Kids

Celebrate Mother's Day!

Kaboose
Mother's Day gifts, cards, recipes, and more.

DLTK
Mother's Day cards, coloring pages, and crafts.

Kids Turn Central
Special activities you can do with mom.

Billy Bear 4 Kids
All sorts of gifts and games for Mother's Day.

CELEBRATIONS

Tony Hawk was born on May 12, 1968.
Learn about the champion skateboarder here.


L. Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856.
Learn about the author of the Wizard of Oz here.


Margaret Wise Brown was born on May 23, 1910.
Learn about the author of Goodnight Moon here.

DID YOU KNOW

May 31 is Memorial Day.
Learn about the meaning behind Memorial Day here.

JUST FOR FUN

Q. What flowers grow on faces?
A. Tulips (Two-lips)!


More springtime jokes here.

BOOKS AND BOOKLISTS

Mother's Day books for young readers.



Max and the Dumb Flower Picture by Martha Alexander
(Pre-K-K) Published posthumously, this small, timeless book will resonate with children and pays a lovely tribute to Alexander. Faced with his teacher's assignment to color in a picture of a flower for Mother's Day, Max feels increasingly frustrated. He knows his mother would prefer his own drawing. While the other children obediently stay in the lines, Max finally grabs his paper and crayons and runs out of the classroom. Safely in hiding, he makes his own picture of a flower. In the end, the children (not to mention the teacher and policeman) are relieved to find Max-and so inspired by his picture that they create their own unique flowers, too. The book is respectful of Alexander's quiet but expressive style, and the illustrations work well with the text to bring Max's internal struggle to life. Interesting endpapers featuring flowers designed by Alexander's friends and family beautifully frame the theme of creative individuality. (Review courtesy of School Library Journal)


Mama's Day by Linda Ashman
(Pre-K-K) This sweet, singsong rhyming book celebrates the bond between a mother and her child. Somewhere there's a mama bathing baby's tiny toes,/Splashing water, blowing bubbles,/Wiping suds from baby's nose. With merely 170 words, the story is heavily dependent on the pencil-and-wash illustrations that depict families of different races. The focus of each large spread is a boxed illustration of a mother and child engaged in an activity, such as snuggling, watching seagulls, or preparing for sleep, with the text centered on the opposite page. Surrounding these are depictions of adorable infants and toddlers dancing, crying, crawling, etc., and a tiny orange-striped kitten. A gentle, appealing addition.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)



My Mother's Voice by Joanne Ryder
(Pre-K-K) A young girl thinks about the close relationship she has with her mother during good times and bad, and how it is all echoed through the reassuring inflections of the woman's voice. She loves her mother's contagious spirit as she sends her off to school and the thoughtful questions about her day that welcome her home. She appreciates how her mom cheers her on at her softball games and how she comforts her when she is not feeling well, or when things go wrong. Autumn-colored illustrations add warmth to this feel-good story about a parent's significance in a child's daily life.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)

Spring is here!

Skunk's Spring Surprise by Leslea Newman
(Pre-K-K) Waking from her winter's sleep, ready for fun, Skunk eagerly looks for her friends. She finally finds them by the lake, waiting with a special treat--a talent show, just for her. Turtle, in leaf skirt, dances; Chipmunk juggles; Snake and Ladybug sing a song. At the end of the show, Skunk contributes a surprise of her own: an ode to spring and to her beloved friends. With bouncy rhymes and a cheery animal cast, this companion to Where Is Bear? (2004) is sure to be a lively read-aloud. The colorful watercolor-and-ink art has some clever details (while Bear snoozes away underground, Skunk passes overhead), and the bubbly prose incorporates occasional witty references to skunk traits, though hibernation isn't directly explained. Little ones will find this merry animal celebration hard to resist.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)


Kitten's Spring by Eugenie Fernandes
(Pre-K-K) It s a bright spring day in the farmyard and Kitten is meeting all sorts of animals and their young, including frogs and tadpoles, owls and owlets and many more. In this first book in the Kitten series, rhyming couplets capture the animal sounds and actions, making it a fantastic interactive read-aloud. Young readers will enjoy mimicking animal sounds, picking out seasonal details in the exquisite mixed-media art and searching for and finding Kitten on every page. The Kitten series follows a lovable feline around the farmyard over the course of one day as she encounters different animals. Each title in the four-book series is set in a different season.



Hooray for Spring! By Kazuo Iwamura
(Pre-K-K) It's springtime, and young squirrels Mick, Mack, and Molly are exploring treetops around their tree-trunk home. As they climb excitedly through the branches, they discover a caterpillar eating leaves, bees "sucking the nectar from the blossoms," and then a hungry baby bird-but what does it want to eat? Not the pinecones or cherry blossoms that the squirrel trio kindly offers. Then mama bird returns with a worm, and the squirrels watch in amazement as the baby bird opens wide. Back home, the squirrels retell the story to Mama and Papa during their own mealtime. The charming color illustrations, filled with cute, cartoonish animal characters, convey the wonder and beauty of spring. Children will enjoy the entertaining details in the intricately rendered pictures, from the squirrel family's clothing to their walnut-shell dishes, and the lively dialogue among the characters will make this an upbeat story hour choice.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)

Happy Easter!

Kaboose
Crafts, recipes, coloring pages and more.

DLTK
Games, puzzles, and directions for dying Easter eggs.

