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Read with River

Introducing children to the magical world of reading.

Take our favourite books home.

Interested in finding some of the books we have recommended or the early literacy tools we use? Click on the link above to take you to our New Amazon Store Front!

Book Inspired Crafts, Arts, Activities

Using Books as a base, check out these ideas for various Inquiry, Exploration, STEM, and fun projects!

RWR Book Club

From voting on our faves of the year, to duking it out over the most controversial reads, join in the conversation.

Literacy Based Music Teaching

Lesson Plans and Articles for Parents and teachers to support musical skill building and exploration using picture books as an anchor. No previous experience necessary.

Early Literacy

Quick Guides on different aspects of early literacy, how to choose the right books, how to support your child at home!

River’s Recipes

Want to make one of the delicious dishes featured in our posts? Find the recipes here!

Bookstagram in the 6ix

Find out what is happening in Toronto, Best Bookstores, Local Book launches, everything a Bibliophile needs to know about living in the 6ix.

“Books are a uniquely portable Magic.”
Stephen king

Check out our instagram page @ReadWithRiver to keep up with our daily book adventures!

Love bookish play? Check out our community account @BringBooksAlive for plenty of ideas for early childhood play with books.

About Us

Alessandra is a teacher in Toronto, specializing in early music and Kindergarten.

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readwithriver@gmail.com

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Musical games are an essential part of early musical education and a social childhood. The very best ones (like "Miss Mary Mack") prevalent in the North American school yard have deep roots in African American history and culture. This is not a history people are often aware of or acknowledge when teaching these songs and games. "Let's Clap, Dance, Sing, and Shout; Dance, Spin, and Turn it Out: Games, Songs and Stories from an African American Childhood." Collected by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Brian Pinkney is an absolutely phenomenal collection of songs and musical games along with their significance in the context of history. . This collection is a treasure, not only does it have a huge selection of amazing musical games/songs but it provides the background to help students understand where they came from and why it is meaningful and important. What was your favourite singing game as a child? #BlackHistoryMonth #MusicMondays . . . . #kidlit #kidsbooks #musicteacher #primarymusic #musicbooks #musicresources #kindergartenmusiclessons #kindergartengames #schoolgames #singinggames #musicalgames #historyforkids #socialemotionallearning #socialgames #earlylearning

"Whistle For Willie" by Ezra Jack Keats was originally written in 1964 is a classic book, revolutionary in its time, that still holds up today. The story follows Peter as he goes through his day surrounded by a beautiful world, learning to whistle. It captures so much of the joy and wonder of childhood. This is a book I recommend for story time as well as the music classroom perfect to accompany explorations into the way we can use our mouths and bodies to make sounds. Learning to whistle is a big moment for a child. Do you remember learning to whistle? #musicalbooks This book is actually a #wonderbook that reads to your child. River enjoys using it independently it can be an excellent addition to a well balanced literacy program at home. Have you tried out Wonderbooks? . . . #ezrajackkeatsfoundstion #ezrajackkeats #wonderbooks #musicteaching #primarymusic #kindergartenmusiclessons #earlyliteracyskills #earlyliteracy #literacyideas #kidlit #readaloud #bedtimestories #illustrations #librariansofinsta #teachersfollowteachers #teacherideas @penguinrandomhouse @wonderbooksuk

Receiving "Tanna's Owl" from @inhabit_media was such a delight! An Inuit girl raises a baby owl on her summer vacation home from Residential school. A beautifully written and illustrated slice of life in the arctic, with all of the curiosity and wonder of a child exploring nature and coming into new responsibilities. We love this book. The authors Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley were Arctic Researchers and consultants for decades and Rachel is an Inuit-Cree residential school survivor. I would like to read a full book about the authors actually! Illustrator Yong Ling-Kang . The members of the Read with River Book Club were very happy to received review copies of this book. . . . #kidlit #ownvoices #inuit #nativecanadian #nativevoices #kidsbooks #bookstagrammer #booksandtea #breakfast #booksandcake #bibliophile #canadianauthors #canadianillustrators #canadianbooks #ireadcanadian #canadianbookstagram #readtogether #teatime

Honouring Black History Month in our home is as important as in the classroom. We choose books that celebrate the achievements, innovations, and strength in Black History. Sometimes it leads to difficult questions that I don't know how to answer; I am always truthful even when it is harsh. As Muhammed Ali said "Truth in the end shall win." We love all of the biographies in the "Little People Big Dreams" series by @mariaisabelsanchezvegara they are beautiful, bright, and written for little people to understand and enjoy. There is also further information on each biography at the back of these books making them perfect for older children as well. "Muhammad Ali" by @mariaisabelsanchezvegara And @brosmind @quartokids @hachettekids . #findmestories_heart . . . #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #littlepeoplebigdreams #muhammadali #raisingreaders #teachersofinsta #librariansofinsta #picturebooks #inclusivestories #readtogether #earlyliteracy #blackhistorybooks #bestkidsbooks #littlereaders #weread

