Saturday, April 30, 2011

Little White Duck by Walt Whippo

Little White Duck
Illustrated by Joan Paley. Little, Brown and Company, Boston. 2000.
Hardcover edition. 32 pages. ISBN 0-316-03227-1.

Joan Paley brings lovely layered collage textures to freshen this old classic song recorded years ago by the likes of Burl Ives and Danny Kaye. The setting is a staged performance with the cast (guitar-playing mouse narrator, duck, frog, bug, snake) formally introduced in promo-style posters. To ameliorate the sad demise of the bug and the forlorn emptiness of the water, the last page shows the curtain call of the characters, all bowing, with the frog holding a bouquet of roses as if to say "just kidding, it's only a play...."

The artwork is simply beautiful, the characters presented in magnified view, and the sounds amplified with funky outsized fonts. The music for the song by Bernard Zaritsky is presented just inside the title page. The format is large enough to easily share with a group of toddlers at story hour, but would be wonderful to share with a baby, singing and pointing out the animals. This version is available in boardbook format or with audio CD as well.

For the very young, animal identification and noises can be learned. The story has a narrative flow which can be reiterated by slightly older children. Because of the simple, repetition of the verses, the song is easily committed to memory and used as an early reader to work out  the words by sight.

Helen Oxenbury's Big Baby Book

Helen Oxenbury's Big Baby Book (Big Board Book)
Walker Children's Hardbacks, London, 2002.
Big Board Book edition, 12 pages, ISBN 0-7636-2016-5.

"I touch..., I see..., I can..., I hear..., I am...," each introduce six common things or experiences in the world of babies and toddlers. A single word is accompanied by two explanatory pictures in this large format boardbook.

Best for parents or caregivers to use with very young children.

Fosters print motivation and print awareness by labeling pictures with text. Builds vocabulary comprehension.

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

My Many Colored Days
Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 1996.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-679-87597-2.

This unusual addition to Seussiana was published posthumously with a request from Seuss himself that the artwork be done by another. In more reflective verse than we accustomed to from the Doctor, he describes his daily moods and emotions in terms of different colors.

"Some days, of course, feel sort of Brown.
Then I feel slow and low, low down.

Then comes a Yellow Day. And wheeeeeeeeee
I am a busy, buzzy bee."

Johnson and Fancher have chosen broadly brushed acrylic colors to articulate the animals suggested by the text, as well as their own gingerbread man cookie cutter main character. The font types are varied to express the emotion or movement of individual words.

This has a large enough format to be used in group readaloud, but would also be a wonderful discussion starter with children about feelings on a parent-caregiver level.

Relates the learning of colors and the expression of emotions. Enhances print awareness with large text and font changes.

American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) Award, Nominee, 1997.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy & the Big Snow
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1943.
Hardcover edition, 44 pages, pre- ISBN.

This depiction of life in a small town buried by a huge snowstorm may not seem terribly unrealistic to those of us from northern climes. Katy, an anthropomorphic snowplow reserved for only the deepest of snows, saves the day by carving out a route to rescue trapped people and restore essential services to Geopolis. The meandering pathways she cuts through the snow provide an overall layout of the town, giving small children an early sense of mapping and overall geographical layout. The pages are bordered with repetitive minipics of Katy at work, some with blue to frame and relieve the unrelenting whiteness of the snow. This book also serves to teach young ones about the components which make up a community--police, hospitals and ambulances, schools, post offices, airport, etc.--as well as the oft overlooked highway department of which Katy is the heroine.

This book can be read in small groups to children with more of an attention span. The detailed borders demand close-up inspection most suitable for individual reading. Great for winter or snow-themed storyhours.

Narrative skills may be enhanced by the sequencing of each subsequent rescue.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

Growing Vegetable Soup
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Diego, 1987.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-15-232579-1.

Ehlert's solid backgrounds and simple brightly colored shapes clearly delineate the tools, seed types and basic procedures for planting, caring for, and harvesting veggies before washing, chopping, cooking and eating as vegetable soup. She places a few large words on each page, and each item is carefully identified with small labels.

This is an excellent first book about gardening and is well suited to program use for toddlers and preschoolers. It may be accompanied by the quintessential planting activity of a bean seed in a styro cup with a little potting soil.

Promotes print motivation through labeling, print awareness and letter knowledge through limited sections of large type, and narrative skills in detailing of sequential processes of gardening. Enhances vocabulary development of tools, plants and activities related to food production.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Caps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book)
HarperFestival, New York, 1996.
Lap Book edition, 48 pages, ISBN 978-0064433136.

"Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" Originally published in 1938, the call of the peddlar continues to draw an enraptured young audience. From the manner in which the peddlar meticulously stacks his variously colored caps, to his hilarious encounter with the monkeys, children actively engage in the drama of cap counting and simian imitations. As the story calmly resolves back into the original rhythm, they love to cry out with the peddlar, "Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!"

Movement activity: Kids love to act out the monkey noises and motions.

Winner of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.

Red Rubber Boot Day by Mary Lyn Ray

Red Rubber Boot Day
Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Hartcourt, Inc., San Diego. 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-15-213756-4.

"I press my nose against the screen and smell the smell of screen and rain. I listen. I watch." After breathing in the smells, sounds and sights of a rainy day, Ray's young boy retreats to enjoy a variety of  indoor activities: drawing, blocks, reading, cars, hiding, tea party. Tired of amusing himself inside, he bursts outside to splash in puddles wearing his red rubber boots. "Red boots. My boots. Red rubber made-for-rain boots." His neighbor, with a touch of eccentricity, stands barefoot on the lawn. "It is a fine thing feeling wet grass on bare feet in green rain." Our boy disagrees, and continues to enjoy "slapping, stirring puddles" in his scarlet footwear until he "wade[s]  into blue sky", and the sun has come out.

Stringer has created close-up views of the child's world in full page warm acrylics. The text moves in simple sentences briefly on each page. This is a great book for sharing in a toddler or preschool storytime about weather or rainy days.

The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort

The Seals on the Bus
Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Henry Holt and Company, New York. 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-5952-0.

The story begins long before this song parody of "Wheels on the Bus" rolls into action. The illustrations commence on the title page where a seal is laughing and playing ball at a bus stop. A hand lettered sign reads, "Come to the *BIG PARTY* everyone invited!" More pics of the bus stop with a waiting family of people adorn the copyright page, and the dedication page shows the bus carrying folks away into town.

"The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP.
The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
All around the town."

The mayhem begins, as the tiger, the geese, the rabbits, the monkeys, the vipers, the sheep, and the skunks all have their verses before the people on the bus go, "HELP, HELP, HELP!" The bus arrives at the party in the nick of time, and a good time is had by all.

Karas captures the hilarity of the crazy bus ride in colored pencil with a few newspaper shapes stuck on. The animal sounds move all over the pages, adding to the sense of chaos.

Most kids know the tune and can easily pick up the repeated chant with a few motions thrown in. A rowdy time will be had by all at this story time.

Easy memorization of the chant leads to picking out simple words of text. Animal recognition and onomatopoeia of their vocalizations aids in phonological awareness.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Bill Grogan's Goat by Mary Ann Hoberman

Bill Grogan's Goat
Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Megan Tingley Books, Boston, 2002.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-316-36232-8.

The four-line tune of this classic folk song creates an easy vehicle for the tale of a goat who ate three red shirts from a clothesline, coughed them up, and flagged down a train. Mistaking three fellow barnyard travelers in turn for pieces of furniture, the goat apologizes by giving each animal one of the red shirts. At mealtime, the messy eaters get the shirts so filthy that they must be rewashed and hung up. The goat finds that he can't resist eating them off the clothesline yet again.

A funny story to sing or read out loud for todder/preschool storytime with a farm animal or train theme. The melody line is written out in the front of the book for those who need a little musical assistance.

Narrative skill in pointing out the circular plot ending. Rhyming words emphasize phonological awareness.

Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz

Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs
Illustrated by David Catrow. Margaret K. McElderry, New York, 2001.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0689829031.

Katz showcases a collection of 14 very funny song poems such as "I've Been Cleaning Up My Bedroom" meant to be sung to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad", and "Sock in the Gravy" sung to "Rockabye Baby". All of the topics center around ordinary home and family events gone awry, and all of the tunes are familiar nursery rhyme ditties or folk songs. David Catrow adds to the mayhem with his fanciful illustrations of food fights, overflowing bathtubs, and (ick) carsickness.

A couple of the songs need practice to scan properly, but most work well enough to sing at a toddler or preschool storytime.

Singing songs to familiar tunes aids in memorization. Most of the songs have a short plot line or expository story to tell to help with narrative skills.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhail

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!
Dutton's Children's Books, New York, 1993.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-525-45079-3.

The hilarious surprise invasion of a legion of pigs overwhelms an unsuspecting homeowner. McPhail creates a delightfully oddball assortment of fanciful swine:

"Black pigs, white pigs,
Brown and pink pigs,
Making-oatmeal-
in-the-sink pigs."

"Pigs in tutus,
Pigs in kilts,
Pigs on skateboards,
Pigs on stilts."

A party ensues complete with a piggy band and refreshment in the form of a gigantic stack of pizzas, leaving the beleaguered gentleman with a disaster area and and an enormous bill. Suddenly he snaps, demanding that the swine vacate the premises forthwith.  The penitent pigs agree to undertake a massive cleaning effort, and exhausted by their exertions, plop into bed to dream:

"Of pigs and pigs
And pigs some more--
Of pigs aplenty,
Pigs galore!"

Great fun to read aloud dramatically at a pig-themed storytime.

Phonological awareness is enhanced through the simple rhyming text. Narrative skills are developed in retelling the progression of events. Dialogic conversation around the variously themed pig costumes may assist in enlarging vocabulary.

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming

Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2002.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-6848-1.

Fleming's handy mouse is kept busy performing 26 different operations and using a variety of tools as he airbrushes, buttons, carves, dyes, erases... his way through the entire alphabet. Her signature fabric paint collage textures are colorful and engaging. A pull-out alphabet poster lives in the back of the book.

Fun for any storyhour where a variety of occupations are featured.

Assists in enhancing letter knowledge, as well as vocabulary of great nouns and verbs related to handyman functions.

The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003
Booklist Starred Review, 2002
Capitol Choices, 2002
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2002
ALA Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2002
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2003
Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Nominee 2004
South Carolina Picture Book Award, Nominee, 2005-2006;

Firefighters A to Z by Chris L. Demarest

Firefighters A To Z
Margaret K. McElderry, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-689-83798-4.

