JoAnn Early Macken

Waiting out the storm by Joann Early Macken, illustrated by Susan Gaber is a little gem I'm afraid has been overlooked this year so far. Lovely, atmospheric acrylic illustrations decorate a simple question and answer text as a mother reassures her daughter before and during a storm. This is a perfect read aloud for toddlers or for any child who's nervous about storms. There are also beautifully shown pictures and text about what various animals do during the storm. Pair this one with Shutta show more Crum's Thunder-Boomer for a delicious stormy story time or for a good cuddle before bed.
Verdict: Absolutely recommended, especially for toddler story times and rainy days. show less

I love that this book has a nice rhythm to it and uses so many pleasing alliterations that just roll off the reader's tongue. "Carrying seeds, each side scoots along, SKITTER and skate!" The book also utilizes so many onomatopoeias which are a fun way to introduce vocabulary. I loved this book so much because it has plenty of aesthetic illustrations, helpful infographics, and the author uses literary devices in such a clever way. I would use this book alongside the book Plants that Feed me show more by Lizzy Rockwell during a fruit and vegetable unit. show less

Just as wonderful as blurb and cover imply. If you have a sturdy house, it is probably good for your mental health to think of storms as chances for wind to play games with raindrops, etc. I have never been afraid of storms but I dislike them... after reading this I may almost enjoy them and appreciate nature/ Mother Earth better.

“Teachers” by JoAnn Early Macken, is a great book out of the “People in My Community” series. The main aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the fact that it included so many extra textual features, even though it is a very simple book. The book includes a table of contents, labeled pictures, bolded words that are included in a glossary, and an index. Not only do these features make the text easy to navigate, but it also exposes early readers to important features that they will show more come across in reading all throughout their lives. It is important for students to be familiar with, and understand these types of features from a young age. I also enjoyed the pictures that were included in the book. Even though the topic was teachers, the pictures all included students, about the age of those that would be reading this book. This makes the book much more relatable to a young reader than only having photographs of adults. The main idea of the book is to teach children all about the different responsibilities that teachers hold. show less