Love People Day

All You Need is Love is a familiar refrain for most of us, particularly for those of us who grew up listening to the Beatles. This lovely book illustrated by Marc Rosenthal is based on the words from the song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. It starts and ends with love–it’s easy, all you need is love! The book opens with a bird singing from its nest, and a bear responding and then progresses to include other animals and people of all ages, ending with an explosion of color and joy. This is a feel good book that inspires all of us to love more freely. Warning: reading it will put the tune in your head–but, there’s nothing wrong with that!

World Heart Day

World Heart Day is a day that makes us more conscious of our hearts, both literally and figuratively speaking. My Heart Will Stay is written by Jennifer Leroux, who lost her mother at an early age. With its lyrical poetic language and Ry Menson’s beautiful illustrations, this book is written to comfort children who’ve lost a parent or loved one. It is also a book that helps children empathize with other children who’ve lost loved ones.    

Good Neighbor Day

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser is written for ages 7 to about 11. It’s a delightful story of a Harlem neighborhood, centered around a family of seven, plus pets. It’s fast paced and fun to read, with lots of dialogue between the siblings that range in age from teens to tots. The story starts with the parents calling a family meeting to discuss a problem: the Vanderbeeker’s lease on the lower floor of the brownstone apartment building is not going to be renewed by their reclusive landlord, Mr. Biederman. The kids have never known another home, so they turn their distress into action as they try to think up ways to make Mr. Biederman like them more so they can stay. The story is a rollicking tale set during the Christmas holidays and a first dance experience for one of the twins. It includes interaction with a variety of neighbors and friends, so the neighborhood represents the kind of place we would all like to live. This is the first in a series on the Vanderbeekers. The books are old fashioned tales of community and family, with an updated setting and characters. Good read for kids!

Ancestor Appreciation Day

For Ancestor Appreciation Day, Mercer Mayer’s Just Grandma, Grandpa, and Me is a great choice. It is actually two books in one. JustGrandma and Me tells the story of Little Critter and his grandmother at the beach, and Just Grandpa and Me tells about Grandpa and Little Critter’s day in the city shopping for a suit, seeing a movie, and eating Chinese food. What could be better for this day than stories about making memories!

Johnny Appleseed Day

There are many books on Johnny Appleseed. His story often drifts into tall tales, but he was an actual person, John Chapman, born in Massachusetts in 1774. Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman tells the story with the facts, but also includes some of the legend. Written by Esme Raji Codell and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins, the story begins by explaining how different our world is today than it was in the late 1700s–no ringing phones or airplanes flying over, just a tangle of trees and brush and maybe the sound of a wagon wheel. I like the way the story gently takes children back and places them in a very different time and then begins to explain the peculiarities of Johnny Appleseed and his mission. It also lays out his five point legacy: use what you have; share what you have; respect nature; ty to make peace where there is war; and remember that you can reach your destination by taking small steps. Each legacy is explained with examples from Johnny Appleseed’s life. It’s a beautiful book with good lessons from an American folk hero who planted seeds that continue to provide for us today.

Open the Magic Day

Open the magic in books! Open the Magic Day celebrates reading and encourages all of us to open a book and discover the magical feeling of connecting with stories. What’s Watching Me? and Other Animal Stories is one of our books, and one of our favorites. It’s a book of ten short stories about animals written for children ages 7 to 12. Characters in the stories include a dog with a nose for trouble, a cat under attack, two wild burros, a determined bear, and a talking parrot. Each story includes fascinating trivia and fun animal facts to captivate and inspire the middle grade reader. The stories are written in different genres so children can explore mystery, fantasy, and fiction and discover the magic in reading.

Dogs in Politics Day

Rudyard Kipling once said, “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Two different kidlit books tell the same story about George Washington, who loved animals and owned many dogs in his lifetime. The first book, George Washington and the General’s Dog written by Frank Murphy and illustrated by Richard Watz, is a beginning reader book with lots of depth for a Step 3 book, including a picture of part of George Washington’s letter to General Howe, a British general. General Howe’s Dog by Caroline Tiger is a 176-page book for young adults and focuses on many aspects of life in the eighteenth century, including the code of conduct that General Washington practiced. Both books help us empathize with historical characters, and both are fun choices for Dogs in Politics Day.

Elephant Appreciation Day

This is a wonderful book for learning about and appreciating elephants. How to Be An Elephant: Growing up in the African Wild by Katherine Roy is all about a baby elephant learning to be an elephant in the Savanna. It’s not an easy place to live, but the baby elephant learns how to survive through the family herd, made up of her mother, sisters, cousins, and aunts. After a 22 month pregnancy, the her spreads the news that the baby elephant will soon be born “with flapping ears and whiffling trunks.” The baby elephants starts out wobbly, but the her protects her and teachers her. The baby must learn to project her voice over a 10 octave range and learn to use the 100,000 muscles in her trunk to stay hydrated. This is a beautiful book with lush watercolor illustrations–it’s a keeper. You and your child will learn a lot from the story of the growing baby elephant, diagrams, illustrations, and interesting facts about elephants. The book is 48 pages and recommended for ages 7 to 11.

National Dance Day

Everyone should dance on National Dance Day. In the book Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, all the animals dance at the yearly Jungle Dance, except Gerald. Poor Gerald, the giraffe, is too tall and gangly to dance, or so he and the other animals think. Gerald leaves the dance. Along the way home, he meets Grasshopper who helps him learn that everyone can dance – they just have to find the right music. The book is told in rhyme, and the illustrations by Guy Parker-Rees are bright and beautiful. You won’t go wrong if you choose this book, and you won’t go wrong if you celebrate today by dancing! So find your song, and dance the day away!

Pepperoni Pizza Day

Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington is one of those wonderfully happy and instructive books for toddlers and preschoolers and early elementary. Most kids love pizza, but many have no idea how to make it or where the ingredients for pizza come from. Sally owns a pizzeria, where she lovingly makes pizza every day. She grows tomatoes in the community garden, she gets cheese from the cheesemaker’s shop next door, she gets flour milled from wheat from farmers. But, that’s just the beginning, then she has to make the sauce and roll the flour into dough, and then bake the pizza. After that it’s boxed and ready for pick or delivery or to eat in her shop. The illustrations in this book are cheerful and colorful. Sally’s cat is with her all through the day and enjoys a slice of pizza with her at day’s end. A cute book with community spirit.