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
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
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
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
Read about the author, Margaret Wild. Check out illustrator, Freya Blackwood's website. Current world events had me thinking of this book, and I knew I had to check it out from the library again. The text and illustrations make the theme of this book accessible to children in kindergarten through 3rd grade, but I could… Continue reading Big Picture 4: Resilience
Check out Donna Janell Bowman and Daniel Minter's websites. After I purchased this at my son's Scholastic Book Fair (for myself--doesn't everyone love Book Fairs?!), I am sad to admit that it sat on my desk collecting dust for a few months before I finally decided to read it. And now that I have, I… Continue reading Big Picture 2: Kindness
Check out Author-Illustrator, Juana Martinez-Neal's website. Wow! Juana Martinez-Neal's book, Zonia's Rain Forest, delivers a powerful message in so few words. There are multiple "big picture" ideas you can take from this book, but for your sake (and mine), I am going to stay focused on the issue of deforestation. If you haven't read this… Continue reading Big Picture 1: Deforestation
LITTLE BIG PICTURE BOOKS 