Tiny nooks are perfect for reading corners. Keeping a variety of books available and accessible is key to encouraging excellent early reading habits. This corner is Willow's favourite, I keep the board books on the two bottom levels for her convenience. . We recently painted this hallway "new dawn" from @benjaminmoore What do you think? . . #readingnook #bookish #bookishdecor #tinyspaces #shelfie #kidsbooks #earlyliteracy #readinghabits #toddlerbooks #inquirybasedlearning #bookcollection #kidsbookstagram #benjaminmoore @homesensecanada #toddlerlife #toddlerroutine #bookstagram

Do you remember a place where you were perfectly happy? For #Ireadcanadianday I want to share a book with you that perfectly captures the feeling I recall from my honeymoon in Bear River, Nova Scotia. "The Pink Umbrella" is about a cafe owner in a small village by the sea, and a farmer who falls in love with her. It is an unusual story for a picture book, all about the beauty in the little things, a celebration of taking the time to smell the flowers. It is the sort of book so lovely you want to just sink into it for a visit. #findmestories_heart . . . . Thank you @tundrabooks for providing us with this review copy. @ireadcanadian @penguinrandomhouse #canadianbooks #visitcanada #amelie @genevievegodboutillustration #beautifulbooks #novascotia #eastcoast #bearriver #smelltheroses #readmore #illustrations #pink #pinkroses #picturebooklove #kidsbookstagram

Tomorrow is "I Read Canadian Day" and we are so excited! There are so many talented authors, illustrators and devoted publishing houses here in Canada committed to producing wonderful books. We hope you get a chance to celebrate with us! If you do, share your books with us, we want to see everyone reading Canadian work tomorrow! #Ireadcanadian @kidsbookcentre @ireadcanadian @scholasticreadingclubcanada @groundwoodbooks @kidscanpress @annick_press @tundrabooks @inhabit_media . . . #canadianbooks #canadianbookstagram #kidsbooks #bookstagram #shelfie #bookshelfie #bookshelves #canadianteachers #canadianfamilies #picturebooklove #fortheloveofreading #canadianauthors #canadianillustrators #bookswelove #teachersofinsta #librariansofinsta

Teaching music is something many teachers and parents feel uncomfortable doing. It often gets relegated to professional specialists or not done at all. So I am launching a series of free lesson plans and articles on building essential musical skills using Picture books as the core of the lesson. You do not need any musical training or experience to be able to do them. My first lesson for you is on developing "Active Listening skills" with the book "What Noise Do I Make?" By Brian McLachlan. An adorable book that explores the nuances of the different sounds animals make. This lesson explores decoding sounds, mimicry, and also a fun look at punctuation and phonetics. Is there anything better than connecting musical inquiry and literacy building? For the full instructions of how to do this lesson, head over to my website, link in bio. It includes connections to the curriculum expectations and is appropriate for preschool up to grade 2 (adjusting the depth of discussion as necessary.) How do you feel about supporting musical skill building in the classroom and at home? . . . . #raisingreaders #earlyliteracyskills #canadianteachers #freemusiclessonplans #musicteaching #kindergartenlessonplans #ECE #readingteacher #montessoriathome #homeschoolideas #kindergartenmusiclessons #inquirybasedlearning #curiosityapproach #librarians #storytime #literacyideas #learntosing #kidsbooklessons

This is River's current favourite book. "My Father's Shop" about a rug merchant's son who runs around the market place in a broken rug attracting the attention of a rooster and a gaggle of tourists. A funny little story about how languages are similar and the joyful nature of children. It is beautifully illustrated and a very fun read, River especially liked how the rooster sounded different in each language. Highly recommend this book, we have read it ten times over the last couple days. . . . by Satomi Ichikawa @kanemillerbooks . . #booksandtea #teacups #booksonrugs #sundaymorningvibes #illustratiom #picturebooks #kidsbooks #diversebooks #childrenslibrary #readaloud #readtogether #earlyliteracy #ece #teachers #kindergartenteachers #montessoriathome #homeschoolbooks

This week is I Read Canadian Day and what better way to celebrate than with "Goodnight Anne" Inspired by Anne of Green Gables. This is a wonderful bedtime book that captures the whimsical charm of the "Anne of Green Gables" series in a gentle story appropriate for young children. It is perfect if, like me you just can't wait to read your children the original series but it is too early! What's on your list of must read aloud for your children? . . . by Kallie George and illustrated by Genevieve Godbout @genevievegodboutillustration . . #Ireadcanadian #canadianbookstagram #canadianbooks #torontobooks #PEI #canadianillustrators #canadianauthors #readtoyourkids #raisingreaders #booksandtea #anneofgreengables #canadianheritage #vintage #teatime #scones #kidsbookstagram

