Bethany Barton is a wonderful writer and illustrator. Within her children’s books, Bethany tackles difficult topics for children, such as trying to love spiders, math or even getting a haircut. Below are a couple of my favorite picture books created by Bethany Barton.
Math can be rough. Around 4 in 10 people report hating math. The narrator from the book really hates math. Luckily, an alien appears from outer space and tries to shed a little light on math. The first part of the book dives into using math to make delicious food. As a food enthusiast, this immediately brought my math-hating self on board. Our alien friend tells us all about math in fun things like science, music, cooking and more!
Math may not be fun when it’s in school, but it’s a huge part of our lives, and it helps us to do plenty of fun things. This is a lovely perspective book that may help young readers to feel encouraged to learn more math once they see the use. Continue reading “Author Feature: Bethany Barton”
Starting a new year is like opening a brand new box of crayons. There’s a freshness, an excitement, a promise of limitless possibilities. Maybe you have a vision or a plan. Or, you just want to doodle and see what happens. Either way, on day one you start to color in the pages. Chances are, as you continue and the days unfold, you’ll also discover new things about yourself.
A quote attributed to twentieth-century poet and pacifist, Edith Lovejoy Pierce, says it all. “We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
Every new year can be a time to start over, to make changes and adjustments to our lives. At the same time, this yearly milestone presents an opportunity to encourage our children to think about what, if any, changes they may want to adopt. Do they want to:
As 2020 comes to a close, we have the joy of looking ahead at new picture books that will make a debut in 2021. Below is a sneak peek at a handful of titles that I think are sure to become fan favorites.
“Oona” written by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
This comical and heartfelt picture book is a winning celebration of invention, creativity and friendship. With gorgeous underwater scenes and a crowd-pleasing tale, this is one little mermaid who is here to make a splash! Publishes January 12, 2021
Yep, it’s that time of year again! The DBRL youth services staff have come up with a list of the best of the best children’s books that came out this year. Make sure to check out these awesome titles and comment below with your favorite books of 2020!
🌟This symbol means this is an incredibly popular book, because more than one staff member nominated it!
Tears and big emotions are everywhere this year. This book is a gentle guide through the storm, reminding us that all emotions are valuable and that when feelings come and go, they connect us to our knowing.
Zura loves her grandmother but is afraid grandma’s tribal facial markings will cause Zura’s classmates to treat Nana unkindly. This is a lovely story about a child and a grandparent who talk over a problem and find a solution. Continue reading “Best Children’s Books of 2020”
One of my favorite things as a parent was to delve into a subject my kids were interested in and experience learning new things with them. My favorite subjects they learned about were ancient history and archaeology. Before there were pyramids and mummies in ancient Egypt, there was another civilization, Sumer, in Mesopotamia.
The Sumerians ruled Sumer during the 3rd millennium BC, about 5000 years ago. One of their great cities was the city of Ur, located in the south of modern day Iraq. Ur was originally built on a harbor that connected it to the Euphrates river and from there to the Persian Gulf. It was a major trading center in its heyday. Continue reading “Ancient Family Games: The Royal Game of Ur”
Did you know that Missouri Building Block Nominees are “voted most popular by preschool children in Missouri’s public libraries”? Last month I told you about two of this year’s nominees, “Duck” and “I Can Only Draw Worms.” Here are two more of the delightful picture books chosen for this year!
Daddy lion loves a meticulously kept lawn. Sweetie lion loves her new best friend, Charlotte. What happens when these two passions collide? Chaos and silliness of course, which makes “Dandy” by Ame Dyckman a preschool favorite! Parents will appreciate the message about the importance of family relationships. Overall, “Dandy” is a feel good story that couldn’t come at a better time. Continue reading “Awesome Read-Alouds: “Dandy” and “Everybody Says Meow””
Do you know what an anteater eats? The answer isn’t what you think it is! To find out, you have to read the Missouri Building Block nominee “What Does an Anteater Eat?” by Ross Collins. This is the story of a very cordial anteater and his quest to find a tasty morsel to eat. He meets other animals along the way and learns the snacking habits of his fellow forest friends.
Hi! I’m Jessica, and normally, in a pre-COVID-19 world, I was in charge of finding iPad apps for the kiosks in the Children’s Services areas at our branches. Unfortunately, we live in a minimal-touch world right now, so, instead of switching out the apps like I normally would, I decided I would list out a couple of my favorite STEAM apps for iPads so you can play fun, STEAM-themed games at home!
I tried to include both paid apps and free apps from our library iPads. This is not a paid promotion; these are resources that come directly from library usage.
The Composer’s Sketchpad has been one of my favorite apps to offer kids. It allows them to try out different instruments, compose music, save their work and make edits later. No musical experience is required! It allows kids to try things out for themselves, experiment with sound and share their work.
Of my recommendations today, this one is the hardest to engage with at first. It’s got a little bit of a learning curve, but once kids have mastered the basics, it’s really fun to jump right in and create!
The forest can be a scary place, especially for the smallest animals. But two of the new Missouri Building Block nominees for 2020, “Fear the Bunny,” by Richard T. Morris, and “Shake the Tree!,” by Chiara Vignocci and Paolo Chiarinatti, turn our expectations about the natural order of the forest upside down.
”Bunnies, bunnies burning bright, in the forests of the night” – that funny twist on the famous William Blake poem, “The Tyger,” is the refrain of the animals of the forest in “Fear the Bunny.” When our protagonist, a tiger, overhears this, he corrects the other animals, saying, “Excuse me. That’s not how it goes….The poem is about ME! The most feared animal in the forest. There’s nothing scary about a bunny.” But little does he know that the bunny situation in this forest is not at all what he expects. Continue reading “Awesome Read-Alouds: “Fear the Bunny” & “Shake the Tree!””
I just love painting! There’s something so satisfying about turning a blank canvas into a unique piece of art. I used to go to guided painting classes all the time—that is, until I bought all of the supplies to paint at home. All of this practice has given me the skills I need to guide a painting class for you!
Math can be rough. Around 4 in 10 people report hating math. The narrator from the book really hates math. Luckily, an alien appears from outer space and tries to shed a little light on math. The first part of the book dives into using math to make delicious food. As a food enthusiast, this immediately brought my math-hating self on board. Our alien friend tells us all about math in fun things like science, music, cooking and more!
Starting a new year is like opening a brand new box of crayons. There’s a freshness, an excitement, a promise of limitless possibilities. Maybe you have a vision or a plan. Or, you just want to doodle and see what happens. Either way, on day one you start to color in the pages. Chances are, as you continue and the days unfold, you’ll also discover new things about yourself.
Yep, it’s that time of year again! The DBRL youth services staff have come up with a list of the best of the best children’s books that came out this year. Make sure to check out these awesome titles and comment below with your favorite books of 2020!
The forest can be a scary place, especially for the smallest animals. But two of the new Missouri Building Block nominees for 2020, “
