My First Book of Beards, My First Book of Tattoos: Robyn Wall

Here we go with two fresh books in a series titled My Cool Family from Doubleday's author Robyn Wall and illustrator Lydia Nichols: My First Book of Beards and My First Book of Tattoos. Quick rhyme accompanies clean illustrations with a subdued palette and beautiful black, varied and expressive lines. 

My First Book of Beards describes beards via the tasks the characters are doing and transitions to physical descriptions of beards:

Merry beard

Share-y beard

Glitter princess fairy beard

My First Book of Tattoos describes the tattoo imagery and the physical expression of that choice:

Rock it tat 

Chalk it tat

Catch it, pass it, block it tat 

Both of the best beards and tats come with love for the child. What a fun addition to our shelves for first readers. Brava! 

My First Book of Beards

My First Book of Tattoos

by Robyn Wall

illustrated by Lydia Nichols

Doubleday, 2022

I Want to Be...a Ballerina: Becky Davies

Our first readers can dream big, and the I Want to Be series from Random House can help visualize the accomplishment. I Want to be...a Ballerina illustrates and labels the journey of a young girl from getting ready for her first lesson to performing onstage as an adult. Vocabulary is rich and identifies clothing, steps, and parts of the studio and stage. 

Text is tight and Richard Merritt's flat, colorful illustrations pop but don't overwhelm. They carry the information in a creative way, even turning the layout for impact. 

You can help your own first reader into ballet with this board book. Whether a career ensues or not, they can dance with joy. 

For your teen readers, I, of course, recommend my own novel, On Pointe. 

I Want to Be...a Ballerina

by Becky Davies

illustrated by Richard Merritt

Random House, Little Tiger Press Ltd 2022 

Black Heroes, a Go Fish Card Game: Magali Attiogbé

Happy Black History Month! I ran across this most excellent Go Fish card game titled Black Heroes. It features 44 inspirational black figures throughout time. Your totz can group explorers, sports players, stars, activists, politicians, and artists. An accompanying booklet elaborates on each hero featured in the game. From Kamala Harris to Abu Bakr II, Queen Anna Nzinga to Chadwick Boseman, there is much to learn. So much inspiration awaits! 

Paintings by Magali Attiogbé are bold and bright. Text in the booklet is by Dr. Kimberly Brown Pellum. The game is recommended for 8 and up, but the cards could be used educationally for younger totz.  

Find this little gem and celebrate our Black Heroes. Go Fish!   

Black Heroes, a Go Fish Card Game

text by Dr. Kimberly Brown Pellum

illustrations by Magali Attiogbé

Lawence King, Orion Publishing Group Ltd.

Women in Art: Rachel Ignotofsky

 

Yay for each board book added in an effort to balance the shelves. Women in Art does so for our first readers, and it's now in a board book format. Diverse women through time are featured and celebrated.  

New York Times bestseller, Rachel Ignotofsky's stylized imagery of artists and their variety of mediums inspires along with its simple text. Find Maya Lin, Faith Ringgold, Yayoi Kusama and more.

As Ignotofsky says in the introduction: "Art is more than something beautiful. With each brushstroke, chisel of stone, and line drawn, these women artists used their talents to tell truths, to talk about injustice, and even to heal. Today, we celebrate their art and their stories."

Let's fill our shelves with quality board books such as those created by Rachel Ignotofsky. Brava! 

Women in Art

by Rachel Ignotofsky

Crown Books

Hot Cocoa Calm: Kira Willey

  

Cozy up this winter with Hot Cocoa Calm and your beloved readertotz. Author Kira Willey walks the reader through mindfulness exercises to help us regulate our emotions. What a perfect joining of winter chill; friendly, stylized animals illustrated by Anni Betts; and instructions nested around a warm, sweet drink that needs a little time to cool.  

Maybe we could all use a cup of cocoa and calm at the start of our new year. Happy reading in 2022 with peace and joy to you and yours!

Hot Cocoa Calm

Mindfulness Moments for Kids Series

by Kira Willey

illustrations by Anni Betts

Rodale Kids, 2021

Change Starts With Us: Sophie Beer

 

Beginning our new year, it's good to be reminded Change Starts With Us! With straightforward text, author/illustrator Sophie Beer illustrates how even the smallest hands can create change. We all can save water, pick up litter, and plant trees. We can recycle, save power, and shop local. 

Adorable, flat, vibrant illustrations bring youthfulness to the imagery as children assist adults and each other in affecting change. Together we can care for our beloved world. 

Happy new year to you and your readertotz! Happy reading and learning! 

Change Starts With Us

by Sophie Beer

Dial Books, 2021