"No Mow May!"

 Earth Helper Spotlight

Organization: Plantlife

Website: No Mow May Campaign

Recommended Age: Ages 7–12

What Is It? "No Mow May" is a yearly challenge that encourages people to stop mowing their lawns during the month of May. When grass is allowed to grow, wildflowers such as dandelions, clover, and daisies can bloom. These flowers provide food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that help plants grow and reproduce.

What Happens? Many lawns are mowed so often that flowers never get a chance to bloom. "No Mow May" asks families, schools, and communities to let nature take over for a few weeks. As flowers appear, insects gain access to nectar and pollen, creating small habitats that support local wildlife.

Why It Matters Pollinators play an important role in our environment. Bees and butterflies help many fruits, vegetables, and flowers reproduce. When pollinator populations decline, ecosystems can suffer. "No Mow May" teaches children that simple actions can make a difference for wildlife.

I Gave This Idea 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? Sometimes helping the planet means doing something big. "No Mow May" shows that sometimes helping the planet means doing less. Children can easily understand the concept, observe changes in their own yards, and see pollinators up close. It turns an ordinary lawn into a living science lesson.

Critical Analysis: One of the strengths of "No Mow May" is that it encourages observation and curiosity. Children can watch flowers emerge, count insects, and learn about biodiversity firsthand. The campaign also helps families think about how landscaping choices affect wildlife. While a single month without mowing will not solve every environmental problem, it can raise awareness and encourage longer-term pollinator-friendly practices.

Connections:

• Earth Day activities
• Pollinator studies
• Gardening projects
• Life science lessons
• Environmental stewardship
• Grass Be Gone!: Kids Lead the Way: Turning Grass Into Gardens to Help Our Planet by Marko E. Vovk

Try It Yourself!

Spend a week observing a patch of grass. Count how many flowers you see and how many bees or butterflies visit. You may be surprised by how much life is hiding in your backyard! 

🐝🌼🦋

Book Review #128

Grass Be Gone!

Author: Marko E. Vovk

Publisher: Happy Kids Press

ISBN: 9781969955006

Reading Level: Ages 6–10

Main Character: A group of children who work with their families and communities to change traditional lawns into productive gardens.

Plot: Instead of spending time mowing grass, children discover how unused lawn space can become vegetable gardens, flower beds, and habitats for pollinators. The story encourages young readers to see that even small changes at home can help the environment while providing food and beauty. 

Settings: Neighborhood homes, backyards, family gardens, and community spaces where children learn about growing plants and caring for the environment.

Genre/Theme/Style: Children's Nonfiction, Environmental Stewardship, Gardening, Sustainability, and Community Involvement. 

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? This book takes a topic that many people may never have considered, what happens to all that grass in a yard, and turns it into a lesson about helping the planet. The only problem is not everyone has a yard.  

Critical Analysis: The concept of replacing portions of a lawn with gardens introduces ideas about food production, pollinators, biodiversity, and conservation in an age-appropriate manner. Some younger readers who live in apartments or areas without access to a yard may find it harder to connect with the gardening theme, but the broader message of caring for the Earth remains important. 

Connections:
This book pairs well with lessons on gardening, Earth Day, pollinators, recycling, and community service projects. Teachers and parents could extend the reading experience by planting seeds, creating a pollinator garden, starting a small container garden, or discussing ways families can care for local ecosystems. 

Book Review #127

 Moondog

Author: Alice Hoffman
Illustrator: Yumi Heo

Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 978-0439598545
Reading Level: Early Elementary

Main Character: Angel (the “were-puppy”), along with Michael and Hazel

Plot: Michael and Hazel find a puppy left on their porch and decide to keep him, naming him Angel. At first, everything feels normal until the moon comes out. 

Settings: A cozy home and neighborhood.

Genre/Theme/Style: Children’s picture book, light fantasy, responsibility, and the unexpected.

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? This book leans into that slightly strange, slightly fun feeling kids get around Halloween. It doesn’t try to be scary; it plays right on the edge of it. 

The illustrations carry a lot of the mood. They make the nighttime scenes feel active but not overwhelming. Kids who like animals and a little bit of mystery will stick with it.

It’s not a loud, high-energy story. It’s quieter and a bit odd in a good way, but that also means it won’t land the same for every reader.

Critical Analysis: It starts off typical, just kids and a puppy, then slowly introduces something unusual. That transition is handled without a big explanation, which fits the tone.

The story doesn’t spell everything out. Instead of explaining the rules, it lets the situation sit there. That can be a strength because it leaves room for imagination, but it can also leave some kids with questions.

It’s less about the creature itself and more about how the kids respond to it. 

Connections: Even though Moondog is a children’s book, it fits into the same kind of storytelling world that Practical Magic 2 is part of. The new movie is expected in theaters September 18, 2026.

In Practical Magic 2, it’s a family dealing with a long-standing curse and hidden powers.
In Moondog, it’s a puppy that changes under the moon.

With Hoffman’s style, kids get the lighter version: a strange situation that doesn’t turn dark, just different. 

So if the movie brings attention back to her works, this book fits right in, just in a simpler form. 

"Tooth of wolf and morning dew/something old and something new."

