My poor hat.

I like that the lost hat is visible on one of the pages, I wonder if any readers will catch that on the first read. It would be good questioning to see if any students can recall who had Bear‘s hat.

I like the lack of movement in the story throughout the repetitions (Bear keeps the same expression and location on every page until he lays down. There is a good use of color in the background during Bear's realization that he has seen his hat. I found this book really funny honestly. It has a slightly ambiguous ending…

“Nobody can ever cuff your beautiful and brilliant mind”

I love the character design in this book! The characters have so much personality and are so cute.

This book has beautiful use of color and endearing character design (with soft shapes, no harsh lines, and harmonious color palettes). It had multiple important messages regarding emotional well-being, slavery, and the Black history of resilience. It is inspired by The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Virginia Hamilton.

Press here and turn the page.

During the first read, the teacher could ask children what they notice after each action.

The interactive nature of this picture book might be amusing to younger grades! The illustrations are simple, just similarly sized dots, leading the reader to focus first on color, then space, contrast, and size. This would be a great book to use to teach about any of those terms, composition, noticing changes, or in an art class.

“I‘ve come to appreciate how both animals are equally large at heart: the courageous mouse, and the lion who must rise above his beastly nature to set his small prey free” (from the artist's note)

Pinkney's representation of the mouse and lion‘s sizes helps emphasize the power dynamics between prey/predator and mighty/meek.

Jerry Pinkney, in classic fashion, vividly engrosses the reader in the setting of the story from page one. It is wordless (like his version of Tortoise and the Hare), so I would likely do a whole class reading together before putting this book in my classroom library to explore.

”Why labor so long?” Grasshopper chirped. “It's summertime. Let's have a picnic of fresh, yummy leaves. Come join me in making music!”

The title illustrations are so fitting! Pinkney uses elements of the story like the characters (ants and the grasshopper) and settings (sticks and leaves) in the title pages.

Jerry Pinkney once again perfectly encapsulates the whimsical energy of a fable trough his illustrations. I would absolutely use this one to explore the moral of the fable with students. The story emphasizes traits like working hard, being prepared, but also being generous. Jerry Pinkney explains in his artist‘s note that he took liberties with the ending where he has the ants share what they have and the grasshopper learns his lesson.

slow and steady wins the race

The artist, Jerry Pinkney, included an artist‘s note at the end of the book. In it, he shared his inspiration, his rationale for certain creative choices, and the mediums he used.

The illustrations are colorful, pattern-filled, and detailed, perfectly fitting the fable vibe. It's realistic but has a recognizable style in the water-coloring/sketchy combination look. It has very few words but does include dialogue and descriptors. I would use a different rendition with words to teach the moral behind the fable. However, if children are already familiar with this story I would include this version in my classroom.

"A fossil shows the traces or remains of animals and plants that lived 10,000 or more years ago. A fossil can be a rock with a preserved part of an extinct animal or the imprint of an ancient plant. By studying fossils, we can learn a lot about prehistoric life."

Because of the wordless element of this book, teachers can prompt student engagement by asking students to describe what they think is happening in the story.

The hyper-realistic illustrations and creative perspectives add excitement to the book. Aside from a page explaining fossils, the story is completely wordless. The story still went in an unexpected and imaginative direction!

"But freedom stand up and laughs in their faces" -Langston Hughes, "Freedom", 1968

Joseph had a little button. One day he lost it. Now he had nothing. So Joseph made a book about it. Which shows... you can always make something out of nothing.

I have not read many children's books about repurposing items! I like the message this can send to children, especially since we live in a time of a lot of unnecessary waste.

I think elementary students may find these drawings funny!

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback showcases how creativity and innovation can extended the life of something "old and worn". It can be read to teach about imagination and sustainability. The book has interesting cutouts, so Joseph's clothing transitions to its next purpose as the reader turns the page.

Officer Buckle & Gloria by Peggy Rathman is about the value of working together and the importance of "sticking by your buddy". It had vibrant and dynamic illustrations that children may find silly!

Officer Buckle loved having a buddy.

"His name is Willy, and he belongs to us."

I rate The Stray Dog by Marc Simont a 10/10. The illustrations had so much personality. The story was a touching tale of belonging. It was short and sweet!