In addition to being an author, I am a book reviewer and share my favorite titles for children 0-12 on my Instagram page @picturebookrecommendations. Please feel free to reach out if you are looking for a book on a specific topic for a kiddo in your life!
Please see my current review policy here.
Are you ready for summer? It begins on 6/20, and this book is a perfect way to celebrate!
Before reading this book, I was unfamiliar with the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival that signals the start of summer. I loved learning about the history behind it, the dragon boats that race in the water, and the community that comes together to celebrate.
The story is told through a young boy attending his first dragon boat race and his grandfather taking him and teaching him about the history and symbolism behind the festival.
The Beat of the Dragon Boat
@Christinamatula
@painternik9
@sleepingbearpress
#summer #kidlit #dragon #dragonboat
Fascinating animals past and present, perfect for curious littles.
Secret Stories of Lost Beasts: A Field Guide to Uncover Earth’s Ancient Animals
From dinosaurs to birds with teeth to giant bugs to sea beasts and more, these ancient and long-gone creatures are magnificent and deserve to be remembered. This stunning book celebrates them all and is perfect for curious littles.
@saskiagwinn
@vasilisa.romanenko
@quartokids
The Monarch
This poetic read-aloud is every bit as stunning as these illustrations. Follow the magical journey of the monarch butterfly as it transforms from caterpillar to butterfly and enters the world. Information on migration and the dangers they face are included in the back of the book.
#KirstenHall @isabelle_arsenault @simonkids
#monarch #animals #ancientanimals #extinct
Visual differences exist.
In this book a girl has a birthmark on her face that is unique to her, she calls it Toto. She doesn’t mind it but sometimes feels that Toto is all that others see, and in doing so, they miss seeing all of her. This beautiful book gives us a window into how others’ reactions make her feel and offers a whole new outlook on what visual differences mean for the individual and others they meet.
I love that this book opens up important conversations around what makes each of us unique, what differences others may have and what being respectful and inclusive looks like. I also really admire the encouragement to see that pretending a part of you or someone else doesn’t exist isn’t really a long-term solution.
@Yumhyewon
@holidayhousebks
#embracingdifferences
Expecting a sibling!?…
Hazel the Handful
Hazel is an adorable little pup with a big personality. When a new baby enters the family, Hazel works to figure out some big feelings and her new place in the home. I love the humor, the love, and also the acceptance of feisty feelings and needing to readjust your mindset for an expanding and changing home.
@jamiemichalakbooks
@myerspaints
@candlewickpress
First There Was Me, Then There Was You
“You were as small as a pumpkin,
with a cute button nose.
It was love at first sight . . .”
A sweet message of love from an older sibling to a younger one. I love that it shows all the fun to come while acknowledging that every moment may not be perfect but they are loved, cherished and wanted.
@ysewankambo
friendsintheleaves
@walkerbooksaus
@candlewickpress
#baby #newbaby #sibling #bigbrother #bigsister #parenting
Water is powerful in every form!
Hurricane
This incredible book takes readers through the experience of a hurricane. It opens with meteorologists tracking an upcoming hurricane and news of its impending arrival spreading. We then see the preparations that take place to mitigate the damage, stocking up on supplies, protecting property and then through weathering the storm and coming together to repair after. This is an amazing deep dive into a hurricane and is perfect for kids who want to learn more or others who simply want to prepare and have a better understanding of what to expect. Highly recommend.
@authorjasonchin
@holidayhousebks
The Biggest, Highest Wave
A young woman rides the record-breaking swells that occur in Nazaré, Portugal. She tumbles into the water but gets back up showing grit and a growth mindset alongside awe for nature’s mighty ocean waves.
@kerrymcquaide
@peterpauperpress
#hurricane #wave #water #nature
Happy 1st Birthday to the pup that stole our hearts and blessed us with endless joy. 🐾 You ate your birthday hat I think mostly so I wouldn’t make you wear it today but you’re still the best pup and our whole 🌎
#dog #dogbirthday #bestfriend #cavapoo
“If life is hard or life is good or you just need a place to be, you can always sit with me.”
This heartwarming book is like an outstretched hand of kindness and inclusion.
It gives a simple yet profound message letting a child know that there is a place for them, no matter what is happening or what others say, there is somewhere they can go and belong.
I love seeing how a young girl welcomes a boy to the neighborhood and then to school, showing him that adjusting can be hard, but is made that much easier with someone there who cares.
