informational books

Antique eyeglasses in a heap

Look Here! These Books Are Spectacular!

Sometimes it appears that attention from many quarters comes to rest on one theme or an object with unanticipated universal agreement that this is the IT topic for the moment. This year in kids’ books we’re seeing that happen with—eyeglasses! In books that come to us from Spain, the Netherlands via New Zealand, the United […]

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Katsu the dog tucked up in a blanket

Canine Companions: Rescue Dogs and Beyond

If you’ve never met a rescue animal—and a rescue dog in particular—then you might not know that they are the four-legged definitions of gratitude and resilience. Some rescue dogs may come from previous loving homes where life circumstances forced their humans to re-home them. But just as many—and, sadly, probably many, many more—come from pasts

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Bank Street Books Announces Newest Best Children’s Books of the Year

The newly released list from Bank Street College of Education reflects their Children’s Book Committee’s choices from 2023’s publications. Bank Street’s seal of “best” is recognized by librarians, teachers, teacher training programs, and parents as a gold standard guide to children’s books. The selection committee is composed of more than two dozen members who are

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Tree photo by Mandy Ross

Fifty Plus Years of Celebrating Earth Day

As we get ready to celebrate Earth Day, I think about how I can instill in my child a deep appreciation for the planet and its delicate ecosystems. As a children’s librarian I know one of the most effective ways to cultivate this awareness is through the power of children’s literature. Children’s books have the

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Tales in Tune:  Music and Picture Books

Fusing the delights of music and story is a powerful way to teach basic concepts as well as explore deeper ideas and emotions.  Over my nearly 30 years of teaching young children, I’ve set a LOT of knowledge to simple tunes: the names of continents, oceans, countries and states, math concepts, simplified steps of the

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Shaped manipulatives sorted by preschool aged child

Get into Shape(s)!

This has shaped up to be a good year for new kids’ books that focus attention on—shapes! Some shapes—and books—are simple, some simply fun (as well as informative), and some sophisticated—just the way geometric forms run the gamut from easy to grasp to complex. Learning to recognize and name shapes helps build the toddler, preschooler,

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Covers of books featured in post

Mastering the Art of Kindness

November 13th is World Kindness Day, a day to reflect on one of the most universal and unifying principles. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, start ripples of change that can transform the lives of children, families, and communities across the world. This selection of picture books and board books are the

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Book covers of Ancient Egyptians for Kids, Mummies Unwrapped, The Unofficial Guide to the Egyptian Afterlife, Hide and Seek Ancient Egypt

Unwrapping the Secrets of Ancient Egypt

This article is by Publisher Spotlight intern Lauren Neely. Happy King Tut Day! 101 years ago as of November 4, 2023, King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by British archaeologist, Howard Carter, in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, where 63 pharaohs were buried from 1539 BC to 1075 BC. In celebration of this day, here are

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Man, Woman, and Child standing outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign

Pages Under the Stars: Books to read while Camping

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do is to enjoy a good book swinging in a hammock or resting during a hike break back at the campsite. And there are so many good books to enjoy! Let me tell you about some of our recent favorites both frontlist and

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