Happy Book Birthday, Unicorn in Uniform by Beth Ferry!

It's Happy-Book-Birthday time! And today's read is one which should pack tons of high-spirits and smiles. I love the party atmosphere on the cover...maybe because I'm in a party mood. I also enjoy that there doesn't appear to be glitter, but rather, the unicorns seem to be dancing to their own styles. I'm thinking that this will circle around the various jobs which exist and increase awareness on that in. But I'm also hoping for some fantasy swirls. After all, these are unicorns.

Let's get ready for... well, anything is possible when we hit creatures like unicorns, right?

UNICORNS IN UNIFORMS

by Beth Ferry

Illustrated by A.N. Kang

Simon & Schuster

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

No job is too big or too small for magical uniformed unicorns in this adorable and empowering picture book from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry!

We’re Unicorns in Uniforms!
We know just what to do.
We’re hoofed and horned and well-informed
And ready to help you!

Come join these caring unicorns as they work, play, and save the day—because when you’re a unicorn, U can do anything if you work together!

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Unicorns are busy and everywhere in a read which inspires and adds a bit of unexpected adventure, too.

In this fantasy town, unicorns are ready to make sure everything works as it should. From doctors to farmers, unicorns not only wear all sorts of uniforms, they do the work to match. Each unicorn contributes in their very own way to make life run smoothly. So when it's time to take a break, they are ready to relax in style. That is, until a dangerous storm comes their way.

This read slides into fantasy with unicorns, fairies and more, but uses this as a backdrop to showcase the huge variety of jobs needed to make a town work. All of these jobs are usual ones found in modern life and most will be familiar to the intended age group. Listeners/readers gain awareness for different forms of work, while also being entertained by the lively unicorns and their parade of uniforms. The jobs aren't described but simply mentioned. The illustrations take it from there and have many of the unicorns performing tasks related to their profession. About halfway through, the unicorns call it a day, and the tale shifts gears into a little more adventure as an evil and powerful dragon storm threatens an attack. There's a imaginative turn into action as the unicorns transfer into small action heroes and do their best to defeat the foe. The ending switches things up again and wraps things up on a very positive note. So, this is by no means a monotone tale.

The text flows smoothly and sticks to playful rhymes while the illustrations add details and enrich the plot. It creates a lovely read-aloud for groups and individual settings. 

And here they are...

Beth Ferry is the author of numerous picture books for children including Roar for Reading, Prunella, and the New York Times bestseller Stick and Stone. She is an avid reader who believes that any day spent with a book is a perfect day. Beth lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey where she finds inspiration in the salty air. In addition to writing picture books, Beth also writes chapter books and graphic novels. She’s the author of the middle grade book Growing Home. You can learn more at BethFerry.com.

A. N. Kang started her career designing giftware, greeting cards, and holiday installations all over New York City. In 2016, She debuted as an author and illustrator with the picture book The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon. Since then, she has been working as a children’s book author and illustrator. Her books include My Big Bad Monster, Celebrate You! by Sherry Duskey Rinker, Squirrel’s Family Tree by Beth Ferry, and I Worked Hard on That! by Robyn Wall. You can see more of her work online at AnnaKangDesign.com.

A Friend for Hope by Amie White

Happy Sunday! Today's read slides into this blessed day with a tale about hope and friendship. I'm not really sure where this one will go but assume it will rotate around a girl finding a friend in a furry dog. I hear whispers that there are some other good messages as well, so I'm eager to jump in and see what it's about. Oh, and the 47 pages for a picture book also has me a bit curious to see what's going on...longer than what is usual for that category.

Let's just open it up and find out!

A FRIEND FOR HOPE

Trailing Fireflies

by Amie White

Illustrated by Olena Oprich

Noctilune Publishing

Picture Book

47 pages

ages 4 to 6

Nine-year-old Zoe Meadows is the new kid in Ivy Creek. For homeschooled Zoe, every day starts the same: breakfast, then to the living room where Miss Ellis awaits. Only today, Zoe can't focus—not when she notices neighborhood children playing outside, children she's yet to meet. Watching all this unfold, Zoe's parents decide it's time for a companion—the furry kind, to be precise.

Everything changes when Zoe meets Hope at the dog shelter for the first time. The two girls form an inseparable bond over the following months and find in each other the one thing they both craved for a long, long time: a forever friend.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Dealing with loneliness, patience, and friendship meld together to form a warming read.

Zoe is homeschooled and stares daily out of the window, wishing you had someone to play with. Her loneliness begins to even disrupt her studies with the tutor. Deciding it's time to get a friend, her parents take her to the local animal shelter, but choosing a pet isn't that easy.

This is a gentle read about friendship, giving others space, empathy, patience, and handling loneliness. And it swirls through these themes wonderfully. Zoe is a kind-hearted girl, who immediately wins readers over with the simple desire to play. Later, her love for animals and careful handling of them touches the heart even more. The story flows smoothly and is engaging the entire way through. This isn't a read for younger picture book enjoyers as much as it is for those who are nearing or in kindergarten and beyond due to the longer tale. Young readers are sure to enjoy this one, while older ones might wonder why Zoe is so lonely and why her parents believe a furry friend will fill this gap, especially since one scene has neighborhood kids playing right outside her window. As a homeschooling mother, this baffled me. But as said, young readers probably won't notice, and there is tons of goodness in these pages otherwise.