What do you tell your children when they ask about homeless people? Do you say anything? Do they notice? River has asked before, when we have visited the downtown core and it was a difficult discussion. She found the people we saw frightening. "Lily and the Paper Man" is about a little girl who is terrified of a homeless man selling newspapers on the street. She sees him again and again, and as the weather turns chill she starts to consider how difficult it must be for him. This is a subject I have almost never encountered in books appropriate for small children, it does a good job. If like me you turn to books to help explore questions then this might be a good book to start with on this topic. By Rebecca Upjohn and Renee Benoit @_secondstory #ireadcanadian #findmestories_heart . . . @ireadcanadian #canadianbookstagram #torontobookstagram #torontolife #kidsbooks #homelessoutreach #understandinghomelessness #buildingempathy #sociallyconsciousbooks #kidsquestions #hardquestions #canadianbooks #canadianauthors #picturebooklove #raisinggoodpeople

Going to keep on dancing out here until we get a good deal for the students of Ontario. We need to preserve the public education system here. To erode it and give way to privatization is not an option. Every child in our province deserves a quality education, safety, and attention. Not just the children whose parents can shell out 40k a year to private schools. #cutshurtkids As a mother I will fight for my daughters' rights to the best education and every possible opportunity. As teachers we will fight for your childrens' rights as well. .#nocuts Come out and join us, join the fight. . (Also the lady with the whistle is my mom, I am a third generation educator.) . @slecce @fordnationdougford @osstf_feeso @etfoeducators #teachersfollowteachers #teacherstrike #fordnation #ontarioteacher #etfo #teachersofinstagram #torontolife #torontonews #strikeaction #peacefulprotest #isawthesign #danceparty #canadianwinter

This weekend marked the one year anniversary of @readwithriver. The biggest surprise of this experience has been how many kindred spirits I have had the good fortune of meeting. I thought that I had gotten past the point in my life where I could make new friends, but I was wrong. People say #doitforthegram like it's a bad thing, like it reduces your experience to something shallow and vain. I disagree, I think sometimes Instagram gives you the little push you need to try something outside of your comfort zone. I have done so many things that I wouldn't have tried otherwise, recipes that were way too much work, crafts that took forever, elaborate picnics, outings, etc. I ended up trying all of these things that ended up being so much fun. And I am grateful for it. So thank you @instagram and all of you for following along this year, I look forward to what next year has in store. . . . . #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #kidsbookstagram #teachersfollowteachers #readingislife #readtoyourkids #canadianbookstagram #bookswelove #bibliophile #canadianteachers #fortheloveofreading #picturebooklove #bookreviewer

"Home Sweet Home" is my sentiments exactly this chilly Sunday morning. How do I know it's chilly? It looks cold out the window, while I eat bacon. I have no intention of verifying the temperature today. This book was a wonderful surprise when we opened it up, not what I expected. Each double page spread is a charming vignette of a house pet in a different part of the world. A beautifully illustrated heartwarming piece, celebrating what makes different places unique but ultimately what makes us all very similar. By Mia Cassany and Paula Blumen @paulablumen @quartokids @hachettekids . . . . #kidsbookstagram #raisingreaders #torontobrunch #torontolife #booksandtea #booksandcoffee #booksandsnacks #childrensbooks #foodforkids #breakfastideas #petlovers #catbooks #dogbooks #breakfastinbed #illustionfeature #diversebooks

Weekends are meant for #booksandbrunch and we have just the most adorable book today. We were sent a review copy of "Yak and Dove" @tundrabooks and it could not be more heartwarming. Yak and Dove are besties but after a few irresponsibly chosen words, the two separate. Drama! But best friends find their way back to each other. . It is hilarious, totally random, and the art is a gorgeous mix of primitive crayon and ethereal ambiance. . Is there anything better than books and brunch? . by Kyo Macclear and Esme Shapiro . . . #illustration #canadianbookstagram #ireadcanadian #canadianbooks #childrenslibrary #readingtogether #friendshipbooks #brunch #brunchtray #kidsbrunch #booksandcoffee #toddlermealideas #kidsbooks #picturebooklove #charcuterieboard #indigofaves #hudsonsbayblanket @hudsonsbay @indigo #readtundra

"Tea Rex" by Molly Idle @vikingbooks is probably one of the most fun books we have found in a while. River absolutely adored the book, lots of "Again! Again!" and both of them loved inviting our very own Tea Rex over for Tea. The real adventure was cleaning up the mess. . . . #teaparty #teatime #dinosaurs #grimmsrainbow #playroomgoals #toddlerlife #inquirybasedlearning #sensoryplayideas #littlebutfierce #candidchildhood #childhoodunplugged

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