The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg

Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1984.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-395-35393-9.

The detailed backstory presented by Van Allsburg concerning the origins of these drawings seems purposely a bit tongue in cheek to whet the appetite of gullible young readers. Considering that the drawings are all composed in his signature style, the story becomes increasingly difficult to swallow. According to the introduction, a man named Harris Burdick had left a portfolio of story illustrations with a children's book publisher and never returned. The mysteries of what the stories might have been about is even more intriguing than the disappearance of the man himself.

Fourteen drawings are presented in full page, black and white detail. The opposing page holds a caption followed by an intriguing sentence. The first one reads: ARCHIE SMITH, BOY WONDER, with the accompanying teaser "A tiny voice asked, 'Is he the one?'" The picture show a young boy asleep in his bedroom. The window is open and a pair of glowing orbs are hovering over him, with more orbs visible outside.

Although many schools use this book to inspire writing projects with older children, the pictures may encourage oral storytelling as well. Examination of both the illustrations and the written clues may lead to a burst of creative and imaginative works by an individual, or a less formal sharing of ideas in a small group.

Redbook's Children's Picture Books Award, 1984
New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 1984
Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984
American Institute of Graphic Arts Book Show Award, 1985
Boston Globe Horn Book Award, 1985
School Library Journal Starred Review

On Earth by G. Brian Karas

G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2005.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-24025-X.

Karas does a splendid job of reducing incredibly complex concepts relating to the rotation of the earth in space to the level of a preschooler. He explains the basic reasoning behind night and day, the passage of time in months and seasons, and the northern and southern hemispheres. A simply diagrammed glossary in the back of the book explains science vocabulary terms such as equator, axis, orbit, north and south poles, and gravity.

The large format book is wonderful for sharing in a group. The double-page spreads which chart movement of the earth are interesting to share close up. Great for pairing with books about space, astronauts, and other planets.

ALA Notable Book, 2005.

Do You Know What I'll Do? by Charlotte Zolotow

Illustrated by Javaka Stepton, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-027879-X.

A doting older sister regales her brother with a series of endearing promises to shower him with love and affection in many small ways throughout their lives together. The text takes the form of a rhythmic question and answer:

"Do you know what I'll do when it snows? I'll make you a snowman....
Do you know what I'll do at the seashore? I'll bring you a shell to hold the sound of the sea."

The boldly-colored 3-dimensional painted wood and fabric collages stand out against the stark white pages of the book. The emotional bond between the characters is evident not only in their expressions, but in their intertwined intimacy.

This story can be used as an easy reader due to the repetition and simplicity of the text, but is enjoyable to read aloud at a family storyhour.

Lightship by Brian Floca

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2007.
Hardcover edition, 48 pages, ISBN 978-1-4169-2436-4.

Floca has done his research in this wonderfully detailed non-fiction book for young audiences. The Author's Note contains a treasure trove of historical information regarding the now-extinct lightship branch of the Coast Guard. Meticulously labeled diagrams grace the end papers of the book.The drawings have clean lines with washes of watercolor which outline every rivet, hatch and mechanical feature of the ship. The text is almost poetic in nature as it tells of the crewmembers, the routines of their daily life on board, and how they fulfill their purpose in averting other ships from danger.

It is refreshing to find non-fiction with simple enough text to read aloud or to be readable by preschoolers. This is great material for a storytime about boats, or for poring over alone.

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
ALA Notable Book
Booklist Starred Review
School Library Journal Starred Review
Bank Street Best Books of the Year

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2007.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-59643-272-7.

Seeger cleverly masterminds a new look at the age-old chicken vs. the egg controversy. "First the .... " The dust jacket die-cut exposing a large white egg breaks through to the "First the..." hardcover illustration of a hen. The back cover of the dust jacket displays "Then the...." with the picture of a chicken. The back of the hardcover completes the eternal cycle with "Then the ...." with a picture of an egg. (Sadly, this visual humor is largely inaccessible to those using library copies of the book with the jackets mercilessly taped down for posterity.)

