AUTHOR
Susan Robinson
Kid-tested Greatest Hits
Heads
by Matthew Van Fleet
Take your child on safari!
Pull-tabs, textures, and a foldout page engage toddlers as they identify more than 30 animals and observe all the different head types and shapes. They also learn about opposites and actions. You can also talk about the different...
My granddaughter Payton deposits a pile of books in my lap and shuffles through them, deciding which she wants me to read first. Sometimes we read six or seven stories in one sitting. Several times a day. It’s our favorite thing to do together. If I didn’t insist on a break to do other things, I think Payton would be...
I’m an author! Cue balloons and confetti! I’ve been a writer since first grade, when I printed on lined yellow paper about Uncle Bob the policeman. Later there were stories about Zot, an alien who came to school, and Susan and Karen’s excellent adventure, a three-mile trek our three- and four-year-old selves took to...
Should you judge a book by its cover? When it comes to picture books, I do. From the shelf, Skippyjon Jones [2003], by Judy Schachner, screamed, “Buy me! I’m adorable!” The little Siamese cat who thinks he’s a Chihuahua became a favorite of my grandkids and me. Conversely, an icky cover picture seems to spoil the story...
As a parent, grandparent, and elementary school librarian, I’ve read thousands of children’s picture books. Frankly, I don’t understand how some were ever published—inane stories, babyish language, bland illustrations, characters modeling behaviors I don’t want kids to emulate. Thankfully, many others are treasures that...
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