Author: hansenjc13

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Big Picture 14: Small Wonders, Big Possibilities

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In the Palm of My Hand, written by Jennifer Raudenbush, illustrated by Isabella Conti. Although April in Chicago had its fair share of gray skies and blustery winds, it teased us with sunshine, warmth, and brilliant blue skies. May brings promises of more beautiful weather and more time spent outdoors, making In the Palm of… Continue reading Big Picture 14: Small Wonders, Big Possibilities

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Big Picture 13: Food Waste

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Fridge-opolis, written by Melissa Coffey, illustrated by Josh Cleland. April is here! And Earth Day is right around the corner, which is why I am very excited to share Melissa Coffey and Josh Cleland's book, Fridge-opolis. Fridge-opolis is a delightful read-aloud about a city dealing with pollution and overcrowding. If you haven't already guessed from… Continue reading Big Picture 13: Food Waste

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Big Picture 12: Immigration

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Cover of It's a Wonderful Story. Written by Amanda Rose, illustrated by Anne Rikta. When author, Amanda Rose, asked me if I would be interested in reading her picture book about a German immigration story, I jumped at the chance! Immigration stories are fascinating and, since my own family also immigrated from Germany, I had… Continue reading Big Picture 12: Immigration

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Big Picture 11: Kindness Carries

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As research for one of my manuscripts, I've been reading a lot of SEL (Social Emotional Learning) picture books. So far, some of my favorites include Allie All Along by Sarah Lynne Reul and Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse by Marcy Campbell; illustrated by Corinna Luyken. But when I came across Finding Kindness,… Continue reading Big Picture 11: Kindness Carries

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Big Picture 10: Sibling Bonds Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2023 Review

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Thursday, January 26th is Multicultural Children's Book Day (MCBD) and I am honored to be an official book reviewer once again. I was gifted the book, Sumo Joe, written by Mia Wenjen and illustrated by Nat Iwata. This book was published in 2019 by Lee and Low Books, Inc, which happens to be "the largest… Continue reading Big Picture 10: Sibling Bonds Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2023 Review

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Big Picture 9: Cycles

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Visit author Shelley Moore Thomas' website here and illustrator Melissa Castrillón's site here. Hello and Happy New Year! The New Year is the perfect time to reflect on beginnings and endings and this post features a book about both. Beginning is written by Shelley Thomas Moore, illustrated by Melissa Castrillón, and was released in 2022… Continue reading Big Picture 9: Cycles

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Big Picture 8: Emotional Intelligence

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Visit Deborah Marcero's website here. Browse her work, order a print, or purchase one of her books. I like to make my friends laugh by saying that everything I know, I learned from picture books, but in many cases it's true! The life lessons and knowledge gleaned from picture books are not to be underestimated.… Continue reading Big Picture 8: Emotional Intelligence

Teaching

Big Picture 6: Persistence

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Check out author, Julie Leung's website. Check out illustrator, Julie Kwon's website. May is Asian/Pacific Heritage Month and I am celebrating with a post about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American female pilot in the U.S. military. Hazel Ying Lee joined the military in 1943, when the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) program was… Continue reading Big Picture 6: Persistence