Jamberry by Bruce Degen

HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2000.
Hardcover edition, 32 pages, ISBN 0-06-021417-1.

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!

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:

"Mountains and fountains
Rain down on me
Buried in berries
What a jam jamboree!"

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.

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.

ALA Booklist Editors' Choice
IRA/CBC Children's Choice
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists

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

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.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

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

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

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

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

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.