tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3990072775080805922023-11-15T05:37:17.335-08:00The Cat in the Hat's Storytime FavoritesCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-24264192538234092402011-12-31T08:34:00.000-08:002011-12-31T08:34:27.545-08:00The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0002TX4YI/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="The Wide-Mouthed Frog: A POP-UP BOOK" border="0" height="300px" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61SR82H67AL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300px" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Jonathan Lambert, Dial, New York, 1996.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 16 pages, ISBN 0-8037-1875-6.</span><br />
<br />
A pompous amphibian brags about his oversized oriface as he polls other creatures concerning their eating habits. <br />
<br />
"I'm a wide-mouthed frog and I eat flies..., what do you eat?"<br />
<br />
We learn about the varied diets of the bird, the mouse, and finally, the alligator, who ironically replies, "I eat delicious wide-mouthed frogs!"<br />
<br />
The frog's immediate comical response is to pucker his mouth into as small an opening as possible, <span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong>"Oooooh, you don't see many of those around do you?"</strong> </span><span style="font-size: small;">and leaps into the pond with a </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"SPLASH!"</span><br />
<br />
A stark white background offsets Lambert's bright watercolor characters, each of whom is placed in the book's centerfold. An impressive protruding pop-up proboscis emerges with each turn of the page, culminating with the colossal unfolding of the final "splash".<br />
<br />
Enjoyable as a one-on-one readaloud, this little book also lends itself to frog-themed storytimes. It is especially entertaining to exaggerate mouth movements when performing the voice of the frog, and to bring to a vociferous conclusion.<br />
<br />
The repeated sequences of the frog's interaction with each animal allow for easy memorization. Children will love creating additional animal characters and their appropriate lunches in order to keep the story alive longer.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-54377120893663388702011-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:002011-09-02T18:41:04.022-07:00Guess Who? by Margaret Miller<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0688127835/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Guess Who?" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hZePqpCUL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Greenwillow Books, New York, 1994.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-688-12784-3.</span><br />
<br />
Margaret Miller produces another photographic classic featuring common community occupations. A picture question is posed on one page ( Who flies an airplane?), and the reader is presented with four silly photo replies on the next (A bus driver? A statue? A turtle? A baby?). The true answer is presented on the next double page spread with gender and ethnically diverse subjects pictured ( a woman pilot).<br />
<br />
Children will enjoy thinking through and responding to the absurdity of the false answers, as well as affirming the correct choice. The photos are arranged artfully in color and composition with clear depictions of the activity being performed as well as an engaging performer.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-49661976468325197722011-09-02T18:17:00.000-07:002011-09-02T18:17:45.169-07:00Baby's First Year by Rick Walton<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0399250255/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Baby's First Year" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bbHXjoL6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-25025-5.</span><br />
<br />
Big brother and sister celebrate their new sibling's milestones in rhyming guesses:<br />
<br />
Baby likes to talk a lot. <br />
But understand?<br />
We do not. <br />
Until one day,<br />
what's that we heard?<br />
Was that our Baby's very first...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">WORD!?</span><br />
<br />
Church's vivid pastel backgrounds highlight the simply delineated family figures in this joyful romp through first kisses, smiles, peek-a-boos, laughs, crawling, teeth, books, steps and falls leading up to the first birthday party.<br />
<br />
A cheerful focus on family closeness, and a celebratory way to trace important landmarks of baby's development for older children. Walton adds a first year milestone poster on the back of the dust jacket with spots for photos of the momentous events. For fun, the author/illustrator photos on the fly leaf are baby pics.<br />
<br />
Recommended for family reading, as well as for a story hour about babies or families.<br />
<br />
<br />
Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-63745765586386768342011-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:002011-07-27T09:48:19.618-07:00Not a Box by Antoinette Portis<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0061123226/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Not a Box" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41eNqAoWCLL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">HarperCollins, New York, 2006.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN: 978-0061123221.</span><br />
<br />
Wrapped in brown cardboard paper and weighing a mere 11.5 oz. Net Wt., this item, which is clearly "not a box" needs to be handled "This Side Up". <br />
<br />
"Why/what are you sitting (doing, squirting, wearing, standing) in/on this box?" asks an omniscient voice, page after page.<br />
<br />
The simple line-drawn bunny accompanied by his suspiciously box-like object repeatedly disabuses the notion of boxhood by responding to the series of queries with increasing fervor, "It's NOT NOT NOT NOT a box!" <br />
<br />
The object has, after all, been miraculously transformed by imagination into a racecar (mountain peak, burning house, robot, crow's nest, tugboat, hot air balloon, elephant howdah).<br />
<br />
An easy beginning read with repetitive patterns, this little gem also invites small ones to create their own possibilities and visions for "outside of the box" thinking.<br />
<br />
Provides a wonderful centerpiece for a "Bring your own Box" decorating event.<br />
<br />
ALA Notable Children's Book Winner<br />
Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book, 2007.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-7613860502162841062011-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:002011-07-26T09:29:27.628-07:00On the Farm by David Elliott<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0763633224/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="On the Farm" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/617HV5-VkYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Holly Meade. Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA, 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-7636-3322-6.</span><br />
