Kai the Dancing Butterfly book propped up on a brick wall against a backdrop of multicolored spring flowers

Book Review: Kai the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee

This book review includes affiliate links for your shopping convenience; we make a small commission at no cost to you that helps to keep this little blog running. The book was provided to us for free by the author, but all opinions here are our own because if I could get my kids to think what I want them to, I’d be a millionaire. 😉 Kai the Dancing Butterfly is a picture book that introduces […] Read More

Cover Image of Superheroes Are Everywhere by Kamala Harris, book review by Joyous Roar

Book Review | Superheroes Are Everywhere by Kamala Harris

When Eliana heard that a woman was running for vice-president, she immediately asked that we find a book at the library to learn more about Kamala Harris. The catalog didn’t offer many choices, so we selected the first one available: Superheroes Are Everywhere, written by Kamala Harris herself. Due to the pandemic, we had to request it sight unseen, and we were a little surprised that it ended up being not a straight autobiography but […] Read More

Dude!

Book Review | Dude! by Aaron Reynolds

Eliana’s Thoughts This book was super funny because it only had the word dude in it! It was funny that the people were scared of the shark, but it was supposed to live under the water but it actually lived out of the water. It was super funny when they all had a lot of ice cream flavors on top of the cone! That’s why I like this book. Natasha’s Thoughts Dude! probably wouldn’t have […] Read More

The Three Little Tamales by Eric Kimmel | Book Review by Joyous Roar

Book Review | The Three Little Tamales by Eric Kimmel

Book Summary The Three Little Tamales by Eric Kimmel is an imaginative retelling of the classic Three Little Pigs story. Set in Texas, illustrator Valeria Docampo’s vivid southwestern pictures bring the entertaining tale to life. When the three little tamales learn that they are soon to be eaten, they run away and build homes of sagebrush, cornstalks, and cactus. Señor Lobo comes around looking for a tasty meal, and the tamales have to come up […] Read More

Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen | Book Review and Recipe by JoyousRoar.com

Book Review + Recipe | Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen

Friends, I am so excited to welcome our very first guest blogger! Abigail is a former student of mine, now entering high school. She hopes to start her own cooking blog soon, and I know it will be fantastic! Please enjoy her picture book review of Woodpecker Wants a Waffle by Steve Breen + related recipe: tasty waffles! Hi! I’m Abigail. I love to bake and I love to read almost just as much. Saturday […] Read More

9 Children's Books About Bicycles | JoyousRoar.com

9 Children’s Books About Bicycles

Did you know that May is National Bike Month? I still remember the first time I tried to ride my pretty lavender bike without training wheels. My dad pushed me down the long driveway on the side of our house, and I lost control and scraped my elbow on the brick wall. Suffice it to say that it took a while to regain my confidence! Moral of the story: go to a wide, open space […] Read More

11 Plucky Princess Picture Books | JoyousRoar.com

11 Plucky Princess Picture Books

I’ve been watching highlights of the royal wedding all weekend and daydreaming about the gorgeous ceremony and fashion. My inner princess adores all of the pomp and splendor, not to mention the sweet glances Prince Harry gave to Meghan. What I love even more, though, is the departure from tradition that this royal wedding encompassed. From the gospel choir to the cake flavor to the guest list, the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a […] Read More

Mommy's Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow | Book Review by JoyousRoar.com

Book Review | Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

What a lovely book this is! The daughter’s love and admiration for her mother shine through on every page of Ebony Glenn’s beautifully vibrant illustrations. It’s a tender story of how the daughter loves to wear her mommy’s khimar (also known as a hijab, or headscarf) because it makes her feel like a superhero, a queen, and a mother bird– in short, it makes her feel like her beloved mom. What I love most about […] Read More

The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers {Book Review by JoyousRoar.com}

Book Review | The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers

I first got hooked on Oliver Jeffers’ stories and illustrations with The Incredible Book Eating Boy. When I found this book at the library, I had to snatch it up. It didn’t disappoint! The Great Paper Caper is an entertaining tale of a forest whose trees are mysteriously disappearing. The forest animals cordon off the crime scene and investigate the clues. They discover that a bear has been cutting down the trees to make paper to fuel his […] Read More

Scholastic Warehouse Sale Haul 2018 | JoyousRoar.com

Our Scholastic Book Warehouse Sale Haul | Spring 2018

One of the things I miss most about teaching elementary grades is the Scholastic Book Club. When students order books, teachers earn points for free books! It’s a win-win. Luckily, we live minutes away from a huge Scholastic warehouse, and they have sales a couple times each year. The last two sales have been BOGO sales, which, let’s face it, basically means I end up buying twice as many as I planned. What a shame! […] Read More