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librarybonanza
Age: Preschool-1st grade
Food: Winter's assortment
Sense: Taste
A delicious game of "What if?" that will encourage children's imaginations to see snowflakes in different ways. Large illustrations and a repeating concept will make this perfect for storytime and circle time.
Food: Winter's assortment
Sense: Taste
A delicious game of "What if?" that will encourage children's imaginations to see snowflakes in different ways. Large illustrations and a repeating concept will make this perfect for storytime and circle time.
Age: Toddler-Preschool
Family: 4 siblings and 1 adult
Toy: Sled
Familiar Experience: Sharing
What a delightful series Parenteau has made with these 4 bears. Floppy, Fuzzy, Calico, Yellow, and Big Brown Bear bundle up to go play in the snow. With one small red sled, the bears must take turns going down the hill but--oh, the wait! Surely there's a solution for this problem? When Big Brown Bear flops down and all 4 bears clamber aboard, the ride down is full of giggles and happiness. (What? Now parents have the expectation of being sleds? I will never win.)
A well-written, delightful series for the classroom that allows children to connect through the year with a sweet set of bears.
Family: 4 siblings and 1 adult
Toy: Sled
Familiar Experience: Sharing
What a delightful series Parenteau has made with these 4 bears. Floppy, Fuzzy, Calico, Yellow, and Big Brown Bear bundle up to go play in the snow. With one small red sled, the bears must take turns going down the hill but--oh, the wait! Surely there's a solution for this problem? When Big Brown Bear flops down and all 4 bears clamber aboard, the ride down is full of giggles and happiness. (What? Now parents have the expectation of being sleds? I will never win.)
A well-written, delightful series for the classroom that allows children to connect through the year with a sweet set of bears.
Age: Toddler-Kindergarten
Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Inspired by the Brown Bear Brown Bear series, Palermo explores one forest animal at a time as they live through the cold, snowy winter months. Not being the most detailed nonfiction tale of forest animals makes this an excellent read-aloud for preschools with supplementary material in the back. Sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star will be sure to keep their attention.
Tune: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Inspired by the Brown Bear Brown Bear series, Palermo explores one forest animal at a time as they live through the cold, snowy winter months. Not being the most detailed nonfiction tale of forest animals makes this an excellent read-aloud for preschools with supplementary material in the back. Sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star will be sure to keep their attention.
Age: Toddler-Preschool
It's the first snow of the season and this little girl cannot wait to get outside. Bundling up, the little girl starts in her backyard with a small ball and roll, roll, rolls it through her city neighborhood, through the farm fields, and through the woods. Soon she comes across a clearing full of other children making snow people. Helping each other, the children make a whole village of snow people which then take flight, dancing in the sky. At this point, adults can be reassured that this little girl is having a fantastical dream (without adult supervision). But the last page depicts the little girl's backyard with a snow person perched next to the dog house. Which leaves us wondering: was it a dream?
Balanced between reality and a dream world, Park presents a winter story with more depth for a nice, snuggly read between adult and child.
It's the first snow of the season and this little girl cannot wait to get outside. Bundling up, the little girl starts in her backyard with a small ball and roll, roll, rolls it through her city neighborhood, through the farm fields, and through the woods. Soon she comes across a clearing full of other children making snow people. Helping each other, the children make a whole village of snow people which then take flight, dancing in the sky. At this point, adults can be reassured that this little girl is having a fantastical dream (without adult supervision). But the last page depicts the little girl's backyard with a snow person perched next to the dog house. Which leaves us wondering: was it a dream?
Balanced between reality and a dream world, Park presents a winter story with more depth for a nice, snuggly read between adult and child.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Friendship: Imaginary friend
Family: Father, daughter (non-white, East Asian features)
Poetic language captures a conversation between a preschool-aged girl and her father as they rake leaves. The father calls upon Akaraka, Lula's friend, to help rake the leaves but the little girl giggles and says "Daddy! Akaraka can't sweep. She's an imaginary girl." Throughout, we see Akaraka's shadow dancing across the pages. It is so delightful to see the father and mother living the imaginary friend fantasy along with Lula.
A childhood experience unique to this young age is accompanied with beautiful fall colors and falling leaves. A treat for the Fall seasonal shelves in libraries.