Inside, thick acrylic brush daubs on canvas provide colored backdrops for the sparing text and die-cut story elements. Seeger begins with the fundamentals of creating this book. First... the egg, tadpole, seed, caterpillar. Then... the chicken, frog, flower, butterfly. First... the word, the paint. Then... the story, the picture (which contains the chicken, frog, flower, butterfly), and ending once more with "First the chicken, then the egg."

Assists young children with the understanding of cause and effect, or sequencing, in nature as well as in the creative process, providing concepts for discussion.

Caldecott Honor Book
Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
ALSC Notable Children's Book
New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Books of the Year
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Master List
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
South Dakota Prairie Bud Award Master List

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2008.
Hardcover edition, 58 pages, ISBN 978-142311347-8.

Quiet, thoughtful Gerald the elephant and irrepressible Piggie are dear friends who are "ready to play outside." Piggie is brimming over with plans until it begins to rain, increasing in strength until there is a torrential downpour. Piggie is angry and frustrated, his text balloons becoming increasingly larger and capitalized. Suddenly Piggie is dry. Gerald has kindly extended one large ear as an umbrella over Piggie's head. Nearby some worms are exulting in the wet weather, playing and jumping around. Gerald suggests that perhaps he and Piggie can have fun as well. They begin to run, skip and jump in the rain. Piggie is disappointed when the rain stops, but Gerald has a clever solution. He uses his trunk to spray Piggie with water.

Willems packs a lot of story into very simple drawings, colored gray for Gerald and pink for Piggie. Their exuberant body language and facial expressions delightfully mirror the range of emotions expressed throughout the brief encounter. Children easily relate to the disappointment of a play day potentially ruined by poor weather. The ability of the characters to adapt and make the best of the situation, and the kindly actions of Gerald toward Piggie, model important life skills.

The easy repetitive nature of the vocabulary, short sentences, and large well-spaced fonts make this a wonderful early reader.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, 2009

I'm the Best by Lucy Cousins

Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA, 2010.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-7636-4684-4.

Dog has a serious ego problem. He introduces himself with the unabashed declaration, "I'm the best." He proceeds to introduce his friends, toss off a couple of disclaimers--"I love them. They're great..."--returning to his self-centered mantra, "but I'm the best." He begins to list the ways in which he is superior to each of his friends. His friends now feel terrible and worthless. Mole rallies, however, and encourages each friend to speak up in their own defense with traits which outstrip Dog's. Suddenly, Dog realizes that he is a mean-spirited show-off, and apologizes to each in turn. The friends forgive Dog in a happy ending group hug. (But... on the last page, Dog is back at it again, relieved that he really is the best.)

This brief story, drawn in the style of a small child with crayons, throws the spotlight on the nature of friendship, and the importance of social interactions. Children are just beginning to observe personal differences, strengths and weaknesses, and need to be taught the importance of encouraging each other, as well as consideration for the feelings of others. Good discussion starter about what we do well, and what our friends do well.

Gracias-Thanks by Pat Mora

Illustrated by John Parra. Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York, 2009.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-60060-258-0.

Parra's rosy-cheeked boy leads us through a busy day filled with gratitude for graces large and small, crucial and zany, beginning with:  "For the sun that wakes me up so I don't sleep for years and years and grow a long white beard, thanks." The paint on wood of the illustrations, the colorful exotic flowers, and Hispanic decor give this modern story an old world feel.

Each double page spread features Spanish text on the left page and English text on the right. An author's note, also bilingual, exhorts the reader to look for things to be thankful for, and enumerates the author's own blessings. She adds, "Listing what I'm thankful for always makes me happy."

Helping children live a life looking on the bright side is of great social and personal benefit. This book reminds us that our American Thanksgiving holiday is not the only time to be grateful, but that every day we have a fresh opportunity to remember the good things.

