Lovabye Dragon
Lovabye Dragon
by Barbara Joosse
illustrated by Randy Cecil
Candlewick, 2012
ages 3 – 7, ISBN 978-0-763-65408-5
In her bed in her room in her castle,
a girl longs for a dragon.
In his nest in his cave in his mountain,
a dragon dreams of a girl.
When a lonely dragon follows a trail of princess tears, a beautiful friendship is born. They march and sing, roar and whisper, hide and seek, then settle into snug companionship at bedtime. Barbara Joosse’s fiercely protective and gently loving dragon cavorts across the pages, endearingly illustrated by Randy Cecil. At the end of the day, who can resist curling up in the embrace of a lovabye dragon?
The music in the video was performed by The Happy Racers, a Kindie Rock, Pop band with a passion for music that entertains and educates kids and families alike.
Lumpito and the Painter from Spain
Lumpito and the Painter from Spain
by Monica Kulling
illustrated by Dean Griffiths
Pajama Press, 2013
ages 4 – 8, ISBN 978-1-927-48500-2
Lump the dachshund is content living with David in Italy. But he needs a vacation from Big Dog, who hounds him day and night. So when David announces that he’s off to the south of France to photograph a famous painter, Lump positively scrambles at the chance to ride along. At the villa, Pablo Picasso greets them and is enchanted with the little dog he calls Lumpito. The feeling is mutual; from that moment on, the two become soul mates. Lump loves David. But how can he show his master, and Picasso, that he is home at last?
Lumpito and the Painter from Spain is inspired by the true story of Picasso’s love affair with a dachshund named Lump who came for a visit, refused to leave and became immortalized in a number of the artist’s paintings and drawings.
The Marble Queen
The Marble Queen
by Stephanie Blake
Amazon Children’s Publishing, 2012
ages 8 and up, ISBN 978-0-761-46227-9
Freedom Jane McKenzie isn’t good at following the rules. She doesn’t like any of the things that girls are supposed to like. She’s good at fishing, getting into trouble—and playing marbles. All she wants is to enter the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and show the boys in the neighborhood that she’s the best player.
If she can’t be the Marble King, then she’ll be the Marble Queen. First, Freedom has to convince her mother to let her enter. But there’s a new baby on the way, Freedom’s daddy is drinking too much, her little brother is a handful, and her mother is even more difficult than usual.
Freedom learns that when it comes to love, friendship, and family, sometimes there are no rules.
Set in 1959, The Marble Queen is a timeless story about growing up.
