Books
JEAN CAN TEACH, the sound of ea
The Child’s World, Jan 1, 2020
ISBN: 1503835367
Simple text and repetition of the vowel blend ‘ea’ help readers learn how to use this sound. Also included are a word list for review, a note to parents and educators, and an introduction to the author.
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early reader, literacy, nonfiction, vowel blendsWHO IS JACKIE CHAN?
Illustrated by Gregory Copeland
Penguin Workshop, February 4, 2020
ISBN: 9781524791636
How did Jackie Chan become one of the most recognizable and beloved actors in the world? Find out in this exciting biography of this martial artist turned international film superstar.
When Kong-sang was a young boy in Hong Kong, he enjoyed practicing martial arts with his dad but hated going to school. He was eventually enrolled in the China Drama Academy, where he improved his martial arts skills and became a stuntman. That training led to a successful career as an actor. Kong-sang, now known as Jackie Chan, never gave up on his passion for screwball physical comedy. Luckily for Jackie, his determination paid off. His humor and dangerous stuntwork in films like Cannonball Run, Rush Hour, Shanghai Noon, and Karate Kid have made him an international star, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving the big screen anytime soon.
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actor, biography, China, Drama academy, martial arts, nonfictionEMERGENCY KITTENS!
Illustrated by Dave Mottram
Random House/Doubleday, January 7, 2020
Got a problem? Having a tough day? Maybe you need… EMERGENCY KITTENS!!!!!
Who needs boring ol’ superheroes who leap giant buildings and run faster than locomotives when your day can be saved by the cuddly, super-cute, full-on feline charm of Mimi, Twee-Twee, and Adorbs, aka EMERGENCY KITTENS!!!
Meet the EMERGENCY KITTENS, a trio of furry, gentle superheroes who come to the rescue with their incredible cuteness when the going gets tough. When bullies steal Sheldon’s ball in the playground, a pack of your usual, everyday, human caped crusaders leaps to the rescue. But when their showy feats of strength and agility fail to impress, some real heroes step in to save the day: EMERGENCY KITTENS!!! With their unending cuteness and unforgivably adorable purrs, this mighty trio of fluffy goodness turns any sticky situation into one of pure cuddles.
Pages of silly, good-natured giggles await any kid who loves superheroes, cats, or really funny read-alouds. And parents and teachers will like the gentle way this story subtly teaches that kindness and cuddles can often solve a problem that strength and muscle cannot.
Free Coloring Pages! Click the image you want.
Reviewers love EMERGENCY KITTENS!
“These kitties will win hearts with a glossy-eyed glance.”—Kirkus
“In Emergency Kittens, readers meet Mimi, Twee-Twee and Adorbs who make everything better. And one look at the cover and it is pretty clear why.
When a group of kids won’t give Sheldon his basketball back, it’s up to this trio of felines to save the day. What is their super power? Even this dog fan is mesmerized by their immense kitty cuteness. Shaffer’s text is so fun and Mottram’s illustrations are utterly adorable.”—Beagles and Books
“When life serves up calamities that even costumed superheroes can’t handle, here come Mimi, Twee-Twee, and Adorbs—all perky ears, huge, HUGE dilated eyes, and radiant preciousness—mewing, “We make everything better!” Case in point: when his basketball bounces by accident into the hands of a trio of smirking bullies, naive young Sheldon first calls on a corps of spandex-clad crimefighters (“To the playground and beyond!”) for help, only to see them flummoxed by their adversaries’ b-ball keep-away skills. But stand back for the Emergency Kittens, who chase and pounce and stare so fetchingly with bottomless eyes that, in no time, Sheldon has his ball back and those punks are dazzled into bully goo. Even hardened skeptics will fall to helpless babbling at each glimpse of the fuzzy felines gamboling through Mottram’s bright suburban scenes. Perhaps not every disaster can be remedied by irresistible cuteness, but for those that can, remember the kittens’ tagline: “We’re always here FUR you!” Awww.” — John Peters, Booklist
“For real, these kitties will save you. And this story will knock you out with its hilarity, wit, and supreme pacing and voice…the first page, which begins the story with what I can only describe as one of the most perfect set ups I’ve ever read…I could read this book aloud over and over again (usually in an action film voice-over style), which is the true test of a picture book’s quality for me. The plot arcs in such a satisfying way (spoiler: the three dynamic heroes help a boy who’s being bullied), and with funny, madcap, and surprising language. And the ending…while it finishes this story, it’s totally apparent there could be other adventures for these Emergency Kittens. I certainly hope so.” —Alli Brydon, Author
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bully, bullying, cats, fiction, kittens, superheroesIT’S A FIELD TRIP, BUSY BUS!
