Blog

Explore A World of Magic in ‘Giant Island’

Explore A World of Magic in ‘Giant Island’

Comments 0 comment

Giant Island Author: Jane Yolen | Illustrator: Doug Keith | Publisher: Flashlight Press Themes: fantasy, magic, giants, grandparents, intergenerational, friendship, exploring nature Explore a fantastical world in Jane Yolen and Doug Keith‘s ‘Giant Island‘. Two children, their dog and their grandfather boat out to an island for a day of fishing and exploring. Stepping off of the motorboat and onto the craggy shoreline of Giant Island, they see that the island is, in fact quite small. Little do they know,…

Read More Read More

Help Little Ones Learn To Cope With ‘Feeling All My Feelings Book’

Help Little Ones Learn To Cope With ‘Feeling All My Feelings Book’

Comments 2 Comments

Feeling All My Feelings Book Author & Illustrator Kim T. S. Themes: naming emotions, feelings, learning to cope, self-regulation Feeling and Expressing Emotions It’s hard work being a toddler or preschooler. They’re not only learning all about the world around them, but they’re also learning about themselves. ‘Feeling All My Feelings Book’ by author and illustrator Kim T. S. is a great way to help your little one navigate their emotions. The book, written in a comforting rhyming pattern, begins…

Read More Read More

Linda Hansen Talks Painting Styles & Watching Otters

Linda Hansen Talks Painting Styles & Watching Otters

Comments 0 comment

Linda Hansen is the author and illustrator of ‘Otto the Otter: A Big Surprise’, a book about a river otter visiting a family’s pond. After reading and reviewing her picture book, I was very excited to learn more about Linda and hear about her journey in watercolour painting. She also shares some details of other projects she’s working on and if they have seen any more otters at their pond. Just a quick disclaimer to let you know that this…

Read More Read More

The Best Seek-and-Find Books for Little Kids

The Best Seek-and-Find Books for Little Kids

Comments 0 comment

I have been looking everywhere for the best seek and find books geared towards little kids. Some of those big seek and find books are a little too overwhelming for children ages three to five. So, I Some of the books on this list aren’t the big images of scattered items, instead they’re more like hide-and-seek stories with characters ‘hiding’ within the pages. For example, my toddler loved pointing out the hiding animals while the little girl looked around for…

Read More Read More

‘Otto The Otter’ Delivers A Sweet Surprise

‘Otto The Otter’ Delivers A Sweet Surprise

Comments 1 Comment

Otto The Otter: A Big Surprise Author & Illustrator: Linda Hansen Themes: river otters, animal life cycles, nature, animal habitats Meet ‘Otto’ the North American River Otter ‘Otto the Otter: A Big Surprise’ written and illustrated by Linda Hansen tells the story of a special otter. The family watched with delight as the river otter swam in a pond by their home. Eventually, they decided to name the little visitor, ‘Otto’. Otto doesn’t come every day – but he does…

Read More Read More

‘Sea Glass Summer’ a Treasure to be Discovered

‘Sea Glass Summer’ a Treasure to be Discovered

Comments 2 Comments

Author: Michelle Houts, Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline | Themes: beach, sea glass, treasure hunting, grandparents, family generations, imagination, dreaming, wonder Summers At The Island Cottage Decades ago, a boy named Thomas was spending the summer at his grandmother’s cottage in Michelle Houts’ ‘Sea Glass Summer‘. She gives Thomas a magnifying glass that used to belong to his grandfather. Thomas rushes off, eager to explore the beach. Then, while scouring the stony shoreline, his grandmother picks up a piece of sea glass…

Read More Read More

13 Picture Books About Bugs

13 Picture Books About Bugs

Comments 1 Comment

Bugs are all around us. They’re in our yards, on the streets, and sometimes even in our own homes (yikes!). If you have a bug fan in your life, they’ll probably love reading books all about insects and bugs. I’ve compiled a list of my 13 favourite picture books about bugs. My toddler enjoys getting up close to see any creepy-crawly. Just the other day in the garden he was holding an earthworm and had found an earwig! He was…

Read More Read More

‘Birds of a Feather’ Shines Bright

‘Birds of a Feather’ Shines Bright

Comments 1 Comment

Author: Sita Singh, Illustrator: Stephanie Fizer Coleman | Themes: celebrating differences, belonging, identity, peacocks Why fit in when you were born to stand out? That’s the message in Sita Singh’s Birds of a Feather and its message shines bright. A Peacock Like No Other In the Himalayan jungle, a white peachick named Mo was born. He was different from all of his peacock siblings because he shone bright white. The rest of the peacocks had bright, bold colourful feathers. Even…

Read More Read More

How To Paint Bricks to Look Like Books

How To Paint Bricks to Look Like Books

Comments 0 comment

If I’m not reading, I’m crafting. I especially love painting things like stones and bricks. So, today I thought I would share the method I used to paint some bricks to look just like books. These bricks can be used as bookends, doorstops, or decor. Or they can be sealed with a clear, weather-proof coating and used outdoors in the garden or around your Little Free Library. Find Some Old Bricks or Buy New Ones Old bricks are great for…

Read More Read More

The Best High-Contrast Board Books for Babies

The Best High-Contrast Board Books for Babies

Comments 3 Comments

High-contrast board books are a great option for babies from newborn to six months old. Since their eyesight is still developing, the images in these books gives baby’s eyes something to focus on in their blurry little world. Make Tummy Time Last Longer You can just read these books to baby and talk about the pictures, but I really liked using these books during tummy time. Babies find them very engaging to look at and they tend to really hold…

Read More Read More