I recently read a great article by Julia Donaldson about the magic of picture books, which I wrote about here. And she's right, that they are wonderful worlds for sharing with our wee ones. She has written some great ones, some perennial favourites, herself, of course. Who doesn't love The Gruffalo? So yes, with all that behind her, you can imagine that I was pretty pleased to see a new picture book by her arrive in my mailbox this fall... Jack and the Flumflum Treeby Julia DonaldsonHarperCollinsISBN: 978 0 230 71023 8When Jack's granny comes of with a case of... More »

There are lots of ways to approach a focus like Black History Month, depending on the child's age, what you want them to take away from talking about it, and where you want to shine a spotlight. There are lots of wonderful picture book biographies of important figures who made a difference in the path toward civil rights, for example, and wonderful advanced picture books about the underground railroad, both stories and profiles of people like Harriet Tubman, for example. There are books about places and times in history that were important. there are books of songs and spirituals and... More »

Valentine's Day is coming! That means cards and candy, right? Or you could go another route, with books that highlight the spreading of love and joy in a simple, childlike way. These two do just that. Plant a KissAmy Krouse RosenthalHarper CollinsISBN: 978 0 06 198675 8Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a master of deceptively simple little books with lovely messages - as is Peter Reynolds, her illustrator here. The pair is a dream team for this kind of book, which could well nto work in less skilled hands, for it relies on few words, rhyming, that tell a little inspirational... More »

You know about fractured fairy tales, but this new picture-book-format graphic goes one better and aims at bigger kids. Goldilocks and the Seven Squat Bearsby Emile BravoYen PressISBN: 978 0 316 08358 4There are picture books for smaller kids - and then there are picture books that are meant for older kids, generally for reasons of content or of sophistication. In this case, it is also in graphic novel style, and the humour is definitely aimed a little older, and at kids who have some decent knowledge of fairy tales and will recognize at least most of the ones that... More »

1. It's Called Thirteen Reasons Why. Does that title not intrigue? (It's by Jay Asher, and the ISBN is978 1 59514 188 0)2. It was one of last year's biggest, hottest, teen titles, and still going strong. 3. It's published (here) by Razorbill, a very cool teen imprint who has just launched an online reading community for lovers of YA fiction. Getting teens and teen librarians and writers together to talk books? Sweet! 4. It's a wildly compelling read. Like a don't want to put it down, read while I walk down the street kind of read. Reeally wanted to... More »

February! The dead of winter. What better time for some fresh books to curl up with? ElfPicture a Tree - Barbara Reid's latest is a lovely tribute to trees filled with delightful visual jokes and her incredibly detailed plasticene illustrations. Marvelous! Pigeon Pack - I love Mo. Seriously, everyone loves the pigeon books, and they are so much fun for sharing. These are definitely worth picking up if you don't have them. One Love - I'm doing a full review on this one coming up, but this isn't a bad price if you know that you want it. It's a... More »

Groundhog Day is nearly here! Instead of one of those same-old groundhog stories, may I suggest something new? Brownie Groundhog and the February FoxSusan BlackabySterlingISBN: 978 1 4027 4336 8Every year, I drea picking out books for this holiday. There are the books that explain it. The books about groundhogs who don't want to get up, are sick, or stress about the pressure. and the cute little tellings of the day's events. All perfectly serviceable and needed for understanding Feb. 2, yet so... same. Not this year! Brownie Groundhog has come out in the middle of winter with no fanfare,... More »

Cat humour? On the internet? I know, I know. But these ones really are pretty cute... Homer, The Library Catby Reeve LindberghCandlewick PressISBN: 978 0 7636 3448 3Cats and librarians are, let's face it, a pretty natural stereotypical partnership to exploit - and you can probably even sell those bookworms a few copies, too! Yes, I approach something like this with my inner cynic on full alert, people, which is why I haven't reviewed many books about librarians and library cats in my day. But this? This is a charmer. Homer, you see, is a quiet cat. He likes his... More »

 It's a winter wonderland out there. Some would say finally, I'd say whether I like it or not - I'm   already living for spring. But one thing I do love is winter stories. So pretty! So much fun! Try this one out for some silly fun with your little ones this snowy season. Ten on the SledKim NormanSterling ISBN: 978 1 4027 8523 8I like picture books of songs, so that you can sing to your child while enjoying the pictures together, and Ten In The Bed is a favourite kid song of mine from when I was a kid... More »

This month's book club pick was by Karen, and one that was on my list of things I would like to read - yay! Karen is an online phenomenon, so some of you may know her from her writing at Bad Moms' Club, Canadian Family, or her own website, The Kids Are Alright, where she rights beautiful and funny stories that I always want to read. She is also the brain behind the #momthevote movement of the last couple of elections. Yep, she's a powerhouse! She also happens to be fantastic to be around. She's funny, smart, down to earth,... More »