Picture Book Soak by Emma Repp Earle

"Grumpy Pants"

ecrepp — 2025-01-15 22:26:29 UTC

I chose this book based on the title and I was not disappointed! Penguin is having a very bad day and decides to do some selfcare (taking a bath, drinking hot coca) to feel better. This book is an excellent resource to help children (and adults!) think about different selfcare techniques that can help them recover from a bad day. The illustrations are adorable. I would have LOVED this book growing up!

"Hooray for Birds!"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 14:29:26 UTC

I loved Maisy Mouse growing up but I didn't realize Lucy Cousins wrote books beyond that series. The illustrations are SO cute! I love birdwatching, so this was extra fun for me. This book would be perfect for storytime. It has excellent "repeat after me" parts, such as imitating bird calls, and actions like standing on one leg like a flamingo. I would love to read this book standing up! Fingerplays like "two little blackbirds" would fit so well with this story.

"Big"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 14:50:04 UTC

I used to dance when I was a kid, so I picked up this book because of the little ballerina. The illustrations are absolutely incredible! It was a much deeper book than I thought it was going to be, which shocked me at first. The little dancer in the story is bigger than the other kids in her class and they bully her. It made me cry! It was SO realistic. The message is fantastic and I love that the little girl gave back the hurtful words people (mostly adults) threw at her. This book would be excellent for opening a conversation about bullying and body dysmorphia.

"Where Are You From?"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 14:58:37 UTC

I studied abroad in Buenos Aires and loved the Argentine history in this book! The illustrations are beautiful, too. I have a really close relationship with my grandparents and loved that the main character went straight to her grandfather with her big, burning question. This would be a good book to read for a Grandparents Day unit or unit on South America. It also is a great segue into the (often innocently) asked question, "Where are you from?".

"The Knight and the Dragon"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 18:06:05 UTC

A book where a librarian saves the day?! Count me in! I love Tomie DePaola's art, it's so nostalgic. This is a fun twist on a fairytale, with the dragon and knight uniting to start a BBQ restaurant. I wish the book had more words for the sake of reading aloud, but I do think it would be fun to have the kids fill in the words on the wordless pages. I didn't like this one as much as "Strega Nona", but it was still so cute!

"The Camping Trip"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 18:30:41 UTC

This is a fun book about a child's first camping trip. She faces some challenges (setting up the tent, swimming with fish, vegan hotdogs) but her aunt and cousin help show her the ropes. She ends up having a great time! My first camping trip wasn't until I was in college, and I can say I faced similar challenges. This is such a cute (and accurate!) way to introduce kids to camping. I also love that this book centers a Black family. This would be a fun book to read outdoors and teach kids a camping skill afterwards.

"The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 18:57:22 UTC

I picked up this book because of the title. This is a fun, educational book about several different types of instruments. I think it would be fun to run a music program where I read this book and then have high school band students demonstrate their instruments. I love that all the characters were based on professional musicians, too! This book also provides a great example of taking turns, as Felicity keeps interrupting the music teach her with her drum.

"Brenda is a Sheep"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 19:08:45 UTC

This book is hilarious! I assumed it would be a "wolf in sheep's clothing" situation and I was correct. I did not expect the sheep to be obsessed with Brenda, though! I love that they all wanted to be just like her. It was really cute and entertaining, a perfect end-of-storytime book when attention spans are about to expire.

"The Duck Who Didn't Like Water"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 19:19:08 UTC

I chose this book because of the adorable artwork. It looks like something out of a Pixar movie! This is a cute story about a frog and a duck who become such good friends, the duck builds a special window in his house so the frog can enjoy the rain. This would be a great rainy day or springtime storytime read. I think it would pair well with the song/felt board "5 Little Ducks".

"The Stray"

ecrepp — 2025-01-22 19:27:04 UTC

Honestly, this was a strange book. It's about a family finding a stray alien dog and taking him into their home. I didn't like the artwork as much in this one compared to the other nine books I read. Grub was a little creepy, which I suppose was the point! It was a cute story, though. I think parents whose children are obsessed with stray animals would especially enjoy this book. I loved how much there is to look at on each page. It would make a fun seek-and-find!