Author: TCBR Contributor

Disclaimer: I’m Australian, therefore I can’t vote in the 2008 US election! I first came across this poster, by Picture Book People for Obama, via A Fuse #8 Production. It has been designed to share – printed, used as a desktop image, sent via email, or downloaded to your blog or website. Here is a list of the contributing illustrators: Marissa Moss Thacher Hurd Paul Meisel Elizabeth Gomez Elisa Kleven Barbara Lavallee Maria van Lieshout Daniel San Souci Jane Wattenberg Laura Cornell Christy Hale Katherine Tillotson Lisa Brown Julie Downing Teri Sloat Karen Barbour Roni Shepherd Arthur Dorros M. Sarah…

If you are American, you probably know Mem Fox by her book, Time for Bed. If you are Australian, then most definitely you know her by Possum Magic – one of my all time favorites. Her latest book, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, was released yesterday (October 1st) – I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Mem has teamed up with well known illustrator, Helen Oxenbury, so this book is sure to be a huge hit with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Great news for anyone in the DC area … Links: There is also a…

Hip Hop Speaks to Children with Audio CD: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience) by Nikki Giovanni Reading level: Ages 7-12 Hardcover: 80 pages Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky; Har/Com edition (October 1, 2008) Just as the title suggests, Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a celebration of poetry with a beat, and will open up a new world for boys and girls alike. It gives a great starting point for encouraging an appreciation of poetry through music Nikki Giovanni – a National Book Award nominee, Spoken Word Grammy nominee and New York Times best-selling author -…

Enigma by Graeme Base Reading level: Ages 5-10 Hardcover: 48 pages Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2008) As someone who doesn’t remember many books from her childhood, I still have fond memories of sitting in the playground at school, reading best selling author Graeme Base’s Animalia. I was forever searching for the little boy hidden in the amazing alphabetic illustrations. Since Animalia (1986), he has had many successful titles that are now considered classics. With his latest book, Enigma, he has maintained his captivating style, using mystery, rhyme, and amazing illustrations. Enigma is a wonderful story, that…

South by Patrick McDonnell Reading level: Ages 3-6 Hardcover: 48 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (September 1, 2008) South is very charming. As a flock of birds fly south for the winter, one little bird is woken as the last leaf falls from a bare tree. When he discovers he is all alone, an unlikely friend – Mooch the cat – helps him find his way. South contains no words, yet manages to tell a very moving and compassionate tale of friendship, helping others, and saying goodbye. My favorite page shows Mooch’s paw reaching out to offer help to…

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger Reading level: Ages 3-6 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Greenwillow (August 26, 2008) This book is so gorgeous – visually and emotionally – it gave me the “warm and fuzzies”. With fall on the way, the anticipation of falling leaves comes also. Carin Berger, with her award-winning style, has written and illustrated the story of a little yellow leaf who is not yet ready to fall. It’s a story designed for people afraid of facing the unknown, the power of friendship, and sharing moments. As the seasons change around the little leaf, he clings…

The Brooklyn Book Festival is happening tomorrow, Sunday, September 14. It’s free to the public, and is host to some really big names in the literary world: Jon Scieszka Mo Willems Gail Carson Levine Sarah Mlynowski Alisa Valdes Rodriguez Jacqueline Woodson Cecily von Ziegesar Nine Crews Edward Hemingway Betsy Lewin Ted Lewin John Bemelmans Marciano Chris Myers Jane O’Connor Chris Raschka Marilyn Singer Holly Black Susan Cooper Deborah Gregory David Levithan Patricia MacLachlan An Na Ariel Schrag Ivan Velez, Jr. Bil Wright Go straight to this link, http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/, to check out events, directions and more! Below is the information for…

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed Wonder Bear, by Tao Nyeu. It releases very soon, September 18, and I am sure it will be a huge success. I have another link that I want to share with you, A conversation with Tao Nyeu. It is an entertaining interview that can be found on the Barnes & Noble site, in the features section. When asked what inspired the creation of Wonder Bear, Tao replied, … “One day I came upon a very odd looking gummy bear. It had the look of a bear that had magical powers. It was spooky…

Amazon.com recently provided a list of the best books of the year so far. I reviewed two of the books earlier this year, so I thought it would be nice to revisit them: A visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (Author), Kady Macdonald Denton (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 “… The vocabulary used in the story is sure to introduce new words to your child, and create a wonderful energy for a read-aloud story time. The story and its soft illustrations have such an honest and genuine feeling that you’ll be wanting to read it over and over again–as much…

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 48 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (August 26, 2008) Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope is an endearing book about hope, courage and one man’s amazing journey though life. The story is written by Nikki Grimes, and is told from the standpoint of a mother talking to her son. She tells him the story of a man named Barack Obama, who was also known as Barry during his childhood. While the words “extravagantly emotional” enter my…