More, more, more: A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

The reviews are coming in for John Oliver's children's book, written by staff at Last Week Tonight. Congrats to all in this effort! 

"Sincerely delightful-full of the attentive details and poetic grace notes that distinguish good children’s books.”  –The New Yorker

“Above all, this is a sweet and funny book about of tolerance, friendship, and the one message even our youngest kids can grasp perhaps more easily than perhaps any other: Love is love. I know my own kids would love getting this for Easter.” –Cool Mom Picks

"A joy... Ignore the grumbling about Oliver turning the bunny America deserves into a metaphor for partisan politics, because the book is a 40-page triumph." –Esquire

"This cute, funny, and inclusive picture book has a positive message about celebrating who you are and loving whom you want." –Common Sense Media

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

by Jill Twiss

illustrated by EG Keller

Chronicle Books, 2018

Top Shelf: Main Street Magic, Ingela P. Arrhenius

How delightful! Take a stroll down a main street in France. With thirty flaps, many holding a surprise or pun, there's a sophistication in this thick-paged book for readertotz. Follow along with the main character as he sets out to explore.

There's the patisserie with brioche and macarons, the fish market where cats secretly linger, the fashionable ladies at the salon, and a thief at the museum. However, with the guard nearby, all is safe. The day concludes with the circus and the question, "What's next?"

Endearing illustrations are made with simple shapes. Flaps are fun to find. This is Top Shelf quality for your readertotz.

Main Street Magic
by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Chronicle Books, 2017

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

Snuggly Puppy: Jannie Ho

Text developed in house, Nosy Crow has Snuggly Puppy on the lookout for a perfect hug. Not one that is too prickly, busy, jumpy, or splashy. She finds the perfect hug with her mother and father.

Tabs pull to reveal further information as Snuggly Puppy visits her community. Jannie Ho's patterned, flat illustrations are non-threatening, with a soft palette, creating a safe space for readertotz.

Explore with your first readers what makes a good hug. Potential life lessons in this board book.

Snuggly Puppy Looks for the Perfect Hug
illustrated by Jannie Ho
Nosy Crow, 2016

Top Shelf: This is Not a Valentine, Carter Higgins

This is Not a Valentine, by author Carter Higgins, is a beautiful celebration of love and how different that may look to others celebrating Valentine's Day. A Valentine may be a spent dandelion, a plastic ring, or a rock shared. It may be a second best hiding place. It is knowing the person you appreciate and sharing life, including the scraps and drippy glue.

Illustrations by Lucy Ruth Cummins are fresh and endearing with a lot of white space as she illustrates love. This is a treasure for the holiday and a testament that the way we love is perfectly enough. Whether or not we call it a Valentine.

This is Not a Valentine
by Carter Higgins
illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Chronicle, 2018

Where Did My Friend Go? Family Changes: Azmaira H. Maker

Azmaira H. Maker, Ph.D., has brought forward two works for totz facing great change. Where Did My Friend Go? Helping Children Cope with a Traumatic Death aims to reassure the youngest that all are working to keep the child safe. With the loss of a friend, it is normal to be scared, worried, sad, and mad. Community stands around the survivor in love.

Family Changes, Explaining Divorce to Children shares salient points: the child is not to blame, they may experience physical discomfort such as a stomachache, they will be loved in two homes. The fictional story of rabbits brings the situation to life.

The illustrations of Where Did My Friend Go? are unattributed photographs, design by Monkey C. Media. The language is sparse with process questions concluding the work. Polona Lovsin illustrated Family Changes with warm, comforting images. The text is heavy in the midst of the fantasy. Process questions complete the work, as well.

Confronting trauma and change, it is difficult to find appropriate works for first readers. Azmaira H. Maker's works are a place to begin.

Where Did My Friend Go? 2017
Family Changes, 2015
by Azmaira H. Maker, Ph.D.
illustrated by Polona Lovsin (Family Changes)
Aspiring Families Press

The Best for First Readers

Photo from the Washington Post article

Photo from Washington Post article

Photo from the Washington Post article

Content and quality matter. This is why at readertotz we aim to raise the profile of board books, and we call for the best for our first readers. 

