1. “Today you are you, that is truer than true.  There is no one alive who is you-er than you.”

2. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

3. “Only you can control your future.”

4. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

5. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

6. “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

7. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

8. “You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.”

9. “If things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too.”

10. “And the turtles, of course…all the turtles are FREE. As turtles and, maybe, ALL creatures should be.”

1. This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt (author) & R.G. Roth (illustrator)
ages 4-8 view on www.amazon.com

2. When Louis Armstrong Taught Me How to Scat by Muriel Harris Weinstein
ages 5-9 view on www.amazon.com

3. Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford (author) & Sean Qualls (illustrator)
ages 5-9 view on www.amazon.com

4. Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler (author) & R. Gregory Christie (ilustrator)
ages 4-8 view on www.amazon.com

5. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkney (author) & Brian Pinkney (illustrator)
ages 5-9 view on www.amazon.com

6. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka (author & illustrator)
ages 4-8 view on www.amazon.com

7. Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits by Wynton Marsalis (author) & Paul Rogers (illustrator)
age 9-12 view on www.amazon.com

8. The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub (author) & Karen Hanke (illustrator)
ages 4 and up view on www.amazon.com

9. Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
ages 5-9 view on www.amazon.com

10. Jazz by Walter Dean Myers (author) & Christopher Myers (illustrator)
ages 8 and up view on www.amazon.com

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was published on April 10, 1925- 89 years ago today! It’s one of my favorite books and had me entranced with New York City long before I moved here. In honor of its birthday, I gathered some of my favorite quotes from the novel.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”

“And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.”

“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”

“I was within and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”

“I couldn’t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

“The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world.”

“There are all types of love in this world, but never the same love twice.”

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

These are 10 of my favorite children’s books about New York City. #4 is one of the most popular on our bookshelves at TLB! Click on the links to view each Big Apple book on Amazon.

1. 123 NYC: A Counting Book of New York City (2-6 years) View on Amazon
Author: Joanne Dugan
2. B is for Brooklyn (2-6 years) View on Amazon
Author: Selina Alko
3. This is New York (3 and up) View on Amazon
Author/Illustrator: Miroslav Sasek
4. Subway (3 and up) View on Amazon
Author: Anastasia Suen Illustrator: Karen Katz
5. Larry Gets Lost in New York City (3-7 years) View on Amazon
Author/Illustrator: John Skewes Author: Michael Mullin
6. New York, New York!: The Big Apple from A to Z (4-8 years) View on Amazon
Author: Laura Krauss Melmed Illustrator: Frane Lessac
7. Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade (4-8 years) View on Amazon Author: Melissa Sweet
8. A Walk in New York (4-8 years) View on Amazon
Author/Illustrator: Salvatore Rubbino
9. The House on East 88th Street (5-8 years) View on Amazon
Author: Bernard Waber
10. New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple with 21 Activities (9 and up) View on Amazon Author: Richard Panchyk

(click here to enlarge image)

At TLB, the dinosaur books are some of the most popular books on our bookshelves. From generation to generation, dinosaurs never go out of style, always finding their way into public fascination and popular culture! Some examples: Gertie the Dinosaur (1914), The Lost World (1925), The Flintstones (1960-1966), The Land Before Time (1988), Dinosaurs (1991-1994), Barney & Friends (1992-2009), and Jurassic Park (1993). Here’s a list of 10 of my favorite books about dinosaurs for you to share with your children!

1. Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! 2 and up | view on www.amazon.com
Sandra Boynton
2. How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? ages 3-5 | view on www.amazon.com
Jane Yolen/Mark Teague
3. My Big Dinosaur Book ages 3-7 | view on www.amazon.com
Roger Priddy
4. Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs ages 3-7 | view on www.amazon.com
Ian Whybrown/ Adrian Reynolds
5. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs ages 4-8 | view on www.amazon.com
Mo Willems
6. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? ages 4-8 | view on www.amazon.com
Jane Yolen/ Mark Teague
7. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs ages 4-8 | view on www.amazon.com  | Catherine D. Hughes/ Franco Tempesta
8. Dinosaur Roar ages 4-8 | view on www.amazon.com
Paul Stickland/ Henrietta Stickland
9. The Dinosaur Museum: An Unforgettable, Interactive Virtual Tour Through Dinosaur History
ages 6-9 | view on www.amazon.com  | National Geographic/ Sebastian Quigley
10. National Geographic Kids Ultimate Dinopedia ages 7-10 | view on www.amazon.com
Don Lessem/Franco Tempesta

1. Beach Day! 1-2 years | view on amazon.com
Anahid Hamparian (author), Kristin Sorra (illustrator)

2. Commotion in the Ocean 3 and up | view on amazon.com
Giles Andreae (author), David Wojtowycz (illustrator)

3. Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef 3 and up | view on amazon.com
Marianne Berkes (author), Jeanette Canyon (illustrator)

4. Ladybug Girl at the Beach 3-5 years | view on amazon.com
David Soman (author/illustrator), Jacky Davis (illustrator)

5. I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean 4 and up | view on amazon.com
Kevin Sherry (author)

6. Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach 4-8 years | view on amazon.com
James Dean (author/illustrator)

7. Beach Day! 4-8 years | view on amazon.com
Karen Roosa (author), Maggie Smith (illustrator)

8. Science in Seconds at the Beach: Exciting Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less
ages 9 and up | view on amazon.com
Jean Potter (author)

We put together a list of 10 favorite children’s books in Spanish. Whether you’re raising a bilingual child or simply would like to introduce your kids to the Spanish language, these books are a great start to your biblioteca.

1. The Empanadas That Abuela Made/ Las Empanadas Que Hacia La Abuela (Diane Gonzalez Bertrand: author, Alex Pardo Delange: illustrator)
view on www.amazon.com
I always loved the Argentine empanadas that my Abuela made and now I love the empanadas that my mother makes for me! This book, which captures the tradition, was one of the first gifts I gave to my nephew who soon will enjoy the empanadas his Abuela will make for him.

2. ¿Dónde está el ombliguito? (Karen Katz, Argentina Palacios Ziegler: translator)
view on www.amazon.com
Karen Katz’ board books are a staple in every child’s library- they’re sturdy and perfect for reading in bed.

3. Mi Primer Libro de Animales/ My First Spanish Animal Board Book
view on www. amazon.com
This series of bilingual books are ideal for teaching!  Clear, graphic pictures of animals are accompanied by their Spanish names and English translations.

4. Buenas Noches, Luna (Margaret Wise Brown: author, Clement Hurd: illustrator)
view on www.amazon.com
I love the Spanish translation to this classic!

5. Colores/Colors (Roger Priddy)
view on www.amazon.com
Bright Baby books are durable and the perfect size for little hands.

6. Jorge el Curioso Visita el Acuario/ Curious George Visits the Aquarium (Margret and H.A. Rey)
view on www.amazon.com
Each page of this adorable book has the story written in English and Spanish.

 
7. Opuestos (Sandra Boynton)
view on www.amazon.com
We have almost all of Sandra Boynton’s books in our music studio‘s lobby. This is one of our favorites.

 

8. La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (Eric Carle)
view on www.amazon.com
The Spanish version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is great for teaching the days of the week!

9.  Este No Es Mi Camion (Fiona Watt: author, Rachel Wells: illustrator, Gemma Alonso De La Sierra: translator)
view on www.amazon.com
This is one of my nephew’s favorites! The book is interactive with touch and feel elements.

10. Mi Primer Libro del Cuerpo/My First Body Board Book
view on www.amazon.com
Teaching body parts in English and Spanish is easy with this book!  

Our clients at TLB Music are always asking us to recommend books about music for their children.  We’re always happy to introduce them to a selection of our favorites from our bookshelves.

