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Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Spotlight: Don't Wake The Dragon by Bianca Schulze



It's the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, and what's the best way to spend the longest night of the year? Curled up with a great bedtime read of course? Today I'm spotlighting one of my most anticipated picture books of 2020, which is now available to pre-order...


Written by Bianca Schulze 
Illustrated by Samara Hardy 

Shhh! Be very quiet. The rascally dragon is finally asleep. But, when the page turned, the breeze blew the door shut with a BANG! Did it wake up the dragon? Create a fantastic bedtime experience by reading this interactive story featuring a reluctant-to-sleep dragon - a character that children will surely relate! Designed to be read aloud, parents will take pleasure in the playful text as much as children will enjoy hearing it. When the story finally comes to an end, and the gentle lullaby is repeated, the dragon - and your child! - are encouraged to drift off to sleep. 
 Ages 2-6 | Publisher: Clever Publishing | May 19, 2020 | ISBN-13: 978-1949998641 
  
PURCHASE LINKS 
   


Bianca Schulze is the founder and editor of The Children's Books Review - a resource devoted to children's literature and literacy. Bianca is also the bestselling author of 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up, an Amazon "Book of the Month" in 2016. She is a reader, reviewer, mother, and children's book lover. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Bianca now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado. 
  
OFFICIAL LINKS 
  
OFFICIAL LINKS FOR CLEVER PUBLISHING 




Download this fun Don't Wake The Dragon activity sheet:


What fun and exciting books will you and your little readers be enjoying this Winter Solstice?



Friday, December 20, 2019

New and Upcoming Picture Books To Enjoy This Winter


Today I'm sharing some great new and upcoming picture books for you and your little readers to enjoy this winter...


NEW PICTURE BOOKS 

Freedom Soup 
By Tami Charles 
Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara 
December 10, 2019 
Candlewick Press 
Join the celebration in the kitchen as a family makes their traditional New Year's soup -- and shares the story of how Haitian independence came to be.  The shake-shake of maracas vibrates down to my toes. Ti Gran's feet tap-tap to the rhythm.  Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating back to the Haitian Revolution. This year, Ti Gran is teaching Belle how to make the soup -- Freedom Soup -- just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle's family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle's family is from. In this celebration of cultural traditions passed from one generation to the next, Jacqueline Alcantara's lush illustrations bring to life both Belle's story and the story of the Haitian Revolution. Tami Charles's lyrical text, as accessible as it is sensory, makes for a tale that readers will enjoy to the last drop. 

Freedom Soup is a beautiful celebration of the history of Haitian freedom, family, and tradition. Together, author Tami Charles and illustrator Jacqueline Alcantara create a joyful, exuberant story bursting with warm storytelling, powerful history, and gorgeously colored, kinetic illustrations. 


With All My Heart 
By Stephanie Stansbie and Rihard Smythe 
December 3, 2019 
Silver Dolphin Books 
This illustrated picture book with die-cut pages is the perfect read to share with your little one!   Share the love between a parent and child in With All My Heart. This beautifully illustrated picture book showcases the lifelong love a parent has for their child. Each page features sweet text paired with shaped die cuts for a unique reading experience. With All My Heart is the perfect book to cuddle up with and to express the endless love between a parent and child. 

With All My Heart is a heartwarming celebration about the relationship between child and caregiver. Sweet, charming rhymes, lush nature scenes, adorable animal characters, and neat die-cuts burst off every page, creating a story as warm and comforting as a hug! 

Snowy Farm 
By Calvin Shaw 
Illustrated by Oamul Lu 
November 5, 2019 
Simon & Schuster 
A magical and lyrical fantasy about a family of farmers who live in a shimmering, frosty house in a snowy white world, where warmth of each other is all they need to be cozy and happy.  There’s a snowy white windmill on a snowy white farm with a frosty old house and a snow covered barn.  And so begins this enchanting story of a family in a frozen land whose quiet and simple way of family life is all they need. This fantastical picture book from debut author Calvin Shaw and internationally renowned illustrator Oamul Lu is sure to warm hearts and become a perennial family favorite. 

Snowy Farm is sweetly charming look at one family’s life on their picturesque snowy farm. Whimsical fantasy, fun rhymes, and lovely wintry scenes will delight readers of all ages! 


The Friendship Book 
By Mary Lyn Ray 
Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin 
December 17, 2019 
HMH BFYR 
With charming art and poetry, this honest primer on friendship, and companion to The Thank You Book, captures the many ways friendships are formed and what it means to be a friend.  Perfect for fans of I Like You and A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You.   Sometimes being friends begins all at once And sometimes it takes a while to get acquainted But then, as some small knowing grows, You start feeling that feeling That comes with having a friend—   Exploring the many shapes friendships take and how being a friend can be a gift in itself, this thoughtful and authentic primer on friendship invites readers to celebrate the wonders of companionship. 

This little book is full of big heart! The Friendship Book is a tender and heartfelt celebration of friendship. Little readers will be charmed by the lyrical poetry and delighted by the sweet, engaging illustrations. 

UPCOMING PICTURE BOOKS 
Beehive 
By Jorey Hurley 
January 7, 2020 
Simon & Schuster 
Acclaimed author Jorey Hurley shows us how bees make and store honey in this bold and graphic picture book that includes informative backmatter on the process.  With just one word on each page and the vivid illustrations Jorey Hurley is known for, Beehive showcases the cycle of bees making honey. Detailed backmatter further explains this fascinating natural process. 

With its bold graphics and minimal, yet carefully chosen text, Beehive is a cleverly unique and captivating picture book. Hurley perfectly captures the fascinating and complex world of honeybees and offers little readers an unforgettable experience.  


Cowie 
By Elizabeth Rose Stanton 
January 7, 2020 
Simon & Schuster 
Cowie is a donkey who feels like a cow on the inside. Will his friends help him make his dream come true? Find out in this sweetly told story about discovering your true self.  Cowie was born a donkey but he knows he’s meant to be a cow. He wants to be a cow. Cows can graze in the meadow all day long and no one asks them to carry heavy packages. So, he stands with the cows in the barn but nothing happens. Will his dream ever come true, he wonders. Can Mousie and Duckie help Cowie feel happy in his own skin? 

Cowie is the tender tale about the sweetest donkey, Cowie, who longs to be a cow, and the loyal friends who help him discover how special he already is. Cute storytelling, fun farm scenes, and a lot of heart combine together to create a giggle-inducing and heartfelt story. 


The Girl and the Dinosaur 
By Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini 
January 14, 2020 
Bloomsbury 
For fans of The Antlered Ship, this evocative, beautifully illustrated picture book celebrates one girl's limitless imagination.  The wishing stars burn bright tonight, the air is thick with dreams And a deeply sleeping dinosaur is waking up it seems . . .  In a little town by the seaside, Marianne can often be found foraging on the beach. But she isn’t playing with children her own age; instead Marianne is alone, digging for dinosaur bones. When she finds an entire skeleton, she names him Bony and vows to become his best friend.  That night, she goes to sleep wishing with all her heart that her dinosaur might come to life . . . and her wish comes true. Together, a girl and her dinosaur’s adventures are only limited by their imagination. 

With enchanting imagination, fantastical storytelling, and dreamy illustrations, The Girl and the Dinosaur is a spectacular and spellbinding tale! Little readers will be absolutely captivated by this wonderfully whimsical and utterly gorgeous picture book.