ALA Notable Book, 2010
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010
Texas Library Association 2X2 Reading List, 2010
CCBC Choices, 2010
Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration, 2009
Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, 2010
Booklist Starred Review

Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

Illustrated by Sean Qualls, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2008.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-8050-7994-4.

A Song of John Coltrane, jazz legend, saxophonist extraordinaire....

Weatherford and Qualls create a seamless stream of music with lyrical text and visual sound pictures which flow from page to page. Qualls' imaginative evocation of sound using bubbles, ribbons, and streaming shapes depicts both the audible and the moving transitory aspects of music. John is shown as a child, listening, considering, absorbing, remembering, internalizing the melodious, rhythmic harmonies of the world around him.

"Before John was a jazz giant,
he picked up that horn,
blew into the mouthpiece, pressed his fingers on the keys, and breathed every sound
he'd ever known into a bold new song.
Before John was a jazz giant,
he was all ears."

A full page biography of John Coltrane is provided in an Author's Note, with a facing page containing a limited discography, and a short bibliography of further reading materials both in print and online.

This book begs to be read with Coltrane's music playing softly in the background. It would be a terrific centerpiece for a program on music or sounds for preschoolers, and lends itself to discussion of sounds around us.

Coretta Scott King Award, Honor Book
ALA Notable Children's
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
CCBC Choice Book
NCSS-CBC: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Golden Kite Honor Book for Picture Book Text
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

Greenwillow Books, New York, 2004.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-058828-4.

Poor little kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk. Her persistent attempts to reach it result in a taste of firefly, an ouchy tumble, an fruitless exhausting run, a scary tree perch and a dunk in the pond. After each failed exertion, "Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." Kitten finally ambles home, "wet and sad and tired and hungry," to find a real bowl of milk on the porch.

Henkes uses black pencils and goache to recreate the nighttime setting with heavy outlines delineating the gray, shadowed forms illuminated by the moon. Reminiscent of Frank Asch's Moonbear series.

Perfect for toddler / preschool story hour. The format is large and the illustrations clearly outlined with large black text. Predictably repetitive and simple enough vocabulary for use as an early reader.

• Caldecott Medal Winner
• Bulletin Blue Ribbon
• Charlotte Zolotow Award
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• Texas 2X2 Reading List
• Book Sense Pick

When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator

Illustrated by Martin Matje. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1998.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-5404-9.

The sky is gloomy gray and the flakes begin to fall.

"What if it starts to snow?
What do you do?
Where do you go?"

This recurring question permeates the story as each animal of farm and field answers in turn:

"'I wear a new coat,' says the stoat,
'a king from head to toe.'
White winter fur
When it starts to snow."

"Mole in a tunnel.
Rabbit in a hole.
Wolf in a den.
Chipmunk in a burrow."

The animals are all tucked away, as there is:

"Snow on the roof.
Snow on the ground.
Brand new snow
coming down,
coming down."

The boy who poses the question finds that he can't sleep as the animals do, "when the snow wants to play."

This little story doesn't always scan perfectly, but it sweetly communicates and serves to introduce small children to the changes which take place in the animal kingdom during winter. Matje's overcast skies and murky colors reflect the quietness and dimness of the gentle snowstorm. This works as an add-on to a toddler or preschool story hour about winter.

Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, 1995.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-15-292851-0.

Stevens has created a freshly minted trickster tale a la Uncle Remus contrasting a hilariously lazy bear and an extremely enterprising hare. Hare has a large family to feed, but no land to grow a garden. Bear has all sorts of land, but no inclination to work. They enter into a sloppily defined pact crafted cleverly Hare, whereby Bear will receive the top half of all produce, and Hare will take the bottom half. Hare tricks Bear by planting all root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, and beets. When the sleepy Bear realizes he has been duped, he reverses the deal, but the cunning Hare plants lettuce, broccoli and celery. The angry Bear alters the contract so that he gets tops and bottoms while Hare gets only the middles. Hare slyly plants corn.

