Dear Mama's Loving Arms is a touching story about the importance of a mother's embrace and the joy it brings to children, told from the witty perspective of a child. This book is a reminder to all mothers to stop and enjoy the bond we share with our children even when it is most challenging, like those days where all the baby wants is to be held. Despite longing for Dear Mama's embrace, Baby learns to defeat the big, bad daily nap time separation by joining Dear Mama in adventurous safari dreams inspired by Baby's stuffed giraffe pal, Raffie.

Dear Mama's Loving Arms

Children's Books

Ceece Kelley

Action & Adventure

Soaring Kite Books

Review 5 STARS!Georgie Dupree is a little girl that everyone would want as a friend. She is lively, creative, and smart. Ceece Kelley has captured all the emotions that kids feel when they must move. There is sadness, frustration, and anger. What is wonderful about Georgie is that she feels all these things, but she also demonstrates to kids that they can solve some of their own problems. --Reader's Favorite Product Description Georgie Dupree loves to have fun with her friends, but what happens when she moves to a new city where she doesn’t have a single one?When the usually bubbly and ever-so-spunky Georgie can’t find any kids her age in her new neighborhood, she has to get creative to draw them out. She needs a fool-proof plan to help her make new friends . . . and fast. But how will she do it? This is a vibrant story of a little girl who needs the slightest nudge to discover the art of friendship. From School Library Journal PreS-K-Georgie's family-mother, father, and twin brothers-are moving from Louisiana to Washington, DC, to live with Nana, and Georgie is unhappy. While Georgie is awed by the city skyscrapers and excited to see her new room, she still misses home. She quickly trades her sadness and frustration for cheer, however, as she goes outside to meet the neighbor and try to find friends, but to no avail. Nana encourages her, "Keep your chin up, Georgie. Give it some time, sugar. Don't forget that your family is always here for you." Georgie tries to play with her family, but everyone is busy and Georgie is tearful and upset again. At a street fair the next day, Georgie feels inspired by a chalk artist and decides to use her drawing skills on the sidewalk at her new home to make friends. She soon does. Georgie's wild swings of emotion disrupt the pacing, and the text is didactic in tone. The digital-style illustrations often feature Georgie, who is Black, with a wide open mouth and big eyes that strike as comical rather than reflective of her mood. Some phrases in the text, perhaps for emphasis, are featured in larger, colored font but often read as random. The resolution happens too quickly and further highlights the story's poor pacing. VERDICT Skip this book about a girl with many moods; try Meg Medina's Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away for a nuanced and heartfelt story about moving.-Ramarie Beaverα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. About the Author Ceece Kelley is an author of several children's books including new parent favorite Dear Mama's Loving Arms. She uses books, like Rainbow Letters, to navigate challenging topics with her family.Chloe Guevara hails from the Philippines. Although her studies were in the sciences, she grew up with a love for the arts and Georgie Dupree is her trade illustrator debut.

Drawn to Friends: Georgie Dupree

Kelley, Ceece

Activities, Crafts & Games

A is for Affirmation! Georgie Dupree loves learning, but on her first day at her new school, she has worrisome thoughts about the school year: "What if I get lost? What if I don't make any friends? What if everyone is smarter than me?" Inspired by her teacher's daily classroom affirmation, Georgie Dupree uses positive thinking to see, believe, and embrace her school year goals. This is the second book in the Georgie Dupree series that helps children and teachers start the school year on a strong note.

Classroom Confidence: Georgie Dupree

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Under the full moon, Abuela leads an enchanted dance, bows to the sky and the night winds, and helps her curious grandson discover the rhythm of his heartbeat while listening to the great secret of the plátanos. 
At first his tiny ears couldn't hear it, but Abuela shares that she can't teach something that only her heart knows. This loving and tender story of the magical union between a grandmother and her grandson was penned by Dominican author, Luz Maria Mack, and inspired by a dream where she and her Abuela met again to dance and share the secrets of the plátanos. 
Sometimes the secrets of life are written in nature, under the stars, and in the sounds of the whispering leaves.

The Secret of the Plátano

Mack, Luz Maria

Science, Nature & How It Works

About the Author\nEmily Joof is an African-diaspora mum with a great love for storytelling. Her writing showcases and celebrates multiculturalism and the West African Diaspora proudly.\nAsma Enayeh is a French-Syrian illustrator who grew up in Damascus and lives in Dubai. She’s a passionate surface designer who is inspired by the colors and patterns around her.\nA bittersweet celebration of the everlasting bond between a mother and child through the changing phases of their lives. 
The thread between a mother and child starts to unwind when the child begins to walk, talk, and run. It stretches a little more on the first day of school. It swirls and unfurls the further the child gets from Mom’s reach. One thing is constant ― that it always remains. 
Emily Joof channeled her Gambian upbringing to pen this story, which was inspired by a local tradition of leaving a thread with the child when a parent travels.