"A is for Alarm that rings loud and clear. B is for Boots stowed in our bunker gear." So begins the dramatic alphabetic journey through a fire call. Each rhyming couplet propels us further into the action, eventually winding down with  "X is for eXtinguished.... Y is for Yawning.... Z is for Zip into bed for a rest." Bright pastel primary colors capture the adrenaline-soaked atmosphere.

Demarest, a small-town New Hampshire firefighter as well as prolific children's author, brings his expertise to this exciting alphabet book. The first page contains a labeled diagram of a firefighter dressed in his/her gear.A lengthy author's note not only details the tools and procedures used by firefighters in the book, but provides many additional facts about fires and firefighting techniques.

This would be a great addition to any storyhour about fires, firefighting or firetrucks.

This book promotes letter knowledge, specialized vocabulary of firefighting equipment and procedures, and narrative skills in understanding the sequence of events of a fire call.

Firefighters A-Z was chosen as a New York Times Best Book in 2002.

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1998.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-5745-5

Mama Cat has three kittens. Fluffy and Skinny carefully copy everything that Mama does. Boris naps. When Mama Cat finally curls up to nap with Fluffy and Skinny, Boris casually "stretches, yawns, washes his paws, and POUNCES on Fluffy, Skinny, and Mama Cat. Then Boris naps."

Fleming once again utilizes her unique textile and stencil technique to create brightly-colored, textured highlights of the cats outside in the natural world. Varying trios of insects and bugs adorn each page, as well as a curious mouse who peeks out from numerous hiding places along the way.

A lovely, whimsical read for toddler storytime about cats. The short refrain, "Boris naps", at the end of each kitty activity is easily picked up by the audience. Searching for the mouse and other creatures makes a good one-on-one time with a parent or caregiver.

Short sentences and very large text assist with print awareness and letter knowledge.

The Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003
Capitol Choices, 1998
Parenting Magazine's Reading Magic Awards, 1998
School Library Journal Starred Book Review, 1998
Charlotte Zolotow Award, Highly Commended, 1999
Great Lakes' Great Books Award Winner 2001
Michigan Reader's Choice Award, Nominee, 2001

Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant

Mr. Putter & Tabby Pour the Tea
Illustrated by Arthur Howard. Harcourt Children's Books, San Diego, 1994.
Hardcover edition, 44 pages, ISBN 978-0152562557.

Stories for small children about elderly people other than their grandparents are somewhat lacking in number, but are essential in forming an understanding of social relationships. Rylant's wry observations about old age bring a gentle humor and poignant quality to this first in a series story about the meeting of new friends, countering prevailing cultural preferences for youth and beauty, and celebrating the value of true friendship.

Mr. Putter is lonely. He has much to offer, but no one to share it with. He wants a cat. Not a kitten, but a cat. " 'No one wants cats, sir,' said the pet store lady. 'They are not cute. They are not peppy.' Mr. Putter himself had not been cute and peppy for a very long time." He meets an old yellow cat at the animal shelter. "Its bones creaked, its fur was thinning, and it seemed a little deaf. Mr Putter creaked, his hair was thinning, and he was a little deaf, too.... And that is how their life began." Mr. Putter and Tabby become inseparable friends, sharing all the best things in life together and enjoying "the most perfect company of all--each other."

The book is a transitional reader divided into three short chapters with lots of white space around Howard's relaxed, slightly rumpled drawings highlighted with watercolor. Although the reading level is clearly for primary grades, the story can be shared with preschoolers in a smaller group. On an individual level, it makes for excellent discussion about older people and the roles which they play in our lives.

Good for practicing narrative skills.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

In the Small, Small Pond / In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming

In the Small, Small Pond (Caldecott Honor Book)
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1993.                          
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-2264-3.    
In The Tall, Tall Grass (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1991.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-1635-X.

These twin jewels explore the wondrous creatures of pond and field respectively. With a mere two words on most pages, Fleming captures the sound and motion of insects, birds, crustaceans, amphibians, fish, and small mammals. Her unique textiled stencil art creates visual textures and interesting flecks of color, giving a luminescent quality to a child's discovery of the natural world and its fascinating inhabitants.

The large animal depictions, bright colors, and simple animated text makes these great picks for baby, toddler or preschool storytime.

Onomatopoeia and rhyming words enhance phonological awareness, while identification of the creatures will assist in vocabulary building.

In the Small, Small Pond was a 1994 Caldecott Honor designee.

In the Tall, Tall Grass won the following awards and honors:

Booklist Starred Review,1991
ALSC Books to Grow On, 2003
Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003
IRA Children's Choices, 1992
ALA Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1991
School Library Journal: Best Books, 1991
Please Touch Museum Book Award Winner, 1992  
Redbook Children's Picturebook Awards Winner 1991

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Snowflake Bentley
Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1998.
Hardcover edition. 32 pages. ISBN 0-395-86162-4.

Wilson Bentley, Vermont farm boy of the late 1800’s, loved snow from a very young age. He devoted his entire life to developing methods of capturing and reproducing the patterns of individual snowflakes so that others could share in the beauty and wonder of these fragile crystalline structures. Martin poignantly chronicles Bentley’s struggles, successes, and unswerving dedication.

Enough cannot be said regarding Mary Azarian’s classic woodcuts which evoke turn of the century rural Vermont with crisply outlined authenticity. Snowflake studded sidebars are used to communicate interesting factoids about Bentley’s life and accomplishments, including the fact that in all of the thousands of photos he took, no two identical snowflakes were ever found.

