The word "parent" is not just a noun. It's also a verb.
One of the most powerful things I observed during this past summer of demonstrating for racial justice was just how influential young people, sometimes very young people, were to the movements in my community. Whitney Houston sang, “I believe the children are our future.” I say, “thank Heaven.” Hopefully they’ll do a better job than we have. In the meantime, baby activists will want to add this inspiring book to their reference collection.
Confession time: I often don’t care for picture book biographies. They’re hard to do well; either their subject matter is too adult for the preschool crowd, or their treatment of their subject is too shallow for the adult reading it. It’s a tricky thing to get right, but author Alicia D. Williams and illustrator Jaqueline Alcántara have struck a near-perfect tone with Jump at the Sun, a compelling and delightful picture book about national treasure Zora Neale Hurston.
This book is a well-written, beautifully illustrated, and heartwarming story about a little girl afraid about yet another change in her very young life. How wonderfully banal. To young readers, the diversity in the book will hopefully come across as passe, almost an afterthought, to the central story that every kid who has dealt with the arrival of a new disruptive sibling can relate to.
With sumptuous, lyrical language that will move melt even the coldest heart, Cabrera gives you a sweet peek into a lovely day shared between a daughter and her mother.
This book is a quick introduction to the life and accomplishments of the famed singer. Written in rhyming couplets, each two page spread is headlined by a theme word, spelled out like Aretha’s most famous song R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
This is a story that touches on cultural awareness, traditions, feelings, confidence, and so many other positive aspects of growing up. It depicts a confident, self-assured little girl who is not shy about being herself. In a world where so much is about conforming to expectations, this book offers little girls as well as not so little girls, a view of what it is to be yourself and show your best self to the world around you.
Dimitri is the most affectionate boy in preschool. He loves every child, every adult, every ant, and every tree. And he’s not afraid to say so. However when the children, adults, ants and trees don’t answer back the same way, Dimitri feels embarrassed, and ashamed.
Mr. Alex interviews Sarah Rockett from SLEEPING BEAR PRESS and gets all the details regarding the OWN STORIES OWN VOICES Writing Contest. Sarah also shares with Mr. Alex what makes a good Picture Book Manuscript (including some Dos and Don’ts), what some of her upcoming projects.
Keith really likes pigeons. He doesn’t sit, move, or behave like other cats, especially the super-judgy Nigel and Hilda (who may or may not be his cat siblings). He longs to hang with the pigeons, protests for pigeon rights, yet scares the pigeons with his cat-like appearance. In turns, he tries to be like the birds and tries to be like the cats, and ultimately finds kinship and self-acceptance for being “a Keith.”