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How did the book you are holding get to you? Cooper traces the creation of a book from an artist's quiet seaside studio to her publisher's office in a bustling town to a busy printing facility. Packed into a truck, the completed volumes travel cross country to arrive in a city, where they are delivered to a library, and eventually make into the hands of an enthusiastic child. The text poetically describes this journey, highlighting the creativity, hard work, and expertise packed into a book "made with love." The watercolor artwork is filled with details that encourage readers to linger and look again and again. On the final pages, the child is inspired to begin work on her own masterpiece, making the perfect segue into a writing/art project. For another story about publishing with a bit more detail, try Mac Barnett's hilarious How This Book Was Made. Ages 4 - 8 Books; Authors and Illustrators; Publishing Process; Creative Writing |
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Ever curious about the world around her, Hana soon understands that many answers can be found in nonfiction books, and fiction books are just as enjoyable! After consuming all of the volumes in her home (even the dictionary), and at her friends' houses, and the rest of the houses on the block, her mother takes her to the library. A bit overwhelmed by all of the choices, Hana finds a way to choose — and share the books she loves the most. Ages 4 - 8 Books and Reading; Libraries |
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C larisse, a clever cat who loves books, stumbles upon a "magical building" where people enter empty-handed and emerge with piles of books. However, when she makes her way inside, she is quickly evicted by the "keeper of the books." Sneaking in again through the book drop, she meets a girl who is eager to practice her skills deciphering those "dark, squiggly lines" and read aloud to her. Not only does Clarisse discover the power of words but she also cements her place in the library as the read-aloud cat. Did you know that PPLD has a Paws to Read program that invites kids practice their reading skills and gain confidence by reading aloud to a dog? Ages 4 - 8 Books and Reading; Libraries; Cats |
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As a boy reads the book he has just written aloud, his sister sabotages his sprightly rhyming verses by chiming in with her own word choices: "She ruined every rhyming verse,/ so now my story sounds much--// MORE MAGNIFICENT!" (young listeners and readers will be unable to resist supplying the word that was expected). The tale takes a few surprising and hilarious plot twists, climaxing with the siblings learning to work together for a satisfying ending. Packed with amusing illustrations and great vocabulary words, this laugh-out-loud story makes a great springboard into creative writing—and rhyming! Ages 4 - 8 Books and Reading; Creative Writing; Rhyme; Siblings |
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The introverted title character from this funny early reader series once again lives up to his name. Wolf's library book is overdue, but he does not want to return it when the library is "filled with noisy kids having fun." After trying several creative yet farfetched methods to return the book (like sneaking it into a hiker's book-filled backpack), Wolf must head to the library, and despite the perils (including a little boy who covers everything he touches with snot), he is ultimately successful — and even checks out a new book! Cartoon artwork and droll humor make this a fun read aloud, while the book's short chapters and brief text make it appealing to beginning readers. Check out the other books in the series! Ages 4 - 9 Books and Reading; Libraries; Introverts |
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This playful retelling of Lewis Carroll's classic tale is set in Alaska and stars Alice, dressed in a fur-lined parka, who is taking a nap while out with her sister and their sled dogs. When she sees a white rabbit descending into a glacier, she dives after it, entering into a fantastical world where she meets creatures such as the Great Auk, the Grinning Smilodon (depicted as a saber-toothed cat), and the Queen of Hearts (a snowy owl). The plot follows the original, providing a fun opportunity for readers to make comparisons: how have the characters been recast? What is different or the same about the setting? Is the language similar to the original? The realistic details in the artwork might also encourage kids to explore Alaska's flora and fauna. Ages 8 - 12 Books and Reading; Adaptations of Classic Stories; Alaska |
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Readers meet Margery Williams as a child growing up in London with a father who encouraged her imagination to soar. Throughout her life, despite facing difficult times, she found comfort and joy in the power of imagination. Watching her own children play with their well-loved, ragged toys, and recalling her own childhood "friends" who seemed very real to her, she was inspired to write The Velveteen Rabbit, originally published in 1922 and republished many times since. Quotes from the book are included throughout the engaging text, and the artwork combines historical detail with a touch of wonder. Additional biographical details and tips for activities for readers to share with their own favorite toys are included. Pair this book with The Velveteen Rabbit and discuss the idea of how and where authors find inspiration. You can find several of the characters from The Velveteen Rabbit in Becoming Real! Ages 5 - 9 Authors; Well-known Stories; Artistic Inspiration; Biography |