Illustrated by Claire Messer
Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster, September 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1534440814
It’s a Field Trip Coloring Sheet
Busy Bus takes a field trip—and becomes a little jealous of a shiny red fire truck—in a warm-hearted sequel to It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! This darling picture book offers a gentle exploration of jealousy and a reminder that we each have our own unique talents that make us special.
Today is Busy Bus’s very first field trip! He takes the children to a fire house, where they meet Engine Four, a big, shiny, red firetruck. Engine Four has a hose to put out fires, a ladder to reach tall buildings, and a loud and impressive siren. Busy Bus has none of these things. Will the children still like him?
“Will an earnest school bus get the recognition it deserves?
Colorful, digitally enhanced lino prints and clear, minimal text tell the tale of a yellow bus, aka Busy Bus, on his first field trip. Unfortunately for Busy Bus, the trip is to a fire station to visit a fire truck. To the bus, the fire truck seems superior in every way; it is red, shiny, and huge, with hoses, a ladder, and a siren. Busy Bus looks close to tears—until the station’s captain mentions that there are some things the fire truck can’t do that Busy Bus can: protect children with a stop arm, carry students to and from school, bring kids on trips. An accessible tale of the pitfalls of invidious comparison and the importance of appreciating differences, this deceptively simple description of the ups and downs of new experiences, first field trips, and the characteristics of different vehicles will especially appeal to toddlers and young preschoolers who love buses and trucks. The children are a diverse crew, and their teacher is a black man—a welcome sight, as is the fact that the (light-skinned) firefighter captain is a woman.
Caregivers will find this to be a good conversation starter on topics such as strengths and weaknesses, insecurity, differences, and competition.” (Picture book. 4-8)
School Library Journal:
“VERDICT Many preschool classrooms have a unit of community helpers, and this satisfying story will be perfect for such a unit.”
Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA , Jul 31, 2019
Full review here.
Unpacking the Power of Picture Books:
“As I wrote this draft and saved it to publish now, I had time to think about the importance of young children developing confidence and agency, how they learn to trust older and more experienced kids and adults. I marveled again at the skill in storytelling and simple imagery that brings BUSY BUS to life as so much more than a machine or a character. BUSY BUS is truly a friend to the reader, and a heroic model for the courage he summons despite his self-doubt.” -Sandy Brehl
Full review here.
Bookroo
It’s a Field Trip, Busy Bus! is a “fabulous book about field trips!” See review here.
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bus, fiction, jealousy, picture books, school bus, sequelIT’S YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUSY BUS!
Illustrated by Claire Messer
Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster, July 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1481494670
FREE to download
BUSY BUS coloring page
Discussion and Activity Guide
It’s the first day of school! But is Busy Bus ready? Find out in this darling picture book that showcases the excitement and worries little ones experience as they prepare for their first day.
Today is the very first day of school! Busy Bus is excited, but he also has some first-day jitters. Will the children like him? Will he be homesick? What if he gets lost?! Luckily, bus driver Ben knows just what to do to make sure that the school year gets off to a great start.
Praise for BUSY BUS…
School Library Journal – PreS-Gr 1–Although Busy Bus is nervous about meeting the children, Ben the bus driver performs final preparations for the first day by checking the tires, windshield wipers, and other safety precautions to reassure Busy Bus before they pick up the children. The illustrations, created with lino prints, black ink, and digital colors, use rounded shapes and a soft, limited color palette. Each scene takes up the full page spread and the illustrations make good use of white space, especially when framing Busy Bus’s most intense moments of anxiety about whether he will miss home or make new friends. The words and pictures together create the gentle introduction to the school bus and leave readers with the knowledge that Busy Bus is safe, clean, and ready for a great school year. VERDICT An excellent read-aloud for young children, especially during the first weeks of the school year or if children have worries about riding the school bus. – Kelly Topita
Publisher’s Weekly full review is here! “Fans of stories about trucks and how things work will enjoy the behind-the-scenes action at the bus barn…”
Kirkus full review is here! “For vehicle enthusiasts just starting school.”
Youth Services Book Review is here! “A perfect back to school read aloud…This is the perfect addition to back-to -school themed story times or one on one sharing.”
