picture books

  • Tears and Fears: Making Sense of Emotions with Kids

    Helping your little one recognize and respond to the tumult of emotions they may be experiencing at any given time is no easy task, especially during the full wrath of a grocery-store tantrum! Taking time to name your child’s feelings or, better yet, providing them the space to name their feelings themselves, is just one… Continue reading

  • Oh the Hilarity!

    ~posted by Jenny C. It’s been a while since I shared my favorite silly picture books with you, and I have a whole new crop of ridiculous and delightful picks! McToad Mows Tiny Island by Tom Angleberger This book is both completely ludicrous in plot and remarkably satisfying. McToad loves Thursdays, because on Thursdays he mows tiny island.… Continue reading

  • Have You Seen These Yeti?

    ~posted by Amy Yeti has become the creature to feature in both picture books and children’s fiction. The trend started slowly in 2013 with the picture book The Boy who Cried, Bigfoot!, followed by Yeti, Turn Out the Light! and the chapter book The Abominables. 2014 brought several chapter book series featuring our large, hairy friends including: Alien Encounter… Continue reading

  • Dr. Seuss Day – Words for Little Human Beans

    Rhymes that make eyeballs roll back in their sockets! Celebrating a truer than true Happy Birthday to… Dr. Seuss! Born March 2, 1904, wordsmithing, Pulitzer-prize winning, and one of America’s most read authors, Theodor Seuss Geisel would have been a whopping 111 on Monday! And how do we honor a favorite children’s author? With a… Continue reading

  • Seattle Public Library’s Favorite Picture Books of 2014

    Posted by Erin M. Can we all take a moment to celebrate the magic of a picture book? I am constantly amazed by the artistic and literary talent brought out in what is perhaps my favorite book format. The interplay between illustrations and prose found in a great picture book creates a special impact found… Continue reading

  • Emotional Picture Books: Picture Books about Feelings

    Posted by Erin M. Children experience a range of emotions every day. They can go from happy to frustrated to angry in mere moments, and every child experiences and expresses their emotions differently. Helping children understand and communicate those emotions is a big task, but sharing picture books with children may be one way to start.… Continue reading

  • Find the Zoo at the Library!

    A visit to the zoo is a great family outing during the summer months, and sharing a book or two with your kids before, during, or after your visit can be a great way to infuse literacy and learning into a fun filled day with the animals. There are so many great books about the… Continue reading

  • Go-to read-aloud picture books

    One thing I have learned as a parent is that every family has its own sense of humor. I have also learned that some children’s books you looked forward to reading to your own children aren’t always as awesome as you remembered them. Continue reading

  • Bringing a cat home: Picture books about adopting a cat

    A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the joys of adopting a dog. In the interests of balance and fairness (and because U.S. households with cats actually outnumber U.S. households with dogs!), here are some excellent picture books about adopting a cat. Wheedle and the Noodle by Stephen Cosgrove is the delightful sequel… Continue reading

  • Bringing a dog home: Picture books about adopting a dog

    If you were lucky enough to have a dog growing up you know how perfectly kids and dogs go together! Dogs provide unconditional love, and caring for a dog teaches children responsibility, kindness, and compassion. Here are some of my favorite picture books about the joys of adopting a dog! A young boy imagines what his… Continue reading

  • Delightfully disturbing picture books to share with your friends

    Why do I read picture books? Because they make me laugh and they are full of fantastic illustrations, of course. Also, it’s an easy evening’s entertainment to have an impromptu storytime while sipping cocktails before you settle in for dinner or break out Settlers of Catan. These have reduced my friends to abject hilarity, and… Continue reading

  • Beyond Lyle the Crocodile: The truly awesome Bernard Waber

    Some children’s authors get to be well known for one book, character or series of books, and their other books get sidelined. Sometimes it’s because their other books didn’t have the same cultural impact or just aren’t as good. But in other cases, some really great books get ignored and forgotten. This is certainly true in the… Continue reading

  • Let’s have a feast for 10!

    Enjoy picture books with your children — and each of the books below has a recipe that goes along with the story: It’s breakfast time. Enjoy classics like the wordless picture book Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomi DePaola and Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle with your child. Then head to the kitchen to cook up… Continue reading

  • What’s new in children’s picture books

    Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr. Bill Martin Jr. and Lois Ehlert team up to make a wonderful read aloud about nature and counting. Where will these ten little caterpillars venture to in the garden of life and what will happen to them?   Caveman, A B.C. Story by Janee Trasler Experience adventure, humor,… Continue reading

  • Gingerbread is in the air …

    It’s getting cold out there, and the month of December brings out the wonderful aroma of baked goods everywhere. As I am planning a gingerbread-themed birthday party for my daughter, I started to wonder about the origin of the gingerbread man. The gingerbread man may have made his first appearance at the court of Queen… Continue reading

  • Stories without words

    Have you ever read a story without words? It sounds a little strange at first, but I highly recommend exploring wordless picture books with your pre-readers and beginning readers. So don’t hog all the fun, let them read you a story for a change! These books are great for one-on-one readings and small groups so… Continue reading

  • New twists on old tales

    Since watching Fractured Fairy Tales on TV as a child, traditional stories with a twist have grabbed my attention and delighted my soul.  Young children today, who are just learning what to expect in a story, are tickled when a story takes an unusual turn.  Playing with expectations develops narrative skills — and a sense… Continue reading

  • ‘But I want a REAL princess book . . .’

    This is frequently heard on the bookmobile. Not to stereotype our young patrons, but many four- and five-year-old girls are rather fond of princesses. Perfect, pink, pretty princesses, preferably the versions used as Disney’s® corporate spokesmodels. Finding princess books that will please a picky preschool patron can be problematic.  There is a delicate balance to… Continue reading