Billy Bear 4 Kids
Online games, puzzles, and more.

Online game-Whomp!
Help Buddy the Easter Bunny protect his chocolate eggs from pesky gophers!

CELEBRATIONS

Hans Christian Andersen was born on April 2, 1805.
Featuring cartoons, e-learning, biography of Hans Christian Andersen, and links to the fairy tales.


Kristen Stewart was born on April 9, 1990
Get the latest news about the star of the Twilight movies series.

DID YOU KNOW

April 22 is Earth Day.
KidsDomain Family Resource - Celebrate Earth Day, Every Day
Links to crafts, songs, games and more.

JUST FOR FUN

April 1 is April Fool's Day.


Plenty of fun ideas for April Fool's Day practical jokes and pranks.

BOOKS AND BOOKLISTS

Easter and spring-themed books for pre-schoolers and young readers.



The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
(Pre-K-K) Hoppi, a small but industrious bunny, takes a tour of the woods and sees how other rabbits are preparing fancily decorated eggs in the hopes of being chosen to assist the official Easter Rabbit. He collects ideas, tools, and accoutrements from the artistic-and obviously older-bunnies, including flowers, paints, wood to carve, and chocolate. As soon as he decides that he will need to limit his own production to match his capabilities, he suddenly becomes the foster parent to a fallen robin's egg. Brett's large watercolors include a few visual puns (one rabbit is painting a silhouette of Lewis Carroll's March Hare on an egg, for instance) and lots of woodland detail. The story of the robins and their fallen egg unfolds in the top border of the page spreads. A satisfying, gentle tale.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)


Ollie's Easter Eggs by Olivier Dunrea
(Pre-K-K) Gossie and her friends are back, dyeing Easter eggs. Donning bunny ears little Ollie shouts that he wants some, too. After each of the other geese hides a brightly colored egg somewhere on the farm, Ollie stealthily removes it. Soon the others begin searching for their stashes, while Ollie is preparing a surprise. As in the other "Gossie and Friends" books, the illustrations are bright watercolors against a white background. Fans and newcomers alike will be delighted with this latest installment.
Review courtesy of School Library Journal)


Max Counts His Chickens by Rosemary Wells
(Pre-K-K) Max has always liked to do things his own way, and his search for marshmallow chicks is no exception. The Easter Bunny has hidden 10 pink chicks for the indomitable bunny and his sister to find, and the ways they go about their search illustrate their very different personalities. Ruby does a methodical, traditional search and finds the candy every place she looks. Max searches through the bath beads and the toothpaste tube, and finds none. The drawings of the search are boxed in the middle of a solid pastel-colored page. However, elements of some pictures (such as Max's unsuccessful search through the coffee can) spill out over the page. To assist with children's counting skills, there are large numbers on each page, as well as a visual count of the marshmallow chicks Ruby has discovered. As usual for Max, even though he has not discovered any of the confections (and Ruby has taken all of the chicks they were intended to share), things turn out just fine for him in the end. The fun of counting, along with the humor in the little rabbit's search strategies, will entertain listeners whether they find this book at Easter or in the counting section.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)


Skunk's Spring Surprise by Leslea Newman
(Pre-K-K) Waking from her winter's sleep, ready for fun, Skunk eagerly looks for her friends. She finally finds them by the lake, waiting with a special treat--a talent show, just for her. Turtle, in leaf skirt, dances; Chipmunk juggles; Snake and Ladybug sing a song. At the end of the show, Skunk contributes a surprise of her own: an ode to spring and to her beloved friends. With bouncy rhymes and a cheery animal cast, this companion to Where Is Bear? (2004) is sure to be a lively read-aloud. The colorful watercolor-and-ink art has some clever details (while Bear snoozes away underground, Skunk passes overhead), and the bubbly prose incorporates occasional witty references to skunk traits, though hibernation isn't directly explained. Little ones will find this merry animal celebration hard to resist.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)


Kitten's Spring by Eugenie Fernandes
(Pre-K-K) It s a bright spring day in the farmyard and Kitten is meeting all sorts of animals and their young, including frogs and tadpoles, owls and owlets and many more. In this first book in the Kitten series, rhyming couplets capture the animal sounds and actions, making it a fantastic interactive read-aloud. Young readers will enjoy mimicking animal sounds, picking out seasonal details in the exquisite mixed-media art and searching for and finding Kitten on every page. The Kitten series follows a lovable feline around the farmyard over the course of one day as she encounters different animals. Each title in the four-book series is set in a different season.



Hooray for Spring! By Kazuo Iwamura
(Pre-K-K) It's springtime, and young squirrels Mick, Mack, and Molly are exploring treetops around their tree-trunk home. As they climb excitedly through the branches, they discover a caterpillar eating leaves, bees "sucking the nectar from the blossoms," and then a hungry baby bird-but what does it want to eat? Not the pinecones or cherry blossoms that the squirrel trio kindly offers. Then mama bird returns with a worm, and the squirrels watch in amazement as the baby bird opens wide. Back home, the squirrels retell the story to Mama and Papa during their own mealtime. The charming color illustrations, filled with cute, cartoonish animal characters, convey the wonder and beauty of spring. Children will enjoy the entertaining details in the intricately rendered pictures, from the squirrel family's clothing to their walnut-shell dishes, and the lively dialogue among the characters will make this an upbeat story hour choice.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)