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Warm Fuzzy Reads for February

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating all types of love – love of helping someone, love between siblings, or a love of reading! RIF has compiled a new booklist so you and your little one can cozy up together and experience the warm fuzzies all month long!

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Sunday Shopping by Sally Derby

Sunday Shopping

by Sally Derby

Sunday nights are special for Evie and Grandma. That's when they go on their weekly shopping spree. Grandma flips open the newspaper to see what's advertised, and the imaginary tour of neighborhood stores begins. Toting a wallet filled with colorful pretend bills, Evie and Grandma take turns "buying" whatever catches their fancy. A big chunk of ham, a sofa with a secret, and a dress with spangles are just a few of the treasures they purchase.

What traditions do you have with a grandparent that make you feel special?

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Goldfish and Chrysanthemums by Andrea Chang

Goldfish and Chrysanthemums

by Andrea Chang

Young Nancy is helping Ni Ni (Grandma) in the kitchen when a letter arrives with bad news -- her childhood home in China, with its beautiful garden pond filled with fish and ringed with chrysanthemums, is being torn down. Later that day, at the summer fair, Nancy spots a ball-tossing game, Win a Goldfish! Aiming carefully, she wins one, and then two. Now the question is how to use them to make Ni Ni feel better.

How does it make you feel to help someone?

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Are You Sure Mother Bear? by Amy Hest

Are You Sure Mother Bear?

by Amy Hest

All winter long is much too long for Little Miss Bear to sleep. She is going to miss her stars and her moon, and she is going to miss rolling on hills. Most of all, she is going to miss Mother Bear. But Mother finds a special way to assure her that they will all be there waiting for her—the stars, the moon, the hills, and especially Mother Bear—when she wakes in the spring.

How does your parent help you feel safe and secure?

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Juana and Lucas by Juana Medina

Juana and Lucas

by Juana Medina

Winner of the 2017 Pura Belpré Author Award

Juana loves many things — drawing, eating Brussels sprouts, living in Bogotá, Colombia, and especially her dog, Lucas, the best amigo ever. She does not love wearing her itchy school uniform, solving math problems, or going to dance class. And she especially does not love learning the English. Why is it so important to learn a language that makes so little sense? But when Juana’s abuelos tell her about a special trip they are planning, Juana begins to wonder whether learning the English might be a good use of her time after all.

How can friends and family help you learn new things?

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Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Each Kindness

by Jacqueline Woodson

Winner of a Coretta Scott King Award and the Jane Addams Peace Award.

Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually, Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship and thinks about how much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.

What does it mean to be kind to others? How do you feel when you do a kind act?

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In Plain Sight: A Game by Richard Jackson

In Plain Sight: A Game

by Richard Jackson

Sophie lives with Mama and Daddy and Grandpa, who spends his days by the window. Every day after school, it's Grandpa to whom Sophie runs. As Sophie and her grandpa talk, he asks her to find items he's "lost" throughout the day, guiding Sophie on a tour through his daily life and connecting their generations.

Think about special moments you have shared with a grandparent.

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Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge

Hoot and Peep

by Lita Judge

Hoot the owl is very excited for his little sister, Peep, to join him on the cathedral rooftops. She's finally old enough to learn all his big brother owly wisdom: First, owls say hooo. Second, they always say hooo. Lastly, they ONLY say hooo! But why would Peep say hooo when she could say schweeepty peep or dingity dong? Why would she speak when she could sing? As she explores the breathtaking Parisian cityscape, Peep discovers so many inspiring sights and sounds—the ring of cathedral bells, the slap of waves on stone—that she can’t help but be swept up in the magic of it all. Hoot doesn’t understand Peep’s awe, until he takes a pause to listen... and realizes that you're never too old to learn a little something new.

Can you think of something wonderful that you have learned from a sibling or friend?

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The Perfect Hug Joanna Walsh

The Perfect Hug

by Joanna Walsh

There’s a special hug for everyone in this warm and cozy board book!

Who do you like to hug? Give them a big hug today!

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Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo

The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.

How can friendships change us for the better?

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Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry

Stick and Stone

by Beth Ferry

When Stick rescues Stone from a prickly situation with a Pinecone, the pair becomes fast friends. But when Stick gets stuck, can Stone return the favor? Author Beth Ferry makes a memorable debut with a warm, rhyming text that includes a subtle anti-bullying message even the youngest reader will understand.

How do you feel when you are able to help out a friend?