Bear learns from these episodes to become more attentive and industrious, while Hare profits by selling the vegetables to buy property to feed his family and perpetuate his business.

The story is best for the more mature end of the preschool spectrum, due to both the length and complexity of the text. The format of the book, which appropriately opens top to bottom, is perfect for group reading.

ABC Children's Booksellers' Choice
ALA Notable Children's Book
Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award
Booklist Editors' Choice
Caldecott Honor Book
Colorado Children's Book Award
Instructor Magazine's Best Picture Book of the Twentieth Century
IRA Teachers' Choice
IRA-CBC Children's Choice
Maryland Children's Book Award
National Parenting Publications Gold Award
Parents' Choice Silver Honor Book
Show Me Readers Award
SSLI Honor Book
Storytelling World Award Honor Book

The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges

Illustrated by Amy Walrod, Dutton Children's Books, New York, 1999.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-525-45953-7.

In this preferred retelling of the classic tale, the Little Red Hen graciously shares her humongous pizza with her neighbors, the duck, the dog, and the cat. Although the other animals selfishly refused to assist with all of the myriad steps in creating the giant pie, they all have a change of heart after partaking and cheerfully help with the cleanup.

Walrod's colorful collages are wonderfully textured, and humorously detailed. The dog is comically dressed in a Biscuit box complete with barcode, while the Little Red Hen's clothesline hangs with a variety of neckcloths and the bunny slippers she wears later in the story. An ice cream truck, odd boxes in the street scene, magazines, and sundried objects in the Little Red Hen's cupboard and in her shopping cart are clearly labeled as to contents, assisting with print motivation.

The primary message of kindness, and sharing in work as well as rewards, is wonderfully communicated, and appropriate for toddler and preschool storytimes.

Golden Kite Award, Picture Book, 1999

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young

Philomel Books, New York, 1992.
Hardcover edition, 48 pages, ISBN 0-399-22261-8.

In a splendid recreation of the old wisdom fable, Young sets each of  the seven differently colored mice to visit the unknown object on a different day of the week. The black background creates a metaphor for the mice's blindness, and acts as a foil for their brilliant hues, as well the collage textures of their imagined visions. Only on Saturday does the White Mouse finally traverse the entire "Something", and put together the ideas generated by all of the mice to finally "see" the whole as an elephant.

"The Mouse Moral: Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole."

Can be read and enjoyed by younger children learning their colors and the days of the week, but really requires a bit more philosophical savvy and discussion to help them internalize the concept conveyed by the moral.

Caldecott Honor Book
Boston Globe Hom Book Award
California Children's Media Award

The Baby BeeBee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie

Illustrated by Steven Kellogg, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-028084-0.

"Beebeebobbibobbi, beebeebobbibobbi, beebeebobbibobbi!" The baby beebee bird has been sleeping all day at the zoo, and wakes up to sing all night while other exhausted animals try to catch a few Zzzs. The next day, the bears, tigers, hippos, elephants, seals, moose, and water buffalo plot their revenge by yelling, shrieking, roaring, trumpeting, bellowing and thundering, "BEEBEEBOBBI!" over and over for hours while the poor baby bird attempts to nap. Finally peace descends on the entire zoo, and the baby bird discovers that "Nighttime is really best for sleeping... especially for very little birds."

A hilarious read aloud which takes a little practice in creating different animal voices and in articulating the tongue twister phrase rapidly and repeatedly. Great for toddlers and preschoolers.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1993.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-395-57035-2.

A sense of belonging and a sense of place are very powerful in the human experience. Say's lovely, nostalgic, and poignant book captures our humanness, quite apart from country, race or culture. As a young man, Say's grandfather traveled from his home in Japan to America. He fell in love with the amazing and varied wonders of the land, the cities, and the people. He returned to Japan for his bride, but the new world called him back. His daughter was raised in California, yet again the homeland called. Throughout the years in reality and through the power of transmitted memory, his family has had feet in both worlds. "So I return now and then, when I can not still the longing in my heart. The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other."