Celebrate Picture Books
Everyday Reading
Unleashing Readers
Everyday Reading
Writing and Illustrating
Kirsti Call
Beagles and Books
Unpacking the Power of Picture Books
Bookworm for Kids
Working Mother
Amazon Book Review
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bus, fiction, first day of school, picture books, school busCITY AND COUNTRY
National Geographic Kids, Sept 19, 2017
ISBN: 9781426328862
Adult and child readers will learn all about urban and rural areas together in this new Co-reader from National Geographic Kids Readers will take a tour through cities and rural areas around the world to learn what life is like downtown, in a farm community, in the mountains, and all around.
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nonfictionA CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK
- Iowa Goldfinch Award finalist 2021-2022
- Alabama Camellia Award finalist 2021-2022
Illustrated by Daniel Miyares
Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin, Feb 20, 2018
ISBN: 9780399173882
FREE Download A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK Discussion and Activity Guide
A plucky pebble shows true grit as he travels the country trying to find out if he fits in with any of his famous rock-formation relatives.
Rocky comes from a long line of rock stars! Uncle Gibraltar, Aunt Etna, and Great-Grandma Half Dome are just some of the legendary rock formations he calls family. It’s no wonder he wants to matter in a big way too–but it’s not easy trying to get a foothold. Rocky gets tossed by The Wave and driven away at Devil’s Tower–but he’s determined not to allow these pitfalls to chip away at his confidence. Rather than feeling crushed, he keeps on rolling, hoping to become the rock-star he knows he’s meant to be.
Read the complete Kirkus review here
“Young readers will root for this less-than-pint–sized hero while he makes the most of his own personal talents…
Replete with wry, comic references and infused with a sense of adventure, this is a lighthearted tale that readers will certainly not “take for granite.” (Picture book. 4-8)”
Read the complete Publishers Weekly review here
“…Shaffer (Prudence the Part-Time Cow) comes up with lots of ways a rock can travel and uses every geological pun she can think of (“It was clear the two of them didn’t share the same sediment”). Rock hounds and teachers doing earth science units are a natural audience. Ages 5–8”
Let’s Talk Picture Books review here
Read. Learn. Repeat. review here
More reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal!
“Miyares’ vivid illustrations, painted in watercolor and acrylics, give this story momentum—paneled sequences depict stages of Rocky’s journey—and reflect the grandeur of many of America’s geologic marvels. An afterword on rock types and formations creates a natural segue for discussions on geology or geography, while the encouraging message of dreaming big grounds the playful story.”—Booklist
“Word play is peppered throughout the text. . . . The illustrations . . . depict amusing scenes of Rocky’s perilous journey and some impressive spreads of the majestic rock formations. This title may be a jumping-off point for a group discussion of perseverance in the face of obstacles as well as an introduction to famous rock formations.”—School Library Journal
Interview on Writers’ Rumpus here!
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earth science, fiction, picture books, rock cycle, rock pun, rock sciencePRUDENCE THE PART-TIME COW
- Missouri Show Me Award finalist 2019-2020
- Florida Literacy Association’s Children’s Book Award nominee 2018-2019
- Missouri’s choice to represent the state at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on September 2, 2017!
BIG NEWS! I’m selling personalized and autographed copies of PRUDENCE THE PART-TIME COW for $15 (S&H included, US only)! Just email me, and I’ll get back with you! Thanks so much for your support!
Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
Henry Holt, June 13, 2017
ISBN: 9781627796156
Download the Discussion & Activity Guide PDF
Print the Prudence Coloring Page
Prudence looks like a full-time cow—she wanders through pastures, she swats flies, and she lines up for supper. But Prudence is a part-time cow—she is also a scientist, an architect, and an inventor, studying and building and dreaming and creating. To the other cows in the herd, Prudence is a bit too part-time. She’s just too different to be part of the herd. At first Prudence tries to fit in, suppressing all her scientific smarts and imaginative inventing. But in a moment of inspiration—Cow Power!—Prudence realizes how to show the others that she can be a part-time cow and a full-time member of the herd. Funny and sweet, this is a story for anyone who’s ever felt a bit different.
