Have you ever considered swapping out your kid for a dinosaur? Surprisingly, you might not notice a huge difference between the two if the preposterous proposition became reality. Dig into Dini Dinosaur and you’ll see why. The new children’s book by penned by Karen Beaumont gives young readers a sneak peek into the daily routine of a dinosaur Mommy and her mischievous offspring. Thanks to playful, eye-popping pictures masterfully crafted by illustrator Daniel Roode, kids of all ages will find themselves drawn to this delightful dinosaur family complete with young Dini who loves to dig in the dirt. After successfully … Continue reading →

Where do your kids think pancakes come from? A box? Your pantry? A non-stick griddle? IHOP? Thanks to Food Network chef Tyler Florence your pancake-loving preschoolers–and the rest of the family–can now get a crash course on the true origins of the humble flapjack. The celebrity chef recently added children’s book author to his resume with his debut page-turner, Tyler Makes Pancakes! The perfectly penned picture book is a delicious read with its age appropriate dialogue and kid-friendly illustrations. However, more than just making you hungry for a stack of piping hot pancakes, the book teaches young readers where popular … Continue reading →

You won’t be seeing my daughter on American Idol any time soon. Make that, ever. My 7-year-old possesses a litany of incredible talents; however, singing is not one of them. I know. I know. How dare I make such a stinging comment about my own flesh and blood. Calm down. It’s called reality. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t allow her to exercise her vocal chords. Nor does it mean that I cringe whenever she feels the urge to make like Miley Cyrus or the kids on Curious George. Rather, I am simply not a parent who is disillusioned … Continue reading →

“Cats rule and dogs drool!” If Splat the Cat were old enough to drive himself to the mall, there’s no question he’d feature that phrase on a personalized tee. Only, you won’t find the dog-loathing kitty doing much shopping in Secret Agent Splat! Rather, the newest book in the Splat the Cat series finds our furry feline friend channeling his inner Sherlock Holmes to solve a mystery involving missing duck decoys. Just when you thought you knew everything about Splat, his supportive family, and his unlikely friends, author Rob Scotton unveils yet another deep, dark secret. This time we learn … Continue reading →

The economy, job growth, health care, contraception, and foreign policy don’t mean much to first and second graders. However, give them the chance to vote on whether or not they can run in school hallways, eat ice cream sandwiches for lunch or take a field trip to the circus, and all of a sudden, learning about elections, voting, and democracy is cool, yo. Score another win for Amelia Bedelia. The pint-sized politico channels her inner activist in Amelia Bedelia’s First Vote. If you are looking for a light summer story that’s heavy on humor and will surely help prevent seasonal … Continue reading →

I just finished one of the most delightful books I have read in a long time, “No Biking in the House without a Helmet” by Melissa Fay Greene. It is the story of an everyday, Jewish family who decides to expand from having four biological children to eventually nine, through adoption. There are a couple of interesting threads you get to follow through the story. The first is the process of adoption. While everyone’s story is different, it gives you a good feel for what it might be like. What especially struck me were the initial feelings of that first … Continue reading →

I am going a little off topic in today’s blog, as I had the chance to review a book I was recently sent titled “Raising the Standards through Chapter Books: The C.I.A. Approach” by Sarah Collinge. If you are a teacher or even a homeschooler, you might this find to be a great way to help elementary-aged students with reading longer texts. What usually happens in the classroom with students who have reading difficulties is to give them something that is easier to understand. While that may be a temporary fix, it doesn’t challenge the student. It also doesn’t help … Continue reading →

What happens when you plant a kiss… in the ground, not on your sweetheart’s cheek? Will it blossom and grow into something unfathomably dazzling? New York Times bestselling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and award-winning illustrator Peter H. Reynolds have the answer in a simple yet sweet picture book–Plant a Kiss–that’s a perfect Valentine’s Day read. The book begins with Little Miss planting a kiss in an unremarkable patch of dirt. The young girl watches and waits, waits and watches, and then waits some more. After some doubting and pouting, finally, there’s some shouting, as a tiny sprout emerges from the … Continue reading →

Forget about the triple chocolate covered strawberries, sugary conversation hearts, and double-dipped fudge truffles; if you really want to sink your teeth into an extra sweet treat this Valentine’s Day head to the book store. That’s where you’ll find one of the most heartwarming Love Day reads around: Hugs from Pearl. Pearl is a hugging machine. Problem is she’s also a porcupine. While Pearl loves doling out sweet squeezes to her young classmates, they don’t always appreciate being on the receiving end of hugs that hurt. Fortunately, Pearl is a proactive porcupine. She keeps Band-Aids on hand in case her … Continue reading →

Just when you thought a snake-wearing zookeeper, who encourages elephants to paint and helps fish a kid out of a lion’s cage was a bit too wacky for comfort, along comes another installment of My Weirder School, which features a tech-loving teacher, who headlines an action-packed adventure that includes no less than 45 references to popular Beatles’ tunes. Get ready for another Dan Gutman page turner. Book 2 in the My Weirder School series is aptly titled: Mr. Harrison Is Embarrassin’! And if you are part of Gutman’s target audience (first through fourth graders) you will definitely agree that Ella … Continue reading →