Letter to Our April ’23 Families

Hello, everyone! So glad you found us here! We’re trying something new this month, in honor of Earth Day, and moving to a more sustainable approach with our mailings from now on. We’ll be featuring our monthly letters online to our newly designed website blog instead of in print. Follow the QR code provided with each mailing to access the monthly letter to families. You’ll learn about what we’re up to at Loving Little Minds, what book we picked for both age group, and hear about the latest updates here.

Both of our books this month have been published by a mission-driven, diversity-focused independent publisher here in Massachusetts called Barefoot Books. They’ve spent the last 30 years harnessing the power of storytelling to get kids to champion positive self-identity at a young age.

Our April book pick for our birth to 2 year-old readers is I Like the Rain written by Sarah Nelson and illustrated by Rache Oldfield. You know what they say about April and rain. This cozy picture book tells us all the special things about downpours and gentle rainfall–the sounds, the play, the sensations on our faces. We get to watch the rain from a nice warm window or put on our rainboots and splash in newly formed rivers. 

And what’s special as well is what comes after the rain: rainbows and sunshine!

In the end, we found out the science behind the importance of this natural phenomenon–the water cycle and its purpose in keeping the planet green and growing. 

For our 3-6 year-old readers, we picked Rooftop Garden by Danna Smith and illustrated by Pati Aguilera. Get in the spirit of spring by joining a community that’s building a rooftop garden. Learn all about the steps in growing and harvesting your own fruit or vegetable garden—planting seeds, watering the soil, and weeding, for instance. And learn about what role butterflies, bees, and birds play in it.

People from all walks of life are all seen working together in the enchanting visuals.

The book also teaches us the six stages of plant growth as well as the average number of days it takes to harvest various kinds of fruits and vegetables—watermelons, carrots, tomatoes, for example.

A QR code takes you to the video song version of this book, sung by Holly Turton.

My son was very curious about the learnings from this book and ultimately wanted to help us in the garden this spring (he really wanted to plant an apple seed and grow an apple tree!).

This month has been a busy one for Loving Little Minds! We’re visiting a local high school to lead workshops in diverse children’s books, why they’re important, and how high schoolers can come up with their own stories to share with the world!

We were also invited by The Toyary in Melrose, Massachusetts to do a storytime in their play space, with some of our favorite inclusive stories! That Saturday, we focused on springtime festivals around the world and read books about how different cultures bring in the season. 

The Toyary is a brilliant play space and toy-lending platform with a mission to minimize waste and save sanity! The space really speaks to kids. Our little ones loved engaging in the toys available for use, the snacks available for purchase, and the colorful, cozy atmosphere. The grown-ups loved the kombucha and cold brew! We loved meeting families who took part in our storytime.

We showcased these beautiful titles:

Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal and illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro and illustrated by Carolina Coroa

Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story by Adib Khorram and illustrated by Daby Ihsan

King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan and illustrated by Christiane Kromer

We then were able to get the little ones to engage in a craft–making their own kites (pictured above). This was a commemoration of Basant, which is a kite-flying festival in southeast Asia.

We loved our time at The Toyary and would love to be back for more themed storytime and crafts!

Thank you as ever for your support. See you in May!

Simmy

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