THE GARDEN WE SHARE Written by Zoë Tucker Illustrated by Julianna Swaney (NorthSouth Books; $18.95; Ages 4-8)     Seasons bring change–in the garden and in life–in author Zoë Tucker and illustrator Julianna Swaney's tender, intergenerational story, The Garden We Share, about love, loss, and hope.     Walking into a community garden on a crisp spring morning, a little girl and her elderly friend plant seeds, “each little dot full of hope and promise.” Elderly friends join in to help and share each other’s company as they pass the time together, waiting patiently until the plants finally “burst into…

  LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR Written by Rebecca Kraft Rector Illustrated by Shanda McCloskey (Aladdin BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)     NOTE FROM RONNA: As a grammar fanatic, I'm thrilled to be able to share this fun and informative interview by Moni Ritchie Hadley with Rebecca Kraft Rector and Shanda McCloseky, author and illustrator respectively of the new picture book LITTLE RED AND THE BIG BAD EDITOR. Celebrate its book birthday with us by reading on because I know you're going to devour this chat!    INTERVIEW Moni Ritchie Hadley: Welcome, Rebecca Kraft Rector and Shanda McCloskey!…

  MY PET FEET Written by Josh Funk Illustrated by Billy Yong (Simon and Schuster BYR; $18.99, Ages 4-8)           INTRO: GoodReadsWithRonna.com has the pleasure of participating in the blog tour for My Pet Feet. I made sure not to read any advance buzz about the book (easy 'coz I've been on vacation) so that I'd come to it with no expectations which, to be honest, is a hard feat (ha!) knowing how terrific all Josh's previous picture books are. REVIEW: When the letter R disappears from the main character's alphabet wall covering, chaos and hilarity…

  IT'S VACATION TIME! We're taking some time off to read, relax, and re-energize so we can bring you more GoodReadsWithRonna.com this fall. In the meantime, wherever your plans take you, we wish you a ...      

  THE BEATRYCE PROPHECY Written by Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Candlewick Press; $19.99, Ages 8-12)         ★Starred Reviews - Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly   NOTE #1: I meant to write about The Beatryce Prophecy almost a year ago when I first read it. However,  being in dire need of a feel-good story, I just reread it so I'm happy to finally share my review of this fairy tale. NOTE #2: You definitely do not need to be between the ages of 8-12 to enjoy every last word of this wonderful novel. Written by…

    LOOK AND LISTEN Written by Dianne White Illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford (Holiday House; $18.99; Ages 4-8)         ★Starred Review - School Library Journaltar   From the Publisher: “In this exciting guessing game for budding nature lovers, a child takes a walk to explore the sights and sounds in a garden, across a meadow, and along a brook ... Dianne White’s playful text is paired with the vibrant collage artwork of Amy Schimler-Safford.”     Dianne White’s simple, rhyming text introduces young readers to the colors and sounds of creatures that live in each ecosystem using…

    Franklin Endicott and the Third Key Written by Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick; $6.99, Ages 6 – 9)           Now available in paperback, Franklin Endicott and the Third Key is the latest installment in Kate DiCamillo’s popular Tales from Deckawoo Drive series. In this early chapter book, which is divided into eight chapters and a coda, the story focuses on Frank.       Frank worries about everything, a trait that many kids (and adults, including this reviewer) will be able to relate to. It is one of these worries, which…

THE VERY BEST DOG: MY LIFE STORY AS TOLD BY MY HUMAN Design by Becky Terhune Illustrated by Youlie Dessine (Workman Publishing; $17.95; Ages 5 and up)             Are you a doggy parent or sibling who wakes up to your bestie sleeping beside you on the mattress? Do you hand out lots of treats during the day, and talk to your pets like any other “human?” If you answered yes, then you'll be excited to welcome the keepsake journal The Very Best Dog-My Life Story As Told By  My Human from Workman Publishing into your…