New and Noteworthy From Disney Press

 

When I was a library school student, many of my classmates commuted by car from Suffolk County to Queens College. These were often the classmates that contributed the most to the “love of books on CD” discussions since many of them listened to narrated stories to and from school. Since I walked to school and my job (perks of working where you live!) I never got on the “book on CD” train. There have always been audio books for kids, you may find them in these plastic bags that have hangers on top in a small section of your public library with a book and tape together. While I still don’t listen to books in the car, I have found a new use for the book on CD – to assist with bedtime story time with one child when another needs tending to. Disney has recently launched a new Read-Along Storybooks and CDs series with characters/stories every child loves: Star Wars, Captain America, Ironman, Aladdin, Frozen, Inside Out and Finding Dory and more. With pictures of scenes straight from the movies and the voice talents of the actors and actresses in the films (Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark to name a few), your children will be able to follow along and be entertained if they are too lazy to read the book themselves (or are starting to sight read and can’t quite read on your own yet). And if audiobooks are your thing, now you can include your child in the daily ritual of listening to books on the road.

 

Other New and Noteworthy Books From the masterminds at Disney Press:

For Finding Dory Fans:

Fish Talk – Suzanne Francis – This book is written in dialogue form (think a play or movie script with alternating colors and clear distinctions as to who is speaking and tells the story of the movie. Perfect for 2^nd-4^th grade readers who can follow along the style. I think it is a fun way to bring the movie home and a great introduction to learning how to read in different formats.

 

Three Little Words – Amy Novesky – Dory’s mantra “Just Keep Swimming” is what gets her through the toughest times and has become one of the most quotable quotes from a Disney Pixar movie. This book is a reminder that sometimes things don’t always go your way but if you remember these three little words you can get through all your rough times. The bright watercolor illustrations make you feel like you are floating through the ocean with Dory and her friends.

 

For Percy Jackson Fans:

Demigods & Magicians – Rick Riordan

If you’ve read the Percy Jackson series and The Kane Chronicles you are ready for this exciting new adventure where Percy and Annabeth meet the Kane kids and work together to destroy the evil walking around the streets of New York for the first time. If you haven’t read those series yet – (I am talking to you every 5^th grader in the world), it is time to get reading!!

 

For The “Elephant and Piggie” Fans:

The Thank You Book – Mo Willems

It’s the end of an era!! Elephant and Piggie have one last story to share with us (as easy readers) and they send personal thank yous to everyone who has ever appeared in their books. We are all blessed to continue seeing these 25 books on our shelves, and hope Elephant and Piggie will be back with more adventures for us in the future (in the form of early chapter books)!

   

New Board Books:

My First Words – Jerrod Maruyama

Broken down by categories familiar to little ones, this brightly illustrated board books combines real life pictures with Disney characters to help young ones learn to sight read and recognize typical shapes, colors, animals and objects all around them.

Marvel Mighty Numbers and Marvel Mighty Colors

Brighten your young super hero’s day with these sturdy books that depict the famous super heroes and the colors they wear (or are) and count them as they fill each page!

Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur

What if the asteroid that was supposed to destroy the dinosaurs missed? It would lead to an interesting friendship between a little boy named Spot and a dinosaur named Arlo. This is the premise for Disney/Pixar’s newest film, The Good Dinosaur. If your child can’t get enough of Spot and Arlo, here are some books to keep the dinosaurs alive in your home.

A Berry for Arlo – Jerrod Maruyama

Spot finds a branch of berries and wants to share it with his friend Arlo. His only problem is that he needs to GET to Arlo and there are many obstacles in the way (and many of them like berries too!). In this die-cut board book you will meet all kinds of dinosaurs and children will love joining Spot on his adventure to get a treat to his friend. With bright pictures that resemble the movie, children will want to read this over and over again. (Ideal for preschoolers ages 3-5.)

A Friend in the Wild – Brandi Dougherty

Spot and Arlo live in the wild and share their tips for survival in this adorable story about true friendship. The advice is actually relevant, like having sturdy shelter and knowing your plants (leaves of three – let them be). The message of working together, having fun and sticking together is helpful in guiding any friendship both domestically and in the wild. The pictures compliment the text beautifully and the facial expressions on Spot and Arlo really bring life to every page. You will love this manual for life! (Ideal for children ages 6-8.)

Book Exchange Ideas

  

A new social media book exchange has surfaced. If someone can get 6 people to commit to participating and everyone participates accordingly, your child will receive 36 new books. That’s a pretty awesome home library. I personally am not a part of it so I did not get the email explaining the rules but I am left to wonder how one chooses the books that are sent. The cut and paste states that “Amazon is the ideal way to send the book” so are people looking for the cheapest children’s books to fulfill their obligation? There are a lot of Sandra Boynton titles for under $5 on Amazon, does that mean a child would get 36 of those? They are all really great, but what good is it to get doubles of books one already has at home? Why is that exciting for a child? Is the purpose to get new titles? Is there a wish list or a way to tell people “I already have the following”? It seems like a waste of an opportunity to buy someone their third copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Madeline because it was your favorite growing up. Take the time to think of the book the child would appreciate adding to his collection. Here are some ideas of types of books a child might appreciate to make the most of this possible pyramid scheme.