"Recent research has found that both the quality and quantity of shared book-reading in infancy predicted later childhood vocabulary, reading skills and name-writing ability."

Check out the full Washington Post article by Lisa S. Scott, here. Wouldn't an ALA award help this aim? Say, the Dorothy Kunhardt Award? 

~Lorie Ann Grover

Top Shelf: The Pink Hat, Andrew Joyner

Once there was a pink hat... I didn't think a book commemorating the 2017 Women's March could be done for the picture book audience. However, Andrew Joyner with Schwartz & Wade Books has honored the worldwide shout.

In The Pink Hat, an older woman knits a pink hat, as my own mother knit three: one for me, one for my daughter, and one for my friend. In the book, the hat is lost and found and lost, finally to be enjoyed by a young girl. Eventually, she wears her pink hat the day so many others wore theirs, as well. She joins the march, surrounded by diverse people marching for women's rights.

Dedicated to: "all the women who march us forward." Carry on. #Resist

The Pink Hat
by Andrew Joyner
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017

Joy to the World: Bright Night

JOY TO THE WORLD!
Happy holidays to all our dear readers and totz!

Top Shelf: Outside Todo el Día! and Vamos, Body!

Combine the San Antonio Museum of Art, with the San Antonio Library Foundation, and Trinity University Press, and you get a fabulous series of bilingual board books for your readertotz! Along with previous titles including, Black & Blanco! and Hello, Circulos! are two new releases from the Arte Kids Series: Outside Todo el Día! and Vamos, Body! 

The collection of imagery is diverse. The spreads are full of a wide range of styles creating wonderful contrasts. Your totz will be exposed to art from the ancient world to our own time. Questions, statements, and words, in a variety of fonts, label the featured focuses in both English and Spanish. A single image concludes each book as the pacing slows and comes to a close. Backmatter identifies paintings and sculptures from each work.



This work is truly Top Shelf material. Don't miss it.

Outside Todo el Día
Vamos, Body!
Concept and Design by Madeleine Budnick
Text and Illustrations by San Antonio Museum of Art
Trinity University Press, 2017

I'm Scared: Jennier Holm and Matthew Holm

Note: Lorie Ann and I love this so much, we both had to feature it for your totz. Enjoy!

I'm Scared is the fourth board book in the My First Comics series by the sister and brother team of Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm. I enjoy that totz are introduced to reading in the format of speech balloons and thought bubbles. (It's never too early for comics, right?)

Chilly the snowflake is scared of everything. The narrator coaxes Chilly into realizing it can be, well, fun, to have fun by trying something new!

Watch for the My First Comics books: I'm Grumpy, I'm Sunny!, and I'm Silly!

The Holms are the bestselling creators of Babymouse, one of my favorite book series. 

I'm Scared

Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm 

PW interview

Random House, 24 pages

Wickle Woo has a Halloween Party by Jannie Ho

 Wickle Woo is having a Halloween Party . . .

but where are his friends?

A little owl named Wickle Woo plan a Halloween party. But what's a party without pals? Where are they? A tug of some "tiny tabs" reveals Lion and Bear, Rabbit and Tiger, and more, all agreeing to come to the party. 

I really like this tab-pulling format. Take a look at the others Jannie Ho has created in this series including Teeny Weeny and Bunny Boo. They're cute and just the right amount of fun and challenge for totz.

Jannie is super creative about getting 

excitement up for her books. Love these

celebration lollipops!

Wickle Woo Has A Halloween Party

Author-illustrator: Jannie Ho

Nosy Crow

I'm Silly! I'm Scared: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

So much joy in introducing feelings to your totz with My First Comics from sister/brother team: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm.

Tizzy Tornado is, of course, silly. But how often can one end up being too silly and cause damage? I'm Silly! helps wee ones to see levels of silly and what is enjoyable to others.

Chilly the snowflake is scared. Sometimes without even knowing why. With brave effort, Chilly finds fun beyond fear.

