a new book preschoolers will love: bear and chicken by jannie ho

Happy New Year, Booktomato fam!  Who's ready for more fun book posts in 2018?  Me!  Let's start off with a new book for preschoolers sent to me by Running Press, Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho.  

It's a cold winter day, and Bear is on a walk.  He finds a chicken frozen in the snow and brings him home to get warm.  The chicken warms up but then starts to get nervous when Bear goes to the kitchen to start cooking what looks like . . . gulp . . . chicken soup!  Chicken thinks he is about to get eaten!  Oh, no!   

It turns out that Chicken doesn't get eaten at all, and Bear and Chicken become friends.  

This book is funny, and the illustrations are bright and happy.  Just the thing for preschool story time on a cold winter's day!  

summer fun at the SCBWI conference in LA!

This summer, my family and I did something CRAZY.  Crazy, I tell you.  We loaded up in our car, waved goodbye to our family and friends, and completed a thirty one hour road trip across the southwest US.  You read that right.  Thirty one hours of "I Spy", spilled snacks in the back seat, sibling squabbles, and songs on the radio.  Our stuffed-to-the-max car started its journey in our hometown, Memphis, TN, and made stops in Sedona Arizona to see the giant, almost Martian red rock formations, Monterey in California to watch sea otters relaxing in kelp beds, and Los Angeles for my husband and kids to ride bikes along Venice Beach and for me to attend my very first conference for writers and illustrators of children's books hosted by the SCBWI organization.  I learned so much about what it means to be a children's author, and I also got to meet some amazingly talented new authors to share with you!  I also got to be in the same room as the legendary Judy Blume!!! She was interviewed by the conference chair.  See proof below.

Here are a few of the books I took back home with me from the conference.  I'm loving them right now.  

Dance is For Everyone by Andrea Zuill

In this book, anyone and everyone can learn to dance ballet, little bodies, big bodies, tall bodies, short bodies, brown bodies, white bodies, boy bodies, girl bodies, even a giant (and maybe a tad bit clumsy) alligator body.  I loved this book from the moment I saw it because the alligator is so adorable!  I love, love the author's illustration style.   I was also drawn to this book because of the inclusion of boys in the ballet classroom in the book and the book's theme of inclusion when it comes to whether or not ballet is a "girl sport".  I've mentioned before how my four year old boy is really interested in taking a dance class but has on several occasions told me that he can't take one because "ballet is for girls only".  Well, that simply not true!  Boys can dance ballet too.  I love that this book shows little boys and little girls that as the title says, dance is for everyone.  

Eat Sleep Poop by Alexandra Penfold and Jane Massey 

Are you in the process of prepping your child for the arrival of a new baby brother or sister?  This is the book for you!  When my second child was born, my first born son was kind of disappointed by him at first.  Babies don't do anything besides eat, sleep, and poop, and he was expecting someone to play soccer with in the front yard.  This bright and happy little book is funny and sweet and would be a great way to prep older siblings on what to expect when baby comes home! 

Here is a picture of me fan-girling out when I met fabulous illustrator, Leuyen Pham!  My son loves her work in The Boy Who Loved Math, and I love her for her work in Vampirina Ballerina.  

bear sees colors by karma wilson and jane chapman

You've seen one book about colors, you've seen them all, right? Sometimes it does feel that way.  Over the years, I feel like I've read so many books that set out to teach preschoolers to identify their colors.  Well, let me tell you that even if you have a million color books on your shelves, you still need one more!  You need Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman.

"Mouse and Bear are walking; they are chitter-chatter-talking.  So much for them to do. And the bear sees . . . "

Blue!  And green!  And yellow!  In this book, Bear and his forest friends go tromping through the forest, and as they walk, they find that the forest is a very colorful place.  There are blue rivers, red berries, yellow honey combs, and much more. 

