Numbers by John J. Reiss

Publisher: Little Simon
Age Range: 1 – 4 years old
Grade Level: Preschool and up
Format: Hardcover

Synopsis
Count from 1 to 1,000 in this stunning, graphic first concept board book.

From kites, cakes, and candy kisses, young readers can count from 1 to 1,000 using illustrations of fun, familiar objects. With bright, bold artwork, this board book is perfect for parents and little ones to share.

Reflection
I love a good counting book, don’t you?  I think they are the perfect way to introduce young children to early math concepts while engaging their imaginations, expanding vocabulary and reading and writing skills.  Sharing counting books together with the kids is a wonderful way for us to spend time together, learning, imagining, and exploring.

Numbers is a simple, bold, bright, and a great counting book!  It isn’t a complex book, but it is one that encourages counting with it’s vivid illustrations.  Little readers can count from 1 to 20, count by 10’s up to 100 and finally skipping all the way to 1,000.  Each number is shown on the same page as the objects the child is being asked to count (crayons, fingers, flowers, baseball players).  My kids love counting then flipping the page exclaiming ” I knew it , I said that number I was right!” My only complaint is that the book skipped the numbers 200 – 900 and went straight to 1,000.

In addition to the illustrations I also liked the fact that this book uses a wide variety of vocabulary words like: portholes, bananas, and horse-chestnut leaf.  Another great thing is that each number is written as a symbol and spelled out as a word allowing children to recognize both the number and the corresponding word.

This newly re-published version of Numbers (originally published in 1971) is also a sturdy board book, making it great for little hands to hold.  My kids enjoy flipping the pages to count the objects, making it a more interactive and engaging read with young children.  Overall, I think it’s ideal for introducing children to rote counting and colors.  I would happily recommend this book to families with babies through preschoolers , my 4 year-old daughter loves it and partly because she reads all the words and numbers herself!

Numbers publishes from Little Simon on December 20, 2016!

Disclaimer:  I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

• Age Range: 5 – 10 years
• Grade Level: Kindergarten – 5
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Available for Sale: January 17, 2017

Synopsis
Meet the youngest known child to be arrested for a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963, in this moving picture book that proves you’re never too little to make a difference.

Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks intended to go places and do things like anybody else.

So when she heard grown-ups talk about wiping out Birmingham’s segregation laws, she spoke up. As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan—picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails!—she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!

Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Reflection
Nine year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks was just an ordinary girl in a lot of ways.  She liked to help her mother cook, she sang in the church choir, she went to school, she loved to eat ice cream, but she especially loved her mother’s recipe for hot rolls baptized in butter…yum!

Audrey also just wanted to go to different public places and do things just like everyone else. Why couldn’t she eat inside of her local ice cream shop (Newberry’s) and why did she always have to get hand-me-down schoolbooks?  I’ll tell you why – because Audrey grew up in Birmingham, Alabama at the height of racial segregation in the South. After participating in the Children’s March in May 1963, Audrey is the youngest of more than three thousand children who get arrested.  She spent a total of seven days in jail.

Remember I said Audrey was ordinary in a lot of ways?  Well, not only did being the youngest child to get arrested in the 1963 Children’s March make her quite extraordinary, but so did being blessed with the opportunity to eat dinner with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on several occasions at her house.  That’s right, Dr. King used to come to little Audrey’s house to eat dinner with her family and other ministers.  The dinner conversation would revolve around different strategies to help wipe out segregation laws.  It was from overhearing those conversations that Audrey decided she would stand up for what’s right despite the consequences.

This book is very inspirational and quite moving.  I absolutely LOVE Audrey’s courage and passion for wanting to do the right thing even if it meant she had to spend a few days behind bars.  As always, Vanessa Brantley-Newton delivers exquisite illustrations that really capture the essence of this true story.  My favorite illustrations are when Audrey is shown laying down in bed in the jail cell and the other illustration where she is sitting criss-cross applesauce in the cell.

Later in life, Audrey went on to graduate from college and became a teacher. Nicknamed the “Civil Rights Queen”, Audrey Faye Hendricks passed away in 2009. The back matter includes a timeline of events, a recipe for “Hot Rolls Baptized in Butter” and an author’s note.

Overall, I think this is a beautiful and important non-fiction book that helps children understand they are never too young to make a difference and change the world.  Perfect for reading with your little readers during Black History Month, Women’s History Month or any time of the year.

Music Is… by Brandon Stosuy, illustrated by Amy Martin

Publisher: Little Simon
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover (Board Book)
Age Range: Preschool and up

Synopsis
From music writer and The Creative Independent/Kickstarter Editor in Chief Brandon Stosuy, comes an entertaining new board book that introduces the many moods, styles, and senses of music to the youngest audiophiles—because music is for everyone, and music is for you.

