Luna & Me

Luna & Me: the true story of a girl who lived in a tree to save a forest
by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
40 pages; ages 5-9
Henry Holt & Co, 2015

Have you ever climbed a tree?
And stayed there ALL night?

This is the story of a girl who climbed a tree and lived high in its branches for two years. It is the story of a tree born nearly a thousand years ago, and a girl born thirteen thousand full moons later.

The tree's name is Luna. The girl's name is Julie, but everyone called her Butterfly.

One day Butterfly wandered into an ancient grove of redwoods. She noticed a tree with broken branches and a large blue X painted on its side. That blue X meant that Luna was slated to be harvested and turned into lumber. Butterfly knew that people needed lumber to build their homes. But trees are important, too. They make oxygen (important for breathing) and provide homes for animals. And their roots hold the soil and keep it from washing away.

So she decides that if she is in the tree, no one will cut it down. Thus begins her lengthy camp-out in the arms of her tree. Many friends supported her, sending food and other supplies up by rope. Butterfly began exploring the tree, discovering a magical cave and secrets of canopy animals. She documented what she learned and shared it with the world.

Finally, after nearly two years, the lumber company agreed to protect Luna and the surrounding grove. You can visit Sanctuary Forest near the town of Whitethorn, CA.

Today we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Advanced review copy provided by the publisher.

Bedtime at Bessie and Lil's

Bedtime at Bessie and Lil's
by Julie Sternberg; illus. by Adam Gudeon
32 pages; ages 3-7
Boyds Mills Press, 2015

theme: bedtime, family

opening: It was bedtime at Bessie and Lil's. Lil was snug in her mother's lap. Bessie practiced her headstands.

Just another normal night, with the mother rabbit trying to read her favorite bedtime book and Bessie and Lil just so full of shenanigans...

What I like about this book: the shenanigans! First Bessie. Then Lil. Popping up like prairie dogs."Look at me! I'm skipping!" Looking for fireflies. Looking at the moon. Doing everything but settling down for the night. Boy! Doesn't this sound like a familiar tale?

I love the illustrations, too - especially that Bessie and Lil, though they are siblings and both are bunnies, have ears as individual as their personalities. I like Bessie's striped pajamas and Lil's stuffed carrot and the way they hang off the bed instead of snuggling under their blankets.

Beyond the Book: it's bunny season here in the temperate forest and they are hopping all over the place. They hop across my road and into the tall grass. But they don't wear pajamas and they don't read bedtime stories.

Do you have a bedtime ritual? Some people drink hot cocoa and listen to stories. Some people go outside and say goodnight to the stars. What do you do?

Have a bunny sleepover. Invite all your stuffed animals to a bedtime party and dress them up in pj's. Then read them goodnight stories.

Do some Bedtime Math. Most bunnies are cute and small. But not Ralph. Hop on over to Bedtime Math for a big bunny problem - and plenty more after you've solved that one. (just click on the Fun Nightly Math button)

Plant some Rainbow Carrots. They really do grow in a rainbow of colors: red, orange, melon, yellow white, and even purple! But make sure you keep the bunnies out of your garden!


Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from the publisher.

Big Tractor

Big Tractor
by Nathan Clement
32 pages; ages 4- 8
Boyds Mills Press, 2015

You don't need to live on a farm to love tractors. This book introduces young children to all the different things a tractor does on the farm, and lets them get a good look at the huge wheels and the implements.

The text is simple, with two lines of text on each page. "Wake up, Ol' Partner," says the farmer, pushing the barn doors open. It's time to hitch up the plow. Then disc the soil and plant the corn (or soybeans or...).

Readers follow the seasons through the work of the tractor. I like the break Tractor gets when the combines head into the wheat field ... tractor can hang out in the shade sipping lemonade. But then, before you know it, tractor's back to work harvesting corn - a job that runs into overtime. Good thing tractor comes with headlights.

Finally, after all that hard work it's time for some fun - a hayride! And then a well-deserved rest.

Today we're joining the roundup over at the Nonfiction Monday blog where you'll find even more book reviews. Review copy provided by the publisher.