FIVE PICTURE BOOKS FOR SNOWY DAYS     We may be fast approaching spring but many parts of the country are still getting snow so we thought we'd share five picture books to read on a snowy day.     ALL THE LITTLE SNOWFLAKES Written by Cindy Jin Illustrated by Dawn M. Cardona (Little Simon; $7.99, Ages 1-5) This 18-page, die-cut board book for little ones invites readers to explore all the lovely cut-outs of snowflakes while learning about their magic effect on all who see them. Children will see all the different places snowflakes fall in a rhyming text…

  WORLD BUTTERFLY DAY ∼A Roundup∼         This year World Butterfly Day is on Sunday, March 14 so we've rounded up three picture books that will help kids learn about these natural beauties, why they matter, and how we can help them since the Monarchs especially risk going extinct.   BUTTERFLIES BELONG HERE: A Story of One Idea, Thirty Kids, and a World of Butterflies Written by Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by Meilo So (Chronicle Books; $18.99, Ages 5-8) Blending story and facts, Deborah Hopkinson’s engaging 68-page picture book, Butterflies Belong Here: A Story of One Idea, Thirty…

BIRDS OF A FEATHER Written by Sita Singh Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Philomel Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8) e   Join me as we journey to the Himalayan jungle where we'll meet Mo, a stunning snowy white peacock, in Sita Singh's picture book debut, Birds of a Feather, with illustrations by Stephanie Fizer Coleman.     Much loved and accepted by his more colorful friends, Mo is the one who, in time, begins to feel different. He finds no pleasure playing hide-and-seek and he doesn't have dazzling plumes like his pals.     With their encouragement, he often shrugs off…

A GIRL’S BILL OF RIGHTS Written by Amy B. Mucha Illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda (Beaming Books; $17.99, Ages 4-8) ee     When Amy B. Mucha wrote A Girl's Bill of Rights, she was not planning to publish it. Mucha says, “I wrote it years ago, only for myself! Like so many women, I was raised to be a people pleaser and put others before myself. Writing this was a way to help me declare and own my rights to have my own opinions, feelings, and preferences. And it helped!” But after a while, she thought her book could…

NORMAN: ONE AMAZING GOLDFISH! Written by Kelly Bennett Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones (Candlewick Press; $16.99, Ages 4-8)     e Kelly Bennett and Noah Z. Jones, author and illustrator of Not Norman, have teamed up again for its sequel called Norman: One Amazing Goldfish! But you don't need to have read the first book to know immediately that Norman is something special.  Norman's owner, the story's narrator, is proud of his talented fish and wants "everyone to know it," so it's no surprise that he enters the upcoming Pet-O-Rama where he can demonstrate how truly awesome Norman is.  …

THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP Written by Charlotte Offsay Illustrated by Katie Rewse (Albert Whitman & Co.; $16.99, Ages 4-8)         In Charlotte Offsay's debut picture book, The Big Beach Cleanup, the main character, Cora, is looking forward to the upcoming Crystal Beach Sandcastle Competition which she intends to win. So you can imagine her disappointment when a sign at the beach says it's "Postponed due to beach conditions." And what are those conditions you might wonder? The ever-growing problem of plastic and other kinds of trash that wash ashore from the ocean in addition to being left…

LET'S DANCE! Written by Valerie Bolling Illustrated by Maine Diaz (Boyds Mills Press; $17.99, Ages 3-7)         Let's talk about Let's Dance, the picture book that will get little ones moving, grooving and smiling from ear to ear. Valerie Bolling's delightful debut concept story, a year old this week, tap tap taps around the world with infectious rhyme and spot on onomatopoeia as various dance steps are demonstrated. Her spare text pairs perfectly with Maine Diaz's exuberant art so have some tunes queued up because it won't be long 'til you're tap tap tapping too! e e…

I MISS YOUR SUNNY SMILE By Deb Adamson Illustrated by Anne Zimanski (Blue Manatee Press; $7.99, Ages 0-3) e     Find out what to do when little ones lose their smile in I Miss Your Sunny Smile.   Deb Adamson's heartwarming 14-page board book, I Miss Your Sunny Smile, invites readers to search for a young boy’s lost smile. Mama helps, hoping to restore his cheer. Could it have dropped or rolled away? What can they do to get it back? e e Written in rhyme, this sweet board book shows that sadness is a normal part of life.…