MADreads

How does a child process the loss of a parent or loved one?

Since spring doesn't seem to want to get here, I went looking for a warm and snug read and was reminded of The Last Marshmallow by Grace Lin.  This cozy book is one in a series of four wonderful board books that introduce math concepts - such as number sense and division, spatial sense, measurement and geometry - in fun and engaging ways to young children, ages 2-4. In The Last Marshmallow, two friends, Mei and Olivia, have been playing outside in the snow.

I LOVE Bodies Are Cool!  This glorious picture book celebrates all of the different human bodies that exist in the world. It is a truly joyous and inclusive book, and the delightful text and beautiful, exuberant illustrations combine to encourage body acceptance and confidence in the youngest readers – and the grown-ups who read to those little ones, too!  “My body, your body, every different kind of body!  All of them are good bodies!  Bodies are cool!” Pick up a copy of Tyler Feder’s Bodies Are Cool and share some body love and positivity with the ones you love. 

Odd, weird, and little says it all, when describing the new kid in Woodrow’s classroom. Toulouse is his name, he’s from Quebec, he wears a fancy suit and carries a briefcase, and he speaks French. Woodrow, the book’s narrator and the current odd-man-out at school, is immediately intrigued with Toulouse, but he wonders if it would be worth it befriending this unique and rather owlish new student. Woodrow defends Toulouse against the classroom bullies, and Toulouse helps Woodrow, while simultaneously showing off his exceptional talents, and the two become friends.