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Add this very simple yet informative book to any fairy tale section in your homeschool curriculum. Jane Yolen's poetic text introduces the life of Hans Christian Anderson in a charming story about a boy whose mother told him all the fairy tales she had been told as a child, who dreamed of being a writer but had never been to school, who wanted to be a poet but did not know his ABCs. Enchanting illustrations create a sense of time and place while also expanding upon moments of imagination. An author's note provides extra information. Pair this with picture book versions of some of Andersen's well-known tales and discuss why his own story is "more like a fairy tale than a life." Authors; Fairy Tales; Well-known Stories; Biography |
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Barbara is introduced as a young girl who looked around and saw everything, whether she was spending summers in Maine with her family or back home in New York. The illustrations are full of color and life and really draw readers inside the story. Barbara grew up and illustrated children’s books, most of these being glimpses into the past—historical fiction in picture books! Do an author study: first, read Mackenzie's book about Barbara Cooney's life. Next, read and compare Angela Burke Kunkel's World More Beautiful, another beautifully illustrated biography about Cooney. Then check out her beloved picture books, including Chanticleer and the Fox, Ox-Cart Man, Miss Rumphius, and more! Authors; Illustrators; Women's History; Biography |
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Have you read Syndey Taylor's "All-of-a-Kind Family" series? If not, consider adding these books about five sisters growing in New York City's East Side in the early 1900s to your family's read aloud list! These timeless tales are also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats. Syndey Taylor (born Sarah Brenner in 1904) grew up in a hardworking, poor immigrant family in New York City. Her family came to America to escape the persecution of Jews in Europe. Her homelife was loving and caring, and Sarah, who renamed herself Sydney at age 14, wrote about growing up in this family in her series of books. Colorful illustrations provide details about the characters and settings, and additional information about the author's life can be found in the appendix. Authors; Women's History; Biography; Jewish Immigrants; Life in the 1900s |
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This lovely biography begins with an opening that will inspire all some-day artists: "This little girl will grow up to draw pictures that will wing their way around the world, flying to faraway places. Her pictures will be held in millions of hands — maybe even yours.” The book begins with Baynes' childhood in India before moving on to her time in a boarding school in England (where lonely days were filled with reading books), service during World War II (making maps for the navy), beginnings as an artist, and how she gained the attention of Lewis and Tolkien. Schon's illustrations have a fittingly old-timey flair and work perfectly with the text to tell the story of Baynes' life as one of service, imagination, and perseverance. Information at the back of the book fills in more details about her life. Ages 6 - 10 Illustrators; Women's History; Biography; Classics |
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Raised up in Baltimore listening to her grandmother's tales about Br'er Rabbit and King Aurthur, Augusta always understood the life-changing power of a story. Later on, after attending college in Albany, New York, she became a children's librarian at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem in 1937. Throughout her career, she dedicated herself to locating "honest, caring depictions of Black folks" to serve as inspiration to her community, curating a book collection and sharing booklists far and wide, while also gifting the world with the storytelling that she had loved since childhood. Ages 5 - 8 Storytellers; Children's Librarians; Books; African American Biography |
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A Jewish newspaper reporter who left Germany during Hitler's rise to power, Lepman returned to the country after WWII as an advisor for the Allied forces on "the cultural and educational needs of women and children." Viewing the destruction, starvation, and suffering that children experienced in post-war Germany, she felt sure that the way forward involved nourishing the soul: she would introduce German children to people and ideas from around the world through children's books donated by other countries, thus promoting international understanding. Told through a lengthy and engaging text, atmospheric artwork, and the occasional photograph, this story of a trailblazing book advocate is packed with historical details and personal passion. Ages 8 - 12 World History; Post-war Life; Women's History; Children's Libraries; Books; Biography |
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Pikes Peak Library District
P.O. Box 1579, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80901
(719) 531-6333https://ppld.org/ |
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