Follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss a single day of our 25 Days of Christmas Book Giveaway! Beginning on Thursday, November 24th (Thanksgiving), we’ll be giving away a picture book on our Facebook page every day for 25 days! You’ll have 24 hours to comment on our daily post for a chance to win! A winner will be randomly selected from the comments. Winners will be able to pick up their prize from the Aurora or the Dillsboro Library!
Tag: picture books
November Storytimes!
Leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, scarecrows, pies, harvest, squirrels, orange, red, yellow, and brown are all things happening in our November Storytime. What did The Leaf Thief really steal? And If You Give a Moose a Muffin what does he do with it? Or why are there Too Many Pumpkins? But the true question is what did The Scarecrow do to help the crow? Activities galore surrounding this thankful month of Fall. We look forward to seeing you and your family there to learn all of the answers to the questions above. Maybe we will learn How to Catch a Turkey!
Aurora Public Library storytimes are Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 am.
Dillsboro Public Library storytimes are Tuesday and Thursday at 10:30 am.
We hope the entire family can join us to kick off the Holiday season on November 26th at 12:00 p.m. at APL to watch the movie “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” See you there!
Waiting for the Caldecott
Around this time each year, I start looking forward to the announcement of children’s book awards for 2022. On January 24th, announcements will be made for the Caldecott, the Newbery, and the Printz medals, as well as many other book awards. Many blogs focus on possible contenders for the biggest awards, but the voting is actually done just one day prior to the announcement and is a carefully guarded secret.
The Caldecott Medal will be awarded to the best illustrated book for children from 2021, and actually goes to the illustrator, not the author. As I read through blogs, there does not seem to be any consensus developing yet, but here are some of the books that are being mentioned as contenders.
Out of these 12 illustrators, six already have at least one Caldecott Medal or Caldecott Honor to their credit. All are exceptionally talented and have created illustrations that make these books a joy to read. Keep in mind, though, that there is not an official list of nominations. These have just been mentioned by readers and critics as potential winners. Sometimes the Caldecott committee will go off in an unexpected direction. As for me, I’m crossing my fingers for Loren Long (he’s from Cincinnati) or Floyd Cooper (he died in 2021 and has never won). All will be revealed on January 24th. Meanwhile, treat yourself to one of these books.
Update from 1/25/22: The 2022 Caldecott Medal winner is Watercress by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin! The book also received a Newbery Honor and was named as the best picture book promoting Asian/Pacific American heritage and culture. Gathering watercress by the side of the road sparks a conversation among a family about their family history, heritage, and memories. Award-winning author Andrea Wang draws upon her childhood, growing up in a small, mostly white, rural town in Ohio as a child of Chinese immigrants in this autobiographical account illustrated by celebrated author and artist Jason Chin, who incorporates painting styles and techniques from both western and Chinese cultures.
It’s Unmentionable, But It’ll Make You Giggle!
Maybe we can blame it all on Captain Underpants, but the latest trend in books for kids seems to be UNDERWEAR! And nothing is more sure to make a group of kids giggle than just saying that word. Here are some of the newest picture books from the “undies” category.
This book by Aaron Reynolds is probably my favorite. It’s perfect for the 4-7 year old crowd, and if you enjoy it, be sure to also check out his book Creepy Carrots.
Who doesn’t adore a dragon book? The underwear is just icing on the cake!
Monster searches for a perfect replacement pair of underpants in this book by Tad Carpenter.
Everyone has an occasional day when things just feel off. Could it be because you’re just wearing your underwear?
Someone has left their underwear hanging near Bear Cub’s house? Which animal will claim the tighty whities?
Laughing has been proven to be good for your health, so don’t delay! Go find some kids to share these books with.
Tales of Tigers
To help celebrate our Summer Reading theme Tails and Tales, I want to highlight some of my very favorite tiger picture books. If you don’t currently have a favorite tiger picture book, please check these out! They are all special to me, although for different reasons. I fell in love with Mr. Tiger Goes Wild at first because of the illustrations, inspired in part by A Child’s Garden of Verses (the 1951 version illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen). I also came to love the way Mr. Tiger needs his little escape into the wilderness, but still comes to realize the importance of coming home. Besides all that, I think Peter Brown is a picture book genius. If you don’t believe me, just check out Creepy Pair of Underwear.