 It also works as a read-alone for the readers who are very sure of their words and are slowly sliding into chapter books. This also would be a lovely addition to themes surrounding animal shelters and pets, since it does a good job at showing some of the difficulties (on a superficial level) of bringing a dog into the household.

Fly in the Chai by Zenia Wadhwani

Anyone else a chai fan? I especially enjoy a Chai Latte. Today's read, obviously, is one I wouldn't pass up on, and neither would my kids, who also happen to enjoy chai. But not with a fly. I'm pretty sure nobody wants that company when drinking chai. 

Let's open this one up and see how the characters deal with this little visitor.

FLY IN THE CHAI

by Zenia Wadhwani

Illustrated Chaaya Prabhat

Tundra Books

Picture Book

40 pages

 ages 4 to 8

Who loves chai more? Nanu . . . or the pesky fly that lands in his fresh cup? A delightful picture book romp featuring an adorable grandfather and granddaughter, a lively group of marketgoers and one very memorable fly.

On a trip to the market, Nanu gets a cup of chai. But before he can take a drink, his granddaughter stops him just in time.

STOP! There's a FLY in that chai!

Thus begins an epic battle between Nanu and the who loves chai more??

This hilarious story will have readers on the edge of their seats and the dynamic illustrations will take them on a journey through a busy market they won't soon forget!

Who will win the chai battle? Read on to find out . . .

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

A small fly is full of mischief in this adorable tale about a girl going to the market with her Nanu.

A little girl enjoys going to the market with her Nanu (grandfather), especially since he seems to know everyone there. After saying hello to everyone one they meet, they head to the on stand to get Nanu's favorite drink, Chai. Just as he's about to take a sip, the girl notices a fly in the chai. Nanu tries to shoo it away, but this fly is stubborn and soon has the entire market involved.

The girl and her Nanu visit the colorful market, and their warm relationship already brings a smile to the face. Listeners/readers can enjoy the visual rainbow of market life as they pass various stands. This allows listeners/readers to grab up some cultural goodness on the visual end, while each greeting the pair gives to the stand owners feeds in lingual diversity as well. With each greeting, the two use a different word or phrase. Unfortunately, it's never said exactly what these words means. The pronunciations are given at the back of the book, which is a nice touch, and those caretakes, who are reading the books as a read-aloud, can visit this section first to know how to say each one. After the greetings are done, the girl and Nanu gaze at the various foods available. These are visually shown to help identify what the term means, and there is a definition of each one at the end of the book. So, there is quite a bit of cultural goodness.

The idea behind this book is simple, yet oh-so-cute as Nanu has to deal with a fly. This adds humor to draw smiles, and the fly even surprises with a reply, The ending solution surprises and wraps things up nicely. All of this creates a fun tale, which works nicely as a read-aloud. To round things off, there's a recipe very Chai at the very end, one I'll be preparing myself every now and then since it is delicious.

And here they are...

ZENIA WADHWANI is the author of the picture books Once Upon a Sari, Fly in the Chai and ‘Twas the Night Before Diwali. Zenia is an avid reader, an advocate for literacy and a promoter of emerging writers, but it took the pandemic and a looming milestone birthday to unleash her first children’s story. By day, Zenia spends her time working on issues of equity and social justice; by night, she lets her creativity flow into her writing. Zenia lives in Toronto, Canada, with her family, and many of her stories are inspired by her daughter Avani.

CHAAYA PRABHAT is an illustrator and lettering artist from Chennai, India, currently working out of Goa. She has illustrated numerous picture books including Fly in the Chai, Honk Honk, Beep Beep, Putter Putt!; The Best Diwali Ever; and Anni Dreams of Biryani.

The Albcell Zoo by Gazmend Ceno

With school's finishing off the last school year and summer break rolling in, today's read seemed a perfect addition for puzzle fans to slide in during the upcoming weeks. From what I can tell, Albcell is a certain puzzle format, which works with numbers. It is so constructed to include various illustrations of, in this case, zoo animals. I'd never heard of albcell before, and as a puzzle fan, this definitely caught my attention. I'm hoping that this is one of those books, which is ideal for taking along on road trips, vacations, day adventures, visits to relatives, and more. 

Let's open it up and see if it's great for these type of activities or not!

THE ALBCELL ZOO

Albcell Smart Scholastic, Vol. 2

by Gazmend Ceno

Albcell Group Publishing

Middle Grade Puzzles

110 pages

ages 8 to 10

The Albcell Zoo.  We’re off to the zoo in this latest edition of Albcell! Crack the crafty creature conundrums and make many new animal friends as you peruse this edition of the celebrated picture puzzles for children ages 8–10. Unlike traditional puzzles, Albcell puzzles combine letters, shapes, and patterns, encouraging kids to explore how they connect. The result is a fun, hands-on way to strengthen alphabet recognition, observation, and early thinking skills.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON 

MY TIDBITS

Puzzlers have plenty to do as they work through numbers and visual fun.

