Flowers

Flower Garden
by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt

A little girl and her father buy some flowers at the store and carry them home. The little girl is so excited about the plans for the flowers. Riding on the bus with the flowers brings smiles from the other passengers, and finally, they are home at their apartment with the flowers. The little girl and her father set to work putting down newspapers and putting potting soil in the window flower box. The flowers are purple pansies, daisies, daffodils, geraniums, and tulips, and each type of flower is put in the flower window box in a certain place. Then they put the window flower box out on the ledge outside the window. Soon, the little girl sees butterflies and ladybugs come to visit the flowers. The little girl also notices all the people on the street below, and she hopes that they will enjoy the flowers, too. What is the special reason that the little girl and her father are planting these flowers? Will it be a great surprise?















Planting a Rainbow
by Lois Ehlert

Every year a child and mother plant a rainbow. How do you think they do that? First, they buy some bulbs in the fall and plant them in the ground with a little sign to tell what flower each bulb will become. Then they order seeds from catalogs. In the spring, the soil warms up, and the bulbs start to sprout into flowers. Then the mother and child go to the garden center for some seedlings, such as roses, violets, pansies, and carnations. Then they plant the seeds and seedlings into the soil, and now it is time for the rainbow to grow. Each page then has beautiful pictures of the different colors of the flowers. The first pages are red, yellow, blue, and purple. Then there are a list of flowers that come in the different colors, such as red roses, orange tiger lilies, yellow daffodils, green ferns, blue morning glories, and purple irises. What will they do with their rainbow of flowers? What do you think will happen the next year after all of the flowers have gone?

















Martha Says It with Flowers
based on the teleplay by Peter K. Hirsch and on the characters created by Susan Meddaugh

Martha tries very hard to be helpful to others with her special talent of being able to talk (most dogs cannot talk, you know), but she never seems to please Helen’s grandmother, Lucille. One day, Martha brought Grandma Lucille’s hat to her, but she had accidentally messed it up while carrying it in her mouth. Grandma Lucille was not very happy. Helen suggests that Martha do something nice for Grandma Lucille for her birthday to make up for the hat. Martha thinks that it is a great idea. Martha shows Helen a card for Grandma Lucille, but Helen suggests she look for something at The Wagging Tail Gift Shop. She finds a rotten apple with a worm in it, but Grandpa Bernie does not think that Grandma Lucille would enjoy that, either. Then she gets a great idea, and she goes to the park to pick some flowers for Grandma Lucille, because Grandma Lucille had some flowers on her hat. The only problem is that she picks the flowers five days before the party. What do you think will happen to the flowers by Grandma’s Lucille’s birthday? Will Martha be able to get some new flowers for Grandma Lucille? Will she get them there successfully?

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms

by Julia Rawlinson with illustrations by Tiphanie Beeke

Fletcher is enjoying smelling the new springtime flowers and playing chase with the butterflies. Then he tumbles down the hill and into the orchard, and in the orchard there is something surprising. Fletcher sees snowflakes dancing through the breeze, even though it is late in spring. Fletcher goes looking for other animals to tell about the snow. He sees two birds cooing on a branch. The birds are glad that Fletcher tells them about the snow, but they want to warn Porcupine about the snow, so Porcupine will go back to sleep. Porcupine is getting up when Fletcher and the birds stop by. Porcupine is happy to know about the snow, but he needs to warn Squirrel, so that Squirrel can look for more nuts. Squirrel is playing in the sunbeams, and Squirrel is concerned about Rabbit, so they go to warn the rabbits, too. The rabbits want to play in the snow before they start munching on more grass. Will all of the animals find snow when they go to the orchard? What could Fletcher have seen if it was not snow in the orchard?