Tiger in My Soup, written by Kashmira Sheth and illustrated by Cincinnati artist Jeffrey Ebbler, is the story of a young boy who desperately wants his sister to read him a story. Does he imagine the tiger, or is it real?
For every child who has wanted to wander outside at night, just imagine the wonder of coming across a dancing tiger! The Dancing Tiger by Malachy Doyle is perfect for any child who loves the idea of a secret friend. I hope you’re familiar with the picture books by Jan Brett. She often retells traditional folktales and her artwork is always stunning. Look for the side panels in The Tale of the Tiger Slippers to get a hint about what’s coming on the next pages.
Books to Share with Your Dad
I know you must be already planning what you can do to make next Sunday a very special Father’s Day! Maybe you’re thinking about a scrumptious breakfast, or going fishing, or grilling out. Just make sure that you save a little bit of time for kids, Dads and Grandfathers to curl up together to share a picture book. We have plenty of choices that will make you smile (or giggle) and that will help you think about all the ways you can show your love to that special Dad or Granddad.
Pens, Pencils, and Crayons!
As kids and teachers prepare to get back to the classroom, I’d like to recommend a group of picture books featuring witty and wise writing implements. In addition to just being fun books to read, I can also see these as great springboards to “What If?” questions. What if a school bus could tell stories? What if the chalkboard giggled every time a teacher wrote on it? What if your writing paper refused to sit still?
Have you ever wondered how your crayons feel about the things you color? Does the blue crayon enjoy being used down to a nub coloring all that sky? Who knew it was so hard to be only used at Halloween? The “Day the Crayons” books take you into the inner world of the crayon box!
The Little Red Pen by award-winning author Janet Stevens is a story of the dramatic rescue of a pen from a wastebasket. In a clever twist on Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red Writing is trying to write an exciting story, but has to face the ravenous pencil sharpener, the Wolf 3000.
All of these books celebrate creativity, empathy, and cooperation. Read a few with your children or students, and then put pencil to paper to create your own story and illustrations.
Wonderful New Picture Books
We have added some amazing picture books to our collection in the last few months! Many of these are from authors and illustrators who are the superstars of children’s literature – well-loved by parents and librarians everywhere. Others were created by authors who may be new to you, but whose work you’ll certainly want to start following. Here are some of my favorites, but you’ll want to come to the library and explore all the other great items on the “New” shelf.
How can you keep from smiling when you see this adorable baby? Have you ever wondered what babies do when everyone else is asleep? If you are not familiar with Richard Jackson, I also recommend his books All Ears, All Eyes and This Beautiful Day.
A Parade of Elephants is every bit as charming as the rest of Kevin Henkes’ picture books. You may know him as the author of Lilly’s Purple, Plastic Purse, but he’s written a long list of both picture books and chapter books for kids. For your older kids, check out Junonia and The Year of Billy Miller.
Jan Brett is another author whose books are always popular. The Snowy Nap reintroduces the title character from Hedgie’s Surprise (written in 2000) and is a perfect book to snuggle up with on a cold day. Brett continues her practice of using border illustrations to give a hint of what’s coming on the next page.
I loved I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda by Steve Antony, so I was delighted to see another book about Mr. Panda. Who can resist another cute bedtime story?
The creative team that brought us Penguin Problems in 2016 is back with a story of a giraffe who can’t figure out what to do with his long neck!
Chomp Goes the Alligator is sure to become a favorite of preschoolers. It features counting, rhymes, and a movable alligator jaw!
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson is perfect to share with any child who has ever experienced being different or outside of a group. Woodson’s words are always affirming and the illustrations by Rafael Lopez are vibrant and expressive.
The “Interrupting Chicken” is back! In this follow-up book, the young chicken is enjoying books with an “elephant of surprise”! This is one of those great picture books for kids who may be old enough to read independently, but who can really enjoy the humor caused by this misunderstanding.
Reading Challenge for 2018
I know it’s crazy to even write the year 2018, but it will soon be upon us! Are you looking for your next reading challenge? Here are some suggestions that might help you get started!
