Welcome to my obsession with children’s books–especially the ones that deal with everyday challenges in a fun and compelling way. I’ll share old classics, new gems, and everything in between to help support you and your kids (or just your kids if they like to read solo). Sign up and you’ll get my top-pick resources, delivered to your inbox each month on the full and new moon.
Treasury of Picture Book Classics: A Child’s First Collection (HarperCollins Publishers, 2002)
A friend handed me this book when my kids were little. She said, “This is it, every story you need to read your children. All the classics in one book!” It was the BEST gift ever. We’d read a few of the stories Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and… Read More
The Stars Will Still Shine Cynthia Rylant (HarperCollins Publisher, 2005)
If you’re feeling challenged or uncertain as the New Year approaches, this book will instantly bring you back to your heart. Written in lyrical rhyming prose, this simple picture book provides a reminder of the constants of life. The sky will still be there and the stars will still shine—no… Read More
Any Questions? by Marie-Louise Gay (Groundwood Books, 2014)
Have you ever wanted to ask an author where their ideas come from? Or how you can write your own story? In this book Marie-Louise Gay has brought the questions her young readers have asked to life. Amazing questions about drawing, writing, the beginning of ideas and many surprising questions… Read More
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Scholastic Inc., 1987)
Have you ever seen an owl in the woods? I saw one on a cold winter day, and I’ll never forget it. Would you like to learn how to go owling? This Caldecott medal award-winning book is a poetic and peaceful read. Owl Moon will take you on a journey… Read More
How to Become An Accidental Genius by Elizabeth McLeod and Frieda Wishinsky (Orca Book Publishers, 2019)
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” –Albert Einstein What if we could see our failures as opportunities? What if we could recognize that accidents can lead to innovation, invention and scientific breakthrough? In this non-fiction book, we learn how to become… Read More
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018)
This is an important book. It’s about rights, justice, and freedom of girls to receive an education. It’s about how life isn’t fair. It’s about choosing to do scary things. It’s about change. 12-year-old Amal lives in a small village in Pakistan. Being forced into servitude to pay off her… Read More
Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone Books, 2019)
I think of myself as a nature lover. I’ve gone on nature walks all over the world and hugged a fair share of trees. I’m tuned into the mysteries of the forest. What I didn’t realize, was that I had a lot to learn about the magic of trees. Trees… Read More
Now by Antoinette Portis (Roaring Brook Press, 2017)
It’s officially autumn here in the Northern hemisphere! Back to school time sure makes September busy. It’s the perfect time to slow down, grab this book and cozy up with a little one. A leaf, a hug, a worm, swinging or whatever the little girl is doing right now, is… Read More
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press, 2018)
Twelve-year old Louisiana Elefante is spunky, brave and determined to find her way back home. Louisiana tells her story first hand—to make sure somebody knows what happened to her. It begins when her eccentric granny wakes her up at 3 am to tell her the day of reckoning has arrived,… Read More
Everything You Need for a Treehouse by Carter Higgins (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This is a pass around and pause picture book. You won’t want to miss any of the details of the beautifully illustrated treehouses. Kids are playing, sleeping, climbing, building and imagining, in this poetic story of how to build a treehouse. “Everything you need for a treehouse starts with time… Read More