard!