Flowers in Springtime

Anzu the Great Listener written by Benson Shum

Anzu the kaiju loves to tend to his bonsai. Whenever he feels overwhelmed or unsettled, it helps him pause and reminds him to just…breathe.

Don’t Touch That Flower written by Alice Hemming

Squirrel is apprehensive about the arrival of Spring until he spots a wildflower and tries to claim it as his own, not understanding his overbearing protectiveness is doing more harm than good. Includes information on flowers.

A Crown for Corina written by Laekan Zea Kemp

Corina’s Abuela helps her select flowers that mean something to Corina from the garden for her Mexican flower crown that she will wear on her birthday, and explains the symbolic meaning of a birthday crown.

Tisha and the Blossoms written by Wendy Meddour

Tisha and Mommy are always having to hurry up. What would happen if they slowed down? A gentle, gorgeously illustrated story of mindfulness–and sharing the small moments.

Wildflower written by Melanie Brown

When little Daisy finds herself blooming in a garden she is happy to stretch her petals to the sky. How lovely it feels to be a flower in bloom! Until, Rose tells her that she doesn’t belong in the garden. Daisy is a weed, and just gets in the way. Other flowering plants and herbs in the garden agree with Rose, but some of the other garden inhabitants don’t. They suggest that Daisy is actually a wildflower, that can grow within or outside of gardens and has a purpose all of her own. Is Daisy a weed or a wildflower?

Have You Ever Seen a Flower? Written and illustrated by Shawn Harris

A child experiences a flower by seeing its colors, smelling its fragrance, and imagining a tiny world within it.

Welcome Flower Child: the magic of your birth flower written and illustrated by Brigette Barrager

Illustrations and rhyming text describe the birth month flowers, including March’s daffodils, June’s roses, and September’s asters, as well as how each represents children born in that month.

Dear Little One written by Nina Laden

This lyrical picture book celebrates all the wonder and beauty in the natural world, featuring Mother Nature personified. From the treasure of flowers to the mystery of insects this book encourages children to explore their world and be grateful for all that surrounds them.

Nonfiction

Flowers and plants written by Andrea Debbink

This field guide highlights 100 flowers and plants found throughout the world. Readers will gain a greater understanding about these living things and will be able to identify them in the wild. Features include a helpful introduction to the topic, a glossary, additional resources, and an index.

Georgia O’Keeffe: she saw the world in a flower written by Gabrielle Balkan

Have you ever wondered exactly what your favorite artists were looking at to make them draw, sculpt, or paint the way they did? In What the Artist Saw: Georgia O’Keeffe, meet famous American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Step into her life and learn what led her to look closely at nature and paint her iconic paintings of flowers and bones. See the vast New Mexico landscapes that inspired her work. Have a go at producing your own close-up still-life artworks!

Dissecting a flower – preschool botany: https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/preschool-botany-lesson-part-3-dissecting-a-flower/

Homemade Watercolors from Fresh Flowers: http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2013/08/homemade-paint-natural-watercolors.html

Magic Blooming Flower Kids’ STEM Activity: https://thestemlaboratory.com/magic-blooming-flower/

Spring Science Activity for Kids: Chromatography Flowers: https://buggyandbuddy.com/spring-science-activity-for-kids-chromatography-flowers/

It’s Baseball Season!

The Thing Lenny Loves Most about Baseball written by Andrew Larsen

Lenny loves baseball. And not just playing baseball — he loves reading about it, too. Lenny thinks the more he knows, the better he’ll play … and he needs all the help he can get! But it’s not until he comes across some interesting information in his Big Book of Baseball Facts — Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, two of the best hitters in baseball history, failed most of the time! — that Lenny realizes his odds are pretty good! With renewed determination and lots of practice with his dad, Lenny sets out to play his very best. He knows he can be great some of the time. And maybe that will be good enough. That’s the thing Lenny loves most about baseball.

Bonaparte Plays Ball written by Margery Cuyler

Bonaparte the skeleton and his team, the Little Monsters, face the Mighty Aliens in a monster version of the World Series.

Balletball written by Erin Dionne

Nina loves ballet, not sports, so when her mother signs her up to play baseball she sulks until the coach explains how baseball and ballet can go together–and when a timely plié in the outfield saves the game she realizes that “balletball” is really not so bad after all.