Rabbits

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies
by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by John Manders

On the Salty Carrot there is a rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies, and when all of the other pirates see these Buccaneer Bunnies, they are very afraid. The captain’s name is Barnacle Black Ear, and he is proud of his reputation and his gold earrings. Barnacle Black Ear, though, is not very proud of his son Henry. Henry likes to read books instead of acting like a pirate. Henry reads all of the books that they steal from other ships. Barnacle Black Ear threatens to throw the books overboard and has Henry swab the decks. The other pirate bunnies tell Henry that he will not find treasure, sharpen a hook, or sand a peg leg while reading a book. Henry notices one day that the sky is red, the parrots are squawking, and the fish are jumping. Henry knows from his books that a big storm is coming. Henry tries to warn the other pirates (even his father), but they do not want to listen. So Henry packs all his books into empty treasure chests and gets ready for the storm. After the storm is over, the ship has sunk, and all that’s left are the pirates and Henry’s chests of books. What will the pirates do? How will they be able to go on without their ship and treasure? Will Henry’s books come in handy?














Rabbits
by Anita Ganeri

This nonfiction book discusses what rabbits look like, rabbit babies, choosing a rabbit, a rabbit’s cage, how to carry a rabbit home with you, how to keep a rabbit safe and play with it, what to feed a rabbit, how to clean the cage, how rabbits communicate, and how to keep your rabbit healthy. Some important things to know are that rabbits need to be taken to the veterinarian every six months for a checkup, and their cages need to be cleaned once a week. At the end of the book are some useful tips for caring for your rabbit and some fun facts about rabbits.
















Cinder Rabbit
by Lynn E. Hazen and illustrated by Elyse Pastel

Zoe rushes to the Grand Rabbits School one morning, and all of the rabbits are excited about the spring play. Mrs. Lopp tells the students that the play will be on Friday, and then she draws names out of a hat to see who will get each part. Zoe is going to be Cinder Rabbit, and her friend Frida tells her that she is the star. Then the teacher tells Zoe that she will lead the Bunny Hop at the end of the play, and this worries Zoe. Zoe does not want to hop anymore after hopping into a mud puddle and being laughed at. Zoe asks Frida and Winifred if they would like to be Cinder Rabbit, but they both like the roles they already have. The next day the students make invitations for the play, and Zoe gets so worried that she cannot eat her carrot cake. Zoe practices hopping, but she cannot get the mud puddle out of her head. The next day the class gets the posters, scenery, and costumes ready. Mrs. Lopp puts them into line for the bunny hop, but Zoe ends up tripping everyone in her class. Will Zoe be able to hop before the play begins on Friday night? Will the play be successful?















Dear Bunny: A Bunny Love Story
by Michaela Morgan and illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Valentino and Valenteeny or Tino and Teeny live very close to each other, and every time they see one another, they think that the other is very lovely. Tino and Teeny never say this to each other, because they are both really, really shy. Then Tino decides to write Teeny a letter one day and put it in the hollow log. Tino invites Teeny over to share some clover with him. Tino puts the letter in the log just as it starts to rain and then hurries home. Teeny has the same idea as Tino, and she also writes him a letter. She leaves her letter, with some petals and leaves, in the log, too. The mouse family is getting very wet in their nest, and they decide to move into the hollow log. The mouse family tears up the letters to make a nest for themselves in the log. The family is snug and warm in the log. When the sun comes out, the mice see Tino and Teeny crying at the log, because no letters came for them from the other. What will the mice family do to help Tino and Teeny? Will they be able to help the two rabbits become friends?

Umbrellas

The Umbrella Queen

by Shirin Tim Bridges and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

In Noot’s village, high in hills of Thailand, the women and girls make all kinds of umbrellas. They make big and small, paper and silk, red, blue, yellow, pink, and green umbrellas. On New Year’s Day, a woman who has painted the most beautiful umbrella is named Umbrella Queen. Noot wishes that she had an umbrella that is hers. Noot knows how her father creates the umbrella frame and how her grandmother makes the paper that covers the umbrella, but Noot wants to paint the umbrellas like her mother does. Noot’s mother lets her paint the same thing on the umbrella that she is painting. Noot is able to paint everything that her mother paints, and her mother wants to show Noot’s father. They are all proud of Noot’s umbrella and think she will make a great umbrella painter. The next day Noot is given five umbrellas, a set of paints and brushes, and a finished umbrella to copy. Noot’s father helps her get set up to paint. Noot paints the butterflies, but she decides to paint something else, instead of the flowers and vines that her mother has painted. What does Noot paint? Is her mother happy with what she paints on the umbrellas? What does Noot make with the left over scraps from the making of the umbrellas? The king will be close to the village for the New Year’s holiday, and the village invites him to celebrate and choose the Umbrella Queen. Who will he choose to be the Umbrella Queen?

