Water Can Be... by Laura Purdie Salas

With absolutely beautiful illustrations, this book explains many things that water can be from otter feeder, to kid drencher, ship breaker to woodchuck warmer. The end of the book has explanations of how water does all those things and also includes a glossary. This is a totally fabulous book for elementary school aged children.

Some Bugs by Angela Diterlizzi, Brendan Wenzel (Illustrations)

I totally love the illustrations in this interesting rhyming children's picture book. I think it would be fun to have children try to count all the bugs on each page. There is an illustrated insect identification page at the end as well.

My Grandfather's Coat by Jim Aylesworth (Retelling), Barbara McClintock (Illustrator)

Based on a Yiddish folk song, this is a story of an American Immigrant who is a tailor and his life story is told as he sews a coat and as it wears out, he alters it into smaller and smaller items.

Early Bird by Toni Yuly

Bright, simple, fun illustrations follow a very active Early Bird as he travels across, through, over and under and more on his search for the Early Worm, with whom he shares breakfast. This is a fun action story for toddlers.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh

This is an excellent historical fiction story about the Mendez v. Westminster case - a fight for school desegregation in 1947 in California where Mexicans were forced to attend segregated schools. This is a desegregation story that is not well known and the book does a great job of telling the story for elementary and middle school age children. It is well written and informative and includes an author's note giving more information, photographs, a glossary and other helpful reference material at the end of the book. I loved and disliked the illustrations. I love the digitalized collage effect showing a variety of textures. I did not like the faces. I found them rather fish-like and creepy and I think that some children may also find the faces disturbing. Other than that, I really loved the book and think it is fantastic.

Chips and Cheese and Nana's Knees: What Is Alliteration? by Brian P. Cleary, Martin Goneau

The drawings are goofy and the colors are bright
making this cute rhyming book a delight,
From the "bride with braids of brown"
to a landscape "humid, hot and hilly",
Alliterations always abound
in this story seeming silly.
People of all ages
from young children to the sages
Will like learning these lessons
in alliterative sessions.

This book is a cute, fun way to teach children about alliteration. I received this book free to review from Netgalley and I highly recommend it.

Henna House by Nomi Eve

This is a fascinating historical fiction story about Adela, a Yemenite Jew. The story begins in the 1920s when she is a child and shows the exile of the Jews from Yemen, the Holocaust and the remarkable emigration of the Yemenite Jews to Israel. The book details the culture and lives of the Jews in Yemen during that time including the use of henna. Adela's story is vivid and compelling, full of hope and heartbreak. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.