Comics graphics and panels are approachable and offer nudges into reading. Look for this series which also includes I'm Sunny! and I'm Grumpy. So many feels!

I'm Silly!
I'm Scared
by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Random House, 2017

Bright Night: Lorie Ann Grover

A lovely review from Publishers Weekly!

Grover effectively reduces the Nativity story to quippy rhyming phrases in this padded board book, whose cozy mood is bolstered by Parry’s soft, gauzy-looking digital artwork. “Carry Mary,” reads the opening spread as Joseph leads a donkey down a road as birds, butterflies, and a rabbit dance around the couple. From there, they land in the “safe place” of the stable, celebrate “boy joy” when Jesus is born, and enjoy a little “swaddle, coddle” before visitors arrive, having followed the “far star” in the night sky. It’s a simple, punchy, and jubilant retelling. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)

Preorder is available here. 

Bright Night

by Lorie Ann Grover

illustrated by Jo Perry

Zonderkidz, Oct. 3, 2017

This Little Trailblazer: A Girl Power Primer

Readertotz co-founder Joan Holub's 

new board book celebrates girl power!

A Barnes and Noble's Best New Picture Books for September

and a #1 New Release Children's Soc Activist Bios on Amazon.

A tribute to some great women, who blazed trails 

that inspire us all, little or big.

Amazon   B&N   Little Simon

Top Shelf: Nothing Rhymes with Orange

Here's my favorite recent picture book that crossed my path. The one I left out for everyone to pick up and read as they passed by. It's fun, clever, and has great heart. For me, it's Top Shelf! Take it from Adam:



Nothing Rhymes with Orange
by Adam Rex
Chronicle Books, 2017

More, More, More: This is How We Do It

Author/illustrator Matt Lamothe presents seven real children around the world as they live out their day. Italy, Japan, Peru, Uganda Russia, India, and Iran are featured. The large format accommodates the details of the full imagery. Among the illustrated are the variety of homes, families, school clothes, meals, play, and chores. It's fascinating to discover the similarities and differences.

This is How We Do It will bring the world a little closer and raise understanding and compassion. Families were chosen as representatives for countries with the explanation that not all people within the culture are the same as those portrayed.

From Matt's end note:
"I believe the more you learn about different people, the more you see yourself in them, and the more accepting you become."

Welcome this work!

This is How We Do It
by Matt Lamothe
Chronicle Books, 2017

Sleepy Toes: Kelli McNeil

Are your totz ready for bed? Are toes, tummy, fingers, and eyes sleepy? There's been a day of wiggling, gurgles, touching, and seeing. Now what?

Kelli McNeil's Sleepy Toes accompanied with Cori Doerrfeld's illustrations will help your first reader settle down for the night.

Is your mouth getting sleepy?
So very, very sleepy?
All day long it sings a song-
sing-song, happy mouth.
And now it's time for lullabies,
nice long yawns, and bedtime sighs.

Enjoy this padded board book with your totz before bed.

Sleepy Toes
by Kelli McNeil
illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2017

Top Shelf: I Am a Story

Sometimes, you find that perfect picture book. For me, I Am a Story falls into this top category.

Dan Yaccarino follows story from being told around a fire to cell phones today. Story has been carved into cave walls and clay. It's been printed, woven, and acted. It's been banned and given to all through public libraries. It's been burned, but yet, story still inspires.

Here is a beautiful tribute to story. Graphic, flat illustrations, heavy on line, dance in this work. What a treasure for libraries to hold I Am a Story.

I Am a Story
by Dan Yaccarino
Harper, 2016

Mommy Snuggles and Daddy Dreams: Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben

Two sweet board books from Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben. First published in France, the thick paintings pair beautifully with the simple text.

Mommy Snuggles compares how different animals carry their babies. Daddy Dreams illustrates how various animals sleep, while their offspring watch. Both works close with humans.

There is a gentle tone in both works that is perfect for snuggling down and dreaming.

Mommy Snuggles
Daddy Dreams
by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben
Chronicle Books, 2017