Stars are Everywhere

"A star is how you know it's almost night." So begins this comforting story of children discovering stars in the night sky and all around them in the natural world. There are star shaped flowers on the pumpkin vines; snowflake stars on wintry days; and thousands of stars floating from a dandelion puff. Observe the world from a child's eye and I promise you'll discover stars where you never looked before. Mary Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee have created what I believe will become a childhood classic, full of wonder and delight. Ray's poetic words and Frazee's charming illustrations are in perfect harmony. Do yourself a favor. Check out Stars. Share it with your children and during this magical season enjoy the night. Wrap your kids up in blankets & head outside with a thermos of hot chocolate. Daily snuggling up with a good book and sharing a few moments of quiet will make a lasting impression on your children.

Miss Julie

The Gift of Nothing

The Gift of Nothing is a sweet little book, perfect for anyone who would like to encourage a child to focus on the simple pleasures of the holiday season. Regardless of what holiday we celebrate, many of us are out looking of the perfect gift. Mooch's attempts to figure out gift-giving are something we can all relate to, and his decision to get Earl nothing is truly inspired.

"There is nothing here," said Earl.
"Yesh!" said Mooch. "Nothing...but me and you!"

In a season of hustle and bustle, to-do lists and stress, it's easy to forget that the very best gift we can give each other is time spent together. This is especially true of sharing books with your kids... so take a moment, pick out a book, and enjoy time well spent.

Miss Kate

If you're looking for a great read-aloud starring trucks, you can't go wrong with Alice Schertle's Little Blue Truck, a perennial favorite at our library. In this story the little blue truck greets each each animal it meets along the road with a "beep", and the animals respond in kind with their own unique greeting. The big bully dump truck however, doesn't have time for such greetings and nearly mows everyone down before plowing deep into the mud. It takes everyone's help to get unstuck, and in the end the bully dump truck acknowledges "a lot depends on a helping hand from a few good friends".

This book offers more than a good message about friendship. The animal noises, truck sounds, and rhyming couplets all work to help your child pay attention to the music in our language-a powerful pre-literacy skill that will come in handy when your child is beginning to read. Other good books in our library that feature trucks and construction sounds include Little Blue Truck's sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, Jackhammer Sam, by Peter Mandel, I'm a Truck Driver by Jonathan London, and Wake up, Engines, by Denise Dowling Mortensen.

A Cowgirl and Her Horse

What a fun, fun story! Having a horse is a BIG responsibility, as any cowgirl can tell you. She has to protect him from rattlesnakes, she can't forget his birthday, and she must help him write letters to his mother. In turn, he will take her up mountains, down trails, and over rainbows. Author Jean Ekman Adams has successfully coupled short, descriptive sentences with utterly charming southwestern illustrations. Her color palette is as warm and bright as the characters she brings to life.

In addition to providing a fun romp through a day in the life of a pair of good friends, A Cowgirl and Her Horse gives parents and other significant adults the perfect opening for discussing the dreaded topic of PETS. Each page is filled with imperatives: has to, must, and can't, but as the perfect ending reveals with understated affection, when done right, all the hard work that goes with having a pet/pal is well worth it.

Adams' whimsical drawings and tongue-in-cheek phrasing go hand in hand to make this an entertaining learning experience for young readers everywhere.