A Tree For Me

There are amazing trees that live in our world—yellow poplar, American beech, crape myrtle, and so many more! But how do you know which ones are which? Follow along in this heart warming tale as a father lovingly teaches his son to identify eight common trees in a park and then surprises him with his … Read more

P is for Purr

I have always been a lover of alphabet books. They’re simplistic yet many times contain a wealth of information as does P is for Purr! Each letter, from A to Z, gets a full two- page spread. The illustrations are stunning; I love the big eyes on all the cats. There are 2-3 sentences for … Read more

How You Came to Be

Starting from the moment “a wiggly little cell from another/ joined with a round little cell from me,” and written from the intimate perspective of a gestational parent speaking to their fetus, this fact-filled, lyrical book takes young readers month by month through the stages of prenatal development. . .  A loving and encouraging intro … Read more

The Gifts of the Animals – A Christmas Tale

Loosely based on a 12th century Latin song, this story imagines how the animals in the celebrated Bethlehem stable might have made way for Jesus’s birth. In realistic illustrations, each docile beast offers its own preparation in turn: “The ox that stands in the drafty shed/ drops straw into a manger bed”; “The sheep tear … Read more

If You’re Scary and You Know It

If You’re Scary and You Know It! Introduces eight adorably creepy characters for kids to play and play with. . . the clever and enticingly impish rhymes will have them moving their feet, yowling ghoulishly, and laughing together. Gerber’s rich language and detailed action-packed storytelling are a joy to sing or read aloud and give … Read more

A Band of Babies

“Benny, a newcomer to play group, exudes energy as he toddles into a room filled with bored babies, whose eyes brighten with anticipation. After Benny pulls a drum from a toy box, his playmates follow suit, and Gerber’s story takes off—as do the babies. . . It’s an exuberant celebration of toddlers’ willful, can’t-be-stopped independence, … Read more

10 Busy Brooms

“A jaunty counting story as a witch with “a long, speedy broom” invites nine of her compatriots to join her for a ride. Though the rhymes often suggest the witches are in a degree of peril (“3 little witches zipping through the night/ saw a ghost haunt a witch as she jumped in fright”), Fleming … Read more

The Poetry Friday Anthology

The Poetry Friday Anthology by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong offers a set of 36 poems for each grade level, K-5 (a poem-a-week for the 9 months of the typical school year). Drawing on decades of experience in classrooms all over the world as well as volumes of academic research and writing, this book presents … Read more

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School

Poems compiled for this anthology by Professor Sylvia Vardell and Poet Janet Wong include examples of many techniques, forms, and elements—rhyme, repetition, and rhythm; metaphor and simile; personification; onomatopoeia; hyperbole; dramatic irony; and different poetic formats, including haiku, sonnet, and reverse. (Pomelo Books, (2013) “Find a place for this book on your desk since you’ll … Read more

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science

“A collection of the best science poetry ever written for children – with a twist.” NSTA Recommended Book. Compiled by Professor Sylvia Vardell and Poet Janet Wong, the book features 248 poems about a variety of science topics written by 78 award-winning poets. (Pomelo Books, 2014) Two of my poems are featured: “Tornado” and “Seeking … Read more

One Minute Till Bedtime

It’s time for tuck-in, and your little one wants just one more moment with you–so fill it with something that will feed the imagination, fuel a love of reading, and send them off to sleep in a snap. Reach for a one-minute poem! Former Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt presents a blockbuster collection of all-new … Read more

Jessica McBean, Tap Dance Queen

Jessica is tired of being teased about her size – skinny – and her hobby – tap dancing – by two boys in her class. She gets the last laugh when she teams up with her beagle, Elvis, and her bus driver, Ralph Zizzmore, and surprises everyone at her school talent show. Chapter Book, Blooming … Read more

Hush! A Gaelic Lullaby

From School Library Journal: “Gerber’s lyric quatrains in Hush! A Gaelic Lullaby smoothly tell the story of getting baby to sleep as a storm rolls in on a coastal Irish farm. Sister takes down the wash, brother gathers peat, mother brings it in, grandpa brings in the sheep, father fastens the shutters, grandma builds the fire, … Read more

Arctic Dreams

From Bookwatch: “Carole Gerber’s Arctic Dreams is cast in the form of a free-verse poem in which an Eskimo mother spins a story that takes her sleepy child on a journey through the Arctic. The mother’s vivid descriptions prompt the Eskimo child to imagine that he is part of every scene, experiencing the grandeur of this … Read more

Blizzard

From Booklist: “Using short, rhyming phrases, a little boy contrasts the wintry weather outside with the cozy comfort he’s enjoying indoors: ‘Outside the snow is piling up./Inside, hot cocoa fills my cup./Outside the snow surrounds a tree./Inside, a soft quilt covers me./’ Children will enjoy the short, rhyming phrases, which create familiar, concrete images. Accessible to … Read more

Firefly Night

From Booklist: “In this lovely story, inspired by lines from Longfellow’s ‘The Song of Hiawatha,’ a young Chippewa girl asks the wah-wah-taysee (firefly) to use its light to guide her home through the forest. . . . Lyrical rhyming stanzas are rhythmic and soothing; enchanting, luminous watercolor-and-pencil art, richly detailed, captures the magic and wonder of … Read more

Tales Of Old Columbus

Published by the Columbus Historical Society, Through Children’s Eyes is the first new Columbus history book for children published in 40 years. Within its 58 pages are seven historical fiction stories researched and written by the author. Each is told from the perspective of the main character, an 8-year-old child. Topics include a child’s experience with the … Read more

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations in English and Spanish

In this book, you’ll find twelve special celebrations for each month and twelve poems for “Birthdays & Baby Days” – so get ready to have a poetry party! All poems are printed in both English and Spanish. If you like hats, or pets, or getting letters, or riding your bike, or eating cookies, or solving puzzles, or reading, … Read more

Little Red Bat

“Generating sympathy for a bat isn’t always easy. Gerber pulls it off, though, thanks to some rewarding research and an engagingly repetitive structure. A little red bat hangs among the autumn leaves and wonders if she should stay in her tree or fly south. One by one, she meets a cast of woodland creatures, each … Read more

Annie Jump Cannon, Astronomer

“This inspiring picture-book biography of a trailblazer in the field presents insight into the challenges of women interested in science during the late 19th and early 20th centuries… The realistic illustrations capture the time period and complement the text. This title will be a welcome addition to collections looking for biographies of women scientists, or … Read more