Pop's Perfect Present by Corey Finkle 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

A young girl wants to give her dad the best present ever. She comes up with a “marvelous plan”. Instead of giving him a picture of them doing things together she will spend the day with him doing those things. First, they go fishing and when that doesn’t quite work out, they play baseball and next it is cooking. After a series of failed activities, they return home. Can she save the day?

I love the message in this book, that things do not always have to be perfect to make them great. Just spending time with someone you love is the best gift of all. A wonderful gift for Father’s Day.

Published In: 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: N/A
Pages:40
Stars: 5

Belling the Tiger by Mary Stolz 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

All the mice living in a house by the seaside are called to a meeting to discuss the cat problem. July, the cat has been “reducing the ranks and making life miserable”. At the meeting two brothers, Bod and Ozzie, are chosen to put a bell collar around the cat’s neck. These two mice are the most cowardly of all the mice, but they are more afraid of the mouse leader than they are of the cat. The brothers accomplish the task of getting a bell collar but on the way home they are deterred by the cat. Bob and Ozzie end up on a ship headed to the jungle where the cats are a lot bigger.

This picture book is longer than most and many toddlers will not have the patience to sit through it. For older children the brothers are on an adventure that will keep the reader captivated. An easy read for elementary school students.

Fun Activity: With your child do a comparison on how house cats and tigers are both different and the same.

Published In: 1961
Publisher: Harper & Row
Age Level: 6-9 years
AR Level: 4.9
Pages: 32
Stars: 5
Awards: 1962 Newbery Honor

Berry Song by Michaela Goade 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

“Berry Song” is a wonderful book about the stewardship of the land. As a grandmother and granddaughter forage for food the author takes us through the seasons. All the time she is telling her granddaughter to “take care of the land as the land takes care of us”. The illustrations are beautiful, and the message is powerful without being preachy. A great addition to a home library.

Fun Activity: Take a hike with your child and see what berries you can find.

Published In: 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Age Level: 4-8 years
AR Level: 2.9
Pages: 34
Stars: 5
Awards: 2023 Caldecott Honor

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies 🟌🟌🟌🟌🟌

A window has been left open at the local library. When the bats in town hear about this, they all fly to the library to have a night of learning and fun. The book is written in verse and the author takes the reader through all the bat antics. Such as swimming in the water fountain, making shadow on the wall and using the copier to take pictures of themselves. A humorous and fun book to read at bedtime.

Fun Activity: Make a bat headband with your child. Here is an example of one that I like. 

Published In: 2008
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Age Level: 2-6 years
AR Level: 3.1
Pages: 32
Stars: 5
Series: 4 “Bat” Books