July 11, 2017 Celebrate Picture Books
“Jody Jensen Shaffer’s moooving and funny story of a cow with a scientific bent will delight kids. Little ones who think differently will empathize with Prudence’s wish to be herself while also fitting in with the herd. As the cows stand around in a pond and huddle under a tree, Shaffer offers a wink to the crowd mentality and peer pressure that can foster inaction and clone-like behavior. Prudence makes a gentle, but determined role model as a thinker who won’t be cowed by others’ opinions. Prudence the Part-Time Cow would be a wonderful addition to school and classroom libraries as well as to home bookshelves.”
https://goo.gl/3t4Skq
May 1, 2017 Publisher’s Weekly
“Shaffer (The Way the Cookie Crumbled) creates a sympathetic outsider in Prudence, whose dedication to self-betterment—and the sciences—should resonate with any reader who feels pigeonholed or underappreciated.”
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-62779-615-6
School Library Journal
“K-Gr 2–Prudence looks and acts like any other cow, but in reality, she’s only a part-time pasture resident. A lifelong reader, she is also a scientist and architect, and she peruses the pages of Bovine Engineering in her spare time. The rest of the cows don’t see her as “normal” and certainly NOT “part of the herd.” Prudence calculates water temperature and wind speed while standing in the pond, counts the calves as they leave the water, and comes up with inventions to help her friends, but the other cows insist, “She’ll never be one of us.” Colorful digital art with cartoon humor gives readers plenty of visual clues while Prudence suffers humiliation and attempts to establish her place. It takes a bit of “Cow Power” as Prudence harnesses her creative strengths to find her role among the other cows. Readers will appreciate her newly expanded role and her determination to be a full-time member of the herd. VERDICT A recommended general purchase for libraries with budding scientists and persistent, late-night readers. This tale speaks to creative minds just trying to fit in.”–Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano Independent School District, TX
May 15, 2017 Booklist
“Most of the time, Prudence doesn’t mind being a cow—grazing, lolling in the sun, and sleeping in the barn are all okeydokey—but the rest of the time, Prudence is eager to study her surroundings and build contraptions. The rest of the herd doesn’t have much patience for Prudence’s inventions, since her experiments often lead to mild mayhem in the barn. Soon, though, the other cows mock Prudence for her curiosity and odd devices, and the pink-coiffed bovine starts feeling downtrodden. She has a eureka moment, however, when she realizes she can build some contraptions to solve problems around the pasture, and the rest of the herd starts appreciating Prudence for her scientific mind. Laberis’ energetic, stylized illustrations of candy-colored, cartoonish cows perfectly capture the comical contrast between Prudence’s oblivious experiments and the subsequent havoc she wreaks on her fellow cows. Comics-style speech balloons and over-the-top reactions add to the levity, and the ultimate message of valuing differences is a great one. This merry, animated picture book will have storytime listeners rolling in the aisles.”
— Sarah Hunter
https://www.booklistonline.com/Prudence-the-Part-Time-Cow-Jody-Jensen-Shaffer/pid=8755019
May 11, 2017 Jen Robinson’s Book Page
“Libraries looking for pro-STEM books, especially pro-STEM books with female characters, will definitely want to give Prudence the Part-Time Cow a look. Recommended!”
http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2017/05/prudence-the-part-time-cow-jody-jensen-shaffer-and-stephanie-laberis.html
May 2, 2017 Unpacking the Power of Picture Books
“This is an original take on a non-conforming cow, incorporating elements of peer-pressure and bullying, expressing individuality, and adding a dose of STEM topics into the mix. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Prudence and her herd are cows you’ll want to meet.”
http://unpackingpicturebookpower.blogspot.com/
April 11, 2017 Little Crooked Cottage
“Snappy text + humorous details in the illustrations + a message of individuality (with some girl… er… cow-power thrown in) = a satisfying read.”
http://thelittlecrookedcottage.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-little-crooked-bookshelf-two-for.html
Kids Author Stays Busy During Fall, Winter, January 2019, Courier-Tribune
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cow, fiction, picture books, self-acceptance, STEMFiction
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early reader, fiction, picture booksYOU CAN TOO! : SUCCESS AFTER FAILURE
Time for Kids/Teacher Created Materials, October 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1425849900
What do the airplane, the escalator, the vacuum cleaner, and the Polaroid camera have in common? It took many, many attempts to perfect these inventions. But the people who invented them persevered and did not give up on their ideas. With TIME For Kids content, this nonfiction book will engage students in reading about inventions as they build their comprehension, vocabulary, and literacy skills. The Reader’s Guide and culminating activity direct students back to the text as they develop their higher-order thinking skills. Check It Out! provides resources for additional reading and learning. With text features such as a glossary, index, and table of contents, this book aligns with national and state standards and will keep students engaged in reading.