Say's watercolors have the pastel, tintype look of the era of his grandfather, with faces sober, in posed portraits like photographs of that time. The formality of the pictures belies the emotional struggle of the sense of duality of belonging which both he and his grandfather experience.

This story will resonate with many of our patrons in this multicultural and highly mobile society. Younger children may not be able to process the full impact, but still take in a basic understanding of the journey in relation to the experience of their own families. Good for preschool storytime.

Caldecott Medal Winner, 1994
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book, 1994
Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2007

The Mitten by Jan Brett

G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1989.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-21920-X.

Brett's signature style is simple and elegant, charmingly evocative of a northern European winter scene, in this delightful retelling of a Ukranian folktale. A lovely birchbark border with faux embroidered appliques and mitten-shaped cut-outs frames each story panel. Inside each cut-out is a small predictive scene of what the reader will discover on the following page.

Nicki begs his Baba to knit white wool mittens for him, although she warns that they will be too easily lost in the deep snowy expanses outside their cottage door. Predictably, he loses one quite quickly. A succession of increasingly larger animals looking for a cozy spot find the mitten and, one by one, squeeze themselves inside. When an enormous bear has finally strained the limits of the stretchy yarn, a tiny meadow mouse curls up on his nose. This tickles the bear into a gargantuan sneeze, which blows all of the animals out of the mitten and scatters them to the four winds. Nicki spots his mitten flying through the air and joyfully retrieves it. A last full-sized, mitten-shaped picture shows Baba looking in a quite mystified manner at the two mittens, one perfectly normal, and the other stretched into an enormous version of its original self.

Children love the repetitive nature of the addition of each new animal to the mitten, and especially enjoy the sneezy explosion, dramatically produced. Great for storytime about winter for both toddlers and preschoolers, and wonderful to explore the sidebar details on an individual basis. A rather labor-intensive craft involves coloring a giant mitten and animal cut-outs with which the children can recreate the story. The story can also be told with flannel board or puppets for a change of routine.

Narrative skills are enhanced in retelling the story with appropriate props. Toddlers develop a vocabulary of woodland animals.

ALA Booklist Magazine Best Children's Books of the 1980s
New Yorker Magazine Best Children's Books, 1989
National Teachers Association Top Ten Titles for Elementary Students, 1999
National Education Association Educators' Top One Hundred Children's Books, 2007

The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg

Dial Books for Young Readers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 36 pages, ISBN 0-8037-2566-3.

Annie has lost her mitten sometime, somewhere, in the activity-filled day out of doors. She retraces her steps around the sliding hill, the snow forts, the snowman, and the snow angels, finding boots and sweaters belonging to others, but no mitten. She imagines that an eagle has taken the mitten to keep her baby warm, or that a mouse has purloined it for a sleeping bag in the woodpile. Perhaps she should plant a mitten tree to tend until fall harvest, giving ripened mittens as gifts for Christmas, birthdays and Valentine's Day.

It begins to rain, and Annie is called inside for hot chocolate. Through the rain-streaked window, the melting snowman is visible. He seems to have a little red heart in the center of his snowy chest. Surprise! There is Annie's mitten!

This is a fun wintertime story for toddlers and preschoolers, filled with reminiscences of outdoor play, imaginative fancies, and a bit of a mystery, delightfully solved. Kellogg's busy hallmark style works well for group reading, but is more interesting to view up close for all of the whimsical details. Pairs up nicely with Jan Brett's The Mitten.

"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth by Eric Carle

Philomel Books, New York, 2002
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-23954-5.

