"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.