<br />
Meade's stunning and engaging earth-toned, double-spread woodcuts create a masterful backdrop for Elliott's simple, wry poetry. Children will delight in investigating the details of life on the family farm while absorbing clever observations on resident animals.<br />
<br />
<u>The Barn Cat</u><br />
"Mice<br />
had better<br />
think twice."<br />
<br />
Horn Book Starred Review<br />
Cybils Award in Children's Poetry Books, Nominee, 2008<br />
Raising Reader Selection, 2009Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-43795177264959099482011-07-19T07:19:00.000-07:002011-07-19T07:19:47.532-07:00Jamberry by Bruce Degen<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0694006513/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Jamberry" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619Ywhvg3WL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-021417-1.</span><br />
<br />
Degen joyously depicts the exuberant quest of a boy and a bear for berries to make jam. All kinds of berries! Lots and lots of berries! <br />
<br />
The simple silly rhymes grow in tempo and intensity as the story progresses from the idyllic countryside, canoeing over waterfalls, dancing with ponies, piling train cars with "billions of berries", greeting brass bands and skating elephants, and flying away in a raspberry balloon as berry rockets explode about them:<br />
<br />
"Mountains and fountains <br />
Rain down on me <br />
Buried in berries<br />
What a jam jamboree!"<br />
<br />
The brightly-colored illustrations burst with berry hues, providing whimsical details for children to discover: tiny animals, biscuit and butter lily pads, marshmallow marsh plants, jelly roll flowers, and borders of berry-laden vines twining around it all.<br />
<br />
Be sure to serve up some jam and bread, and an array of berries with a dollop of cream along with this celebration of color and sound inspired by Degen's family memories of berry-picking and jam-making. <br />
<br />
ALA Booklist Editors' Choice<br />
IRA/CBC Children's Choice<br />
American Bookseller Pick of the ListsCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-53522446293291718412011-06-22T12:43:00.000-07:002011-06-22T12:43:12.863-07:00Let's Make Rabbits by Leo Lionni<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0679840192/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Let's Make Rabbits" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51olODloyBL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2002.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Boardbook edition. 28 pages. ISBN 0-375-81564-3</span><br />
<br />
The scissors and the pencil decide to make rabbits: one with a collage of colorful paper, and the other with a simply drawn outline. The two rabbits immediately become friends. So begins Caldecott-winning illustrator, Leo Lionni's, original fable.<br />
<br />
The rabbits eat carrots created by the scissors and pencil: one from colored paper, and the other, a simply drawn outline. They nap. Upon waking, the rabbits discover a <em>real</em> carrot from an unknown source. They know it is real because it has a shadow. As they eat it, they become real, too. They know they are real because they also have shadows. Joyously, they hop away.<br />
<br />
This simple story with simple drawings against a white background is especially suited to a boardbook edition. The use of scissors and pencil as creative elements begs for a craft project using the same.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-64306598763129739492011-05-07T14:28:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:10:38.536-07:00The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/184939279X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Chris Van Allsburg" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TwncViXAL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1984.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-395-35393-9.</span><br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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 "<em>A tiny voice asked, 'Is he the one</em>?'" 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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Redbook's Children's Picture Books Award, 1984<br />
New York Times 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 1984<br />
Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 1984<br />
American Institute of Graphic Arts Book Show Award, 1985<br />
Boston Globe Horn Book Award, 1985<br />
School Library Journal Starred ReviewCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-13642499486277057732011-05-07T13:57:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:09:58.306-07:00On Earth by G. Brian Karas<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/039924025X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="On Earth (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51W4G6XQBPL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 2005.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-24025-X</span>.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
ALA Notable Book, 2005.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-19098376766959987672011-05-07T12:37:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:08:55.139-07:00Do You Know What I'll Do? by Charlotte Zolotow<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/006027879X/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Do You Know What I'll Do?" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K86KYCTKL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Javaka Stepton, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-027879-X.</span><br />
<br />
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: <br />
<br />
"Do you know what I'll do when it snows? I'll make you a snowman....<br />
Do you know what I'll do at the seashore? I'll bring you a shell to hold the sound of the sea."<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-74041232700014196352011-05-07T12:13:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:06:02.726-07:00Lightship by Brian Floca<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1416924361/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Lightship" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AQMQIyI2L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 48 pages, ISBN 978-1-4169-2436-4.</span><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Robert F. Sibert Honor Book<br />
ALA Notable Book<br />
Booklist Starred Review<br />
School Library Journal Starred Review<br />