Eric Carle's sloth hangs from a veritable bouquet of color in this lovely tribute, and that is pretty much all that the sloth does--hang. Any activity at all is performed "slowly, slowly, slowly". The other jungle animals accuse him of being slow, quiet, boring, and lazy. After thinking and thinking and thinking "for a long, long, long time," the sloth concedes somewhat to his detractors, but defends himself with a series of other adjectives as well. "I am also unflappable, languid, stoic, impassive, sluggish, lethargic, placid, calm, mellow, laid-back,  and well, slothful!" However... he is NOT lazy.

Jane Goodall has written an informational Forward to the book, and Carle has added his own comments on the back cover, bemoaning the hectic life of society which needs to take a lesson from the unhurried sloth. The back end papers display the exotic collection of jungle creatures from the story in characteristically Carle-painted collage.

A great read for toddler or preschool story hour.

Children may learn that there are different temperaments and attributes of people as well as animals, that everyone is not the same, and that differences are good.

Parent's Choice Silver Honor Book, 2002.
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2003.

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

Philomel Books, New York, 1990.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-22231-6.

Polacco draws on the old world flavor of her Russian heritage in this tale about overcoming fear.

Loud claps of thunder herald the onset of a storm, while Granddaughter shivers terrified under the bed. Grandma (Babushka) entices her out with the promise of baking a Thunder Cake. Together, they locate a recipe and set about assembling the ingredients. First come the frightening obstacles of obtaining eggs from "mean old Nellie Peck Hen" and milk from "old Kick Cow".

All the while lightning flashes, and Grandma counts until the thunder roars to calculate how far away the storm is--one mile per second. It's getting closer and closer as Granddaughter enters the scary dry shed for flour, sugar and chocolate. The last formidable task is to climb high on the intimidating trellis to pick three overripe tomatoes.

The time gap between lightning and thunder is closing quickly as they hurry to mix up the cake and get it in the oven. Waiting for the cake to bake, Grandma commends Granddaughter for being so brave. She had overcome her fear in every step of collecting the needed staples. Why should she be afraid of a sound?

As the rain pours down, the lightning flashes and the thunder booms, Grandma and Granddaughter enjoy their sweet Thunder Cake without a care. Granddaughter "never feared the voice of the thunder again."

Polacco includes the recipe for Thunder Cake on the last page. It makes a nice snack to end a storytime following this book. I love to read this one dramatically with all of the KA-BANGs and BAROOOOMs of the thunder. Although it is a little long to read aloud at a program, the pace can be expedited as the characters hurry to keep ahead of the storm. Children also love to help count as the storm gets closer.

Narrative skills may be enhanced by relating the sequence of gathering items for the cake, and the encroaching nature of the storm. On an emotional level, young ones may learn that fear can be overcome when you focus on some other purpose.

The Cat Barked? by Lydia Monks

Dial Books for Young Readers, New York, 1999.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8037-2338-5.

Longing to be something you're not is a common theme among humans, and evidently, among cats as well, according to Monks. When a marmalade cat observes her housemate, a Scottie, living the good life, the cat jealously recounts a list of the wonderful things about dogdom. Her spiky-haired owner reminds it of the serious liabilities of being a dog and conversely, of the great advantages of being feline. Mischievous watercolors interspersed with photo collage create a perky background to Monks' simply rhyme.

Cute addition to any toddler storytime about cats and dogs. Take a vote on who would like to be a cat or a dog.

Learning to consider and list attributes of an animal, object, or situation in order to make judgments about them. Early reader with simple, well-spaced text.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

HarperCollins Publishers, New York. 1964.
Hardcover edition, 64 pages, ISBN 0-06-025666-4.

This incredibly poignant classic wisdom tale relates the love story of a tree and a boy throughout the span of their lifetimes. When the boy is young, he spends much time enjoying the simple pleasures of climbing, swinging, eating apples, and resting in her shade. "And the tree was happy."

As the boy ages, something essential changes in the nature of their relationship. He is gone a lot. He has need of money and a house. The cost to the tree becomes sacrificial as she gives him her apples and branches. "And the tree was happy."

