All Aboard the Discovery Express

"Welcome aboard the Discovery Express!  Please watch your step, and mind the gap as you embark."  A special train takes readers on an intriguing journey back in time through the history of transportation, making stops at major invention milestones—the bicycle in England, the opening of the Panama Canal, the motor car in Germany, the steamboat in New Orleans and a few other pitstops.  Conductor Pierre Henri and geographer Nancy Delaney serve as trusty guides.  Readers are also alerted to the disappearance of the expedition leader—the intrepid Professor Pendelton—and read clues hidden under flaps that will hopefully lead them to his whereabouts.

A stellar concept and engaging format that combines narrative, mystery, history and nonfiction.  We’re really keen on Tom Clohosy Cole’s dramatic illustrations and rich saturated palette.  Well done, well done.

All Aboard the Discovery Express was written by Emily Hawkins and Tom Adams, illustrated by Tom Clohosy Cole and published by Wide Eyed Editions.

cilla lee-jenkins: this book is a classic

Cilla Lee-Jenkins was one of Avery’s favorite books this year. She's an independent reader, but I read it aloud to her because I didn’t want to miss out on it either, and it was a memorable shared experience. I loved it.

Research shows that children benefit so much from discussing books that they’re reading, and that even older children who are independent readers still benefit from being read aloud to by a parent. As a parent, you’re able to explain unfamiliar words, connect the new experiences in the book with kids’ prior real-life experiences and help them understand the themes of the story and the author’s intent. All this supports kids in better comprehending what they’re reading, connecting with the text more and most of all, enjoying it (which contributes to them becoming a lifelong reader and learner).

Cilla is absolutely enjoyable as a read-aloud. She’s a "future author extraordinaire" with a penchant for the sensational and telling stories with "creative license." In other words, she's hilarious, charming and has some serious spunk. We get to hear about Cilla’s mixed-race background—her unique experiences with each and the insights she gains from a diverse background. She tells us how she overcomes her struggles with reading, bumps in the road with friendships and realizations she makes about herself as she gets older. But here's the big news—Cilla feels overshadowed by the new baby aka "The Blob" making inroads into the family and she does not want to be an older sister at all. Her solution? To write a book about herself before the baby is born—and become a best-selling author—so that no one will have a chance to forget about her.

In her sequel Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic, we continue to hear her lively voice as a young writer. She’s learning and writing about themes in her life and shares her family’s different traditions in detail, some of which involve moon cake and chocolate cake (because dessert is a BIG them in her family)!

In the first chapter, Cilla starts off Chinese New Year morning by donning all the red clothing she possibly can and leaving orange all over the house to bring luck for the new year! Auntie Eva comes to visit, and the whole family heads to Chinatown to celebrate Chinese New Year. The morning is filled with lively conversation, firecrackers, drums and catching up with her beloved aunt, who has some big news to share with the family.

Cilla Lee Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic will be out on March 27, 2018!   Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire was written by Susan Tan, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte and published by Roaring Brook Press.

the tea party in the woods

While on a walk through the quiet wintry woods trying to catch up with her father, one curiosity leads Kikko to another, and quite an afternoon of new discoveries and unique experiences ensues.  Akiko Miyakoshi’s soft and beautiful charcoals are swathed in textured magic and a dreamy nostalgia.  Quite possibly the coziest story for this season, and a reminder that friendship and hospitality take many forms, and that creativity plays an inherent role in solving problems.

The Tea Party in the Woods was written and illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi and published by Kids Can Press.

gum

Armed with nine quarters, Danny and James are hoping to coax out the prized silver race car from the gumball machine in Mr. Wright’s store.  Oh, the suspense, as each quarter yields gumballs galore but not quite what their little hearts are pining for.  Wanting something so badly and riding that roller coaster of high hopes followed by acrid disappointment when we don’t get what we’re hoping for, then daring to get back on our feet and give it just one more try is a childhood experience that we remember all too well.  Jeff Newman’s illustrations have a great vintage vibe with an exuberant line that deftly captures kid energy and nostalgia.

Gum was written by Nancy Willard, illustrated by Jeff Newman and published by Candlewick Press.

moon

Britta Teckentrup’s books are quietly beautiful and thoughtful works of art.  She  crafts worlds full of wonder and beauty that deliver a much-needed dose of magic before bedtime and leave a long-lasting impression well into dream world.  Her latest book that brings children closer to nature is Moon: Night-Time Around the World, a collaboration with author Patricia Hegarty.  Its pages with clever cut-outs show the waxing and waning moon in its different phases, shining over different animals all over the world—puffins shivering in the snowy Northern light skies, birds flying south to warmer climate, giraffes resting in cool grasslands.  Patricia’s rhyming words, with their charming cadence, flow in and out of Britta’s otherworldly nocturnal scenes with a lovely ease and serenity.

Moon, was written by Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup and published by Little Tiger Kids.