Bank Street Best Books of the YearCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-62845832742698223332011-05-07T11:02:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:05:19.844-07:00First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1596432721/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="First the Egg (Caldecott Honor Book and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book (Awards))" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mFwlVVuSL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-59643-272-7.</span><br />
<br />
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.)<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Caldecott Honor Book<br />
Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book<br />
ALSC Notable Children's Book<br />
New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Books of the Year<br />
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List<br />
Arizona Grand Canyon Young Readers Master List<br />
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens<br />
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List<br />
South Dakota Prairie Bud Award Master List<br />
<br />
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</tbody></table>Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-81429411323968262542011-05-07T10:01:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:04:49.589-07:00Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1423113470/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Are You Ready to Play Outside? (An Elephant and Piggie Book)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wNxv2blCL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2008.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 58 pages, ISBN 978-142311347-8.</span><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
The easy repetitive nature of the vocabulary, short sentences, and large well-spaced fonts make this a wonderful early reader. <br />
<br />
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, 2009Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-71663686484034064672011-05-07T08:56:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:03:56.942-07:00I'm the Best by Lucy Cousins<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0763646849/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="I'm the Best" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61eJO6Tug2L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA, 2010.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-7636-4684-4.</span><br />
<br />
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<em> </em><u>is</u> the best.)<br />
<br />
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.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-77050059605533969982011-05-07T08:32:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:02:58.290-07:00Gracias-Thanks by Pat Mora<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1600602584/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books" target="AmazonHelp"><img alt="Gracias / Thanks (English and Spanish Edition)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61f7FMkvHLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by John Parra. Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York, 2009.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-1-60060-258-0.</span><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
ALA Notable Book, 2010<br />
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010<br />
Texas Library Association 2X2 Reading List, 2010<br />
CCBC Choices, 2010<br />
Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Illustration, 2009<br />
Belpré Illustrator Honor Book, 2010<br />
Booklist Starred ReviewCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-64062634355105011102011-05-07T08:07:00.000-07:002011-05-10T12:00:37.883-07:00Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B004A14WCC/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mSOoInKoL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Sean Qualls, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2008.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 978-0-8050-7994-4.</span><br />
<br />
<em>A Song of John Coltrane</em>, jazz legend, saxophonist extraordinaire....<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
"Before John was a jazz giant,<br />
he picked up that horn,<br />
blew into the mouthpiece, pressed his fingers on the keys, and breathed every sound<br />
he'd ever known into a bold new song.<br />
Before John was a jazz giant,<br />
he was all ears."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Coretta Scott King Award, Honor Book<br />
ALA Notable Children's<br />
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year<br />
CCBC Choice Book<br />
NCSS-CBC: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People<br />
Golden Kite Honor Book for Picture Book Text<br />
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best <br />
Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master ListCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-81339965136967949502011-05-06T03:58:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:59:21.073-07:00Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0060588284/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Kitten's First Full Moon" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H8-QTV6xL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Greenwillow Books, New York, 2004.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-058828-4.</span><br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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 <em>Moonbear</em> series.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Caldecott Medal Winner </li>
<li class="squareBullet">Bulletin Blue Ribbon </li>
<li class="squareBullet">Charlotte Zolotow Award </li>
<li class="squareBullet">ALA Notable Children’s Book </li>
<li class="squareBullet">Texas 2X2 Reading List </li>
<li class="squareBullet">Book Sense Pick </li>
</ul>Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-14295336563481206602011-05-05T17:41:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:58:05.820-07:00When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0805088717/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="When It Starts to Snow" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PC19LdIBL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Martin Matje. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1998.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-8050-5404-9.</span><br />
<br />
The sky is gloomy gray and the flakes begin to fall.<br />
<br />
"What if it starts to snow?<br />
What do you do?<br />
Where do you go?"<br />
<br />
This recurring question permeates the story as each animal of farm and field answers in turn:<br />
<br />
"'I wear a new coat,' says the stoat,<br />
'a king from head to toe.'<br />
White winter fur<br />
When it starts to snow."<br />
<br />
"Mole in a tunnel.<br />
Rabbit in a hole.<br />
Wolf in a den.<br />
Chipmunk in a burrow."<br />
