It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 8/27/18

Beagles and Books is excited to share another edition of It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

Our Reads This Week:

The Greatest Adventure by Tony Piedra

Eliot’s vivid imagination keeps him occupied right in front of his house but he yearns for real adventure beyond his city street. His grandfather, El Capitán has spent his life exploring the world on his boat, the Hispaniola.  When El Capitán arrives home, he tells tales of his daring adventures to Eliot and his mom.  The next morning, an enthusiastic Eliot and his grandfather search the city for an adventure. Finding none, Eliot suggests they take out the Hispaniola. Sadly, El Capitán shares that his boat is old and broken. Can Eliot’s rich imagination help him and his grandfather find a way to create new and real adventures together?

With concise lyrical text and utterly gorgeous illustrations, Tony Piedra’s debut is a touching story of hope and heart.  The story actually begins with the front end sheet which is a collage of postcards addressed to Eliot from El Capitán from his extensive travels.  The illustrations in the final end sheets reveal the true message of the story; real adventures are ordinary moments shared with the ones you love.

Special thanks to Tony Piedra and Arthur A. Levine Books for sharing an ARC with my #bookexcursion group. Look for The Greatest Adventure on September 11, 2018.

It’s Show and Tell, Dexter! by Lindsay Ward

Poor Dexter!  In Don’t Forget, Dexter!, Dexter panicked when Jack left him in the doctor’s waiting room.  Fortunately, Jack returned and Dexter was reunited with his best friend.  In It’s Show and Tell, Dexter!, while Dexter is living every toy’s dream by being chosen as Jack’s Show and Tell, the dinosaur is showing his nerves once again.

To read the full review and enter a giveaway for both Dexter picture books, click here.  A winner will be chosen on August 29, 2018.  Good luck!

What Can A Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers Illustrated by Shawn Harris

What Can a Citizen Do? is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the power of true citizenship. Students will immediately be drawn to this highly accessible text, for it is written in concise language with one sentence per page.  The bold mixed media collage illustrations have a 3-dimensional quality and literally jump off the page.

Throughout the text, children learn ways they can be a good citizen from planting a tree to working together to change a law. It is through the children’s collective efforts that they transform the tree into a beautiful tree house. Young readers learn as citizens, we are part of a larger society and when we help even just one person, we are making the world a better place for everyone.

Special thanks to Chronicle Kids and fellow #bookexcursion member Lisa Maucione for sharing an ARC with our group. It will be released on September 11, 2018.

Etta’s and Bella’s Dog Pick of the Week:

Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has a weekly feature of highlighting a literary selection with a canine main character.

My Dog Laughs by Rachel Isadora

My Dog Laughs is an informational picture book that celebrates the responsibilities and joys of having a dog in your life. The warmly illustrated text is written in sections ranging from getting to my dog and training my dog to my dog plays and I love my dog.  In each section, children share the ins and outs of their relationships with their furry family members.  In I Train My Dog, I like how the children respectfully correct their dogs when they have an accident, chew on a shoe or beg during dinner.  I especially love that the little boy says “The food I eat can make you sick. No grapes!”  My Dog Laughs recognizes that having a dog takes time, patience, and consistency but the rewards are immeasurable.

Special thanks to Penguin Young Readers for sharing a copy with my #bookexcursion group. My Dog Laughs recently published on August 21, 2018.

Etta, Bella, and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books.  Have a great week!