It is sure to encourage compassion and is a wonderful way for teachers to start the year and remind kids how much it can mean when someone goes out of their way to help another.
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME
@rachelkenyon1, @tatianakawkaw, and @MacKidsBooks
#kindness inclusion #picturebook #kidlit
Dreaming of a better world...
The Air We Share: A Pollution Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It
This incredible book highlights the importance of the air we breathe and brings awareness to the problems of pollution and the action it is imperative we take. It is a rallying cry for change and teaches about events such as The Dust Bowl and The Great Smog of London, and why clean air is so important. I love that it gives readers actionable steps they can take to get involved and lets them know that their part does matter!
@writeforapples
@theinvisiblecircle
@holidayhousebks
Dream for the Land
A powerful lyrical read about a young girl who uses her wish for rain to help combat the drought destroying her family’s land and livelihood. It is a rallying cry to action and asks readers to help ensure a greener future for all by caring for our world for the whole rather than just for the self.
@laekanzeakemp
@studioespinosaworks
@randomhousekids
The Silver Shadow
A young girl is playing in the tide pools when she stumbles upon a baby shark who is stuck. When its safety is threatened by other children the girl stands up for it and cares for it until high tide comes to rescue it. This is an endearing story of caring for nature that highlights compassion and sharing the world with other creatures whose value far exceeds just what they can do for us.
@mariesadulak
@aleamarley
@walkerpicturebooks
#bethechange #climatechange #nature
Would you sign up for dragon school?
In this fun filled imaginative read the human school is full so the new kiddos are heading to dragon school instead. They might worry that they won’t fit in, you know because of the whole fire breathing flying thing but not to worry this humor filled book that everyone has something to offer and that differences can lead to out of the box happiness for all.
A charming read filled with fun and an underlying message of acceptance.
@mackidsbooks
@chelseamcampbell
@charlenedraws
#dragon #imagination #readaloud #picturebook
Empowering books that encourage you to imagine what is possible and take steps toward the things you want.
When You Find a Hope
I love this book so much. It starts with a town in which hope grows from the branches of a tree. Most of the town takes hope and hides it away but one girl carries hers around with her wherever she goes. When her hope is shattered by others she does her best to hold onto the pieces only to find that perhaps it wasn’t meant to be held on by just her – its pieces instead grow and spread new hope for all. I love the message of holding onto hope and putting your hopes out into the world to see what is only possible if you let it become more than it once was.
@allieinink
@annelambelet
@worthykidsbooks @hachetteus
Caring
This is an empowering story that shows each of us, little by little, can make a difference. A young boy stumbles upon a flourishing garden and is encouraged by the woman who created it to never give up, to persevere even when things are harder than you expect. I love the message of patience and the call to action to begin now and step by step create your own wonder.
@livethegoodstuff
@elise.hurst
@compendiumliveinspired
#inspire #makeadifference
Is there a food in your life that symbolizes something special or tastes like a specific memory?
In this sweet story a young a young girl travels to Malta to visit her Nanna and together they bake a cake that is so much more than a sweet treat. It symbolizes peace and freedom from wartime.
The girl and her Nanna are baking for the feast of Santa Marija. As the two get to work, Nanna shares memories of the wartime and all that she and her people endured during WWII. We learn how the cake celebrates the Santa Marija ships that bravely brought food to their starving people when they needed it most. Nanna wasn’t allowed to bake cakes during the war so to her cake always tastes particularly special – of peace and joy.
This moving story is one of family and connection, of enduring, remembering and honoring through important conversations no matter how difficult the memories. It is sure to inspire readers to ask questions and to connect and learn about their own family history. Highly recommend.
The Memory Cake
@carolinelperry
@jenbricking
@holidayhousebks
#memory #family
This is a captivating story of community, courage, and strength.
It features a young boy who is struggling with his father having left his family behind in Puerto Rico while he creates a new life for them in America. While their father is gone, the family overcomes a hurricane and the loss of their rescue pet but all the while showing compassion and kindness to the world around them. A song helps the boy when he is feeling low and enables him to continue on until his new life is ready for him to embrace.
Precious
@Carlosvisualdiary
@penguinkids
#kidlit #picturebooksaremyjam #picturebookrecommendation #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readaloud #kidsbookstagram #bookstagram #kidlit #kidsbookstagram #picturebooks #picturebookrecommendations #bookswelove #kidsbooks #readaloud #bookstagrammer #kidsbookstagrammer #picturebooksofinstagram
