No comments about The Lost Shamrock (Jakers (8x8)).

No comments about A Very Patchy Flap Book (Pattern Flap Board Books).

1 comments about Mijos: Digest #1: The Fiesta Face-off (Mijos).

1. Can't keep these books in our middle school library--they are constantly checked out by our Latino boys--super popular.

3 comments about St. Patrick's Day in the Morning (Clarion books).

1. Young Jamie wakes early on St. Patrick's Day, much earlier than his sleeping family. He remembers that there will be a parade to the top of Acorn Hill today, and then he remembers that his brothers say he's too little to march in the parade.

   Well, fine then! He'll just have a parade of his own!! Jamie sets off in his green sweater, hat and coat with Nell the dog and march up the center of town to Acorn Hill by themselves. Along the way, the meet some of the other villagers, one of whom gives Jamie an Irish flag that he proudly waves in his own parade. Does he make it to the top?? You'll have to read to find out!!

   "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning" is a beautiful story for any child who has ever been told that they're too small, too weak, too short, too this, too that, to do something. You can see Jamie's' happiness at proving everyone wrong. The pen and ink illustrations are lush and detailed: you could count the shingles in the roofs or the bricks in the walls. Green and a little yellow are the only colors in the book, emphasizing the spirit and colors of St. Pats in Jamie's sweater, the flag of Ireland and, of course, the lush green grasses of the Emerald Isle.

   Because it's not a book about the history or legend of St. Patrick, there is no reason to limit it's reading only to March 17th. Teachers would find it a useful book in teaching both about Ireland and, of course, proving that smaller doesn't mean incapable. A fine book by Bunting and Brett, and highly recommended.




2. I loved this story. My mom would read it to my brother and I every March, and we would get so excited as the 17th approached. I, like Jamie, loved marching in our parade. Now I have a son of my own, and hope he enjoys it as much as I did.



3. We get our daughter a book about all the holidays that make up her cultural heritage and community. This is a beautiful book about St. Pat's day, but also about overcoming low expectations and self-empowerment -- but it's never preachy. My 3 yo daughter loves this book well after St. Pat's day, and we love to read it to her. Jann Brett has another winner! Although these illustrations lack the colorful details she's known for, the complexity of the mostly black/white drawings keep it engaging.

1 comments about Juliet : Midsummer at Greenchapel (Girlhood Journeys Book 3).

1. It's Midsummer Eve, and Juliet can't wait to participate in all the festivities. But then, a valuable hunting bird becomes sick, and Juliet must travel to get medicine for it. To make matters worse, the medicine is made of powder from mummies! Juliet is horrified. Midsummer Eve, when all the witches, ghosts, and goblins are out, is no time to be carrying around a pouch of mummy powder! Will Juliet get back in time for the celebration, or will she miss out on all the fun? Read to find out.

No comments about Picnic!: A Day in the Park (Ready-to-Read. Pre-Level 1).

No comments about The Luck of the Irish (Ready-to-Read. Level 1).

5 comments about Daddy, Will You Miss Me?.

1. This is the kind of thing that's going to be read on Father's Day for a long time. A sweet story of a boy and his father and how difficult their separation is when dad has to go on a trip. I loved it.



2. My son and I read this book almost every night when his daddy was traveling for weeks at a time. It was a very difficult time. I think that my son could relate to the little boy in the story on how much he missed his daddy. When a young boy is away from his father for a long period of time, he begins to wonder if his daddy still loves him and misses him. This book helps to ease those fears and that it is all going to be "ok". We are giving this book to two little boys that are my son's friends who are losing their daddy for 8 months while he fights this "War on Terrorism" with the Army in Egypt. We think that maybe this book will help them to come up with their own rituals while their daddy is gone and maybe help to ease their fears.



3. My husband is in the military and I found this book when we found out he was going to Kuwait for six months. The message is beautiful and my husband and I cried together while reading it. Since my daughter is only 9 mos. old we wanted a way for her to think of her Dad every day. Each night we look at his photo and read this book. It's a special way for me to let her know that her daddy loves her and that he's coming home soon. This book is perfect for any family in a similar situation.



4. My husband is in the military and I bought this book for my 4 and 2 year old before he deployed. This book was an extreme comfort to my 4 yr. old. I read it to her when she had a hard time dealing with my husbands deployment. It became a nightly ritual while he was gone. If your spouse is in the military, this is a must. It really hits home with the feelings and it also talked about daddies feelings too. We used the idea of saving things to show daddy and my daughter loved it.



5. My husband is in the Navy and we bought this book to read to our children as he prepares to leave for 14 months. It is very good at explaining that Daddy will always love his kids, even when he is gone. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it only deals with 1 month and a business trip. It differs from our situation, but overall it is a very good book.

No comments about Double Trouble Groundhog Day.

No comments about Nino's Mask.