This book can be used as the centerpiece of a program about Winter or snow. Having Bentley’s original book of snowflake photos, Snowflakes in Photographs or Snow Crystals, on hand for perusal would be a bonus. An obvious craft project would be cutting out paper snowflakes. 

Snowflake Bentley is the 1999 Caldecott Medal recipient.

Vocabulary builders include the simple science concepts of frozen water crystal formation, as well as the equipment processes used to see and photograph individual flakes. Narrative skills sequence the lifetime and work which Bentley achieved.

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Bear Wants More
Illustrated by Jane Chapman. Margaret K. McElderry, New York, 2003.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-689-84509-X.

Poor Bear awakes from his winter nap with a very empty tummy. One by one, his woodland friends, Mouse, Hare, and Badger lead him to strawberries, fresh clover and a great fishing spot, "...but he still wants more!" Back at his winter den, more friends are cooking up a delicious springtime surprise party, but Bear has gotten so big from all his eating that he gets stuck trying to get in his own front door. The party moves outside to accommodate Bear, and after he gobbles up all the treats himself and falls asleep with a tummy which is finally "full, full, full", his friends find that they, too, "want more".

Chapman's delightful characters sit on the cover with hands clasped before their mouths and eyebrows raised in wistful anticipation of the feast to come inside. She fills the large format pages with expressive close-ups backed by springtime shades of the forest, making this an easy book to show around to a large group. The text is large and widely spaced with no more than four rhyming lines per page.

Great for a toddler storyhour about bears or springtime. The recurring line in the rhyme, "but bear wants more", can be shouted out by the audience.

A sequel to Wilson and Chapman's award winning, Bear Snores On.

Assists in vocabulary building with less familiar animals such as badger, gopher, mole, and a hare instead of a rabbit. Large text spread across pages creates print awareness as the words move left to right. Rhyming verses enhance phonological awareness.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie

Lifetimes
Illustrated by Robert Ingpen. Bantam Books, Toronto, 1983.
Softcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-553-34402-1.

This is hands down the best book I have ever encountered on the subject of death for children. Mellonie simply delineates the fact that lifetimes of all natural things have "beginnings and endings and there is living in between". The pace is slow and deliberate as he describes the general characteristics of long and short lifecycles of plants, birds, fish, trees, insects, animals, and finally people. Ingpen's muted earthtones reflect the solemnity of the topic.

Because there is no spiritual element to this book, it can be appreciated by literally everyone as a gentle recitation of biological processes. There are many other excellent books which introduce belief systems or deal with the practical outworkings of loss and grief, but this one gives reassurance that death is an entirely natural eventual outcome for all living things. Death is merely a part of life.

This is not a book that I would probably ever use in a program situation. I would highly recommend it as a parent resource.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Caldecott Honor Book)
Penguin Books, Toronto, 1997.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-670-86939-2.

Simms Taback takes this classic folksong to another level, both in content and illustration. The old lady herself is portrayed against an orange backdrop, where die-cut holes expose the contents of her ever-growing stomach on one side, and the next animal to be eaten on the other. The opposing black page is relegated to alternating strips of colored text, and busy cutouts of artistic commentary on the featured animal. The book is jam-packed with hilarious rhyming asides and sight gags. Even the back cover is adorned with a prodigious fly collection, each neatly labeled. At the sad conclusion, the moral is so patently ridiculous, that most children won't dwell on the death factor.

This is a great storytime read or dramatic sing-a-long book. Asides can be verbalized or not. It can be performed with the book, or with a puppet or flannel board lady who has each animal added to her stomach in turn. A potential craft project would be to color and/or cut out characters for a paperbag old lady for children to perform with at home. On an individual basis, the book is especially enjoyable when examined closely to see all of the Taback's clever styling.

The rhyme's the thing for phonological awareness in this little gem, but print motivation is all over this book in captions, text strips, and asides in the sky.

Caldecott Honor Book 1998, ALA Notable Book 1998.

Pete's a Pizza by William Steig

Pete's a Pizza
HarperCollins, New York, 1998.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1591127406.

Pete is sad and bored because it's raining and he can't play outside. His father decides to make him into a pizza to cheer him up. Steig creates a happy family game where Pete is kneaded into dough, sprinkled with pretend ingredients, and baked in the couch/oven. By the time the pizza runs away and is captured and hugged, the sun has come out again.

Steig's simple, cartoonish illustrations are colored lightly on white space, focusing attention on the characters and the action of the story. The text is concise and direct with no more than two lines on each page, simply narrating the lighthearted drama.

This is fun to add to a toddler story hour about pizza or imagination, and is especially enjoyable to recreate at home.

Narrative skills can be enhanced by sequentially relating the process of pizza making.


  • Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book
  • ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice
  • IRA/CBC Children's Choice
  • ALA Notable Children’s Book
  • Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)
  • Publishers Weekly Best Book

So Much by Trish Cooke

So Much
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA, 1994.
Hardcover edition, 48 pages, ISBN 1-56402-344-3.

Cooke takes us on an affectionate, lighthearted romp through the individual arrivals for a family party, with each member (auntie, uncle, cousin, nannie, gran-gran, and daddy), all greeting the baby with an exuberant burst of love.

"I want to kiss him,
I want to kiss the baby,
I want to kiss him
SO MUCH!"