Friendship: Imaginary friend
Family: Father, daughter (non-white, East Asian features)
Poetic language captures a conversation between a preschool-aged girl and her father as they rake leaves. The father calls upon Akaraka, Lula's friend, to help rake the leaves but the little girl giggles and says "Daddy! Akaraka can't sweep. She's an imaginary girl." Throughout, we see Akaraka's shadow dancing across the pages. It is so delightful to see the father and mother living the imaginary friend fantasy along with Lula.
A childhood experience unique to this young age is accompanied with beautiful fall colors and falling leaves. A treat for the Fall seasonal shelves in libraries.
Age: Preschool-1st grade
A turkey gets stage fright and tries to flee the school while in fast pursuit by students and teachers alike. The rhymes are cute (but sometimes stumble) and it's truly unfortunate that the small size of the book hinders its ability to be read aloud to a classroom.
A turkey gets stage fright and tries to flee the school while in fast pursuit by students and teachers alike. The rhymes are cute (but sometimes stumble) and it's truly unfortunate that the small size of the book hinders its ability to be read aloud to a classroom.
Age: Toddler
Food: A nut
Nature: A tree
Mouse sees a nut up in a tree and shakes the trunk to knock it down and accidentally knocks down a hungry fox. And so it goes, each animal knocking down an animal bigger than itself until the strong hungry bear has his turn.
Not the most logically sound book (if the animals are all up in the tree in the first place, why aren't they trying to eat each other up there) but toddlers won't care and will love the gimmick of shaking the book. Older toddlers will like the twist at the end. Librarians and teachers will appreciate the large, simple illustrations for reading to a big group.
Food: A nut
Nature: A tree
Mouse sees a nut up in a tree and shakes the trunk to knock it down and accidentally knocks down a hungry fox. And so it goes, each animal knocking down an animal bigger than itself until the strong hungry bear has his turn.
Spoiler
After shaking all the creatures down and all the leaves, Bear is delighted to have the delicious nut.Not the most logically sound book (if the animals are all up in the tree in the first place, why aren't they trying to eat each other up there) but toddlers won't care and will love the gimmick of shaking the book. Older toddlers will like the twist at the end. Librarians and teachers will appreciate the large, simple illustrations for reading to a big group.
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
Nature: Tree life cycle
We follow the life of a tree and it's luck and persistence to survive, thrive, then, ultimately, succumb to a final winter break in its trunk. Although it's sad to see the main character perish, the author leaves us with a nut starting a new life next to the old tree.
I found the rhythm rather enjoyable and easy to read but there was a key point that felt undisclosed (did the winter cold kill the tree? Ice on the bark? A windstorm?) but, overall, an enjoyable read for the classroom.
Nature: Tree life cycle
We follow the life of a tree and it's luck and persistence to survive, thrive, then, ultimately, succumb to a final winter break in its trunk. Although it's sad to see the main character perish, the author leaves us with a nut starting a new life next to the old tree.
I found the rhythm rather enjoyable and easy to read but there was a key point that felt undisclosed (did the winter cold kill the tree? Ice on the bark? A windstorm?) but, overall, an enjoyable read for the classroom.
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First lines: “Willa crept through the darkened forest, following the faint scent of chimney smoke on the midnight air. The silver strands of the clouds passing in front of the moon cloaked her movements in shadow, and she made little sound stepping across the cold, wet leaves she felt beneath her bare feet. “
When I was younger, I was surrounded by books where the natural world was a key feature, almost a character itself, inextricably linked to the overall enjoyment of the story. Beatty brings that same connection in this pastoral fantasy similar to the natural-imbued worlds of Julie of the Wolves, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Hatchet, and the Secret Garden. To be honest, I can’t think of recent kids books that focus so predominantly on the environmental setting (comment below if you have one to offer), giving this story an added breath of fresh air to more modern literature for children. Not to mention the story itself!
A mesmerizing tale of an emerging leader, the last of her kind, who is reconnecting with the strength of her peoples’ past while slowly pulling away from the iron fisted padaran, a god-like figure leading her people to the brink of extinction through deception and fear. A truly gorgeous work of art and I hope there are more to come.
“It felt as if she could keep opening her heart to the magic in the world, and the magic in the world would keep filling it.”
When I was younger, I was surrounded by books where the natural world was a key feature, almost a character itself, inextricably linked to the overall enjoyment of the story. Beatty brings that same connection in this pastoral fantasy similar to the natural-imbued worlds of Julie of the Wolves, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Hatchet, and the Secret Garden. To be honest, I can’t think of recent kids books that focus so predominantly on the environmental setting (comment below if you have one to offer), giving this story an added breath of fresh air to more modern literature for children. Not to mention the story itself!
