Feel the Wind.  Rhea Dufresne, Guillaume Perreault, Julie Beck, translator. 2015. 24 pagse. Look Around Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] This is such a quick, fun read! The author takes the reader through an exploration of the various forms of wind, while also highlighting their impacts on the world around us. The book is certainly educational, but it isn’t overly so at the expense of an enjoyable book. This is probably a great tool for teachers but also for parents who are helping kids understand the world around them. It’s challenging enough for an emerging reader to tackle on their own (with a bit of help for more complex words), but is simple enough for younger readers to comprehend.

The Christmas Cats Fear for the Deer. Constance Corcoran Wilson, Gary McClusky, ill. 2015. 36 pages. Quad Cities Press. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of author.] The Christmas Cats Fear for the Deer is the fourth installment in The Christmas Cats series, a fun and festive collection of books centered around cats that are great problem-solvers. In this book, the Christmas Cats are called on to help usher the deer – who keep eating the bark from trees – out of harm’s way, which will surely come at the hands of pesky hunters. I read this with my 7-year-old and we both loved it. I was initially concerned about the references to hunters and wondered where the story would take them. However, I was impressed at the author’s ability to tackle what could be a sensitive topic in an age-appropriate and comical way. My daughter particularly liked the reference to the North Pole, Santa Clause, and his reindeer, which made everything more familiar.

My Dog, My Cat. Ashlee Fletcher. 2011. 42 pages. Tanglewood. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] My Dog, My Cat is a child’s reflection of the differences between his/her two pets. The differences include physical attributes, playtime habits and food preferences. Toward the end of the book, the child also reflects on the dog and cat’s similarities. This is a nice way to introduce the concepts of comparing and contrasting to a child while letting them do so with familiar animals.

A Tale of Two Mommies. Vanita Oelschlager, Mike Blanc, ill. 2013. 40 pages. Vanita Books. [ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] A Tale of Two Mommies is a look at a little boy who answers his friends questions about his “non-traditional” family structure. It’s a cute look at same-sex headed households from the view of children. The questions and responses are innocent and I found them useful when talking to my own child.

Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries. Vanita Oelschlager. 2011. 4o pages. Vanita Books. [Source: ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley.] How exactly do you explain common idioms to a kindergartner? I never really put a lot of thought into that question, but Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries is definitely a go-to for any parent or teacher who struggles to explain the nuances of not-so-literal language to a little one. This book takes extremely common food-related idioms, such as “the big cheese” and “your goose is cooked,” and uses dynamic, colorful illustrations and witty dialogue to provide literal explanations. When you flip the page upside-down, you’re provided a definition and an example sentence.