Polly the pig is down in the dumps…she has no one special in her life to be her valenswine. She wanders around in her world looking for that special one. All of those in her life that bring her comfort just dont fit the bill as her one true valenswine. This picture book is written in rhyme. Polly’s mother keeps assuring her to keep her eyes open for the one who loves her most of all.
Follow Polly as she discovers that her most important valenswine is right before her eyes and has been there all along. This book reinforces the bonding that occurs between mother and child.
Will You Be My Valenswine was written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Kristina Stephenson. It was copyrighted in 2005; and published by Albert Whitman & Company. You can view there website at: www.albertwhitman.com.
Heatwave is a children’s picture book that describes a very hot day in a variety of very funny ways. Eileen Spinelli is the author of this book and she does a fine job of describing how each person in the community copes with the heatwave. Children will find the words and pictures help them to laugh at all of the funny little ways the grown ups try to cool off. 
The illustrator is Betsy Lewin and her characters give vision to the everyday people in the book.
The idea of eating in your under-clothes or sleeping outdoors will intrigue them and get them to come up with their own ideas of how to feel cooler when the weather heats up!
The publisher of the book is Harcourt, Inc.; http://www.HarcourtBooks.com It was copyrighted in 2007. The book is a Caldecott Honor Winner.
This children’s book is a perfect example of a good reason why people need to learn to share the load when putting on a performance. Prudence is so good at everything, that everyone lets her do everything…too bad no one got to see it. One person can’t do it all…even if they are good at everything they try. I think this is a nice story for kids to relate to; about how much better it is to use teamwork than to try to do everything yourself. Perfection isn’t everything it is cracked up to be!
The book was written by Peter Harris and illustrated by Deborah Allwright, both from have roots in London. It was copyrighted in 2003 and published by Gingham Dog Press an imprint of McGraw-Hill Children’s Companies. www.MHkids.com
Diary Of A Fly is a wonderful mix of facts and funny stuff. The illustrations are cute and humorously drawn. Both adults and kids will find this book fun.
The book was written by Doreen Cronin; and, it was illustrated by Harry Bliss. They make a great team. The story is about a young female fly who is finding out what it takes to be a super hero. She is starting out her diary on the first day in fly school; and, she has 327 brothers and sisters. No wonder she wants to stand out in a crowd! Her friends explain a few facts about life to her…all about the food chain and all (of which she is a part of). We learn alot about Fly and all of her great abilities.
Diary of a Fly will help children to see that we all play a part in the world we live in.
This book was published by Joanna Cotler Books; an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It was copyrighted in 2007 by the New York Times bestselling team of Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss. It is a hard cover picture book written for children from ages 4-8. There are two other books in this series…Diary of A Worm…and Diary of A Spider. You can see the trio of books here: www.diaryofbooks.com.
You can visit the author’s website at : www.doreencronin.com or you could visit the illustrator’s website at: www.harrybliss.com . Enjoy!!!
Grandmother’s Song is a sweet picture book that celebrates the cycle of life in a family…from one generation to the next. It is written by Marion Dane Bauer. She introduces a memory of when she was expecting her child and then she talks of how her tummy grew. Then the joy at holding her child. The years of childhood as she learns to crawl, walk and run. As time goes on…her daughter is expecting a baby. The cycle continues as her grandchild grow inside of her daughter.
Grandmother’s Song is illustrated by Pamela Rossi. It is done in soft colors and shades and the pictures are done almost in an impressionistic way…as there are no sharpe lines and edges. The whole book looks almost as if it is a memory or a dream.
The book Grandmother’s Song, ends with a lilting song of welcome, to her grandson…just as originally she sang a song of welcome to her daughter, at her birth. It is a sweet book that can be read to very young children who will enjoy the sing song style of verse.
Grandmother’s Song was published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and was copyrighted in 2000.
Mama Love is a picture book on nurturing. It is filled with loving and caring shown in each page. The characters are a mama (chimpanzee) and her baby.
The illustrations are cozy and comforting. They show mama and her child in their own environment doing everyday things. It is all positive in detailing the mother and child relationship. The illustrations are wonderfully colored in greens and golds and a hint of maroon. The chimpanzee’s facial features are soft and friendly.
Mama Love was written by Kathy Mallat who was an art teacher in elementary school for thirteen years. She now produces pictures books full time. All of her books are through Walker & Company. She lives in Maine and you can connect with her website at: http://www.kathymallat.com.
This book Mama Love was copyrighted in 2004 and published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc. The book design is by Bruce McMillan. Mama Love is written for children ages 2 to 6 years of age.