The Unbreakable Thread

Joof, Emily

About the Author\nErica Kim is an author, illustrator, and teacher. She enjoys working with cut paper and incorporates it into her illustrations. Erica grew up in Connecticut, but also spent several formative years living in Seoul, Korea.\nWhether round and crunchy like a kimchi pancake or pinched and plump like a kimchi dumpling, there are so many ways to enjoy this Korean traditional dish. 
Explore the different ways to eat kimchi in this fun, rhyming tale that also teaches the days of the week. Korean-American author-illustrator Erica Kim shares her pride in her delicious cultural food through her cut paper art technique. The Hanji paper that is used to illustrate the book comes from a paper mulberry tree native to Korea. 
This beautiful reflection of culture will inspire children to take pride in their cultural foods, too. 
A Bookstagang Best Read Aloud Book of 2022!\nFrom School Library Journal\nPreS-K—The young Korean girl who narrates eats kimchi every day. However, her diet is far from monotonous. She eats it fried, stewed, in a roll, on noodles, and more, displaying the versatility of this traditional dish. Kim's text is engaging, with simple words arranged into exquisitely paced rhymes that walk readers through each day of the week and include gentle repetition. Complementing the text is artwork that consists of digitally enhanced collages arranged on hanji, Korean handmade paper that here has been brightly colored. Kim shows the main character in various clothes including pajamas, school clothes, and a traditional Korean hanbok. An expressive gray bunny companion accompanies the young girl on every page. Endpapers display repeating images of the cute bunny enjoying a variety of kimchi dishes. Extensive back matter introduces readers to a variety of kimchi facts and dishes, and for those who are still reluctant to try it, ideas for adding kimchi to American staples such as hamburgers and french fries. VERDICT A delicious read-aloud and perfect recommendation for every child, any day of the week.—Chance Lee Joyner

Kimchi, Kimchi Every Day

Kim, Erica

Children's Cookbooks

Review\n"A young boy and his abuela enjoy a beautiful evening under plátano leaves in the Dominican Republic, dancing and sharing the love they have for each other and for nature all around them. As he watches and follows his abuela in dance, he strains to listen to the music she is following. His grandmother guides him as he hears his heartbeat and the sounds of nature and she shares with him the secret of the love that helps things grow―the same love that will one day make him grow tall as well. The vivid nighttime illustrations are bursting with fresh breezes that sway the plátano leaves, radiating stars, and lush green vegetation, cool and bright in the night. The luminous conversation emphasizes certain words in larger, curvier lettering. Swirling music notes dance around them as the young boy enjoys this happy moment with his beloved grandmother.\nVERDICT A good choice for most picture book collections."―School Library Journal ― Journal\n"A night full of dance and magic flows between an abuela and her grandchild.\nThe full moon hangs in the night sky. Two shadows stand among a field underneath the banana leaves as darkened mountains loom in the background. Abuela and her grandchild sway and shake, getting the 'jitters out' as the plátanos whisper in the cool night breeze. Abuela's dance moves lead the way: 'One step . . . Two steps . . . And jump as we turn!' Flavored by their childhoods in the Dominican Republic, Mack and Mesa's collaboration buzzes with sweet warmth. The artwork―featuring shades of deep blues and pastel yellows and greens in contrast to Abuela's and the child's dark brown skin―is lush and graceful, full of whimsical touches and lovely movement, with text that's both playful and wholehearted. Underneath the moonlight, Abuela and the child move their feet to the rhythm and music of the night, stopping only to hear the 'thud, thud, thud' of their beating hearts. All is quiet when Abuela says, 'Shh, shh, so you hear the great secret of the plátanos.' As the young nighttime dancer strains to listen, Abuela shares a dreamlike truth that will linger with readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)\nAn evocative and earnest nighttime reverie."―Kirkus Reviews ― Journal\nUnder the full moon, Abuela leads an enchanted dance, bows to the sky and the night winds, and helps her curious grandson discover the rhythm of his heartbeat while listening to the great secret of the plátanos. 
At first his tiny ears couldn't hear it, but Abuela shares that she can't teach something that only her heart knows. This loving and tender story of the magical union between a grandmother and her grandson was penned by Dominican author, Luz Maria Mack, and inspired by a dream where she and her Abuela met again to dance and share the secrets of the plátanos. 
Sometimes the secrets of life are written in nature, under the stars, and in the sounds of the whispering leaves. This translation of The Secret of the Plátano brings a lovely intergenerational friendship to a Spanish-speaking audience. 
Bajo la luna llena, Abuela dirige un baile encantado y ayuda a su nieto curioso a descubrir el ritmo de los latidos de su corazón, mientras escucha el susurro de la brisa.

El secreto del plátano (The Secret of the Plátano) (Spanish Edition)

Big Kids Don't Get Butterflies

"If we loved, much like the moon, then would we be as kind?" On a sleepless night, while gazing up at the skies, a child realizes that the world would be a better place if we acted with empathy and understanding. Around the world, we all look up at the same moon and it shines down on each person equally. The moon isn't afraid to share its sky with the stars; the moon knows the stars don't take away its ability to shine. This heartfelt, rhyming story is a great conversation starter on kindness and equality for children with illustrations capturing all walks of life.

The Love of the Moonlight

Buckner, Sarah

Literature & Fiction

“You are a rainbow baby, the calm after the storm, the sun after cloudy days, one less reason to mourn.” 
A guardian angel sibling sends a well-wishing message to the newest addition of their family. But how is it delivered? 
Filled with whimsical illustrations and a touch of magic, Rainbow Letters celebrates rainbow babies―children born after pregnancy or infant loss―while capturing the beauty of life and beyond.

Rainbow Letters: A Book for Rainbow Babies

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

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