Butt or Face? Ador-a-butts!
Author: Kari Lavelle
Illustrator: Kari Lavelle
Summary: Butt or Face? Ador-a-butts! by Kari Lavelle is a silly, interactive science book that turns learning into a hilarious guessing game.
Recommended Ages: 3-7 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: The book is like a challenge for your eyes. Each page shows a big, zoomed-in photo of a part of an animal. Your job is to look at the fur, the wrinkles, or the shapes and shout out whether you think you are looking at the animal's face or its behind.
Extension Activities: Play the "Trickster" Animal: Give kids paper plates, googly eyes, and pom-poms. Challenge them to create a creature that has a "fake face" on its rear end (like some butterflies or frogs) to trick predators. Ask them why their animal needs to hide its real head. Watch the video to help kids understand the different types of animal adaptations. Click here!
Spring Stinks
Author: Ryan T. Higgins
Illustrator: Ryan T. Higgins
Summary: Spring Stinks is a silly story about a grumpy bear Bruce who really does not like the springtime. While his friend Ruth the Bunny is super excited to go outside and sniff all the fresh scents of the season, Bruce would rather stay inside and be cranky. Ruth drags him along on a walk to smell things like pretty flowers and green grass, but the adventure quickly turns into a messy disaster.
Recommended Ages: 2-7 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: The book builds sensory skills by using the sense of smell to teach descriptive vocabulary. It also supports Social-Emotional Learning by helping kids identify feelings through the characters' hilarious facial expressions. The repetitive plot helps young readers practice predicting outcomes as the smells shift from sweet to gross.
Extension Activities: Try a sensory activity by hiding items like a cinnamon stick or an onion in cups to see if kids can identify the "sweet" or "stinky" smells just like the characters. Discuss why kids may disagree on what might be a "sweet" or "stinky" smell. Click the link below to delve into the sense of smell! Click here!
a bear, a bee, and a honey tree
Author: Daniel Bernstrom
Illustrator: Brandon James Scott
Summary: This rhythmic, alliterative high-energy story about a hungry bear who discovers a golden beehive. The bear tries to be sneaky, but he quickly learns that even one tiny, "fretful" bee can be a big problem when it calls for backup.
Recommended Ages: 3-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Nature is like a team: the tree is home, bees make honey, and the bear wants a snack. The bear learns to be careful and kind because everyone has a special job. We should be kind to each other and our planet.
Extension Activities: Play Run or Stay Game : Have the kids stand in the middle of the room.The Action: Say two words out loud.The Rule: If the words rhyme (like Bear and Hair), they have to "run" away from the bees. If they don't rhyme (like Bear and Honey), they have to "stay" still like a tree.
How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich
Author: Ross Burach
Illustrator: Ross Burach
Summary: How Not to Make a Jelly Sandwich is a silly, step-by-step story about a little girl and her playful dog who try to make a simple snack. Instead of following the normal rules, they turn the kitchen into a giant, sticky mess by doing everything the "wrong" way.
Recommended Ages: 4-8 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: This book is great for teaching kids how to follow steps in order, spot mistakes, and understand cause and effect. It helps with sequencing, critical thinking, and reading comprehension.
Extension Activities: Have kids write a silly 'How-To' guide for a simple task, then swap with a partner who must act out the instructions exactly as written. This helps them see if they missed any steps and teaches the importance of clear, logical instructions. Draw a silly sandwich with our friend Rob and use their picture as a starter for their writing." Click here!
Written in Sand
Author: Kaitlin Sikes
Illustrator: Mel Cerri
Summary: Written in Sand is a nonfiction adventure about Earth's lifecycle, starting with a grain of sand and traveling backward through time.
Recommended Ages: 5-10 years
Themes, Skills, & Concepts: Learn about rocks, sand, and how the Earth changes over time. Discover how wind and water shape our world. Be curious, ask questions, and have fun exploring science!
Extension Activities: Go on a rock and sand hunt. Sort what you find by color or size. Draw a picture showing how rocks change over time. Pour water over sand to see how it moves. Kids can make sand art in a jar by layering different colors of sand. Follow the link below for a super fun STEM activity! Click here!
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