Ella’s Umbrellas

by Jennifer Lloyd and illustrated by Ashley Spires

Ella has all kinds of umbrellas. She has big and small umbrellas, pink, turquoise, and tangerine umbrellas, and even a jellybean green umbrella. Unfortunately, Ella has too many umbrellas. Her family and friends always give her umbrellas, because they know that Ella loves them. Ella’s favorite umbrella is an umbrella from her Aunt Stella, and it is robin’s egg blue. Stella is coming to visit, and she is going to stay in Ella’s room. Ella’s mother is worried that there is no room for Stella with all of Ella’s umbrellas. Ella tries to fix the problem, but her mother thinks that she should give some of her umbrella’s to people that do not have any. Ella puts them in a pile in the yard with a sign that says “Free Umbrellas.” Will Ella be able to give away some of her umbrellas? Will her Aunt Stella have a special surprise for Ella when she arrives?

Roger’s Umbrella

by Daniel Manus Pinkwater and illustrated by James Marshall

Roger’s mother always tells him to take his umbrella with him on days that it looks like it might rain. Roger does not like to take his umbrella, because his umbrella will not behave. The umbrella turns inside out, lifts him up into the air, and tries to fly away at night by flapping its wings like a bird or bat. Roger has to hold onto it until he can close it in his closet. Roger tells his mother that he has a wild umbrella and wants a new one, but his mother tells him that umbrellas are all the same. Roger’s umbrella makes him late for school one day, and one night, it almost flies out the window. Sometimes, the umbrella picks him up and sets him down in places where he does not know where he is. Then he has to ask a policeman how to get home. Then one day, the umbrella carries Roger way up high and sets him down inside a high brick wall. There, Roger meets three old ladies that can help him learn to control his umbrella. What will the ladies tell Roger to do with his umbrella? Will Roger ever be able to control his umbrella? Will he be able to get back home?

Ella, Of Course

by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Doug Cushman

Ella is good at solving problems. She is able to save Aunt Mozelle’s favorite set of earrings when one falls down the drain by putting chewing gum on the heel of a high-heeled shoe and getting the earring stuck to the bubblegum. Ella uses a spaghetti strainer and a curtain rod to get her little brother’s pet frog out of the neighbor’s pool and save their party. On Ella’s fourth birthday, her grandmother sends her an umbrella as a present. The umbrella is sky blue with puffy clouds, and she loves the sound it makes when it opens up. Unfortunately, things tend to get broken or messed up when Ella opens her umbrella. She even messes up her birthday cake. Ella loves her new umbrella and takes it everywhere, but she also causes many problems wherever she takes her umbrella. What kinds of things happen whenever Ella opens her umbrella? Ella’s dance teacher tells Ella that she is not allowed to bring her umbrella to the dance recital. Ella is nervous, but she thinks that she would not be afraid if she took her umbrella. What does Ella do with her umbrella at the recital? Does everyone enjoy what Ella does with her umbrella?

Some New Books for April

No Sleep for the Sheep!

by Karen Beaumont and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic

One night, a sleep falls to sleep on the farm in the barn, but soon the sheep is awakened by a “quack” coming from the door of the barn. The sheep tells the duck to at the door to go to sleep and not “quack” any more. Soon the sheep and the duck are asleep in the barn on the farm, when there is a “baa” from the door that wakes up the sheep. The sheep tells the goat to go to sleep and not “baa” any more. Once again, the sheep, goat, and duck are asleep, when there is an “oink” from the door of the barn. The sheep wakes up and tells the pig to go to sleep and not “oink” any more. Soon the sheep, pig, goat, and duck are asleep, when there is a “moo” from the door. The sheep is very annoyed and tells the cow to go to sleep and not “moo” any more. Will the sheep get to sleep the rest of the night without being disturbed by any more animals? What will the sheep do in the morning when it is time to get up?

