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Ms. Karen

Rain before Rainbows

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Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by David Litchfield
Format: Book
Who it’s For: Kids

 

This book is so hopeful and uplifting! Life has its share of good days and bad, and there is a time for everything. Sorrow and joy, dark and light, loss and abundance, planting and harvest. This simple rhyming tale of a Girl and her friend Fox chronicles their journey from troubled times to a new and meaningful life. They must pass through darkness, storms and worry, but with help and inspiration from friends, hopeful dreams and wise words to live by, Girl and Fox finally find their bright new morning.

In challenging and uncertain times, Rain before Rainbows is a perfect story for helping little ones to learn that “this too shall pass” and that better days lie ahead. You will love the gorgeous illustrations too!

Find it in the catalog!

Railway Jack

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Railway Jack: the True Story of an Amazing Baboon by KT Johnston, illustrated by Cesar Samaneigo
Format: Book
Who It’s For:  Kids

Railway Jack is the true story of South African Railway employee Jim Wide and the baboon who became first his service animal, then his best friend.

Long, long ago Jim Wide worked as a railway inspector for South African Railroad, but after he lost his legs in an accident, he couldn’t do that job anymore. Jim got a new job as a railroad signalman, the person pulling the levers that switch trains to the right tracks for their journeys. He made a cart to sit on which helped him get to work and inspect the switches, and with his new wooden legs he could stand and walk a bit. But Jim struggled to do some tasks by himself, both at home and at the station. He needed help, but what could he do?  He bought a baboon of course, a very intelligent baboon named Jack! Jack learned fast and worked hard, quickly mastering water-pumping, taking out trash and sweeping floors. He pushed Jim’s cart to the station morning and evening, jumping on the back for a ride down the hill!  Amazingly, Jack even began to recognize train signals and learned which lever to pull to switch the trains. However, one day a passenger was horrified to see a “monkey” pulling levers at the station and reported them to the railroad. The railway sent a man to investigate, who tested Jack carefully. Would he pass? Would Jim and Jack get to keep their jobs or be fired? Find out when you read Railway Jack: The True Story of an Amazing Baboon.

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Octopus Stew

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Octopus Stew by Eric Velasquez
Who Its For: Kids
Format: Book

Eric Velasquez (winner of the Pura Belpre Award for Grandma’s Gift and the Coretta Scott King -John Steptoe Award for Piano Man) has written a charming story about an Afro-Latino boy named Ramsey. One day at Grandma’s, Ramsey, an artist and lover of all things superhero, paints a picture of “super Octo”, a superhero octopus. This got Grandma thinking about making pulpo guisado, octopus stew. They go shopping for the ingredients, which included one large and creepy octopus! Ramsey has a bad feeling about this, but home they go where Grandma cleans the octopus and throws it into the boiling pot. They sit down to do some homework when suddenly they hear strange noises coming from the kitchen! BLIMP! BLUMP! BRR! “Que sera esto?” asks Grandma. THUMP!! To their horror, they  find a HUGE octopus climbing out of the pot and with one tentacle it snatches up Grandma! How will Ramsey defeat the mighty octopus and save her? This story will delight all your superhero and octopus fans; check out the foldout pages in the middle of the book and the Author’s Notes for extra layers to the story (or read to the end first), and don’t miss the Glossary in the back, as the author uses many nonstandard Spanish phrases throughout the story, just as his own family did in his childhood home.

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Packs: Strength in Numbers

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Packs: Strength in Numbers by Hannah Salyer
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

Take a look at nature and you will find groups-herds, flocks, swarms of creatures big and small. In Packs: Strength in Numbers, Hannah Salyer celebrates this unity and diversity found in the animal world. With her illustrations of dusty bison on the march, or wolves streaking through snow-quiet forest, she gives us a close up view of just how animals, birds and insects work together to survive and thrive, in hunting, traveling, growing food, singing, protecting the young. This book contains loads of information about the habits of these creatures which will satisfy the curiosity of little naturalists, and big ones too (for example, did you know that a herd of wildebeests can have up to a million animals, and is called an implausibility? Me either!) The book ends with a gentle reminder that working together is always better for creatures and humans alike.

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Bonaparte Plays Ball

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Bonaparte Plays Ball by Margery Cuyler, illustrations by Will Terry
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

 

Aliens! Monsters! Skeletons! And …baseball??! Yes, you get all this and more in Bonaparte Plays Ball. It’s the Weird series and vying for the championship are the Little Monsters and the Mighty Aliens. Bonaparte, a determined little skeleton with an unfortunate habit of quite literally falling apart, is anxiously watching the game begin. The Aliens score a 3 run homer and pile on the insults, and he sees his teammates wilt under the onslaught. The Monsters are tagged out, struck out, and worn out; now it’s 5-0 Aliens! Can Coach Roach’s pep talk turn this team around? Can Bonaparte deliver for his team without going to pieces?

Margery Cuyler has hit a home run with this book, and fans of all things monster, alien or baseball are sure to agree. I think you’ll enjoy Will Terry’s creative illustrations too (looking at you aliens!).

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The Wolf Will Not Come

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The Wolf Will Not Come  by Myriam Ouyessad, illustrated by Ronan Badel
Who its For: Kids
Format: Book

It’s the end of the birthday celebration for Rabbit and time for bed. But Rabbit needs the answer to one burning question before sleep-“Are you sure the wolf will not come?” “Very sure”, Mom reassures little Rabbit. “The wolves are far away in the mountain woods”. But one anxious question leads to another. “There is a woods nearby, how can you be sure there is not a wolf hiding there?” asks Rabbit. “That woods is small. A wolf couldn’t hide there.” “But what if it knows how to stay out of sight?”. Question after question, as Rabbit imagines (with pictures to match on the opposite page) how a clever and crafty wolf could make it all the way to their apartment. Finally, “Goodnight, my Rabbit” says Mom and the room goes dark. Until… [Knock, Knock, Knock!] Who’s that? Is it the WOLF??? What do you think? This book filled with gentle French charm and mild suspense will keep your little ones guessing till the surprise ending.

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