Bear Sees Colors features the same style all of the Bear books have: a rhyming story, sweet forest friends, adorable illustrations, and a happy story that preschoolers are sure to love.  Every book shelf needs at least a couple of Bear books! 

What do you think?  Do you have a favorite color book that I need to know about?  

can i eat that? by joshua david stein and julia rothman

Are your kids like mine in that they ask a million questions?!  One.  Million. Questions.  I want to encourage their little big imaginations, but sometimes with everything there is to do in a day, the question-answering portion of my brain gets tired.  That's why I love to find books that answer questions!  

Author and food critic Joshua David Stein has written a fantastic guide for little foodies everywhere, answering straight forward questions like "Can I eat sea urchin?" and  more creative ones like "Do eggs grow from eggplants?" The narrative is funny and frequently plays with words to make for some pretty humorous food puns.  Stein may specialize in food writing, but he also has a skillful eye for language.  This paired with Julia Rothman's bright and perfectly stylized illustrations makes for a win!

Recommended age group: 3-8

Story Time Conversations:

• What is your favorite food?
• Was there ever a time when a new food's taste surprised you?
• What new food do you want to try soon?
• If you were a chef, what recipe would you be famous for creating?

Do you have any budding foodies in your life?  They would really enjoy this book!  My youngest loves to cook with me, and I am always on the lookout for great kids cookbooks and books about food like this one.  If you have any food or cooking themed books that you love, let me know! 

why do i love pretty end papers so much?!  love this silverware print! 

the best kids books about new orleans!

For the next few days, I am spending time in my all-time favorite city, New Orleans!  I am here sans husband and kid to attend the iConnect iRetreat blogger conference, and I am having a great time.  This morning, I walked through the French Quarter to eat at my favorite bakery and coffee shop, Croissant d'Or, a truly old school New Orleans spot.  Then, I spent the day learning from some pretty amazing bloggers.  These conferences are so good for my spirit.  Spending time with other writers who are passionate and insightful really fuels my get-up-and-go attitude.  

I think New Orleans as a city is such a special place - the food, the music, the people are so unique and colorful.  Here is my list of some wonderfully NOLA books that will transport you to the Big Easy even when red beans and rice and jazz music seem miles away.    

Petite Rouge (Picture Puffins)

By Mike Artell

Gator Gumbo: A Spicy-Hot Tale

By Candace Fleming

Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter (Jenny Giraffe Series)

By Cecilia Dartez

Jenny Giraffe and the Streetcar Party (Jenny Giraffe Series)

By Cecilia Dartez

Runaway Beignet, The

By Connie Morgan

have a brave weekend! if you were a pioneer on the prairie by anna kamma

What are your plans this weekend?  Our city park has an annual festival called the "day of merry-making", and its taking place this weekend.  My kids and I really look forward to it.  Our favorite part is the hot air balloon that gives rides to all the kids! Both my kids and I are not the biggest fan of heights, but none of us want to miss out on the opportunity for such adventure so close to our own backyard so the word I chose for this weekend is brave. 

Brave is also how I would describe today's book pick.  The pioneers who left the comforts of home to travel west had to be some of the bravest people in American history!  Reading this fund and informative book will surely make any reader agree.  

We have a lot of this "if you were . . ." historical series, and I love the way they are set up.  Firstly, they put the reader in the shoes of the real people in the specific time period, so reading this will truly teach you what your life would be like on the Western prairie.  Secondly, I like the way the text is broken up into questions and answers, so the material is digestable and not too lengthy.  Some of the questions they answer are really unusual and interesting like the one below.  Why were pioneers afraid of grasshoppers? 

If you enjoy this selection, we have others in the series like one about the underground railroad, the civil war, women's rights, and the Sioux Indian tribe. 

Whatever you do this weekend, take some time to read a good book! 

Cute Vintage Little Golden Book: ABC for Christmas

Feast your eyes on this vintage cutie from Little Golden Books!  Never has the alphabet looked so festive.  Enjoy your day!