Featuring Amy Martin’s dynamic art style, Music Is… explains music through our eyes and ears so that the sense of hearing is transformed into a visual experience. A pitch-perfect board book that is sure to strike a chord with readers of all ages.

Reflection
Just like reading, music also has many positive benefits for children.  It helps them develop, grow and explore the world around them.  By singing, moving, playing percussion instruments, dancing and dramatic play activities; children learn and develop a range of skills for their whole development.

Music Is… by Brian Stosuy is a beautifully illustrated board book that introduces little readers to opposites like quiet, loud, slow, fast, sad, happy, one, and more.  The diverse set of characters are shown enjoying music by listening to it with their headphones, playing drums, using pots and pans, and cymbals.  There are also various instruments shown like a harps, tambourines, guitars, and pianos.  You can even spot cassette tapes and records which have recently made a comeback in today’s music.  Children will also learn a few musically-related opposites such as a capella, acoustic, lo-fi and hi-fi.  All of those music terms were unfamiliar to my children so it was great to be able to teach them something new and different.

We really enjoyed this adorable book.  It’s so lively and fun for little readers who love music as much as mine do.  The text is short and sweet with gorgeous and bold illustrations to match.  I think this book is great for helping small children discover an appreciation for music that will last a lifetime.  Not only will it introduce musical concepts, but it may even help set up your child for future musical education, such as learning to play an instrument.  Great for music lovers of all ages!

Your turn: Have you read this book yet?  Feel free to share in the comments.

Zack Delacruz by Jeff Anderson

Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth

Synopsis
Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle school—and that’s just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fundraiser. Worse, his partner is the school’s biggest bully! If they don’t sell all the chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmates’ hopes on the line, can he save the day?

Reflection
Bullying is a tough subject to discuss with kids, but this book tackles the subject in a way that makes it less intimidating.  My older sister and I had a brief encounter with bullying when we were younger.  These two girls used to chase us home from the bus stop almost daily.  I’m not even sure why they were chasing us, but we ran so fast that they never caught us.  After a while they eventually gave up trying to outrun us so the bullying stopped.

I hope my children never have to deal with bullying during their childhood, but in the world we live in today it’s probably likely to happen at some point.  I think the middle school years will be the toughest since middle school is when kids are at the peak of their adolescence – trying to find themselves and where they belong.

This is a book that was written for middle schoolers.  Zack and his sixth-grade classmates attend a school in San Antonio, Texas.  Zack is often the brunt of jokes and is constantly being bullied because of the way he looks.  He’s short, he has “Harry Potter” glasses, and his clothes are too big.

In the end, I love the way Zack finds his courage and stands up for himself in this book.   He saved the dance so everyone could go, way to go, Zack!  Once he was finally able to overcame his fears his popularity soared making him even more popular than he was before.

One of the things I liked about this book is all of the characters seemed so real which I think makes it easy for kids to relate to.  There are kids from all different diverse backgrounds and family types.  Zack shuffles between two households of his divorced parents and Marquis is being raised by his grandmother.  I also enjoyed the humor throughout this book even though I couldn’t relate to some of the jokes.  They’d probably be more funny to a ten or eleven year-old though.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.  I’d recommend it and the sequel Zack Delacruz: Just My Luck for middle school aged students of all different backgrounds and cultures.  Remember, bullying is never ok.  Never.

Zack Delacruz: Just My Luck
Synopsis
Zack Delacruz is back—and eager to meet Abhi, the new girl at school. But things get off to a rough start when he accidentally knocks her to the ground during a game of dodgeball. And whenever he tries to make amends, she just ignores him. Nothing works—not his friends’ advice or his “lucky” cologne. In fact, he just seems more and more cursed! Then, at the Fall Fiesta-val, Zack finally learns the real reason behind Abhi’s cold shoulder . . . but not before total chaos erupts. With a runaway train, exploding confetti-filled eggs, and Abhi’s terrifying older brother, will Zack ever get a chance to talk to his crush? In the end, Zack learns what it means to believe, to listen, and to be a good friend.

About the Author

Jeff Anderson is the author of Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth, Mechanically Inclined, Everyday Editing, 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know, and Revision Decisions.  A former elementary and middle school teacher, Jeff travels to schools across the country working with teachers and students to discover joy and power in the writing process.  Visit him at writeguy.net or follow him on Twitter at @writeguyjeff.  Jeff currently lives in San Antonio, TX.