Halloween Treats: “The Monsters’ Monster” and Apps that Say Boo!

If you’re a fan of Mutts Comics, I don’t need to sell you on the extraordinary work of Patrick McDonnell. Along with a shelf of books starring his popular Mutts stars—Earl and Mooch—he wrote and illustrated Bad Baby, Our Little Kat King, Art, and my favorite, Me … Jane, which is the Caldecott honors-winning story of the childhood of anthropologist Jane Goodall. His latest book, The Monsters’ Monster along with a pair of not-so-scary apps celebrate the Halloween season with your pre-schoolers and younger grammar schoolers.

In Praise of Picture Books: Books We (and Caldecott) Love

I’ve always loved picture books. My earliest childhood memory is a picture book on puffins. Picture books encourage creativity as illustrations inspire the reader/viewer to write a story in their own imagination. It’s a different type of literacy, entirely compatible and complementary to young readers’ early attempts at phonics and reading.