A mesmerizing tale of an emerging leader, the last of her kind, who is reconnecting with the strength of her peoples’ past while slowly pulling away from the iron fisted padaran, a god-like figure leading her people to the brink of extinction through deception and fear. A truly gorgeous work of art and I hope there are more to come.
“It felt as if she could keep opening her heart to the magic in the world, and the magic in the world would keep filling it.”
Overall review: Clearly, this autobiography is a one-sided account (ahem, autobiography) At times, his arrogance is off-putting and he has strong opinions about traditional gender roles (but they are tied to tradition, not bitter contempt) and he has a couple sigh-inducing remarks about the LGBTQ community. But Means doesn’t hold back in revealing the constant and conniving attacks by the US government to degrade, belittle, and gradually murder the Native American peoples.
It’s best to skim through Means’ rough and tumble early years and the ever-looming feeling of disjointed worthlessness growing up Lakota Indian (the bio is hefty). After page 150 the weight of the book begins with his entrance onto the American Indian Movement stage and his growing sense of self worth and deepening dignity.
Page 176-8 describes AIM’s takeover of a replica Mayflower when Indian Americans protested the 350th anniversary of the European colony’s establishment. The modern day Wampanoag discovered the true meaning behind Thanksgiving. It was a gubernatorial decree by the Pilgrims to murder Indians and celebrate with a feast. This came merely one generation after the Wampanoag saved the white colony from starvation.
“No matter how hard they worked, they could never get more than survival wages. It was small wonder that with no financial incentive to work, they gave up and turned to drink. Hearing their stories, what touched our hearts and enraged our souls was that the white man relied on Indians’ honesty to screw them...The Indians could never get ahead, never save any money, never break out of hand-to-mouth poverty and dependency” (206).
The Siege of Wounded: Means provides a fascinating account of his front-line involvement with the land reclamation of Wounded Knee for the Oglala Lakota nation in protest of the broken treaties meant to dehumanize and exterminate the Indian populations. Their goal? Establish an Independent Oglala Nation and be returned the sacred Black Hills promised in an 1868 treaty. Surrounded by local police agencies and the FBI, there was a constant fear of death hanging over Means and his compatriots. Firefights were random and heavy. The US was not willing to negotiate, constantly demanding AIM and the Native peoples inside to surrender. The US government wouldn’t negotiate with a gun to its head—well either would the Lakota people. Outside the siege, the Bureau of Indian Affairs went on a smear campaign—first to claim they had white hostages then to say that AIM was conspiring with communists.
It’s best to skim through Means’ rough and tumble early years and the ever-looming feeling of disjointed worthlessness growing up Lakota Indian (the bio is hefty). After page 150 the weight of the book begins with his entrance onto the American Indian Movement stage and his growing sense of self worth and deepening dignity.
Page 176-8 describes AIM’s takeover of a replica Mayflower when Indian Americans protested the 350th anniversary of the European colony’s establishment. The modern day Wampanoag discovered the true meaning behind Thanksgiving. It was a gubernatorial decree by the Pilgrims to murder Indians and celebrate with a feast. This came merely one generation after the Wampanoag saved the white colony from starvation.
“No matter how hard they worked, they could never get more than survival wages. It was small wonder that with no financial incentive to work, they gave up and turned to drink. Hearing their stories, what touched our hearts and enraged our souls was that the white man relied on Indians’ honesty to screw them...The Indians could never get ahead, never save any money, never break out of hand-to-mouth poverty and dependency” (206).
The Siege of Wounded: Means provides a fascinating account of his front-line involvement with the land reclamation of Wounded Knee for the Oglala Lakota nation in protest of the broken treaties meant to dehumanize and exterminate the Indian populations. Their goal? Establish an Independent Oglala Nation and be returned the sacred Black Hills promised in an 1868 treaty. Surrounded by local police agencies and the FBI, there was a constant fear of death hanging over Means and his compatriots. Firefights were random and heavy. The US was not willing to negotiate, constantly demanding AIM and the Native peoples inside to surrender. The US government wouldn’t negotiate with a gun to its head—well either would the Lakota people. Outside the siege, the Bureau of Indian Affairs went on a smear campaign—first to claim they had white hostages then to say that AIM was conspiring with communists.