It’s time for some children’s book recommendations again!
Catkwondo // by Lisl H. Detlefsen // illustrated by Erin Hunting
Pub Day: September 01, 2020
Publisher: Capstone
Synopsis:
Kitten wants to a break a board, and she wants to do it now. But Tae Kwon do is not easy. Kitten must focus. She must practice. And above all, she must be patient. Will Kitten’s determination and dedication pay off when it’s finally time to break a board? Author Lisl Detlefsen delivers a turbo-charged story filled with action, fun, and encouragement. Korean phrases are intermixed throughout Catkwondo, and the Tae Kwon Do Oath and a Tae Kwon Do glossary complete this energetic picture book.
My Thoughts:
Catwondo by Lisl H. Detlefsen was a cute little book about a kitten learning how to break a board in her Tae Kwon Do lessons. The illustrations were adorable and accompanied the story well. This is a fun book for kids that love kittens and it’ll teach them about resilience and having to work hard towards a goal when you’re not perfect at something right from the start. It’s also a good way to introduce a foreign language since there are Korean words sprinkled in throughout. The Tae Kwon Do Oath and a Tae Kwon Do glossary round it out well.
Cone Cat // by Sarah Howden // illustrated by Carmen Mok
Pub Day: August 15, 2020
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Synopsis:
One day, Jeremy wakes up at the vet’s with a giant cone around his head. In a momentary existential crisis, he resigns himself to his new role as clumsy, smelly Cone Cat. That is, until the cone becomes instrumental in lapping up the last few bites of cereal on the breakfast table.
Surprisingly, Cone Cat can do a lot of things old Jeremy couldn’t. He can hunt spiders with ease, collect stuffing from the couch, and disguise himself as a bowl to steal a scoop of ice cream at a birthday party. When the cone is removed the next day, Jeremy starts to miss it. Will he ever get another chance to indulge in the tricks he pulled off as Cone Cat? It doesn’t take him too long to find out …
My Thoughts:
I knew I had to request this title as soon as I saw it. My husband LOVES cats so I figured this would be an instant favorite for him. My favorite thing about this book are the illustrations. Carmen Mok did a great job at making them simplistic yet infused with lots of fun and adorableness. You can easily see what Jeremy is feeling and thinking in these illustrations. There may not be a lot of words on each page, but each page tells a tiny story on its own that is easily imagined in real life and should make any tiny human smile. All together, Jeremy shows us that you can find fun in any situation even if you thought it was impossible.
What’s All The Commotion? // by Jessie Glenn // illustrated by Kevin King
Pub Day: June 17, 2020
Publisher: Mindbuck Media
Synopsis:
Need a perfect conversation starter about Covid-19 for a child you know? “What’s All The Commotion” seeks to answer children’s questions simply and directly with an optimistic outlook.
Illustrated by Black Lives Matter muralist, Kevin King, the bright illustrations in “What’s All the Commotion” portray a diverse group of children and adults getting through social distancing, together.
The changes in children’s lives around the world due to the virus pandemic are startling and stressful in many cases. What’s All the Commotion? is a child psychologist vetted resource for parents, teachers, medical providers and other people with children.
My Thoughts:
What’s All The Commotion? by Jessie Glenn is a great conversation starter for small children that are struggling to understand why things are the way they are right now during the pandemic shutdowns. If you are struggling with how to explain the circumstances, then this may be the way to go for you. The book includes awesome inclusive illustrations that will aid in the conversation as well. Glenn breaks down the details of the current happenings into a couple, easy to understand sentences that can lead your child to more questions to facilitate the conversation even more.
Admittedly, it’s a bit late in the year for this and you’ve probably had to have this conversation with your child already but with school starting again right now, this may be a helpful tool to review/re-introduce the importance of safety.
Rainbow – A First Book of Pride // by Michael Genhart // illustrated by Anne Passchier
Pub Day: May 07, 2019
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Synopsis:
A must-have primer for young readers and a great gift for pride events and throughout the year, beautiful colors all together make a rainbow in Rainbow: A First Book of Pride. This is a sweet ode to rainbow families, and an affirming display of a parent’s love for their child and a child’s love for their parents. With bright colors and joyful families, this book celebrates LGBTQ+ pride and reveals the colorful meaning behind each rainbow stripe. Readers will celebrate the life, healing, light, nature, harmony, and spirit that the rainbows in this book will bring.
My Thoughts:
Rainbow by Michael Genhart is a cute book that explains what each color in the rainbow flag stands for. The illustrations are very cute and I love the different couples throughout the book. Not only do you see LGBTQ+ couples on these pages, but also lots of different races/interracial couples. This is a really cute first Pride book, but I do wish there was a little more writing in it – perhaps describing what different people like to do for the different colors.
Cats, Covid, and Pride. That’s it for today! What do you think about today’s collection? Have you read any of these or do you have any new recommendations for the little ones? I would love to hear about them!
Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with free copies in exchange for honest reviews.
The Shaggy Shepherd 
Leave a Reply