Book Review: The Golden Acorn

Author/Illustrator: Katy Hudson

From the Book Jacket: Squirrel loves to win. And for the past eight years, she has won the Golden Acorn Hung - on her own. But this year the event is for teams only. Squirrel is the fastest animal in the forest, and a team will just slow her down. However, she doesn't have an option. Will Squirrel's poor attitude make her lose the race and her friends? Winning isn't everything as proven in this picture book about friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: What a fantastic book about putting your friends and their feelings FIRST.....instead of having to always win and be first. This is a skill all kids need to work on and be aware of. If we are being overly competitive the results can actually be a huge loss in our lives. The loss of friendship and respect of those around you. This is the PERFECT book on competitiveness and teamwork. I highly recommend!

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Book Review: Deep Breaths

Author/Illustrator: Carol Thompson

From the Book Jacket: Dolly the Pig and Jack the Rabbit are best friends, but even best friends don't always get along. When Dolly and Jack have a big disagreement, they learn to count from ten to one, hum like a bee, and take long, deep breaths to calm down...and be zen friends again!

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Originally I thought this was going to be a book about mindfulness but it actually is a story about two friends who get mad at each other. They say some very hurtful things to each other but really don't mean it and really don't want to be upset with each other. They declare they are no longer friends. From there they use calming techniques to get rid of their anger. Eventually they find each other and the friends are reunited by telling each other how much they missed one another. It's a sweet story and I'm always looking for stories showing friends making up. 

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Book Reviews: Home Is a Window and Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

Author: Stephanie Parsley Ledyard
Illustrator: Chris Sasaki

From the Book Jacket: Home can be many things - a window, a doorway, a rug...or a hug. At home, everything always feels the same: comfortable and safe. But sometimes things change, and a home must be left behind. Follow a family as they leave their beloved old home and learn to make a new one in this heartfelt book. 

Author/Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld

From the Book Jacket: Every goodbye brings a new beginning. Goodbye to snowmen means hello to stomping in puddles! Goodbye to the sun means hello to the stars! Sometimes goodbyes are especially hard, and sometimes new beginnings take time, but tomorrow always comes. This picture book follows two best friends as they help each other through life's transitions, both big and small!

Why They Are On My Bookshelf: I just discovered these two books and I'm so happy about it. I have a lot of requests for recommendations on helping kids transition to a new home/school or deal with a friend moving. They are also great read alouds for the classroom. 

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