Between each arrival, the colors of Oxenbury's resting, waiting characters become muted and almost washed out, mimicking Cooke's text:

"They weren't doing anything,
Mom and the baby and Aunt Bibba,
nothing really..."

As each new family member enters, the colors brighten, reflecting the joyous atmosphere and energy generated by Cooke's zestful language.

Great for toddler storytime.

Bugs! by David T. Greenberg

Bugs!

Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Megan Tingley Books, Boston, 1997.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-316-32574-0.

Greenberg will have you twitching and scratching in icky dismay with this no-holds-barred tribute to the grossness of all sorts of creepy crawly insects:

"Bugs with pincers, claws, and hair,
Bugs much fiercer than a bear,
Buggies in your underwear--
Tearing at you, BUGS!"

Accompanied by Munsinger's all too realistic drawings, he describes ways in which bugs could be found useful, including torturing other members of your family, garnish for salad, jewelry, Christmas tree decorations, and dozens of more fanciful ideas. In this hilarious poetic assault on your comfort zone, he then turns the tables and suggests that a child could become the pampered pet of an assortment of bugs, with surprising consequences!

"And then one day they'll polish you
Lovingly with wax,
Attach you to a wall
With bubble gum and tacks.
How lucky can you get?
For that's where you shall stay,
In their Human Being Collection
On permanent display."

This story is especially effective for preschool storyhour about insects when accompanied by a show and tell bug collection. Make sure that you have lots of insect books available for checkout!

This is a great vocabulary stretcher because so many different varieties of insects are named.

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

I Went Walking
Illustrated by Julie Vivas. HMH Books, Boston,1996.
Boardbook edition, 30 pages, ISBN 978-0152007713.

A spiky, redheaded youngster embarks on a stroll and encounters a succession of farm animals who, though initially camouflaged, are recognized, identified by color, and greeted. Unbeknownst to the child, they begin to follow one by one. Although the repetitive text , "I went walking", "What did you see?" and the answer, "I saw a ... looking at me", may seem reminiscent of Bill Martin Jr.'s Brown Bear series, Williams has taken a slightly broader turn. Vivas's expressive watercolors stand out against a white background, enabling the reader to focus on the central characters and action, as well as the large, well-spaced text.

Best for toddler storytime in lap book format.

Print awareness is promoted through repetition of text. Color concepts are taught.

ABA's Pick of the Lists, ALA Notable Children's Book, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book, Book-of-the-Month Club Selection

Moo, Bah, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

Moo Baa La La La
Little Simon, New York, 1982.
Boardbook edition, 14 pages, ISBN 978-0671449018.

A charming and funny little book for introducing a few common farm and domestic animals and the sounds they make... with a rhino tossed in. Boynton throws a curveball with the chorus line of pigs singing "La La La!", but most young ones will enjoy identifying and correcting the proper vocalization. It's amazing how much can be expression can be communicated with simple round eyes and dotted pupils, with a line for lowered eyelids.
The large format boardbook makes it usable at a baby/toddler storyhour, or at home.

Print awareness with very large accessible text on each solid pastel-colored page. Easily memorizable short sentences and animal sounds. Older siblings may be able to work out sight words.

Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle

Have You Seen My Cat?
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Children, New York, 1991.
Hardcover edition, 28 pages, ISBN 978-0887080548.

Carle's signature watercolor collages serve as the focal point of a small boy's search for his missing cat. The end papers depict eight types of cats from the most familiar lion to exotic subspecies such as puma and jaguar. On each double page spread, the boy repeats his simple query, "Have you seen my cat?". The responder, in a unique cultural setting and dressed in appropriate garb, merely points into the distance. On the following page, is a cat indigenous to that setting. The boy replies, "That is not my cat!" After ostensibly traveling around the world, the boy finally locates his cat with a tumble of kittens around her, the unspoken reason for her disappearance being giving birth. "This is my cat!"

This makes a fun read at a toddler storytime about cats or animals. Paint brightly colored exotic cat pictures a la Carle.

Aids in vocabulary building by identifying different types of cats, and promotes discussion of the geographical and cultural settings where they live. Narrative skills can be enhanced by having a child tell the "untold" story hinted at by the pictures. Due to the limited, repetitive nature of the text, beginning readers can easily memorize and develop sight word knowledge, and "read" the entire book themselves.

Grand Prix des Treize selection, 1973.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Hop on Pop
Random House, New York, 1963.
Harcover edition, 64 pages, ISBN 0-394-80029-X.

This terrific early reader is pure Seuss, complete with quirky characters and zany happenings. Although there is essentially no plot line, on each page the book introduces easy sight words in large text with ample white space between.  Two or more short rhyming words are shown and then used in a simple sentence. The action illustrations clearly explain the text. At the end are a few groups of run-together words to encourage beginning compound deciphering.

Best pored over by children learning to decipher language and adults who help them.

I Love You, Little One by Nancy Tafuri

I Love You, Little One
Scholastic Press, New York, 1999.
Boardbook edition, 15 pages, ISBN 0-439-13746-2.

Tafuri creates a comforting litany of motherhood in the context of the natural world. A young deer, duck, rabbit, mouse, bear, owl and human child, each ask, "Do you love me, Mama?" The mother replies, "Yes, little one, I love you as.... the river, the pond, the earth, the wild rye, the mountain, the oak tree, the stars love you." She goes on to describe her love in terms of the nurturing elements of the home environment which surrounds them, and concludes with the refrain, "forever, and ever, and always." The soothing colors and close-up detail of the drawings create a safe and intimate feel to each venue.

