Stephanie Calmenson

Allie and Amy live in neighboring apartment buildings and are best friends. They are psyched for summer vacation starting, but then are quickly disappointed when they learn that Allie is going away to camp while Amy is staying home. Can their perfect summer be salvaged at all?

This book lives up to the imprint's promise of "fast fun reads." The chapters are short and the font is so large that reading this is a breeze. It will undoubtedly help readers transitioning from early readers to larger show more chapter books feel accomplished that they read such a thick book. The vocabulary is also fairly simple on the whole, although there is a "word list" (read: glossary) at the end of the book for any child struggling or who might just want a refresher minus the context clues. (There's also some discussion questions to conclude the book.)

The story itself is just sort of "eh" but sometimes a book where the drama isn't huge can be nice for kids. Everyday problem books are just necessary as big problem books. Although the text does not explicitly state it, illustrations and naming conventions indicate that one child is Black and another is Latino, so at least there's an attempt at diversity, which is good. show less

Sisters Plinka and Trinka Witch discover that they are out of the magic brew needed for their usual hi-jinks in this witchy re-imagining of the traditional tale of The Little Red Hen. As Plinka sets out to make some more of the brew - doing the a rain dance to procure water for the pot, performing a special spell to summon the necessary mushrooms - Trinka refuses to help, spending most of the afternoon napping. Predictably, once the brew is finished, Trinka wants to join in the play - but show more will Plinka allow her to do so...?

I thought that Stephanie Calmenson's revisionist solution to this classic teaching tale, in which one member of a group does all the work, and then enjoys the rewards of her labor, was really quite creative! It turns out that, although the work of making the brew is finished, there is still more to do, in the form of cleaning up the resultant mess. I liked the fact that Trinka is given a chance to redeem herself, after her initial failures. I also liked the accompanying artwork by R.W. Alley, which was colorful and cute. All in all The Little Witch Sisters was a fun little picture-book, one I would recommend to younger children looking for witchy fare. show less

The Principal's New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson is a whimsical and modern take on the classic tale of 'The Emperor's New Clothes.' In this humorous adaptation, the principal of Wagstaff Elementary finds himself in a comical predicament when he falls for a cunning tailor's scheme. Calmenson's witty storytelling and playful illustrations by Denise Brunkus make for an engaging read that will leave both children and adults chuckling. Beyond the laughs, the book cleverly imparts lessons about show more honesty, leadership, and the importance of questioning the status quo. It's a refreshing twist on a timeless story that will entertain and enlighten readers of all ages show less

This was one of my favorite books when I taught kindergarten. Stephanie Calmenson's rhyme and rhythm are just right and it makes a marvelous read-aloud, along with a great way to practice counting as each group of customers increases by one. (Pigs need a table for three, monkeys arrive and go "swinging across to their table for five," a bear baseball team requests a table for nine . . .) Nadine Westcott's illustrations are funny and bright and will have little ones smiling from page one. A show more bonus? It's a sweet lesson in hospitality. As I begin a new chapter in my own life as a school librarian, I look forward to adding Dinner at the Panda Palace to our library media center! show less