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

Poetry Friday: Cool Cuts

 

Celebrate Poetry Friday with Mechal Renee Roe's Cool Cuts! There are so many ways to wear your hair. How about crisp cornrows, or a full 'fro, or a dope design? Illustrations accompany a rhyme and repeated phrase.

"Be the best,
no matter how
hard the test!

i am born to be AWESOME!

LOW WAVES!"

Here's a fun and beautiful representation of mini-twists, a fro-hawk, and lively locs. So glad this work has hit the board book shelf. It pairs with Happy Hair. 

Cool Cuts

by Mechal Renee Roe

Doubleday, 2020

Music: Jill McDonald

Here's another title in the Hello, World! series. Music by Jill McDonald is the best of nonfiction for your readertotz. You can introduce musical instruments with what resembles cut paper illustrations. Large sound words accompany main text entries and smaller printed facts. 

"HOOT!

A harmonica is small enough to fit in your pocket.

You make a sound by breathing in or out through the holes. 

*A harmonica is sometimes called a mouth organ or a blues harp."

Familiarize your first reader with the instruments and consider which to try first!

Music

Hello, World!

by Jill McDonald

Doubleday 

Happy Hair: Mechal Renee Roe

Beautiful black hair is celebrated in Happy Hair, written and illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe. Cool curls, a fab fro, or bangin' bantu are some of the ways to show you love being you. 

"Pom-Pom puffs, pretty & stuff! I love being me!"

"Blowout! So much hair, everywhere! I love being me!"

How will your readertotz style their curls today? Cool Cuts is a companion work also available in board book form in 2021. Be inspired with your wee ones as you read this self-affirming delightful board book together. 

Happy Hair

Cool Cuts

written and illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe

Doubleday, 2020

Hello World: Rainforest Animals, Construction Site

The Hello World! series continues with Rainforest Animals and Construction Site, both by Jill McDonald. With the appearance of painted cut paper, large text introduces basic content to first readers. Smaller labels accompany features, and little text gives more detailed information for older readers. Here's an example from Rainforest Animals:

GROWL!
This big cat with spots is a jaguar. It can roam the forest floor or climb into the trees to look from above.
*Unlike most cats, jaguars like water and are good swimmers.

Rainforest Animals moves from the ground up through the canopy. A final illustration turns the book on its side to convey the immensity of the natural world. As expected, Construction Site introduces all the noisy, hardworking, building vehicles. A food truck for lunchtime and a delivery truck of materials are also included. This publication regularly features sounds and movements.

Bravo for this nonfiction for our readertotz! May the rainforest not become the construction site!

Rainforest Animals
Construction Site
by Jill McDonald
Doubleday, 2020

Hello, World: How Do Apples Grow? and Ocean Life

The series Hello, World introduces How Do Apples Grow? and Ocean Life, both written and illustrated by Jill McDonald. Readertotz will be introduced to science and nature concepts in this durable board book series.

How Do Apples Grow? walks the first reader from seed to ripe apple.

"In spring, buds on its branches open into pink and white flowers. Each flower will become an apple."

The work concludes: "Good things are worth waiting for!"

In Ocean Life, McDonald continues her bright, cheerful illustrations and invites the first reader to, "Dive in and take a look!"

"Whales are the giants of the ocean. A blue whale can grow to be as long as two school buses! Whales breathe air through a blowhole on their head."

After the overview of sea life, the reader is encouraged to choose their own underwater favorite.

Hello, World is a strong addition to the first science book category.

Hello, World
How Do Apples Grow?
Ocean Life
by Jill McDonald
Doubleday

Hello World! Jill McDonald

Jill McDonald, author/illustrator, offers up a nonfiction series, Hello World! Whether your readertot is ready for dinosaurs, weather information, birds, the body, or the solar system, Jill delivers age-appropriate content. Her appealing, youthful illustrations appear to be cut and torn paper. Large text for the youngest reader and smaller text for the older, the books will sustain as your tot grows.

Introduce your readertotz to their world. There's so much to see and learn. Hello World! is a first step in discovery.

Hello, World!
Dinosaurs
My Body
by Jill McDonald
Doubleday, 2018

Poetry Friday: Tree

Did you see Tree by Britta Teckentrup in 2015? The Peek-Through Picture Book is a great pick for Poetry Friday. First readers will follow the seasons illustrated through changes to and around one tree.

"Birds flit through the leafy bowers.
The forest is abloom with flowers.

Birds are singing, foxes play.
Summertime is on its way."

Watch the changes with owl through the pages' clever die-cuts. Happy Poetry Friday, readertotz!

Tree, a Peek-Through Picture Book
by Britta Teckentrup
Doubleday, 2015

Hello, World! Solar System: Jill McDonald

I love bringing nonfiction to our totz! Introduce our place in space with Hello, World! Solar System by Jill McDonald. With mixed media illustrations, the reader hops from planet to planet gaining a few facts for each along the way.

"We live on a planet called
EARTH.
From space it looks like
a swirled blue marble.
*Earth is the third planet from the sun."

I look forward to seeing more from the Hello, World! series. Bravo, Doubleday for raising the bar for board books. Hello, nature and science!

Note: Pluto is included. Yay!

Hello, World! Solar System
by Jill McDonald
Doubleday, 2016

Hello World! Weather: Jill McDonald

How about an introduction to weather? The Hello, World! series from Doubleday brings exactly that in Weather by Jill McDonald. With childlike imagery, the reader sees various conditions and the clothes needed to enjoy them. The repeated spread of the children's house offers great comparisons as the weather changes. Questions will get your totz checking to see what the weather is like today.

How refreshing to bring science and environmental awareness to our smallest readers. Well done, Doubleday!

Hello, World!
Weather
by Jill McDonald
Doubleday, 2016