Franki Sibberson’s SproutFive Bookshelf

At SproutFive™, we believe it takes more than childcare and early learning to create a world where every child can grow to become a whole, centered, thinking, caring person. It takes a holistic approach. So, every day, while we give young children the care they need to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically during those critical first five years of life, behind the scenes we do more. We support the people who support the children. The families. The teachers. The communities. We work relentlessly to become an empowering hub for accessible, quality, early childhood education. Please enjoy a special discount of 20% off the titles of your choice using the code SproutFive20. Below are some of Franki Sibberson's favorite titles for children in pre-school, pre-k and kindergarten. A portion of purchases of these titles will be used to support the wonderful work of SproutFive. What's new at SproutFive™?! As part of Black History Month, our littles at SproutFive participated in NCTE's African American Read-In. To find out more, click here. Read More

National Cat Day

Cats sleep a lot. In fact, some cats sleep as much as 20 hours per day! But that doesn’t mean that cats spend all that time sound asleep. Most of the time, cats are just dozing and ready to jump up at a moment’s notice. Which is why we say that a person enjoying a quick, light sleep is taking a “cat nap.” :) To Celebrate National Cat Day, learn more about cats and spend time with some of your favorite cat characters, by exploring these great cat books, below. Read More

Stella Villalba’s Bookshelf

Some families have deep rooted traditions around food and breaking bread together. Some other families have their own ways of spending time outdoors, and some families try to figure out who they are in between places. These are just some of the topics that are explored in this list of picture books that honor the little details that make families’ experiences unique. Read More

Katharine Hsu’s Bookshelf

 I often think through three questions whenever I select books for my students. The first question I ask myself is, can my students access the vocabulary and language across the book? Secondly, are my students’ appearances and/or cultures represented in the story? And lastly, could the story excite my kids to share their own stories with each other? In other words, I look at vocabulary, representation, and relatability. When a book meets all three components, my heart explodes. I’ve found a gem, a book that I might buy multiple copies of over the years because the kids might want their own copy to read and re-read. There’s nothing more special than a story that makes a child feel that they belong both in our classroom and in our country.  Read More

National Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

In honor of National Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month, learn more about Frida Kahlo, the brilliant Mexican artist who painted her animal friends at Casa Azul in Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos, and explore other wonderful books that celebrate Hispanic and Latinx heritage. Read More

Pirate Lore

Pirates may not have buried much treasure on deserted islands, cried “argh” when displeased, or forced their captives to walk the plank. (Argh!) But some pirate lore seems to be based on fact. Pirates actually had parrots for pets, wore eye patches, and flew the Jolly Roger. (Blimey!) To celebrate… Read More