children’s literature

[review + recipes + giveaway] Celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday

~ jama ~ 25 Comments

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a certain 18th century English author turns 250, worldwide fans who ardently admire and love her will want to commemorate this important milestone all year.

Today we’re celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday with a brand new historical fiction picture book and two teatime treats. Few writers have the distinction of being read and studied continuously for more than two centuries. We have Jane to thank for focusing on the internal lives of complex characters, and of course, her witty and ironic social commentary.

Because of my love for china, I was especially excited to read Jane and the Blue Willow Princess by Catherine Little and Sae Kimura (Plumleaf Press, 2025). Published especially to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, this delightful story was inspired by a fragment of Blue Willow pattern china unearthed during a November 2011 archaeological dig at Steventon, where Jane spent the first 25 years of her life and drafted her first three novels.

As the story opens, we find Jane perched up in her treehouse calling down to her sister Cassy (who’s at her easel). She has so many story ideas she doesn’t know what to do.

Cassy is relieved when Mother appears in the garden carrying a tray with blue and white teacups and plates; Jane has been working hard and needs a break. As the three of them enjoy tea and cheese toasties (Jane’s favorite snack), Mother asks Jane about the story she’s writing for Father’s birthday.

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[mindful review+ giveaway] The Gift of the Broken Teacup by Allan Wolf and Jade Orlando

~ jama ~ 24 Comments

Imagine standing beneath a tall tree in a quiet snow-laden forest, your soul abloom with heightened awareness. Or perhaps you’re lying on your bed, eyes closed, envisioning a butterfly fluttering just above you, its wings stirring up the gentle air before it softly lands on your fingers, nose and eyelids.

Whether immersing yourself in nature or traveling within, moments of calm introspection can help offset the stresses of daily life, rejuvenate the spirit and restore balance. In The Gift of the Broken Teacup: Poems of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Me (Candlewick, 2025), poet Allan Wolf and illustrator Jade Orlando invite young readers to open their minds, think deeper, and enjoy the benefits of being fully present in their daily lives.

This insightful collection explores the essence of mindfulness by offering strategies for self actualization and emotional literacy. With an emphasis on positive values like empathy, kindness, gratitude and respect, this child-friendly primer for being in the world truly inspires and empowers.

Thirty poems are presented in three sections — Mindfulness, Meditation, and Me — with the opening poem introducing the book’s overarching themes of acceptance, openness, and intention. 

THE GIFT OF THE BROKEN TEACUP

I drink my tea 
from a broken cup.
The handle is gone,
so I pick the cup up
with both hands cupped
as if to pray.
I've learned my tea
tastes better this way.

I like the speaker’s non judgmental attitude and willingness to embrace the broken cup for what it is, ultimately discovering an unexpected gift. Good lesson: always remain open to possibilities, trust yourself.

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[review] This Moment is Special: A Día de Muertos Story by John Parra

~ jama ~ 10 Comments

Come November 1-2, Mexicans and other Latino communities around the world will be observing Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a traditional fiesta to honor and remember deceased loved ones.

Celebrations will include using marigolds and calaveras (skeletons), decorating family gravesites, constructing altars with photos, memorabilia and offerings of the departed’s favorite foods and beverages; as well as holding community gatherings with music, dancing, feasting, and masquerading as death.

Rather than being a somber, mournful occasion, this much anticipated holiday is a time to welcome the spirits of departed ancestors to a joyful reunion with the living on Earth.

In This Moment is Special: A Día de Muertos Story (Paula Wiseman/S&S, 2025) by award-winning author-illustrator John Parra, a young boy practices mindfulness as he prepares for the fiesta throughout the day. He treasures each moment with family and friends — moments time will turn into the precious memories of a life well lived.

We first meet him early in the morning as he anticipates what’s ahead with hope and excitement:

Today holds a special promise. Una promesa especial.

Oh, the possibilities! He first shares “a tamale, avocado and egg breakfast” with his family, who, like him, have donned calaveras paint. Next, he and his sister take the bus to school, where he pushes his mind “to discover and learn” subjects like history, language, geography and science.

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[yummy review] Fridays are for Churros by Jenny Alvarado

~ jama ~ 6 Comments

Hungry? Can you smell the heavenly aroma of fried sweet dough dipped in cinnamon sugar? Now that you’re here, please help yourself to some warm apple-filled churros — dip yours in chocolate if you wish, and enjoy!

These crisp-on-the-outside, airy-light-on-the-inside snacks are featured in the delectable new picture book, Fridays are for Churros by Jenny Alvarado (Holiday House, 2025). Celebrating food, family, and community, this fun story warms the heart, showing how good neighbors can help renew cherished traditions and strangers can become friends.

We first learn that Emi and her Papi make churros for their entire family every Friday. Emi gathers ingredients while Papi pours oil into the pot. Together, they make the dough and fill the pastry bag. Then with a Plop, Fizz, and Sprinkle, the churros are ready, its sweet scent swirling throughout the house as the familia arrive. How they chatter and laugh! Emi loves this feeling of ‘home.’

But then Emi and Papi must move to a big city for Papi’s new job. Such a busy place full of people, but no familiar faces, and on Fridays, no churros. Papi is usually too busy working.

One day as they arrive at their apartment, Emi and Papi see and then greet their new neighbor Señora Luisa. A sweet scent swoops out from her open door, reminding Emi of the caramel she and Papi used to dip their churros in. This gives Emi an idea. She would make the churros herself!

After checking the recipe, Emi realizes she doesn’t have enough flour and sugar, and can’t find the piping tip. Could she borrow these things from Señora Luisa? Her neighbor is happy to help; she has farina but no sugar or piping tip. She suggests Emi ask Tomas in 212.

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[mouthwatering review] The Traveling Taco by Mia Wenjen and Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong

~ jama ~ 9 Comments

What’s on the menu today?

Hmmm . . . let’s see. I’ll start with a plate of refreshing ceviche, followed by spicy jerk chicken — and then for dessert, rice pudding. Sound good?

In Mia Wenjen’s delectable picture book The Traveling Taco: The Amazing & Surprising Journey of Many of Your Favorite Foods (Red Comet Press, 2025), hungry readers are invited to nibble from a scrumptious smorgasbord of twelve different dishes, everything from pizza and pasta to cheesecake and churros.

Whimsically illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong, the history of each of these popular foods is served up in a double page spread with an introductory rhyme + appetizing info bites answering four basic questions:

  • What is it?
  • Where does it come from?
  • How did it change?
  • Did you know?

Learning about food origin and evolution is fascinating as we travel across the globe and back through time. Do French Fries come from France or Belgium? Did you know people all over the world eat more than 5 billion pizzas every year, or that cheesecake can be traced back to Ancient Greece and the first Olympic Games?

The feast begins with the tastebud tempting Al Pastor Taco; we learn that it actually traveled to Puebla, Mexico in the 1930s via Lebanese immigrants who “introduced shawarma, a cone of grilled meat, usually made with lamb.”

Heaped in a tortilla, meat flavored with spice, an al pastor taco is sure to entice!

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