Sassy: The Dazzle Disaster Dinner Party

by Sharon M. Draper

One morning, the children of the elementary school are amazed to see a limo pull up to the school. They all watch in amazement as a young girl in a pink dress gets out of the limo and goes into the school. When Sassy gets to her first class, she sees the new girl sitting next to her desk. Miss Armstrong introduces the class to the new student, Lillian Ling, who acts very scared around the other children. While the rest of the class learns their spelling lesson, Lillian sits there reading a book. The children are very excited to learn about their new schoolmate. When it is time for lunch, Sassy stays in the classroom and lets Lillian know that she would be happy to be her friend. Sassy learns that Lillian has to move around a lot, and that she is not very happy. After lunch, Miss Armstrong tells the class about the “creative experience” assignment that she wants to class to complete. Sassy decides to focus on cooking for her “creative experience.” She wants to work on her project and help make Lillian happier, at the same time by having a dinner party. Everyone is excited to be invited to Sassy’s dinner party. Then on the Monday before the party, Lillian says she hopes to have a surprise for Sassy’s party on Saturday. Sassy works hard every night to make sure that her party will be great. Her friend, Jasmine, comes over to help her on the night before the party. Will Sassy’s dinner party be the great success that she hopes it will be? Will anything go wrong? What is Lillian’s surprise? At the end of the book, you can try out some of Sassy’s recipes from her dinner party.

Pond Walk

by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

On a summer morning, Mama and Buddy decide to go for a walk at Pete’s Pond. Buddy hopes that he gets to see a turtle. Buddy and Mama see butterflies, ducks, geese, and some black bugs. Buddy asks his mother what the bugs are, and she tells him that they are Whirligig beetles. Mama helps Buddy draw pictures of the Whirligig beetles. Then Buddy sees a little green creature that hops and croaks. He draws a picture and asks his mother what the creature was. She tells him that it was a frog, and Buddy tells her a little frog joke. Then Buddy and Mama spot some cattails, and Buddy makes a drawing of them, too. Then Buddy uses a magnifying glass to look at some duckweed. Buddy and his Mama also find some water lilies, damselflies, and dragonflies. Buddy draws a picture of a dragonfly on a water lily. What other interesting things will Buddy and Mama find at the pond? Will Buddy get to see a turtle?

A True Princess

by Diane Zahler

Lilia knows that she is a bad servant. She forgets to do chores, falls asleep while doing the chores she remembers, and is a very bad cook. Still, Lilia does not believe that she deserves to be sold to the miller as a servant, because she knows that the miller is a horrible man. Jorgen had found Lilia floating down the river in a basket, and she was so pretty, that he had brought her home to live with his two children. Now Jorgen is married to Ylva, and Ylva wants Lilia to go. So, Lilia decides to head north, following the river, to find out where she came from. The next morning, she is joined by Kai, Karina, and Ove (the dog), and they want to go with her. Lilia is happy to have them with her. They meet a lord and Sir Erlend in a tavern, and Sir Erland gives Kai a sword for protection on their journey. He also tells Kai that he can return the sword to him at his home, when they reach it. They also hear the story of Prince Tycho’s search for a true princess to marry. To prove that a woman is a “true” princess, they have to pass a test that the king and queen give them. They are told to not leave the road when going through the Bitra Forest, but Ove runs off the road after hearing a sound in the forest. Kai goes after him and does not come back. Then brigands come, and after Kai comes and rescues them, they all flee into the forest. They also find out that the basket that Lilia was found in is actually a falcon’s nest. Lilia thinks that the falcons may have rescued her from something bad, and she thanks the falcon they meet for her help. Then, in a clearing, they meet the Elf-king and his beautiful daughter. Kai is enchanted by the princess, and Lilia and Karina are taken prisoner. The Elf-king also tells Lilia that she is probably the child he had taken that was lost to him. Then Lilia notices that the nisse of the farm is there serving the elf king. Will he help them get away from the Elf-king? Will Lilia ever find out who her family is? Will they find out what the test is to find a “true” princess? What do you think it could be?