Three Squeezes written by Jason Pratt

Follow a father and his son from babyhood to baseball games to graduation and beyond in this loving saga about the unbreakable bond between generations. A perfect gift, Three Squeezes is a tender, rhyming picture book that is an ode to the love between parent and child, no matter how old the child (or) parent is.

Home Base: a mother-daughter story written by Nikki Tate

In interwoven narratives, a young girl and her mother support one another as one tries out for the baseball team and the other interviews for a bricklaying job, then celebrate their success together.

Nonfiction

Baseball Science written by James Bow

Pitchers put their entire bodies into their pitches, and batters hit balls that fly toward them at 100 miles per hour. Find out how pitchers throw curveballs, learn about the training techniques and nutritional requirements of professional players, and much, much more.

Dice Baseball Game: https://dayswithgrey.com/dice-baseball-game/

Baseball themed learning activities: https://emilyslittleloves.com/summer-learning-at-home-week-2/

Baseball themed learning activities: https://daisiesanddoodles.com/baseball-themed-activities-for-kids/

Basketball: Who’s Got Game?

Baller Ina written and illustrated by Liz Casal

A rhyming picture book about Ina who is a graceful ballerina who also loves to get competitive on the basketball court.

I Got Next written and illustrated by Daria Peoples-Riley

A young basketball player receives inspiration from a surprising place and joins the competition ready to try his best.

The Legend of Gravity: a tall basketball tale written and illustrated by Charly Palmer

Have you ever heard of Gravity? No, not gravity, the centrifugal force pulling us to the Earth. I’m talking about Gravity–the greatest ball player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.

I Have a Superpower written by Stephen Curry

A young child learns that he does not have to be the strongest, fastest, or jump the highest, but as long as he has determination and heart any goal is achievable.

H.O.R.S.E.: a game of basketball and imagination written by Christopher Myers

One day at the basketball court, two kids, a familiar challenge–H.O.R.S.E.? But this isn’t your grandmother’s game of hoops. Not when a layup from the other side of the court, standing on one foot, with your eyes closed is just the warm-up. Around the neighborhood, around the world, off Saturn’s rings . . . the pair goes back and forth. The game is as much about skill as it is about imagination.

Non-Fiction

Basketball: amazing but true stories! Written by Derrick Barnes

A middle-grade celebration of the unheralded people and stories that helped shape the game of basketball, from unsung pioneers to unforgettable moments of the game.

Basketball written by Cathleen Small

Playing sports is as much a mental game as it is a physical one, and this entry in the Mind vs. Muscle: The Psychology of Sports series (6 titles) describes how important sports psychologists are in helping basketball players develop the mental toughness to win. They teach goal setting and affirmations, which help athletes perform effectively as a team. The book covers basketball basics, overall team strength, the role of the coach, and the mental strategies, such as visualization, that players use to psych themselves up for game day.

Girls Play Basketball written by Amy B. Rogers

How can a girl go from playing basketball in gym class to becoming a WNBA superstar? The journey starts by learning as much as possible about the sport of basketball. Through manageable text, a detailed graphic organizer, and fun fact boxes, readers explore basketball basics. They also discover stories of some of the most famous women to ever play the game.

It’s a Numbers Game: basketball written by James Buckley Jr.

Why do NBA players only have 24 seconds to score a basket? What’s the geometry behind making the perfect shot? Become a basketball pro and learn all about the numbers and math behind this popular sport.

Numbers are everywhere in basketball–from the dimensions of the court to the points you can score to the digits on each player’s jersey. In this awesome new book, you’ll learn how these numbers make basketball the game we know and love today, and also get a few tips along the way on how to improve your game.

DIY Basketball Game: https://meaningfulmama.com/day-153-diy-basketball-game.html

Basketball crafts and activities: https://www.redtedart.com/basketball-crafts-for-kids/

Basketball Cup and Ball Craft: https://exploringdomesticity.com/basketball-cup-and-ball-craft/

DIY Ping Pong Basketball game: https://www.504main.com/2015/09/diy-ping-pong-basketball-game.html