Waiting for the Magic

Waiting for the Magic

Patricia MacLachlan, Illustrated by Amy June Bates. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011.

This Bluestem nominee is the lovely story of four dogs, a cat, a boy and his sister, and how they saved their family. After their father leaves them without saying why or whether he is ever coming back, their mom takes them to a shelter with the intention of adopting a dog to cheer them up. After meeting Neo, Bitty, Grace, Bryn, and Lula the cat their mom decides to take everyone one home. Their little house is now full of dogs, with dogs and cat selecting a family member as their main companion. Slowly they start to learn about each dog’s personality as we can hear them talking, however, for this to happen you have to believe that magic surrounds you and to do that you have to know who you are and what you are willing to fight for in order to save your family. I loved the sketch like pencil illustrations, their softness and details support the story as it leads the reader to believe in the magic surrounding us.

New Picture Books for Babies & Toddlers

 We just received some great new books for babies and toddlers.

 










First Words by Caroline Davis, Armadillo Music, 2012.
This book is adorable and so shiny! Each spread focuses on a particular place like the garden or the city with five items you can spot on the next page like a tree or a city shop. Perfect for playing a game of "I Spy".

These next two books are published by the Smithsonian Institution and are a Touch & Feel books. They are a great introduction to a new language, a fun way to learn new vocabulary while enjoying a tactile experience. 



First Animals English & Spanish


First Words English & Spanish

 
Dig In! by April Jones Prince, illustrated by Michelle Berg, Abrams Appleseed, 2013. This is a beautifully illustrated board book about an industrious mice construction crew.  The short rhyming text is supported by the movable parts, which are perfect for toddlers little fingers.


Butterfly Colors and Counting by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Shennen Bersani, Charlesbridge, 2013.  A beautiful book for counting and learning colors. The glossy images represent a number and color using different butterflies you can find in nature. 



Itsy Bitsy Spider illustrated by Nora Hilb.

I know I will be using this book with my baby group. It is a great version of the traditional nursery rhyme with slightly different verses and interactive pages for little ones to count and touch.


Hello, Doctor by Michael Escoffier, illustrated by Matthieu Maudet, Price Stern Sloan, 2012.
Perfect size board book for little hands about a doctor's busy office until Mr. Wolf shows up.