Why am I passionate about this?

I never actually stopped reading children’s literature. Even as a grown-up, I figured out a way to read picture books every day. After earning a master’s degree in education, I found myself back in the library reading to students. I love reading funny books; they are more engaging and more likely to get kids reading and keep them reading. I love humor and think it is perfect in the shorter format of picture books. 


I wrote

Book cover of I Need My Monster

What is my book about?

A monster under the bed story that flips the script, Ethan (the main character) wants a monster under his bed,…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Creepy Carrots!

Amanda Noll Why did I love this book?

I love the twists and turns of this book. It’s always a favorite when I read it to children. I read it every year around Halloween, and it holds up.

It’s also a great introduction to the series written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrator by Peter Brown. They are a fantastic team!

By Aaron Reynolds, Peter Brown (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Creepy Carrots! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

In this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, The Twilight Zone comes to the carrot patch as a rabbit fears his favorite treats are out to get him.

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots-especially Crackenhopper Field carrots.
He eats them on the way to school.
He eats them going to Little League.
He eats them walking home.
Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they?
Celebrated artist Peter Brown's stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold's text in this hilarious picture book that shows it's all fun and games...until you get too greedy.


Book cover of Dragons Love Tacos

Amanda Noll Why did I love this book?

Who doesn’t love dragons, or tacos, for that matter?

I love to read this book out loud to children. Many of the children who hear this book can identify with feeling like they’re breathing fire after eating spicy food. Unfortunately, if you’re a dragon, spicy food can have dire consequences.

By Adam Rubin, Daniel Salmieri (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Dragons Love Tacos as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

A #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon, this deliciously funny read-aloud is an unforgettable tale of new friends and the perfect snack that will make you laugh until spicy salsa comes out of your nose.

Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.…


Book cover of We Don't Eat Our Classmates

Amanda Noll Why did I love this book?

I love to read this as the school year is beginning. Children can identify with feeling different on the first day of school.

I love how Penelope (the main character who happens to be a T Rex) is blithely oblivious to the impact she has on the students around her. The tables are turned when she crosses paths with a hungry goldfish. 

By Ryan T. Higgins,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked We Don't Eat Our Classmates as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . . Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.


Book cover of I Want My Hat Back

Amanda Noll Why did I love this book?

I love the subtle humor in this book. I also love the pattern and rhythm of the dialogue.

When the story circles back to the natural conclusion, I use the characters’ reactions and expressions to have children infer what really happened, who stole the hat, and how the problem was solved. 

By Jon Klassen,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked I Want My Hat Back as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A bear searches for his missing hat in the bestselling, multiple award-winning picture book debut of Jon Klassen.

In his bestselling debut picture book, the multiple award-winning Jon Klassen, illustrator of This Is Not My Hat and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, tells the story of a bear who's hat has gone. And he wants it back. Patiently and politely, he asks the animals he comes across, one by one, whether they have seen it. Each animal says no (some more elaborately than others). But just as it he begins to lose hope, lying flat on his back in…


Book cover of Don't Call Me Bear!

Amanda Noll Why did I love this book?

I completely identify with the main character (a koala), who is misunderstood and misidentified as a bear when he is clearly a marsupial. The koala points out where the misunderstanding began and how it was perpetuated, but it is clearly wrong.

Hopefully, by the end of the book, you will not make the mistake of calling a koala a bear. 

By Aaron Blabey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Call Me Bear! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

Koala is NOT a bear! (Or is he?) Find out why Koala is so mad in this new, irresistibly funny picture book from Aaron Blabey, the bestselling creator of Pig the Pug!

"G'day, my name is Warren and I've got something to share... Just because I'm furry DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M A BEAR."Koala is sick of being called the wrong thing. Koalas are NOT bears, and it is time that everyone knows it! Follow this feisty little koala as he explains why he is certainly NOT a bear (and why no one ever seems to believe him).Rich with author-illustrator Aaron…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of I Need My Monster

What is my book about?

A monster under the bed story that flips the script, Ethan (the main character) wants a monster under his bed, and not just any monster, but his monster, Gabe. One night, his monster decides to go fishing, and Ethan is left trying to decide if the substitute monsters are scary enough to keep him in bed; they’re not. 

It’s a relief when Gabe returns and Ethan discovers that they need each other. With Gabe safely back, Ethan knows he will be too scared to get out of bed and will be asleep in no time.

Book cover of Creepy Carrots!
Book cover of Dragons Love Tacos
Book cover of We Don't Eat Our Classmates

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Book cover of Serendipity

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Maria de Fátima Santos Author Of Serendipity

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Maria's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Serendipity is a magical story told by a grandmother to a granddaughter, introducing us to the traditional way of living of the Scottish Travellers and their Cant language.

A fantasy tale for children of 8 years old and older inspired by three real places in Scotland. Serendipity takes us to Helge's Hole in Forres, the Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth on a quest for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. It's a story of a grandmother's greater love for a granddaughter, a mother for a daughter, and the boundless bounty of the natural realm for each one of…

Serendipity

By Maria de Fátima Santos,

What is this book about?

Not so long ago, nomadic communities in Scotland told stories around camp fires and slept in bow tents made of hazel and canvas. In this book, their culture is introduced through Cant's vocabulary, a dialect spoken by Scottish travellers. Following them, Serendipity takes you to Helge's Hole in Forres, Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth, meandering through the valleys and cragged peaks of the Scottish Highlands, in a quest for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

Dive into Scottish culture as the old grandmother, Julia, recounts to her granddaughter Gaia the tale of a little girl of pure heart.…


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