The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner

Illustrated by Jonathan Lambert, Dial, New York, 1996.
Hardcover edition, 16 pages, ISBN 0-8037-1875-6.

A pompous amphibian brags about his oversized oriface as he polls other creatures concerning their eating habits.

"I'm a wide-mouthed frog and I eat flies..., what do you eat?"

We learn about the varied diets of the bird, the mouse, and finally, the alligator, who ironically replies, "I eat delicious wide-mouthed frogs!"

The frog's immediate comical response is to pucker his mouth into as small an opening as possible, "Oooooh, you don't see many of those around do you?" and leaps into the pond with a "SPLASH!"

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".

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.

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.

Guess Who? by Margaret Miller

Greenwillow Books, New York, 1994.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-688-12784-3.

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).

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

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.

Bill Grogan's Goat by Mary Ann Hoberman

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

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.

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! by David McPhail

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.

Chicken Soup With Rice by Maurice Sendak

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.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood

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



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.

Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth

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.

The Three Bears by Paul Galdone

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.

Winter is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer

Harcourt Children's Books, Orlando, FL, 2006.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 978-0152049676.

The author's outrageous titular postulation rings absolutely true in the hearts of those who hail from frigid climes. How can one posssibly not be toasty and comfortable in puffy parkas, fuzzy boots, and warm, woolly mittens? Hot chocolate, hot soups, hot pies and oven-hot breads warm our insides, while the emanations of the radiator, fireplace, and furry kitties in our laps heat the outsides. Steamy baths are followed by pajamas which have grown "big warm feet", and by piles of blankets and quilts on our cozy beds. We snuggle close together to read before dreaming of summer "just to cool... off".

Lauren Stringer's bold, scallopy, acrylic brushstrokes exude a sensation of coziness which belie the mounds of snow and stringy icicles visible in the wintry world outside. Her characters are joyously content in their happy home to wait for the coolness of summer.

Perfect for winter story hour, ages 2-4.

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

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.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

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