It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? with Josh Funk
Today I’ve got a super special IMWAYR post! Josh Funk is here today as part of his “Long & Savory” Tour for his most recent title – Short & Sweet the fourth title in the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series! He’ll be sharing some of his favorite reads lately as well as sneak peek into Short & Sweet!
I’ve known Josh for a couple of years now. And let me tell you, he’s a rhyming master! His books are so fun to read aloud, you’ll never stumble over your words and the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast books are some of my all-time favorites and kids always love them too! Not only is he an awesome author, but he’s also just a really awesome human too! So without further ado, here’s Josh!
Hey, Laura! Thanks for inviting me to stop by as part of the Short & Sweet “Long & Savory” Tour! It’s been a long summer (which feels like it started in mid-March). But one thing about staying home all the time is that I got some great reading done!
IMWAYR: Josh’s Reads
Here’s a taste of what of I’ve read lately:
For picture books, I love Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore & illustrated by Xindi Yan. It’s a great story to read on a zoom with grandparents that you might not have seen in a while. Another recent favorite is We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom & illustrated by Michaela Goode – a great primer to lead little ones to protect the environment. Another book I love that just came out last week is called Gurple and Preen by Linda Sue Park & illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. Pretty much everything Debbie Ridpath Ohi creates is a must buy.
Eat Your Rocks, Croc! by Jess Keating & illustrated by Pete Oswald is hilarious and informative and totally turns the traditional Nonfiction picture book on it’s head. But maybe my favorite picture book I read this summer is Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow & illustrated by Luisa Uribe. It’s about a little girl who has a terrible first day of school because no one, including her teacher, pronounces her name correctly, until her mother explains that every name is a song – and every name deserves to be learned and spoken with respect.
I also completed more novels lately than I’ve read in a while. I haven’t been traveling to visit schools, go to conferences, and so forth, so I’ve had many more nights at home where I can just lay in bed and read. Some of my recent favorites, all of which are worth checking out, include The Wonder of Wildflowers by Anna Staniszewski, A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat, Felix Yz by Lisa Bunker, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan, and Here to Stay by Sara Farizan.
Short & Sweet
I hope you and your readers enjoy some of my recommendations. And tomorrow, if you’re looking for something new to read, maybe you’ll go seek out the fourth book in the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series: Short & Sweet.
In this adventure, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast notice they’re going stale and visit Professor Biscotti in the hopes that her “Despoiling Ray” might help cure them. Unfortunately, the ray (yes, it’s made out of half of an avocado) works too well … and shrinks them into toddlers, causing them to race through the fridge leading to culinary chaos once again.
IMWAYR – Laura’s Reads
Thanks again, Laura! And what have you been reading?
Hi, Josh! I’m so glad to report that I’ve finally made it out of my reading slump! I finished Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, which I absolutely loved! Full of action, adventure, romance, fantasy, and so much more! I’m anxiously awaiting Crooked Kingdom, which I hope should arrive through ILL this week. I also read The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert which just came out in July – it’s a perfect story for this year and Brandy is an absolute genius! I read this book so quickly and I loved every minute of it. And, I even started another book – Just a Boy and a Girl In a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski, a summer romance that is perfect for the last official week of summer.
Learn More About Josh
Josh Funk is a software engineer and the author of books like the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, the It’s Not a Fairy Tale series, the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series, the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series, Dear Dragon, Pirasaurs!, Albie Newton, and more. For more information about Josh Funk, visit him at www.joshfunkbooks.com and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @joshfunkbooks. For more information about the Short & Sweet “Long & Savory” tour, visit joshfunkbooks.com/tour.
Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Check out the hashtag #IMWAYR for reading suggestions from readers across the globe.