<br />
The animals are all tucked away, as there is: <br />
<br />
"Snow on the roof. <br />
Snow on the ground.<br />
Brand new snow <br />
coming down, <br />
coming down."<br />
<br />
The boy who poses the question finds that he can't sleep as the animals do, "when the snow wants to play."<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Publishers Weekly Starred ReviewCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-53306735946214503662011-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:56:48.822-07:00Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0152928510/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Tops & Bottoms (Caldecott Honor Book)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61L3fKwt6nL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, 1995.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 0-15-292851-0.</span><br />
<br />
Stevens has created a freshly minted trickster tale a la <em>Uncle Remus</em> 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 <em>and</em> bottoms while Hare gets only the middles. Hare slyly plants corn. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
ABC Children's Booksellers' Choice<br />
ALA Notable Children's Book<br />
Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award<br />
Booklist Editors' Choice<br />
Caldecott Honor Book<br />
Colorado Children's Book Award<br />
Instructor Magazine's Best Picture Book of the Twentieth Century<br />
IRA Teachers' Choice<br />
IRA-CBC Children's Choice<br />
Maryland Children's Book Award<br />
National Parenting Publications Gold Award<br />
Parents' Choice Silver Honor Book<br />
Show Me Readers Award<br />
SSLI Honor Book<br />
Storytelling World Award Honor BookCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-50509484551435679222011-05-05T09:26:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:56:00.136-07:00The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0525459537/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516FRXD28ZL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Amy Walrod, Dutton Children's Books, New York, 1999.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-525-45953-7.</span><br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
The primary message of kindness, and sharing in work as well as rewards, is wonderfully communicated, and appropriate for toddler and preschool storytimes. <br />
<br />
Golden Kite Award, Picture Book, 1999Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-2636922933495802332011-05-05T09:02:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:54:59.183-07:00Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0399222618/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Seven Blind Mice (Caldecott Honor Book)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MJ76H6AHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Philomel Books, New York, 1992.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 48 pages, ISBN 0-399-22261-8.</span><br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
"The Mouse Moral: Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from seeing the whole."<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
Caldecott Honor Book<br />
Boston Globe Hom Book Award<br />
California Children's Media AwardCat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-83288863561104737952011-05-05T08:43:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:53:25.963-07:00The Baby BeeBee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0060280832/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="The Baby Beebee Bird" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CVH8J95BL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Illustrated by Steven Kellogg, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-028084-0.</span><br />
<br />
"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."<br />
<br />
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.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-56978775729754491892011-05-05T07:48:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:52:23.582-07:00Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0395570352/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="Grandfather's Journey (Caldecott Medal Book)" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jge29LEEL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1993.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-395-57035-2.</span><br />
<br />
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."<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
Caldecott Medal Winner, 1994 <br />
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book, 1994<br />
Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2007Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-1595890005999050742011-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:51:26.340-07:00The Mitten by Jan Brett<img height="328" id="il_fi" src="http://clymerlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/the-mitten.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /><a href="http://clymerlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/the-mitten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1989.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-399-21920-X.</span><br />
<br />
<div>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. </div><br />
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.<br />
<br />
<div>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.</div><br />
<div>Narrative skills are enhanced in retelling the story with appropriate props. Toddlers develop a vocabulary of woodland animals. </div><br />
ALA Booklist Magazine Best Children's Books of the 1980s <br />
New Yorker Magazine Best Children's Books, 1989 <br />
National Teachers Association Top Ten Titles for Elementary Students, 1999<br />
National Education Association Educators' Top One Hundred Children's Books, 2007Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399007277508080592.post-35010695387317293412011-05-04T10:18:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:54:02.248-07:00The Missing Mitten Mystery by Steven Kellogg<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0756925819/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link"><img alt="The Missing Mitten Mystery (Picture Puffin Books (Pb))" border="0" height="300" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GknpuZ%2BiL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dial Books for Young Readers, New York, 2000.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hardcover edition, 36 pages, ISBN 0-8037-2566-3.</span><br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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!<br />
<br />
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 <em>The Mitten</em>.Cat in the Hathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15972998230359727476noreply@blogger.com0