Read a book recommended to you by a librarian. (This is easy because we LOVE to recommend books to you here at the Aurora Public Library District! Or you can always check the blog to see what books we’ve been writing and raving about.)
Read a book that’s been in your “To Be Read” pile for way too long. Or read a book that you own but you haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
Listen to an audiobook. (This is easy for people who love audiobooks, but for those who have a hard time letting go of the words on the page, it can be a real challenge! You can do it!)
Read a book where the main character or the author is different than you; this could be ethnicity, religion, culture, ability, etc. Try to see the world through someone else’s eyes. You could also read a book from a nonhuman perspective.
Read a book written by multiple authors. (See if you can pick out the different writing styles of each author as you go along.)
Read a book written by someone you admire.
Read a classic. Or you could read a book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t. (I won’t tell.) You could even read a children’s book you never got to read when you were small.
Read a book by an author who uses a pseudonym.
Read a bestseller from a genre you wouldn’t usually read.
Read the first book in a series you’ve never read before.
Read a book that was published in 2018 or that is becoming a movie that year.
Read a book that was published the year you were born.
Read a book set in more than one time period.
Read a book based on a true story.
Read a book you love so much, it always makes you smile. This could even be a beloved children’s book.
Read a book that someone close to you loves more than any other book that you’ve never read before.
Read a book set somewhere drastic, like during a war, in the wilderness, or the characters are trying to survive, etc. Read something to get your heart pumping.
Read a book solely based on the cover; literally judge a book by its cover without reading the summary of what it’s about.
Read a book that will make you smarter.
Read a book that everyone but you has read. This could be that book everyone was raving about last year that was made into a movie.
Read a book with an unreliable narrator.
Read a book with pictures! (How fun would this be?!)
Read a book that’s a story within a story.
Red a book that’s won a prestigious award.
I know that our lives are busy and that it can be hard to even find time to sit down, let alone read a book. But even if you cross just a few of these off the list, you’ll come out of the challenge as a better, more well-rounded person than you were last year. But who am I to dictate what you should and shouldn’t read? Create your own reading challenge for 2018 and let us know how you do! I’d love to be inspired by you!
Happy Reading!
Look At What’s New!
We have a truly awesome selection of new pictures books in our collection. Where can you find them? Just look on the long wall outside the children’s room at the Aurora Public Library. The new picture books will have a pink label on the front cover. At the Dillsboro Public Library, Patty has the new books in a display on top of the children’s early literacy computer. At the end of this post, I’ll let you know how to find the “new stuff” in the online catalog.
These first highlighted books are like a stroll through the Hall of Fame of Children’s Literature. They were written and illustrated by some of the best in the business. They are by authors I watch for on the lists of “coming releases’, because I know the books will be entertaining and high quality.
The rest of these titles are great in their own right, although the authors and illustrators may not be as widely known. As I select books for our collections, I read many, many professional book reviews. I follow book blogs by other librarians and work hard to select books that will appeal to all of our kids, keeping in mind special topics that are needed at our library. I love to get suggestions from the community, so please feel free to suggest books at the circulation desk or email me at peggy@eapld.org. If you haven’t figured it out yet, you can click on any of these book covers to learn more about the book.
To find our new titles in the on-line catalog, just follow the steps below. In a book is shown as being “In Processing”, that just means the book is not quite ready to be checked out. However, you can place a hold for these books by logging into your library account or by calling the library.
- Go to the website at www.eapld.org
- In the search frame, select the Online Catalog.
- Leave the search box blank and click “Go”.
- New titles will be shown on the carousel.
If you want to go further back in time for “new” books, try using the Classic Catalog.
- In the search frame on our home page, click “Looking for the Classic Catalog.”
- Under Classic Catalog, leave the Search box blank and click Submit.
- On the next page, click the Search icon.
- Clicking the orange “New Items” tab will allow you to select a time period as well as allowing you to search only for books in a specific category like “Easy Books” or “Adult Fiction”.
Occasionally, you will see a book that has an extended due date. It might be that I am planning to use that book in a program or it might be checked out to a teacher. Just put your name on the waiting list and we’ll call you when the title is available.