The boardbook format is best used between a child and parent or caregiver. Although any time is a good time to reassure children that they are loved, relaxing before bedtime is particularly appropriate.

As with any book, children develop print awareness from following the left to right reading and page turning sequence. The repetitive refrain makes it easy for children to memorize and follow along.  They begin to develop letter knowledge in following the text from words which they have memorized.

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss

Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!   [MARVIN K MOONEY WILL YOU PLEAS] [Hardcover]
Random House, New York, 1972.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-394-92490-8.

With typical Seussian humor, the adult in this story is represented by a watch-wearing forearm coming from the side of the page with a finger pointing toward wherever it is that Marvin K. Mooney needs to GO NOW!. Marvin is exhorted to leave expeditiously by any number of  reasonable or ridiculous methods
from bike to camelback in a bureau drawer. Filled with Seuss's typical assortment of strange and wonderful creatures and creations, the book draws to its inevitable conclusion with "The time had come. SO... Marvin WENT."

Great fun for a toddler bedtime storyhour or as the dramatic conclusion to any other program.

Phonological awareness is enhanced by sounding out rhymes of real and made-up words. Large text, very well spaced, and the repetition of "You can go..." assist beginning readers in seeing the words and deciphering the context.

Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
HarperCollins, New York, 1991.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0064432535.

Sendak's classic personal-sized Book of Months is comprised of a dozen seasonally appropriate verses of a single poetic tribute to a traditionally winter staple. Accompanied by simple black and white sketches colorized in pastel blue, yellow and green, each fanciful verse follows an easily memorized pattern of rhyming triplet with contrasting three-part refrain:

"In June
I saw a charming group
of roses all begin
to droop.
I pepped them up
with chicken soup!
Sprinkle once
sprinkle twice
sprinkle chicken soup with rice."


The strange applications of chicken soup are sure to keep children laughing as they join in on the refrain.
Great for quoting during programs, the format being too small to share pictures with a group.

Helps teaching the narrative sequencing of months, and easy memorization of rhyming text.

What's Up, Duck? by Tad Hills

What's Up, Duck?: A Book of Opposites (Duck & Goose)
Schwartz & Wade, New York, 2008.
Boardbook edition, 22 pages, ISBN 978-0-375-84738-7.

A beginning book of opposites featuring Duck & Goose from Hills' series. Uncluttered backgrounds accentuate the figures of Duck & Goose as they act out simple concepts for the very youngest learners.

Best for close-up use individually with babies and toddlers.

Print motivation is enhanced through having books to handle and read with parents and caregivers. Print awareness is developed through modeling right to left movement on the page, as well as page turning. Vocabulary development is broadened through hearing words and relating them to action on the page.

Part of Hills' award winning Duck & Goose series.

2008 Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book
2008 Oprah's Book Club Kids Reading ListALA Notable Children's Book

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash by Doreen Cronin

Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2006.
Hardcover edition, 24 pages, ISBN 978-0689877162. 

A companion book to the Caldecott Honor-winning Click, Clack, Moo, Cronin and Lewin team up to enumerate the antics of farm animals on a secret mission to release the farmer's goldfish into the pond.

The hilarious tiptoeing animals plot behind the sleeping farmer's back to better living conditions for yet another group of underprivileged creatures. Piling buckets beneath the window, they climb into the farmhouse to rescue their fishy friends.  

Counting fun with a story.
Narrative skills include counting forward and back with phonological simple rhyming text. Print awareness and letter knowledge are enhanced through large well-spaced lettering.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (Caldecott Honor Book)
Illustrated by Don Wood. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Diego, CA, 1985.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-15-242730-9.

King Bidgood's court is shocked and stymied by his refusal to leave his bath for an entire day, and appalled when they are expected to join him for a miniaturized battle, a sumptuous luncheon, pond fishing, and a masquerade ball in the tub. Don Wood's wonderfully detailed exotic scenes complement the simple call and response format of the text. The Page pleads for help in removing the king from the tub, and a different courtier responds to each plea, subsequently failing in their efforts. Finally the Page simply pulls the plug, forcing the towel-clad king to flee.

Great for bathtime story hour for toddlers, but best to pore over the lavishly detailed illustrations at home.

Caldecott Honor Book 1986, ALA Notable Book, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Narrative skills are enhanced by repetitious sequence of progressive events.

Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep by Teri Sloat

Farmer Brown Shears His Sheep: A Yarn About Wool
Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-7894-2637-4.

Farmer Brown's sheep desperately chase their recently sheared wool through the washing, combing, spinning, and dyeing processes. Noting their pathetic shivering, the farmer graciously knits them a closet full of colorful cardigan sweaters to wear until their wool grows back. Told in rhyme and detailed in watercolor, this story provides a lighthearted, educational romp through wool production.

A nice addition to a sheep-themed story hour with show and tell possibilities. If someone raises sheep, is a knitter, or has a spinning wheel, those elements may be drawn in. A possible craft might be to glue cotton balls on a sheep outline.

Narrative skills are developed in describing the sequence of wool processing. Vocabulary related to sheep farming is presented.


Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

Sheep in a Jeep Lap-Sized Board Book
Illustrated by Margot Apple. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1986.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-395-41105-X.

With only 2-8 rhyming words on each page, Shaw weaves a hilarious tale of sheep on the road. After jubilantly pushing their jeep free from a "gooey" mudhole, the inattentive sheep crash into a tree and total the vehicle. "Sheep weep."

Apple's whimsical colored pencil drawings portray the mayhem in an endearing manner.

The sheep's misadventures continue in a series: Sheep Take a Hike; Sheep Out to Eat; Sheep in a Shop; Sheep on a Ship.

Great for toddler story hour. Available in 26-page regular or lap-sized boardbooks.

Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough

Duck in the Truck
HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-028685-7.

Duck's truck becomes stuck in the muck in this funny, rhyming story. Sheep, frog and goat join forces to push, all the while becoming more and more covered in slurpy, squelchy, sucking, mud. Inventing an alternate method of extraction, goat finally frees the truck by means of a tow rope attached to a boat. Duck blithely drives off leaving his friends "STUCK IN THE MUCK!" Alborough's paneled illustrations occasionally run off the page giving the reader a sense of being "in" the story. The body language of the sheep tiptoeing through the mud, and the alternately perplexed, angry, and expressive exertions of the animals add realism and humor to the simple plot line.

Great for toddler storytime. Large close-up pictures, simple rhyming text with engaging descriptors. There is a 16 page boardbook version available for the individual very small child.

Rhyming words and onomatopoeia increase phonological awareness. The sequential nature of the action in the paneled pictures fosters left to right awareness.

One of Junior Magazine's Top 100 Picture Books of All Time.

A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer

Fish Out of Water (Beginner Books)
Illustrated by P.D. Eastman. Random House, New York, 1989.
Hardcover edition, 64 pages, ISBN 0-394-90023-5.

Otto, an innocuous goldfish purchased from Mr. Carp's pet store, becomes the sensational victim of a young boy's good intentions in this hilarious cautionary tale. Despite Mr. Carp's dire admonition to "never feed him a lot.... Never more than a spot, or something may happen! You never know what...", the boy feeds poor Otto an entire box of fish food and the adventure begins. Otto starts growing and growing, outgrowing his bowl, pots and pans, the bathtub, and the basement (now filled with water). Emergency workers are called in to haul Otto to the municipal pool, where angry swimmers are temporarily displaced. Finally, Mr. Carp reappears garbed in scuba gear to save the day by mysteriously shrinking Otto back to his original size. The drama draws to an inevitable close with the young man solemnly resolving never to feed Otto too much ever again, highlighting the unintended consequences of not following directions.

Palmer in this adaptation of her husband, Theodore Geisel's Gustav the Goldfish, creates a wonderful sense of panicked urgency in this little morality tale. The characters, portrayed in green and orange-toned drawings by Eastman, are perfectly portrayed with astonished facial expressions and broad gestures which heighten the sense of crisis.

Even though this is essentially an early reader for elementary-aged children, I love to read this exciting story aloud dramatically to smaller story hour groups. Although it is a little long, the action moves forward very quickly and rivets attention. The small book format limits the size of group which can easily see pictures.

Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

Old Black Fly (An Owlet Book)
Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1991.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-1401-2.

Aylesworth creates a rhythmic alphabet chant based on the brief adventures of an annoying pest on its germ-spreading journey through a busy household. Punctuated by admonitions of "Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shooo", the noxious insect buzzes his way from the Apple pie to his final Zzzzz before ending his "bad day" with a resounding "Swat!". Gammell's colorful paint splattering style perfectly expresses the fly's toxic trail around the beleaguered home.

The initial rhyme can be sung to "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight", and has great audience participation potential with the "Shoo fly!" refrain. I love to slam the book shut when the fly gets splatted, adding a bit of drama, before sadly quoting the end rhyme "Old black fly's done buzzin' around, and he won't be bad no more."
Letter knowledge is enhanced through the sight and sounds of the alphabet, as well as phonological awareness in rhyming, chanting, and onomatopoeia. Ages 2 and up.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny by Bill Grossman

Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 1-4046-4732-5.

A hilarious collection of six-line poems featuring a succession of strange characters in even stranger predicaments. Each offering ends with an ironic slapstick twist echoed or explained by the boldly humorous illustrations, as in the following with a woman pictured seated in a rowboat in the middle of a desert.

The Woman in Town
"There's a woman in town
Who's afraid that she'll drown
If ever her nose should get wet.
So she wears on her snoot
A small scuba suit.
And it works--she hasn't drowned yet."

Easy to memorize individually for use as a quick filler during a program, or in selected groups.

The rhyming text promotes phonological awareness, while vocabulary is strengthened with some less familiar words understood in context.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Three Bears by Paul Galdone

The Three Bears (Folk Tale Classics)
Clarion Books, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-395-28811-5.

This version of the classic folktale is easy to dramatize. The differences in font size beg that the narrator use different voices for describing items belonging to the baby, mama and papa bears. The book format is slightly larger so that most of the pictures can easily be enjoyed by a group, but can be a little long for the youngest attention span if not read in a vivid and striking manner. After reading, I sometimes feel compelled to ask children how they feel regarding the appropriateness of Goldilocks's behavior.

Activity: In a classroom setting, or small group, children can take turns acting out the roles of Goldilocks and the three bears with a few props.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer

Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i by Gerald McDermott

Pig-Boy: A Trickster Tale from Hawai'i
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, 2009.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0152165901.
In the source notes for this tale, McDermott details the history of the mythological character from which the Pig-Boy is drawn, the oral tradition from which it sprang, and the first transcriptions and publications in the Hawaiian language in the mid to late nineteenth century. He also acknowledges the expertise of scholars who advised him in researching and re-telling the story.
I am familiar with McDermott’s previous trickster characters, Zomo the Rabbit, Coyote, and Raven, but had not yet encountered this charming, insatiable swine. Pig-Boy’s adventures unfold in the rhythms of transcribed speech, following him through hunger-driven theft of the king’s chickens, a frightening encounter with the goddess Pele near her volcano, and capture by the king’s men, all of which he manages to thwart with clever shape-changes.
Pig-Boy is portrayed in purple, which immediately sets him apart from “real” pigs, and prepares the reader for some magical doings to come. The illustrations exhibit simply-detailed foregrounds colorfully drawn against soothing green backgrounds. He is not depicted as a wise-cracking, fiendishly clever, wily villain or clown as are other trickster characters such as Anansi or Coyote. This endearing piglet begins and ends the story sweetly enfolded in his beautiful, loving, Hawaiian grandmother’s arms, making it a good introductory trickster tale for 2-3 year-olds who may as yet be unable to decipher complexities of humor or trickery.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

When We Go Camping by Margriet Ruurs

When We Go Camping
Illustrated by Andrew Kiss. Tundra Books, Toronto, 2001.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0887764769.

The acrylic paintings in this book are lovely, and make the Canadian wilderness and wildlife come alive with richly-hued textures. The text is a child’s simple description of the wonders of the natural world surrounding the campsite, and of the activities traditionally engaged in while camping. At the end, a legend directs you back to each painting to locate an animal, and gives a short factual paragraph regarding characteristics or behavior common to that creature. 

While this book will work as a group read-aloud about camping, the animal details and real natural beauty depicted are best seen close-up by one or two. Unless children have experienced camping at a very young age, the content may be best understood by those aged 3 and up.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

We're Going On A Bear Hunt
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Margaret K. McElderry Publishing, New York, 2009.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 978-1416987116.

     Hunting bears requires bravado. Rosen's intrepid family faces obstacles: tall, wavy grass ("Swishy, swashy!"), a deep, cold river ("Splash, splosh!"), thick, oozy mud ("Squelch, squerch!"). With the inevitable encounter, panic ensues, reversing the hazards of the outward journey. Oxenbury's simple black and white line drawings and light watercolors capture the high adventure experienced by the characters. This classic is most fun when chanted aloud using exaggerated movements for group dramatization.

Great for getting the wiggles out, ages 2-4.

Onomatopoeia increases phonological awareness, and an understanding of narrative skills is strengthened as the story moves forward and in reverse.

1989   Smarties Book Prize Gold Award  
1990   Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
1990   Horn Book Fanfare Title
1990   Society of School Librarians International Honor Book Award
1991   Japanese Picture Book Award

My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman

My Little Sister Ate One Hare (Dragonfly Books)
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Crown Books for Young Readers, New York, 1996.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0517596005.

     Before a horrified audience, little sister proceeds to devour a succession of hilarious and disgusting creatures. Her unseen sibling acts as narrator chanting a progressively repetitive counting rhyme. "We thought she'd throw up then and there. / But she didn't." The explosion comes when little sister innocuously eats ten peas. Hawkes creates alarming facial expressions, highlighting the "ick" factor for 3-4 year olds and beyond. Younger children may be slightly disturbed by the dark, scary setting, and unable to fully appreciate the humor.

     A terrifically funny read-aloud for dramatically enhancing counting skills. Kids love to fill in the rhyming words at the end of each section. Also helpful individually pointing and counting out the edible objects with a single child.

1998 - Virginia Young Readers Program Award
1999 - South Dakota Prairie Pasque Award
1999 - Indiana Young Hoosier Award

Snowballs by Lois Ehlert

Snowballs
Harcourt Children's Books, New York, 1995.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 978-0152000745.

     From snowfall to the return of melting sunshine, Ehlert's clever collages feature brightly-colored, accessorized snowmen. Appendices include photos of "good stuff" for decorating, an assortment of mitten styles, a briefing on snow and the water cycle, a family photo album of snow people, and a recipe for popcorn balls. This treasure trove will artistically inspire those who have access to the white stuff and those who don't.
    
     This book is perfect for reading at the end of a wintertime story hour before a concluding craft project of either outdoor snowman creation, or inside artwork. Beginning with round white paper cutouts for the body of the snowman, a wide variety of glueable items should be provided for personalization. Ages 1-4.

 Snowballs was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for 1995.

Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert

Lots of Spots
Beach Lane Books, San Diego, CA, 2010.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 978-1442402898.

Against a white background, the colorful simplicity of Ehlert's collage creatures stands in stark beauty. Each is accompanied by a four-line rhyme pertaining to their unique markings as camouflage or warning: "Color spots warn: / These frogs taste icky. / Don't eat them / or you'll get sicky." Children will enjoy greeting familiar friends such as cows and giraffes, while being introduced to an array of less common subspecies.

This work would be a good addition to a unit on animals or camouflage, although some of the poetic descriptions are less than inspiring. The lovely artwork would be seen best in small groups or individually. An author's note provides basic information on animal coloring for hiding or warning for danger.

Learning names of more obscure animals helps build vocabulary. Rhyming poems increase phonological awareness. Appropriate for ages 1-4.