Category Books

Book Thoughts: A Knot is Not a Tangle (Nayeri)

A Knot is Not a Tangle (Nayeri) | keenlykept.com

Type: picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Daniel NayeriIllustrator: Vesper Stamper One element of a well-written children’s story is its ability to powerfully communicate with so few words. We of non-Iranian backgrounds are sweetly welcomed into a tradition over 2,500 years old as…

Book Thoughts: The Call of the Wild (London)

The Call of the Wild (London) | keenlykept.com

Type: chapter bookAges: 12-18Author: Jack London If any one author could describe the rough wildness of nature, it is Jack London. Until recently, it had been many years since I last read this, and though it has a better ending…

Book Thoughts: Johnny Appleseed (Lindbergh)

Johnny Appleseed (Lindbergh) | keenlykept.com

Type: picture bookAges: 4-10Author: Reeve LindberghIllustrator: Kathy Jakobsen * Swedenborg held some concerning theological beliefs, so parents might want to avoid that paragraph in the after notes (or be ready to discuss). This poem is a delight to read aloud!…

Book Thoughts: Seed by Seed (Codell)

Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John "Appleseed" Chapman (Codell) | keenlykept.com

Type: biographical picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Esmé Raji CodellIllustrator: Lynne Rae Perkins * Not many picture books touch on this element, but Codell points out that Chapman claimed “spirits and angels” spoke to him, that he would gather friends for a…

Book Thoughts: The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed (Hodges)

The True Tale of Johnny Appleseed (Hodges) | keenlykept.com

Type: longer biographical picture bookAges: 5-10Author: Margaret HodgesIllustrator: Kimberly Bulcken Root Hodges makes such excellent word choices in her books! Her descriptions are unique yet understandable to little ears. “Every spring the blossoms were like white clouds.” The text throughout…

Book Thoughts: Johnny Appleseed (Kellogg)

Johnny Appleseed (Kellogg) | keenlykept.com

Type: biographical picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Steven Kellogg What’s myth and what’s real? Kellogg has done a good job here in recounting facts about John’s life while also humorously showing how myths grew out of those facts.  If you and your…

Book Thoughts: Robin Hood, Stepping Stones (Ingle)

Robin Hood, Stepping Stones (Ingle) | keenlykept.com

Type: bridge book (short chapter book)Ages: 7-11Original author: Howard PyleAdapted by: Annie Ingle Introduce a new generation to the classic legend of the man who stole from the rich to help the poor! There’s adventure, loyalty, courage, and strong friendship…

Book Thoughts: The Great Pyramid (Mann)

The Great Pyramid (Mann) | keenlykept.com

Type: long picture bookAges: 7-12Author: Elizabeth MannIllustrator: Laura Lo Turco The author immediately captures our attention with a hypothetical scenario of a boy excited to help build something for their honorable leader, the pharaoh. Then it transitions to a non-fiction…

Book Thoughts: Imagine That (Voss)

Imagine That (Voss) | keenlykept.com

Type: picture bookAges: 4-8Author: Jonathan D. Voss It’s always fun to read imaginative stories, and the book’s duo is quite creative in their rainy day play. But the solution to Hoot’s lack of imagination fell flat. Hoot: “Why is it,…

Book Thoughts: Penguin Sets Sail (Evans)

Penguin Sets Sail (Evans) | keenlykept.com

Type: wordless board bookAges: 0-6Author: Jessica Linn Evans Sometimes it’s a bit awkward for the adult to figure out how to “read” wordless books with their children, but here are two of my favorite elements: But back to this adorable…

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