   

Is he into television characters? There are so many Nick Jr. and Disney episodes that are made into books. I have a list of types of Disney books you can get inspiration from here. It is something the child is definitely going to be excited about receiving. Keep in mind literacy comes in all forms, if the rules allow, you can also consider a coloring or activity book with those beloved characters.

Does your child have an interest in nonfiction? Smithsonian has come out with amazing books for toddlers and children on a vast amount of topics. They range in reading level for children and also have activity books. (My top picks are: Curious About Zoo Vets for animal lovers, Are You My Dinner for reluctant early readers, Home Address: ISS International Space Station for those interested in space and the Oceans Doodle Book for your underwater fans.) Here are some other Smithsonian titles.

    

If the child you are sending to is between the ages of 0 and 4 I recommend checking out the board books published by Cottage Door Press, Barefoot Books and Little Bee Books. They are brightly illustrated, interactive concept books for the youngest readers and the odds of adding a new book to a child’s home library is very likely.

This is an amazing opportunity to get children excited about books and reading – make it a quality book choice to make this successful for your child.

The Greatness of Disney Publishing

(My 2 year old daughter's homemade birthday cake)

Like many parents I know, my life revolves around many things Disney. The shows I watch, the toys I buy, the birthday cakes I’ve baked and lately, the books I am reading to my children all consist of Minnie, Miles, Sheriff Callie, Peso or Henry. Disney publishing knows how to give emerging readers books they WANT to read in their World of Reading Easy Readers and they give every young child the best bedtime stories in their 5-Minute Series.

World of Reading

Whether your child is in Pre-K and learning sight words or is in first grade and they read on their own, these books should be in everyone’s collection. The stories are all based on the television episodes which makes each story easy to understand and makes a child a more confident reader. Words like “griffin” in a Sofia the First story or “hologram” in a Miles From Tomorrowland book will not seem so foreign in context since many of the kids reading the stories have seen the episode (or you can show the child the episode after reading the story and watch those new words come to life). The World of Reading Books are broken down into 4 levels ranging from Pre-K to Third grade and includes the Lexile level for reference. Whether your young reader loves Sheriff Callie’s Wild West or Star Wars, there is definitely a World of Reading reader waiting for them!

 

5 Minute Series

When my children want to continue watching television after screen time is over, we often open 5-Minute Disney Junior Stories to keep the television characters alive. The book has 12 stories, all episodes of Doc McStuffins, Minnie and Sofia the First that my kids love to hear over and over again. My Minnie lover also owns 5 Minute Minnie Tales – 12 Minnie adventures filled with everyone’s favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Characters. Have a Frozen fan? There’s a 5-minute book for her! Pixar, Princess or Marvel characters more your speed? There are 5-minute books for those enthusiasts too. These are great books to have in your Disney collection, and I guarantee there will be more than story shared at a sitting!

Get the most out of the last few weeks of summer vacation and log those summer reading hours with books your kids will actually enjoy sitting and reading over and over. Disney truly knows how to make every childhood experience magical!

"Inside Out" for Every Age

   

Unless you are living under a rock, I am sure you are aware that Disney and Pixar are about to release a film about the mind. A twelve year old girl’s mind to be exact and I am sure after you watch the trailer you too will believe that Amy Poehler controls the joy in your life. Disney Press has made sure that no matter how old your readers are, there is an Inside Out book tailored just for them.

For Your Toddler:

The Box of Mixed Emotions – Brittany Candau

My son’s preschool does a unit on emotions. For about two weeks they go over all the different feelings a person can have and when or what would make a person’s mood be a certain way. I wish I had received this box in the mail sooner because it beautifully illustrates in five books the five emotions depicted in Riley’s mind, the protagonist in the movie. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust all explain to the youngest readers the definitions of their feelings and when they feel that way. The box itself has an open circle and below it says “the emotion in charge today” so a child can highlight their feelings by choosing which book is put on top of the pile. My favorite part of this set is that the last page of each book is a picture of a different feeling that makes each book feed into one another. This is definitely the perfect set of small books to help children learn all about their emotions.

For Your Kindergarden-1^st Grader:

Sadly Ever After? – Elise Allen

The feelings take turns telling a story about a day in Riley’s life. It is so much fun to see how each emotion tells their perspective of the same story. Each feeling is written in a different background color Yellow for Joy, Purple for Fear, Red for Anger, Green for Disgust and Blue for Sadness. This picture book is a great springboard to analyze both different points of view and how a memory can trigger multiple emotions for a person for a younger child.

For Your Chapter Reader:

Driven By Emotions – Elise Allen

This book is the plot of the movie broken down into five chapters. Each emotion (Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger and Sadness) each tell the story of Riley’s move from Minnesota to San Francisco from their point of view. I have not seen the movie but the story is written so well that I am very much looking forward to seeing how this translates on to a screen. This book is definitely going to get children wondering about how their minds really work and what makes them feel a certain way at any given time.

Inside Out will be in theaters on June 19^th and stars Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader and Phyllis Smith. It’s definitely something to get excited about!

Check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY