(Photo by Nancy Ellen Row Rawley)

Hello, loves, do you like reading? My cats do. Especially when the weather is cold and we snuggle up on the couch. The chickens aren’t so keen on it, though. Who knows why. Here are some fun titles for kids and their grown-ups:

“Learning with Llama Llama: Numbers” and “Llama Llama: Colors,” (Viking/Penguin Random House, 2021, $6.99) the newest releases in the Llama Llama series, are sweet, colorful little board books just right for the babies and toddlers in the crowd. Llama Llama tidies up his room, counts the dishes, and hangs out with his mama llama. He learns about colors, too! It’s the little things in life. Look for the books next month when they hit the shelves.  

“Over, Bear! Under, Where?” written by Julie Hedlund, illustrated by Michael Slack (Philomel/Random House, 2021, ages 4 and older, $16.99) is another November release. This one is not only beautifully illustrated, and funny, but it’s full of word puns and compound words (including a list of compound words in the back). The kids will love it.

I’m thrilled to have received a copy of  “Beautifully Me,” by author Nabela Noor and illustrator Nabi H. Ali (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021, ages 4 and older, 40 pages, $17.99). It’s the first day of school for Zubi, who is Bangladeshi-American, and she has questions about why everyone around her is so concerned with weight? Should she be worried, too? Great, matter-of-fact way to discuss this topic. 

Sandra Boynton! of “Dog Train,” “Philadelphia Chickens,” “Pajama Time,” and many, many other titles, has a new/old one for the kiddos.

With “Good Night, Good Night” (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster, 2021, ages 3 and older, $17.99), Boynton has created a larger and longer version of her classic, “The Going to Bed Book. OK, that’s enough links and enough words. Her art is whimsical, the stories are funny-funny, the characters have cute faces, and the songs (when included, and they often are) are fun to sing along with. 

Happy reading! Have a great week.

WM