Houdini’s Library
Yes, Houdini was a magician and an escape artist. He was world famous. But that’s not what this book is about. Harry Houdini was a reader.
Picture Books
Although You’re No Longer a Kid
Why does a children’s picture book have so much pull on me, a senior? Because I’ve never stopped reading and loving picture books.
A Forest Begins Anew
In a world that craves understanding, there’s a book for that. This is one of those books. The finest kind.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
To instill or nurture an interest in gardening, five Caldecott Honor books feature the wonders that gardens hold as places providing sustenance, restoration, and a sense of mystery.
The Power of WE
In Minneapolis as we write this post the power of community is strong, both in standing up to ICE and also in protecting and helping all our neighbors.
Snowshoe Kate and the Hospital Built for Pennies
I love true stories about people who do big things in unexpected ways. Right now, I think we all need to realize our actions, no matter how local, can cause big ripples.
A Storytime for These Times
When I do my weekly storytime, I like to plan for the adults the kids bring with them, many of whom look like they need storytime more than the kids.
Spreading the Joy
In this season of gratitude and celebration we want to add stories about community and sharing.
Cuddly Companions Can Hold Our Heartaches and Happiness
Did you have a beloved stuffie or doll—one you hung onto no matter how many years passed? These books share stories of these comfort animals.
Who We Are
These books all remind us of an important truth. We are more than just ourselves. We live in community.
Black and White
Why do artists continue to illustrate picture books in black and white when color printing is an option? Black and white has many benefits.
Bicycles, Bloomers, and Books about Invention
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.
Springtime Reads
Spring is here. With the daffodils and the bloodroot, the tulips and Dutchmen’s britches come thoughts of favorite children’s books.
The Global Ocean
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.
The Yellow Bus
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 ...
Nikki Grimes
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.
Vroom! Vroom! Things that Go (Or Don’t)
This is a month for vehicles, imagined vehicles, that take us straight out of our chaotic and worrisome now to “what if.”
Flight
Four Caldecott Award books celebrate the exhilaration of flight, with two journeys inspired by history and two by imagination.
Community Building: Picture Books
a booklist featuring picture books that relate stories of peace through community building
Seeds of Hope
As we enter the dark time of year and who knows what other kinds of dark times we may be facing, we are looking for stories of hope—and finding them.
Death and Grief
For those who are mourning the loss of a relative, a pet, a friend, a teacher, these books for young and old are recommended by our subscribers.
Floods and Hurricanes
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.
Get Out the Vote!
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.
Hello Fall!
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.
A Mischief of Mice
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.
Nursery Rhymes
While no nursery rhyme books have won Caldecott Awards in the last 60 years, from 1938 to 1964 there were a number of fine books bestowed with awards.
Firefly Light and Great Books about the Night
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?
King Hugo’s Huge Ego
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.
Freshwater Pearls
This column dives into four Caldecott picture books that feature freshwater resources, precious and limited assets that sustain terrestrial life.
A Fun Rabbit Habit
Rabbits hop all through children's books. And what's not to like about them? We hope you'll hop into the habit of rabbit books this spring.
Artificial Intelligence: Food for Thought
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.
Food for Thought
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.
Winter 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?
When Families Gather
In the midst of the holidays, or at any gathering-time of year, these books are "just right" for reading out loud to young and old. Celebrate family!
To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme
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.”
Mark Ceilley
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.
Scary Stories
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.
Granny Rex
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.
Library Love
Libraries! We want to look at books about these magical places, portals to our world, our selves, and other worlds and selves we might become.
Storytime Planning!
It’s that time of year — new schedules and planning, new notebooks and books, new activities, and priorities … and a new storytime!
Mental Health: Several Lists
Ann Jacobus and Nancy Bo Flood have contributed several lists for PreK-Grade 8 in which mental health is a part of the story.
Mental Health: Picture Books
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.
See the Author / See the Illustrator
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).
Bible Stories
This month, we look at Bible stories which have been awarded recognition by the Caldecott committees, beginning in 1938.
A Shelter for Sadness
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
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
Is there anything finer than a middle grade book with interior art? Yes, a middle grade book about woodland animals with excellent interior art.
This Biographer and Her Living Subject
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.
Connecting with Nature
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.