It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend.  Many schools finished up for the year this past week and many more will be joining them next week. And still more have several more weeks to go. I'm sure everyone is excited to have a chance to rest and enjoy time with family and friends. Also, take a moment to remember those who died serving our country so that we can enjoy our freedoms. Happy Memorial Day! Here's what I've been reading this past week:



Early Reader Chapter Books

Sparkly New Friends (Unicorn and Yeti #1) by Heather Ayris Burnell, Hazel Quintanilla (Illustrator)

This fun early reader graphic novel celebrates great friendships in which each friend is unique. Unicorn and Yeti are very different from each other, and yet they develop a trusting, supportive relationship right away. Their shared love of sparkly things brings them together, but their ability to talk about the things they enjoy, help each other try new things, and accept each other for who they are make this a good book to help instill those values in younger readers.

Picture Books

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, Vashti Harrison

This heartwarming picture book celebrates fathers who will do just about anything to help their daughters feel special. The little girl in this story is up super early because it's a special day. She wants her hair to be special, too. But the kind of special hair-do she wants requires more than her own two hands. I really love the special bond that the father and daughter in this book share. This would be a terrific book to share on Father's Day.

Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Harold & Hog Pretend For Real! (Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! #6) by Dan Santat, Mo Willems

What a fun way to celebrate books and reading! Elephant and Piggie books are hugely popular and I'm sure there are lots of kids who love to pretend to be the characters in their favorite books. The characters, Harold & Hog, leap right out of the pages pretending to be Elephant and Piggie. Seems like it should be simple for these two to assume their proper roles, as they both appear to be so similar. But, young readers will giggle as they see that getting into character is tough, when you're so much different. This would be a fun book to share aloud with young children, especially those that are familiar with Mo Willems' books.

We Are (Not) Friends by Anna Kang, Christopher Weyant (Illustrations)

Change can be difficult, especially when it seems like things are going along fine. When a new friend comes along and wants to play, the fuzzy creatures that we met in You Are (Not) Small have a hard time finding a way that all three of them can play together without someone feeling left out. This adorable picture book would be a great way to start a discussion with young children about not having a scarcity mentality when it comes to friendship. There's enough love and friendship to go around and nobody needs to feel like they're not good enough to be part of the community.

Just Like My Brother by Gianna Marino 

It's easy to feel small and insignificant when you're young, especially if you're a younger sibling. Older brothers and sisters often seem so much bigger, braver, smarter and more important. The sweet little giraffe in this lovely picture book is playing hide-and-seek with her older brother. As she asks the other animals to help her find them, they work hard to remind her that she matches all of her descriptions of him. An ironic twist helps her to finally see what they've been trying to tell her. This is a good book to share with young children, especially those with older brothers and sisters. This book could definitely inspire some good discussions about self confidence.

Flubby Is Not a Good Pet! by J.E. Morris 

The child in this cute picture book has pet envy. Friends come along with their pets who can sing, jump, catch, at do all sorts of amazing things. All this kid's cat will do is lay around and sleep. But before too long, the child realizes that the cat is the perfect pet. Cat lovers will definitely appreciate this book.

Underwear! by Jenn Harney 

One of the oldest jokes in our house goes like this: - What are you eating under there? - Under where? - You're eating underwear?!!! Ha! Ha! Ha! And as immature as this exchange is, it's always good for a laugh, or at least a smile. Young readers will certainly giggle at the antics of the mischievous little bear who would rather run around and play with his pair of underwear rather than wear it. Simple, rhyming text and hilarious digital illustrations will definitely make this a popular book to share with kids.

The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli 

This cute picture book celebrates books and reading. The Book Hog loves everything about books and loves finding new books to add to his collection. Unfortunately he doesn't know how to read. But when he goes to the library and meets a kind librarian who is happy to share the stories that the books have inside them, everything changes for the Book Hog. This book is a terrific one to share with young children to inspire the love of reading.

Zen Happiness (Zen) by Jon J. Muth 

This sweet, little picture book would be a terrific way to help young readers learn to calm themselves in an increasingly chaotic and stressful world. According to the title page, "These common sayings spring from the ancient traditions of meditation and calm attentiveness found in Zen Buddhism. Paired with selected paintings from Jon J. Muth's five award-winning 'Zen' books, these twelve simple meditations may help you discover an intuitive path to your own happiness!" While the book is intended to pair with other books, it is a nice stand-alone with simple text and calming illustrations. The messages in this book are somewhat universal to all religions and beliefs and really are meant to inspire growth, peace, and wisdom.

The Sun Shines Everywhere by Mary Ann Hoberman, Luciano Lozano (Illustrator)

This lovely rhyming picture book celebrates the sun as something that is essential for life, but also as something that all people share. All over the world the sun shines down on people, animals, plants, and all of our activities. When we consider how the sun shines everywhere, we realize that maybe we aren't so different from each other. This book could be a good way to consider the world beyond our own neighborhoods. It might be fun to get a map and/or a globe and find each of the locations mentioned.

Cake by Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet

This clever picture book celebrates the excitement of being invited to a birthday party. But it's a cake that's been invited, and he's somewhat naïve. He gets the perfect hat and goes on over to the party. But when the singing stops and the candles are blown out, will Cake figure out what's going to happen next? This hilarious book might be a good way to practice making predictions in stories and also point of view.

My Mommy Medicine by Edwidge Danticat, Shannon Wright (Illustrations)

Young readers will definitely be able to relate to the young girl that is having a sick day (or just a sad day). With all of the colds, sore throats, and stomachaches of childhood, many families have their own routines and traditions to help each other feel better. The author shares the way she made her own daughters feel better. She would give them a generous dose of what she called "Mommy Medicine" - "acts of comfort that they found soothing, reassuring, and somewhat healing." The little girl in this sweet picture book enjoys hot chocolate, card games, movies, and other acts of kindness from her mom. This book would pair well with Bob, Not Bob! by Audrey Vernick.

Saving Fiona: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Baby Hippo by Thane Maynard 

This awesome nonfiction picture book uses fascinating narrative text and terrific photography to tell the story of a premature baby hippo born at the Cincinnati Zoo. The story of this baby hippo went viral on social media and the scientists and veterinarians learned a lot about how to take care of a preemie hippo. This is a terrific nonfiction resource for all ages to have on the shelf!

Mouse House by John Burningham

I wish I could see mice as sweet and cute as children's fictional picture books portray them. The family in this book have a normal routine of dinner and bedtime. But when the little boy sees a mouse and tells his mother, her reaction is exactly the same as mine whenever I become aware of the presence of mice - I can't have it! At any rate, the children in the story warn the mouse family that they're in danger and they leave the house immediately to live in the backyard. The children make play toys for the mouse and enjoy watching them play. But when the seasons change and winter comes along, then where will the mice go? I think we know... But young readers will be pleased with the way things turn out in this book. This is definitely a cute one to share with kids and would be good way to practice making predictions as one reads. It also might inspire young writers to create stories about the different families that might be sharing their homes.