Book Review #126

Tap Tap Boom Boom (A Rhyming Rainy Day Read-Aloud for Toddlers and Preschoolers) 

Author: Elizabeth Bluemle

Illustrator: G. Brian Karas

Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 978-0763681357
Reading Level: Toddler/Preschool

Main Character:

A group of city people caught in a storm.

Plot:
A storm starts to roll into a busy city; it goes tap, tap, then boom, boom. As the rain picks up, people rush to get out of it. Strangers end up packed together inside a small diner, shoulder to shoulder. People begin to relax, notice each other, and share the space. 

Settings:
A city street during a thunderstorm, then a cozy diner filled with people waiting out the rain.

Genre/Theme/Style:
Children’s picture book, rhythmic, chant-style rhyme, community, shared experience, and unexpected situations.

I Gave This Book 5 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 5 Roars? I think this one stands out because of how it sounds when you read it out loud. It drives the whole story. 

The setting does a lot of the work. A bunch of strangers squeezed into one place could feel strange and uncomfortable, but here it turns warm and even a little funny. 

Younger kids will enjoy the sounds and movement, while adults will notice the way it quietly shows people coming together.

My one real critique is you don't need to put everything in the name of a book. (A Rhyming Rainy Day Read-Aloud for Toddlers and Preschoolers) This part of the name is unnecessary. We get it! LOL 😒

Critical Analysis: The book leans heavily on rhythm and repetition. It gives the story a steady pace and makes it easy for kids to anticipate what’s coming next.

What really works is the change in mood. The storm brings people together instead of staying tense. There’s no big speech about kindness, just small interactions that show it.

It doesn’t explain much about storms or weather, so it’s not trying to teach in a direct way. Its focus is more on experience than information. It is a nice way to spend a rainy day. 

Connections: This book pairs well with lessons about weather, but it fits even better with conversations about community and shared spaces. It shows how people react when plans change.

It really works well as a read-aloud during rainy days. It matches the mood without making it gloomy and is uplifting in a strange way. 

Book Review #125

The Wonder of Thunder 

Author: Sharon Purtill
Illustrator: Tamara Piper
Publisher: Self-published
ISBN: 979-8489566070 (paperback)
Reading Level: Preschool

Main Character: Sally Storm

Plot: The story follows Sally Storm, a cheerful and energetic storm, who floats across the sky explaining what she does and why she is not something to worry about. 

Settings: The sky during a thunderstorm.

Genre/Theme/Style: Children’s picture book, rhyming text, educational fiction, overcoming fear, understanding nature, and curiosity about weather

I Gave This Book 4 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁🦁

Why 4 Roars? This book does something very practical; it takes a real childhood fear and softens it without dismissing it. Sally Storm is written in a way that feels friendly rather than overwhelming. It works especially well for younger children who need reassurance.

The concept carries the book more than the depth. It stays simple, which is appropriate for the age, but older kids may move through it quickly without much challenge. It is a great read for rainy seasons. 

Critical Analysis: Instead of saying “don’t be afraid,” it replaces fear with an attempt at understanding. Children are not told their fear is wrong; they are given a new way to interpret what they experience.

The use of personification (turning the storm into Sally) is effective. The added facts at the end extend learning beyond the story, which makes it useful in both home and classroom settings.

One limitation is that the science remains very simple. It opens the door, but it does not go far into explanation, which means it works best as a starting point, not a complete lesson.

Connections: This book connects to early science learning, especially basic weather units. It also ties into helping children process fear through storytelling. Teachers could easily pair it with simple experiments about rain or discussions about what causes thunder. 

National Certified Nurses Day

Celebrating Nurses  🩺

On March 19th, we are celebrating National Certified Nurses Day. This special day honors nurses who work hard every day to help people stay healthy and feel better when they are sick.

Nurses are helpers, problem-solvers, and caregivers. They work in hospitals, schools, clinics, and many other places. Nurses use their knowledge, compassion, and courage to take care of patients and support families during difficult times.

Just like readers learn new things from books, nurses are always learning too. They study, practice important skills, and continue reading and training throughout their careers so they can provide the best care possible.

Books about nurses can help young readers discover how important this career is and how helping others can make a big difference in the world.

So from Read’em & Roar!, we say thank you to all the certified nurses who care for other people.

And remember, reading today might inspire the nurse of tomorrow! 🦁

Book Review # 124

The Ultimate Nursing Handbook for Kids

Author: Melanie Keepers
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 979-8316971305 
Reading Level: Ages 8–12

The book introduces young readers to the world of nursing. It explains what nurses do each day, the different kinds of nurses, and the important skills needed to care for patients. 

Settings: Hospitals, clinics, healthcare centers, and other places where nurses care for patients.

Genre/Theme/Style: Nonfiction, educational, careers, community helpers, healthcare.

I Gave This Book 3 Roars! 🦁🦁🦁

Why 3 Roars? This book is engaging for older readers who want to learn how nurses help people every day. Unfortunately, it does not have pictures. It is written for pre-teen readers, but I would have liked to see some type of artwork. 

Critical Analysis: The book introduces healthcare careers to young readers. It highlights the knowledge, compassion, and dedication required to work in nursing while making the subject approachable for children. 

Connections: National Certified Nurses Day reminds us to appreciate the nurses who dedicate their lives to caring for others.