Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
Mr. Peabody’s Apples by Madonna. Mr. Peabody a teacher in the very small town of Happyville. On Saturdays he coaches baseball. The team isn’t very good, but they always have a good time. One day after a baseball game, Tommy Tittlebotton thinks he sees Mr. Peabody steal an apple from the fruit market. He tells all his friends, who tell all their friends, and parents, who tell all their friends in the very small town of Happyville. The next Saturday, no one shows up for the baseball game except for Billy. Billy tells Mr. Peabody that everyone in town thinks he is a thief because Tommy Tittlebottom told them that Mr. Peabody stole an apple. Mr. Peabody proves to Billy he is not a thief, and he runs off to tell Tommy. When Tommy finds out, he goes to Mr. Peabody to apologize, but Mr. Peabody tells him it would be as difficult to undo the rumor that he is a thief as it would be to pick up a pillow full of feathers that have been spread around by the wind. This great tale help kids of all ages realize the power of their words, and teaches a great lesson about spreading rumors.
Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct
Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
Have you ever been completely convinced you were right about something? You just knew it was true, but no one else seemed to care. This is what happens to poor Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie in Mo Willems’s Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. Despite his protests, no one in his town will accept the fact that the beloved dinosaur Edwina is extinct. Finally, after explaining, protesting, and YELLING, Edwina listens to him – she is indeed extinct. But Edwina decides she doesn’t care. She’s too busy making friends and baking chocolate chip cookies to worry about being extinct. Will Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie worry about being right, or will he decide that being friends with a chocolate chip cookie baking dinosaur is even better than knowing everything?
The Storyteller’s Candle
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
The Storyteller’s Candle (La velita de los cuentos) by Lucia Gonzalez and illustrated by Lulu Delacre. This story is about two cousins that moved to New York from Puerto Rico in the winter of 1929. They are missing their homeland and the sunny days of December in Puerto Rico. They are also worried about The Three Kings finding them in their new home in New York. One day, a magical thing happened at school. “A visitor appeared in their classroom, a gifted storyteller and librarian Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian in NY Public Library. She opened the children’s eyes to the public library and its potential to be the living, breathing heart of the community. The library, after all belongs to everyone – whether you speak English, Spanish or both.” The Storyteller’s Candle is a bilingual picture book. It honors the real-life Pura Belpre, the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library System, who actively advocated bilingual story hours, bought Spanish language books, and implemented programs based on traditional holidays.
The Napping House
Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
Anyone who loves Good Night Moon, will want to check out The Napping House by Audrey Wood, and illustrated by Don Wood. This book, about a house where everyone from Granny down to the mouse sleeps in the same bed on a rainy afternoon, will have kids smiling as they look for the little animals on each page, and laughing as the “wakeful flea” sends the napping house into an uproar. The exaggerated drawings capture the silly feel of the book. And the colors – either soft or bright, show the feelings of the characters perfectly. This simple story with wonderful illustrations will be a favorite for parents and kids to read together.
Just In Case
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Just in Case by YuYi Morales. Senor Calavera receives an invitation to Grandma Beetle’s birthday party, and he can’t wait to go. A moan from beyond the grave reminds Calavera, the not-too-scary skeleton, that he’s forgetting a present. Calavera must choose something that Grandma Beetle will love the most. He picks something that starts with each letter of the Spanish alphabet, from “Un acordeon, an accordion for her to dance to,” to “Yerba buena, good herb to soothe her day.” For each gift Calavera chooses, Zelmiro, the ghost, praises the skeleton’s choices but cautions him to keep searching for something better, “just in case!” The characters are full of life, the colors are vibrant, and the whimsical side to this trickster tale will make it a must read for children. Also relates to a Spanish holiday called Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos.
Jellybeans
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Jellybeans by Sylvia van Ommen is strange and wonderful. It begins with a rabbit named George getting a text message. The message is from George’s friend, a cat name Oscar, who suggests they get together in the park to eat jellybeans and drink hot chocolate. When they’re sitting under a tree enjoying their snacks Oscar begins a philosophical discussion about what might happen when they die. Will they go to heaven? Can they meet up at the entrance? What if they don’t recognize each other? Is there going to be jellybeans in the afterlife? This book is a fantastic way to discuss the passing of a loved one in a kid-friendly style that is not scary, but hopeful.