Grace McKinney
Who Run the World: New Picture Book Biographies of Women
In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, which serves as a perfect opportunity to examine many unsung female heroes from our...
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Grace McKinney
- Nov 6, 2020
Many Ways to Say Thank You: Books on Gratitude
We often teach gratitude to children in the form of manners. We demonstrate how to say “please” and “thank you” and remind young ones to...
Gabrielle Basha
- Oct 14, 2020
Everyday Literacy: Weaving in Reading AnyTime, Anywhere
When we’re not blogging, Grace and I are teachers. As we headed into the classroom this fall (Grace in an actual classroom in St. Louis...
Grace McKinney
- Sep 8, 2020
Sing it with a Book: Our Favorite Singalong Picture Books
In a wild turn of events, both Gaby and I have found ourselves back in the classroom for this school year! As we have been preparing for...
Grace McKinney
- Aug 10, 2020
Have Courage and Be Kind: Books for Brave Children
Readers, I've been holding out on you. I know you've been on pins and needles waiting for the continuation of a series I promised over a...
Grace McKinney
- Jun 18, 2020
Race and Reading Aloud: Books for Black Joy
Joy is an act of resistance (as says Toi Derricotte), and Juneteenth is a day to remember a long-awaited celebration. On June 19th, 1865,...
Gabrielle Basha
- May 25, 2020
Humans are Nature, Too: Nurturing the Connections Between Our Bodies and the Natural World
What do you think of when you picture "nature"? If you're in a city like we are, maybe your best connection is a gorgeous neighborhood...
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- Mar 29, 2020
Kids in Quarantine: A List of Stay-at-Home Storytimes and Other Engaging Initiatives
We've entered a strange time in human history, but we're not going through it alone. Our creative nature has yielded inspiring balcony...
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- Mar 5, 2020
Review of the Day: My Favorite Memories by Sepideh Sarihi and Julie Völk
We were so pleased to be the recipients of one of the texts from Blue Dot Kids Press's inaugural series! My Favorite Memories is one of...
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- Feb 5, 2020
How to Take Your Child to the Bookstore: Part One
This January, I started working part time at a local independent bookstore in my area. It's my first foray into retail since I worked at...
Grace McKinney
- Jan 20, 2020
Review of the Day: Yves Klein Painted Everything Blue and Wasn't Sorry by Fausto Gilberti
I often joke about how niche all of my interests are. I'm passionate about education... but specifically Montessori education. I'm...
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- Jan 1, 2020
Review of the Day: Art This Way by Tamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford
Art This Way By Tamara Shopsin and Jason Fulford Phaidon Press ISBN: 9780714877211 $19.95 Ages 2 to 5 On Shelves Now This sneaky little...
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- Dec 5, 2019
Review of the Day: My Art Book of... Series by Shana Gozansky
Picture books are often the child's first fine art museum. I first heard this in graduate school, and it's been one of the most...
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- Nov 6, 2019
We're Going to Seattle!
I'm going to be honest. Gaby and I love writing for this blog. We really do. But our favorite part of this project is actually getting...
Gabrielle Basha
- Oct 23, 2019
Hooked on Books: When Passion Outranks Reading Level
When we organize book lists for the blog, Grace and I tend to assign them to categories based on which classroom would appreciate the...
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- Oct 7, 2019
Hop on Board: A BIG List of Board Books for Babies & Toddlers
On a recent trip to my local library, I found myself in the reading area for toddlers and other tiny patrons. Hung just above their...
Gabrielle Basha
- Sep 25, 2019
Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Reading with Active Toddlers
Grace and I have had the opportunity to talk to a few different groups of parents since we launched Cosmic (almost a year ago—we turn one...
Grace McKinney
- Aug 29, 2019
What I Read This Summer: An Un-Curated List
This summer surprised me a bit. I had—or maybe made—more time to read during my Primary training. I found myself reaching for books...
Grace McKinney
- Aug 16, 2019
Getting To Know You: Tips for Reading Aloud in the New School Year
First things first: we're so happy to have so many more folks with us on this reading expedition! Whether you found us through the AMI...
Grace McKinney
- Jun 11, 2019
Ch-ch-ch-changes: Some News and Some Books About Moving
We've been packing lots of boxes in the Cosmic team's apartments lately. Gaby and her husband recently moved to a new place in the Boston...