Elem./MG – Party Time!

Neuenfeldt, Elizabeth. Party Time! Bellwether Media, 2023. $19.95 ea. $119.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades 3-7. 

Throw a Halloween Party. 979-8-88687-182-1.
Throw a Lunar New Year Party. 979-8-88687-183-8.
Throw a St. Patrick’s Day Party. 979-8-88687-184-5.
Throw a Valentine’s Day Party. 979-8-88687-185-2.
Throw an Earth Day Party. 979-8-88687-186-9.
Throw an Independence Day Party. 979-8-88687-187-6.

The Party Time! series offers readers tips and suggestions for celebrating six holidays. Each volume offers instructions on creating crafts, games, decorations, snacks, and drinks to celebrate a holiday. This reviewer had the opportunity to read Throw a Halloween Party. Some of the items readers learned to create included spooky bat bunting, eyeball cake pops, a ghouslish party punch, and a witch hat ring toss. Each craft included a paragraph that offered readers insight into the history and symbols of the holiday. A materials list (or ingredients list for recipes) and step by step visual instructions were provided with all projects. Basic art supplies (paper, glue, scissors, etc) were all that was needed to create the craft projects. Adult assistance would be needed for the cooking-related projects. For those looking to go the “extra mile” when throwing their party, tips accompanied all projects that offered ways to vary or enhance the craft.

THOUGHTS: A great choice for party planners, this series could also be used by educators looking for seasonal projects/activities for their classrooms. Several volumes of the series focus on holidays that do not often receive coverage in party-planning related books available to students. Librarians looking to re-fresh or add to their party/event planning collections should consider this series.

745.594 Crafts and Activities

Elem. – Hello, Rain!

Maclear, Kyo & Chris Turnham. Hello, Rain! Chronicle Books. 2021. 978-1-452-13819-0. $16.99. Grades PreK-2.

Rain can sadden people, but rain is also a reason for joy! This beautiful picture book shares the delights of the rain. From the ability to help flowers bloom, to splashing in puddles, Hello, Rain! shares many delightful aspects of a rainy day. As the main character plays inside and outside, she celebrates and is delighted in all that she sees and experiences.

THOUGHTS: A true rainy-day book to share when you have a rainy-day! This book illustrates beautifully the wonders of the rain and the possibilities it holds.

Picture Book          Rachel Burkhouse, Otto-Eldred SD