Book-A-Day Almanac
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics and the new books on their way to becoming classics.
Wendell Minor
Elementary School, Nonfiction, PreschoolToday illustrator Wendell Minor celebrates his birthday. Both Wendell and his wonderful wife Florence, one of the great teams in children’s books, happen to be good friends of mine. Normally, that would stop me from writing this post because it is hard for me to be objective. But I think Wendell has worked so hard […]
Animals, History, Nature, Penguins, Revolutionary War, Trains, TransportationFeatured on March 17
Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World
Elementary School, Picture Book, PreschoolToday marks National Polar Bear Day, to celebrate the world’s largest carnivore. Although we have honored a lot of penguins on this website (Mr. Popper’s Penguins and 365 Penguins), polar bears have received scant notice. So today I’d like to honor a polar bear—although he happens to be the best friend of a penguin. In […]
Animals, History, Jewish, Multicultural, Penguins, World War IFeatured on February 27
365 Penguins
All Ages, Picture BookToday marks Penguin Awareness Day. Who doesn’t love penguins? They look so wonderful in their tuxedos, so well turned out and charming. But, then, I must admit that I have never lived with any. If I did, possibly I’d feel differently—I’d be more circumspect about them, like the family in our book of the day, […]
Animals, Award Winning, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Family, Humor, PenguinsFeatured on January 20
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Classic, Elementary School, Fantasy Today marks the birthday of Richard Atwater, born in 1892. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago, where he taught Greek. But for most of his career, Atwater worked as a journalist, book review editor, and columnist for newspapers. He dabbled in publishing—first he wrote an opera, then a children’s book Doris and […]
Animals, Award Winning, Newbery, PenguinsFeatured on December 29
My Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal
Elementary School, Nonfiction, Picture BookOn November 17, 1820, Nathaniel Palmer and his men on the Hero became the first Americans to set foot on the Antarctic Peninsula. He was a young man, twenty-two, when he accomplished the act for which he has been immortalized. When I think of young Americans journeying to Antarctica, the book that instantly comes to […]
Animals, Award Winning, Penguins, SibertFeatured on November 17
Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.