Years pass before the tree sees him again. Older yet, he wants to get a boat to sail away. The tree gives up her substance, her trunk to help him. "And the tree was happy."

After a very long time, he returns again, tired and old. The tree has nothing left but her stump for him to sit and rest on. "And the tree was happy."

There are many philosophical discussions to be had here. In human relationships, there are often people who seem to give sacrificially and joyfully all that they have, and those who are content to take until there is nothing left. Some choose to interpret this tale as a commentary on man and the environment, making moral distinctions as to what was good and appropriate for the boy to ask, and what was not.

With young children, we are just whetting the appetite for these kinds of conversations. They are not yet able to consider and understand all of the ramifications for these issues. To some, this is merely a sad story. To others, this may begin to trigger broader thinking.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

The Viking Press, New York. 1962.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-670-65401-9.

Peter awakes one morning to discover that a snowfall has "covered everything as far as he could see." He goes outside in his little red snowsuit with the pointed hood to explore. First he makes tracks this way and that in the crunchy snow, then he drags a stick in the snow to make a different track. Wisely not joining a snowball fight with the bigger boys, he wanders off to create a snowman and then some snow angels. He climbs a giant snow mountain and slides down the other side. He packs up a nice firm snowball to put in his pocket for tomorrow.

At home, he tells his mother all about his adventures in the snow, takes a warm bath and thinks about them for a long time. He discovers that his snowball is missing and is sad. In the morning, even more snow has fallen, and he calls a friend to explore the "deep, deep snow" with him.

Keats uses an interesting combination of collage and watercolor to depict the mountainous snowbanks which dwarf Peter and give the sense of being in an alien landscape. The quiet progression of the text as Peter meanders about the neighborhood alone depicts the muffled silence of a snow-covered world.

A wonderful addition to snow stories for toddlers and preschoolers. Most children in areas which are subject to snowfalls will find Peter's activities familiar. Those from southern areas will see the possibilities for play. A track making activity may be an enjoyable accompaniment to this winter tale.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal, 1963.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Illustrated by Anita Jeram. Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA. 1994.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 1-56402-473-3.

In this sweetly contested protestation of who loves the most, Little Nutbrown Hare asks Big Nutbrown Hare, "Guess how much I love you." When Big Nutbrown Hare declines to even attempt to guess, Little Nutbrown Hare extends his arms as wide as he can. Yet no matter what physical metaphor Little Nutbrown Hare performs to express his love, Big Nutbrown Hare can always do it wider, higher, better, and more. Even as Little Nutbrown Hare falls asleep murmuring "I love you right up to the moon," Big Nutbrown Hare whispers the last word, " I love you right up to the moon--and back."

Jeram's whimsical hares perfectly complement McBratney's tender dialogue. This book oozes affectionate appeal. Works for storytime, but absolutely delightful for bedtime or personal time with family members.

ALA Notable Children's Book, 1996.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw

Harper & Row, New York. 1947
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, pre-ISBN.

White letters on navy blue pages.

"Sometimes it looked like Spilt Milk. But it wasn't Spilt Milk."

A white splotch. A mystery.

So begins Charles G. Shaw's simple gallery of shapes and suggested answers to an unspoken question. Twenty-five perplexing pages later, he finally reveals the true nature of the milky white object.

 "Sometimes it looked like Spilt Milk. But it wasn't Spilt Milk.
It was just a Cloud in the Sky."

A wonderful thriller for those listening for the first time. In groups, kids who know the conclusion won't be able to keep themselves from yelling it out, so an admonition at the beginning not to spoil the secret for others may help. Before reading each description, it is fun to take guesses as to what a particular blob might look like. Begs for cloud-making craft activity on blue paper, either with white pastels or crayons, or with cotton balls and glue. At home, going outside to find pictures in the clouds is an added bonus.

Incredibly easy to memorize with repetitive text and visual clues, eventually leading to sight reading. Obvious left to right movement of text and page turns.