Continuing on our theme from yesterday with the four gift rule and one of them being something to read, I am sharing a round-up of new picture books that are perfect to make your younger readers happy!! The books range from alphabet books to biographies and more! The first one is The ABCs of Christmas by Jo Parker and illustrated by Flora Waycott.
This book is a board book or ebook. I got it digitally. It begins by telling the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. It does this on two pages and leaves a few details out. It doesn't really explain why his birth is a miracle but does call it one. There is nothing about Mary being a virgin. However for this age group, 3-5, it is probably fine. After the story it goes through the alphabet with a part of the story for each word.
The words in the alphabet pages are simple to read and the illustrations are colorful. I love how the people in the illustrations have a brown skin tone and not just white. I love that some of the letters share part of the magic of the Christmas season as well. It is a sweet book.
Ok, this book is not going to make it under your tree. It comes out in March. This is a musical picture book. It comes with a unique code to download recordings of the six songs performed by Sin and Swoon. The songs are classic folk songs that you probably sang as a child and are perfect to teach your own children. It includes "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain", "Little Bingo", "This Old Man", "Pop Goes the Weasel", "I've Been Working on the Railroad", and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". The words are the lyrics to the songs and their are illustrations. The songs have many verses as well.
The illustrations are fun and large. They are done in simple color combinations. It is a perfect book for introducing these songs, classes and more. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.
The next book is based from a folk tale from Scotland. It is The Legend of the First Unicorn by Lari Don and illustrations by Natasa Ilincic. It is a sweet tale about a prince who has lost his smile. It is the magician's granddaughter that creates the unicorn and helps bring his smile back. It has danger and magic as well as friendship and love. It is truly a sweet tale.
The illustrations are beautiful and the story is fun. I can see kids loving this tale. I love that it is the young girl that saves the day and brings the prince's smile back. This book is recommended for ages 4 to 7. I think it would be a well loved story for most kids in that range.
Our next two books are the two newest editions in the Ordinary People Change the World Series. This is one of our favorite series ever. Hazel and I really enjoyed watching Brad Meltzer's videos at the beginning of the pandemic where he read one of his books and shared a bit of his humor and personality with the viewers. I shared several of them on my Facebook page. Hazel fell in love with these books when she was young. The first book we are sharing is I Am Benjamin Franklin by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos.
This book shares a bit of Benjamin Franklin's accomplishments with the reader. It is full of information about his life but focuses on the part of how Ben Franklin wanted to improve himself and others as well as the world. I love how these books always share a lesson or theme throughout the person's life story. This book shows Benjamin's curiosity from a young age and how hard he truly worked and many of his amazing inventions and accomplishments.
The other new book in the series is I Am Anne Frank again by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. I love that they made this book. It introduces younger kids to Anne Frank and her life and diary. It is a wonderful preview of her book that they can read when they are older. It shares her love of writing and reading and of course her religion and the struggles her family had. It also shares that she was killed in the holocaust and how telling her story helps us remember it and make sure it doesn't happen again.
Her message is one of hope. She believes there are good people in the world. Such an important message especially in this year.
Our next book is The International Day of the Girl: Celebrating Girls Around the World by Jessica Dee Humphreys and the Honorable Rona Ambrose and illustrated by Simone Shin. The United Nations dedicated October 11th to be the International Day of the Girl. This book tells a bit about that historic moment as well as shares stories based on girls who helped them realize the need for this day. Girls have issues that boys do not have throughout the world. Girls may be in more danger. Some girls cannot go to school or have enough to eat. Or they may be married off at a young age. All of these things are not great for the girls or for our world.
I love that the girls are from around the world. Their life is shared as well as the issue that they face an a solution for them. This book is an amazing book that shares about the girls and how some of their situations are the same and some are different from what a girl may be facing here. It is recommended for ages 7 to 10.
Our next book is Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You've Never Heard Of by Melanie Becker and Kari Rust. Now if you read regularly you know I love my math books. This book shares about Emmy Noether and her life. It shares with the reader the struggle she had to learn math and to be taken seriously. Plus it shares her amazing accomplishments. She helped close the hole in Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. She lead the way to many concepts that have been used in science and life including computer software. It even explains why you may have never heard of her. This book does an amazing job of introducing this mathematician and her accomplishments in a way that is reachable to the suggested ages of 6 to 9. I love that it is introducing Emmy to younger kids as well as the math that is involved in physics.
Our next book takes us to the Civil Rights Movement and Selma. It is The Teachers March! by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace and illustrated by Charly Palmer. With all my studying I did not realize that it was the teachers marching in Selma. One teacher realized that as educated and well dressed people they would be noticed if they marched. He realized the only way to change the discrimination and get their rights to vote was to demonstrate. He needed to get all the teachers on board. They knew they were facing the possibility of losing their jobs and being arrested. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came and talked to them and supported the march. This book shares this piece of history in a wonderful way.
I love how the story shares the views of different people--different teachers, the kids and more. The illustrations are also colorful and fun. In a year where race has been front and center I hope you will check it out.
So if you are looking for the something to read gift, be sure to check out these books.