I hadn't run across Albcell puzzles before but was immediately drawn into the mix of numbers and images. These take a lean toward Sudoku and Co. but add more variety, some extra learning nods, and image fun. The first 17 or so pages carefully lay out how these puzzles work. The author takes the time to go step-by-step through the logic with plenty of examples for readers to work with to make things clear. With a natural and relaxed conversation style, the instructions are interesting to read, but more importantly, even those puzzlers, who need more time to understand something, will enjoy the careful and thought out breakdown.

The puzzles add a playful twist thanks to the images and incorporate these into the 'rules' nicely. Like Sudoku and Co., the numbers 1-9 are used with the same idea that each number can only be used once in each designated 'box', column or row. And that's where the similarities end. In Albcell, the 'boxes' are drawn areas, which adds visual fun and a little more abstract thought. There are also diamonds and circles involved, which designate odd or even numbers—so math ideas work their way in, too. It aids logic, number comfort, patterns, and more. And each puzzle is offered in three steps: one with just even, one with just odd, and one with both types of numbers needing to be discovered. So, it works for various levels and variety. The solutions are at the end of the book.

I found this to be a fun book for puzzle fans, and it'd be ideal for car rides, vacations, down-times, waiting times, and more. There are plenty of puzzles to keep readers busy and they progress in difficulty a bit as the book goes on. Plus, the beginning instructions are very well done. In other words, this is one to pick up and enjoy.

And here he is...

Gazmend Ceno is a writer, violinist, and puzzle creator whose work brings together art, language, and logic. He began publishing poetry and prose in Albania while still in high school and released his first poetry collection in 1999. After moving to the United States, he published Single Cloud, a collection of poetry in English, and translated several works into Albanian.  Gazmend creates puzzles for readers who enjoy creative thinking, sharp logic, and a real mental challenge. If you like puzzles that push you to think in a fresh way, explore the Albcell series and get your copy today.

Cora's Beach Adventure by Sally M. Walker

We're going to stick to those beginning readers out there, today, with another read, which works on those reading skills. This one comes from the STEAM Street Kids series, books which combine reading levels (1-3) with STEAM themes. So, double-whammy goodness. I have not taken a peek at this series before and am excited to see what these books hold, especially since this one is giving Summer vibes and promises fun in the water and sand. 

Get on those swimsuits because we're headed to the beach today!

CORA'S BEACH ADVENTURE

STEAM Street Kids, Level 3

by Sally M. Walker

Illustrated by Julie Kwon

MIT Kids Press

Beginning Reader

48 pages

ages 5 to 7

COMING JULY 7th!!!

Keep kids curious with this exciting first adventure in the STEAM Street Kids early-reader series, following Cora on a day of fun, science-based adventures at the beach.

Pack your beach bag and join Cora and Gran for some discoveries by the shore! Test sand to figure out what kind makes the best castle. Find out how sea animals survive low tide. Investigate sea stars in a tide pool—and rescue them from drying out. And what tops off a day at the beach better than a big ice cream sundae? The welcoming text by nonfiction author extraordinaire Sally M. Walker, ideal for early readers moving into chapter books, is followed by back matter expounding on the three STEAM concepts introduced and inviting kids to experiment with their own sandcastle-building activity.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

A day at the beach involves sand castles, ice cream, and an exciting rescue mission, while including small activities readers can do too.

Cora and Gran are going to the beach for the day. Cora is determined to build sand castles, but it's not working as nicely as she'd hoped. As she tries to figure out the reason, she visits to the tide pools to discover what the receded water has left behind and learns a little bit more about sea life while finding a creature, who needs help immediately. 

The book begins with a quick description of the series, in general, allowing guardians, teachers, and caretakers to understand the different reading levels within the series and better decide which would be best for their circumstances. Then, it heads to a table of contents, so readers can quickly find where they last left off. After that, the tale begins. It's written in larger font with plenty of spacing for easy reading purposes. The sentences are kept very short, while the vocabulary adds a few more difficult terms here and there to work those word skills. There are always illustrations to help readers along. These are bright and bring over the scenes nicely, while supporting the text visually. At the end of the book, there are several pages of knowledge, experiment, and activity goodness. These work best for caretakers to help guide the readers through. All are easy to understand, offer insight into scientific themes (such as tides), and fitting for the age group. The hands-on activities include usual household items as well or things which are no problem to get.

Cora is a energetic and positive character, and it's hard not to want to be on that beach with her. Her discoveries are exciting while staying very age appropriate. Especially those who have been to a beach before will easily recognize some of the scenes. Those who haven't will have no problem visualizing each moment and learning more about the beach. Gran offers wonderful support and adds tons of care and warmth. It's also fun to see her play with Cora and get involved in everything. Add that the science information rolls smoothly into the tale, and it's a fun read the entire way through.