Here’s our list of 10 great books about music for kids:

 
1.  This Jazz Man (Karen Ehrhardt- author/ R.G. Roth-illustrator)
 
Set to the rhythm of the popular kids song “This Old Man”, this book is lots of fun to read aloud with kids of all ages!  Some of the Jazz Musicians featured: Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Charles Mingus!  view on www.amazon.com

2. The Story of the Orchestra (Robert Levine- author/ Meredith Hamilton- illustrator)
 
This book is perfect for big kids (ages 8-12)!  It illustrates in detail the instruments of the orchestra, famous composers, and musical styles.  The 70-minute CD includes musical selections to accompany the text. This makes a great gift!  view on www.amazon.com

 
3. Play, Mozart, Play!  (Peter Sis- author/illustrator)
 
This is a great book about Mozart for young children.  In this simple story, we learn about his life as a child and young musician.  view on www.amazon.com

 
4. Violet’s Music  (Angela Johnson-Author/ Laura Huliska-Beith- Illustrator)
 
Violet is a little girl who has loved playing music since she was a baby.  Always on the search for kids who feel the same way, Violet’s Music tells the story of her journey to finding some new like-minded friends!  view on www.amazon.com

 
5. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin (Lloyd Moss- author/ Marjorie Priceman-illustrator)
 
Meet the instruments of the orchestra with the clever and catchy verse of this classic book.  view on www.amazon.com

 
6. Ah, Music!  (Aliki-author/illustrator)
 
In our opinion, this is a must-have for every young musician!  This book provides a concise history of music, an introduction to the instruments of the orchestra, and an overview of many topics like conducting, harmony, and dance. view on www.amazon.com

 
7. Forever Young  (Bob Dylan-author/ Paul Rogers-illustrator)
 
Bob Dylan’s lyrics to his 1974 hit come to life with Paul Rogers’ illustrations.  This is a perfect gift for Dylan fans with families! view on www.amazon.com

 
8. Listen to My Trumpet! (Mo Willems-author/illustrator)
 
Piggie tries to impress Gerald with his trumpet playing in Mo Willems’ latest book.  view on www.amazon.com

 
9. Can You Hear It?  (William Lach-author/artwork by several artists)
 
This book, created by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is another great one for older children!  Famous works of art are paired with musical selections from the included CD and William Lach asks questions of the readers for each piece. This book is interactive, engaging, and imaginative!   view on www.amazon.com

 
10. Baby Beluga  (Raffi-author/Ashley Wolff-illustrator)
 
Children love this song and will also love reading along with the cute illustrations!  view on www.amazon.com

Just Like You is a children’s book by Robert Kroupa and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison that teaches children about acceptance.  When we heard that 100% of the profits of Just Like You are donated to charity, we knew we had to share it with you!  The Just Like You Foundation‘s mission is to teach children the values of universal acceptance.

From the Just Like You Foundation site:

Bullying and discrimination are not rites of passage. From childhood and beyond, many of us are bullied, excluded or discriminated against. It’s more vital than ever to instill the message of acceptance to all ages, particularly young children.

When you purchase a copy of the book, you get to choose one of five featured charities to receive 100% of the profits from your sale.  Or, if you’d like,  you can donate the profit to all five organizations.  Click here to view the five charities featured by the Just Like You Foundation.

The book tells the story of Boris and Henry, two forest creatures who live and play by themselves because they don’t look like everyone else.  Watch the trailer for the book:

We love everything about this book- its message, its adorable illustrations and, most importantly, it charitable mission!

The bookshelf in the front lobby of our music studio and playroom is always surrounded by young children reading and exploring our book collection.  We have picture books, board books, bilingual books, books about music, books about science, and much more!   Here are five of the most popular board books for young children on our shelves.

1)  First 100 Words by Roger Priddy
Click here to view this book on www.amazon.com.

2) Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
Click here to view this book on www.amazon.com.

3) What’s Up, Duck? A Book of Opposite by Tad Hills
Click here to view this book on www.amazon.com.

4) Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden
Click here to view this book on www.amazon.com.

5) Subway by Anastasia Suen and Karen Katz
Click here to view this book on www.amazon.com.