Josh is a little squirrel looking for a family, but he misbehaves and pushes away anyone who tries to get close to him. He plays pranks and makes a nuisance of himself to prove that no one could ever really love him, until he meets an elephant couple who are patient and kind. They teach him about family and how to be there for each other no matter what.

I loved this sweet story! Josh is such a sad little character, but he is also cute and funny. I like how this book balances fun and silliness with the more serious subject material.

The illustrations are completely adorable, and I love all the various animal characters. The expressions on their faces really bring the story to life. I like the soft art style and the little details of the feathers and fur of the animals. Continue reading →

This book explores Latino food traditions and gives some wonderful information about different culinary traditions from Latin America and the Caribbean. There are pages for rice and beans, meats, corn maize, potatoes, salsa, chocolate, and more. Each page has the text in English and Spanish, designed for bilingual children or anyone who is learning a new language.

I love how this book celebrates Latino culture, the rich foods, and the beautiful traditions surrounding food festivals and sharing a meal with friends and family.

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This treasury includes “Princess Pistachio”, “Princess Pistachio and the Pest”, and “Princess Pistachio and Maurice the Magnificent”.

In the first book, Pistachio is convinced that she is actually a kidnapped princess. She receives a mysterious crown in the mail, and believes that her real parents, the king and queen, will be coming to take her away to a palace. When she wears her crown to school, the other children make fun of her. Eventually, Pistachio learns to appreciate her family even if they aren’t royalty. She even learns to love her bratty little sister, Penny. Continue reading →

Let’s Go Outside – This book takes the reader on an outdoor adventure where we can stretch up like a tree, swim like a fish, and buzz like a bee. The writing is very simple, and just right for babies and toddlers learning their first words. I love that each page shows a parent and their child having fun in the forest or by the ocean.

As the parents and children explore the outdoors, there are little animals peeking out from behind the trees or swimming in the water. The little snails, turtles, frogs, and butterflies are so cute! There are birds, bunnies, and baby foxes too! So adorable!

Good Night, Baboon! – While the other animals get ready for bed, one baby baboon is determined to stay up! Baby baboon burps during snack time, brushes his bum instead of his teeth, plays loud lullabies on electric guitar, and runs around causing mayhem, until finally baby baboon is ready for a goodnight hug.

I love how this book is designed as a counting book, and we count down each animal group getting ready for bed. 9 skunks take a bath, 8 hamsters have a bedtime snack, 7 sloths put on their PJs, etc… and through it all, baby baboon is getting into trouble! Baby baboon manages to bounce across each page, getting into shenanigans before bed and monkeying around. I love how irreverent this book is!

Three cats visit a Jazz club in New Orleans, and learn all about how jazz music is made. They learn about beats and rhythm, melody and harmony, various instruments and their sounds, and how improvisation works. They learn a little about the history of jazz and how it all began in Congo Square in New Orleans, Louisiana.

I am so impressed with this book! The whole design is wonderful, and I loved the recordings you can play by pushing the buttons. Each button plays a different section of “When the Saints Go Marching In”, and teaches the reader about which instruments play harmony, melody, and bass lines. Then the entire band comes together with the vocalists to play the song. Continue reading →