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Rhyming

Desert Girl, Monsoon boy

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Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

At first glance their lives couldn’t be more different. The nomad girl in the blistering dry desert fetches water and tends the camels, taking shelter from the howling sandstorms in her tent. The village boy in the green fields goes to school and tends the goats. He runs home as the monsoon rains begin, helping his family to seal the door and lift their belongings out of rising floodwaters. But as severe weather takes hold, as one family and their animals need water and the other needs dry safe ground, both families journey to the mountains, where they meet and celebrate their safety.
An eye-opening story of two branches of the Rabari people in India; the traditional nomadic herders of the desert and those settled in permanent villages who raise goats. Both groups struggle with weather extremes and climate change which threaten their livelihoods and lives . Author Archana Sreenivasan took special care to accurately portray the cultural distinctions between these two clans and her renderings are just beautiful. I love the illustrations in this story, especially the faces!

Find it in the catalog!

New Year’s Celebrations for Kids

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The New Year, a time to reflect on what has passed and to celebrate new beginnings, is just around the corner! How do you celebrate? These vibrant and lively stories offer a doorway inside two young girls’ celebration of family culture and tradition.  

 

Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport
Format: Book
Who it’s For: Kids

We set out with Shante on her quest to find the missing ingredient for her family’s New Year tradition.  Told in rhyme, this mission unfolds on the streets of Shante’s neighborhood but ultimately becomes a journey through the cultures and traditions of her neighbors too. By the end of the story,  it’s clear she can experience the beauty of the wide world just by looking at what makes the people she sees everyday unique.  What I love about this story are the underlying messages of diversity, community, teamwork and sharing! Also, included at the back of the book are a fun recipe to try at home and a resource for the cultures of other countries, their traditions and celebrations.

Find it in the catalog.

 

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
Format: Book, DVD, Digital Audiobook, Digital Movie
Who it’s For: Kids

In this story, we meet Belle and her Ti Gran as we are dropped into their gloriously delicious adventure in cooking set against a backdrop of their Haitian history.  The dynamic and bright pictures dance off the page taking us with them. You can almost feel and taste the freedom Ti Gran talks about while she cooks.  Luckily for us, the recipe for Freedom Soup is in the back of the book!   And as an extra tidbit, the author offers up a little information about the real Ti Gran as well!

Find it in the catalog and on Hoopla as an audiobook or streaming video.

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!

Summer Walk

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Title: Summer Walk by Virginia Brimhall Snow
Format: Book
Who It’s For: Kids (And Adults)

Are you looking for an engaging read that not only sparks your child’s imagination but gets their body moving?   With these times of social distancing and isolation it can be difficult to find safe, fun ways for our littles, and no so littles, to connect with the outside world.

In Summer Walk, we have a rhyming tale of a summer adventure shared between Grammy and her grandkids.  The story walks us along as they discover and identify 24 insects.  The detailed pencil sketches of this family unit form an intricate backdrop for the bold and colorful featured insects.  Following the story, there are fun insect facts, as well as, a nature themed craft and activity you and your child can do together.  They become the perfect learning extensions when you get back from your own Summer walk.

I love this book not only because it is a doorway to the outdoors which seamlessly melds learning with doing, but because it reminds me of my own children and the time they spent making memories with their Grammy.

Find it in the catalog , check it out and begin making your own summer memories today!

Spider in a Glider

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Spider in a Glider by Lesley Sims and David Semple
Format: Book
Who It’s For: Kids

Spider in a Glider is another in the wonderful series of Usborne Phonics Readers. With a great rhyming structure and a terrific story this one will keep your kiddos totally entertained! Spider, a highly accomplished string-spinner is not satisfied. More than anything she wants to fly. But even with her beautifully spun wings, it is just not working. Her friend Beetle has the same passion for flight and he invites Spider to join him in his spiffy homemade glider. They climb aboard and strap in. Dragonfly tows the glider up high in the air! They’re flying!! The two friends loop and glide and enjoy the amazing view, until a sudden thunderstorm pops up. Your littles will love reading about Spider and Beetle’s narrow escape and ongoing friendship. Grownups will also like the helpful phonics information in the back of the book and everyone will enjoy the clear colorful illustrations full of movement and joy.   If you liked Spider in a Glider, try Crow in the Snow, or Bee Makes Tea!

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1-2-3 A Calmer Me: Helping Children Cope When Emotions Get Out of Control

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1-2-3-A Calmer Me: Helping Children Cope When Emotions Get Out of Control by Colleen A. Patterson and Brenda S. Miles
Format: Children’s Picture Book
Who It’s for: Children and Caregivers

In this story, a little girl explains how she can get angry and frustrated sometimes. Like when she loses her balloon in the park. It is OK to get mad, but when you do, you can recite this rhyme.
1-2-3 a calmer me, 1-2-3 I hug me, 1-2-3 relax and b-r-e-a-t-h-e, 1-2-3 a calmer me.
The story introduces children to a simple rhyme they can use to slow down their bodies and stop mad feelings from spinning out of control.
The mantra or rhyme appears several times throughout this picture book whenever the little girl finds herself becoming upset from conflicts with friends, family and even while playing sports.

By memorizing the simple mantra, a child can use it to slow down their immediate reactions and replace them with words that are more comforting. The idea is based on the psychological principles of relaxation and mindfulness.

Find it in the Catalog