Tag: picture books

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Raising Outdoor Readers: Picture Books in the Wild

While mindlessly scrolling social media I came across an Instagram post by @puddleparenting: 

I love how the trees in the book and the trees in the park match!

I love this idea and concept! Why haven’t we been taking picture books on more outdoor adventures with us in the past? They are a great addition to any outdoor learning.

Our town also recently acquired a little free library in the park thanks to a high school senior’s ambition to help a well-deserving community! This made it even easier for us to have a book to read while we were out and about at the park last week. 

The idea of reading a book outside at the park was so novel to my kids that they were more enthralled with reading than they were with playing. 

I can see many outdoor adventures that include picture books in our future. 

Do you take picture books outside with you on your outdoor adventures?

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Our Library Book Haul

This week’s library book haul was such a good one, I felt like I needed to share! We ended up with some amazing titles that I’ve been so impressed by.

I Am Enough by Grace Byers

This self-esteem booster book was very well written and I love the inclusivity of the illustrations. This book is sure to leave you and your kids feeling empowered!

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

The part where she is sent to every different office in City Hall to have her question answered made me giggle!

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

We chose this one to go with my daughter’s caterpillar and butterfly unit they are doing in her kindergarten class. I love how fun and simple this book is, and how they are able to incorporate a lot of information and learning in the text as well. Using this book in conjunction with Google Images was incredible!

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

This book was my son’s choice. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite! But it wasn’t horrible, either. He got a good laugh out of it though, so I’m still glad we picked it up!

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel by Leslie Connor

I love the illustrations in this book! It was also a great conversation starter for talking about immigrants, Native Americans, and good old hard work.

Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt De La Peña

Carmela takes us on her adventure of running errands with her brother, and it’s fun to see a peek into their day and the errands that are important to their family.

One Little Bag An Amazing Journey by Henry Cole

I am absolutely in awe of these illustrations. Henry tells us an entire story over generations without writing a single word. Add this one to your Earth Day rotation, it’s incredible! I also loved how much talking and conversation came from the wordless picture book by studying the images.

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Picture Books For Spring Break

If you’re looking for some good picture books for Spring Break, look no further! Here’s what we added to the bookshelf in our house: 

My Garden by Kevin Henkes

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert 

Worm Weather by Jean Taft

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

Over in the Meadow by John Langstaff

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Our Newest Home Library Additions

One thing that always makes the top of our gift-receiving lists is BOOKS. We were gifted quite a few great kid’s books this holiday season, and I wanted to share what we’ve recently added to our bookshelf. Add these to your Amazon wishlist! 

Hi-Five Animals! By Ross Burach: A fun, interactive book for toddlers. 

The Christmas Princess by Mariah Carey: A cute story about Mariah Carey as a young girl and her quest for the perfect new pup. 

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Goodbye, Old House by Margaret Wild: We bought this for our kids since we made a big move from one state to another this year. Highly recommend this book for those new house transitions!

Adventure Annie Goes to Kindergarten by Toni Buzzeo: Such a good read for a new kindergartener. 

A very good new book selection, if I do say so myself! We have some great reading ahead of us! 

Did you receive or gift any new books this year? Tell us in the comments! 

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Christmas Picture Books for 2022

For the past three years, I’ve written a new Christmas book list of favorite Christmas books to read during this season. It’s been such a fun blog post for me every single year, so this year I am excited to announce that this will be my fourth Christmas book list! Picture books are near and dear to my heart, but Christmas books just hit different. You can read past book lists here:

2019

2020

2021

And without further adieu: Christmas Picture Books 2022

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

The rhythm of this book is really what makes it fun! You won’t be disappointed by this one. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr. Seuss

I’m not typically a Dr. Suess fan, the books seem excessively long and almost a little too far-fetched for me. However, this is one that I do love. 

Madeline’s Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans 

I grew up on Madeline books, “an old house in Paris that was covered with vines” brings comfort to my soul. But adding Christmas to the setting just makes it a notch better! 

5 More Sleeps ‘til Christmas by Jimmy Fallon 

Such a fun book that encompasses the anticipation leading up to Christmas through the eyes of a child. 

What Christmas picture book is on your list this year?

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Picture Books for Valentine’s Day & Learning About Feelings & Emotions

Not only is Valentine’s day a great time to celebrate a holiday in the classroom, but it can also be a great segway into learning more about feelings. Here are a few picture books to use in the classroom during this time. 

Love Is by: Diane Adams 

The Invisible String by: Patrice Karst 

The Day it Rained Hearts by: Felicia Bond

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by: Jo Witek

Sealed With a Kiss by: Beth Ferry

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Christmas Book List for 2021

Announcing our 2021 Christmas book list! This is one of my favorite posts each year to write. It’s so fun to look over our holiday books and choose a handful to share with you each year. Here’s what I’ve gathered for this season- 

The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert: This is a longer picture book, but worth the read! Such a cute Christmas story. 

Merry Christmas, Curious George by Margret Rey 

The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear: This is one I know I’ve put on a winter or Christmas list before, but it’s too good to not include again! 

A Simple Christmas on the Farm by Phyllis Alsdurf

What Christmas and holiday books are you reading this year?