Books for Preschoolers

Puddle by Huewon Yum

 

Yum has written and illustrated several books for the preschool set. Her characters are drawn with simple lines that lead to extremely expressive faces. The little guy in this story is bored having to spend a rainy day indoors, but the mom encourages him to draw. At first reluctant, the young one is drawn to the picture, literally and figuratively and is soon clamoring to go outside where he can jump in the puddles and enjoy the dreary day. Another hit for the preschool set.

Splashdance by Liz Starin

Starin knows how to take a goofy idea (a bear practicing to win a water ballet contest) and to make it even goofier! First the bear is in, then she is out as no bears are allowed in the pool. Then, after a period of despondency and depression, the bear finds a new group to practice with. And while Ursula’s group puts forth the best performance, they do not win the contest. Ursula’s old partner (a human) and his new partner (a giraffe) win the contest. Because what is more absurd than a bear in the pool? A giraffe, of course!

My Thumb by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Rich Deas

Written in rhyme with a syncopated rhythm, My Thumb is an ode to thumb-sucking. While there are some things this little sucker can’t do with her thumb in her mouth, she is still content to suck away, extolling the virtues of her “soggy, wrinkled, half-baked” thumb. For those little ones who just can’t kick the habit, finally a book that doesn’t try to convince them to give it up.

Daddies are Awesome by Meredith Costain, illustrated by Polona Lovsin.

Another rhyming book all about daddies. The words are directed at preschoolers with their need to have their hands held and go on adventures; the pictures are all father dogs and puppies of multiple breeds, beagles on one page, spaniels the next. Look this one up next year on Father’s Day!

Marta Big and Small by Jen Arena, illustrated by Angela Dominguez

A bilingual book that tells a story about Marta with both Spanish and English words. While most of the book is in English, there is a proliferation of Spanish words that are translated either in words or pictures. Makes the use of dual languages seem natural and fun.

Books with Friends

Friendship plays a big role in picture books for children. Here are a few of my favorites this month. 

 

Little Elliot:  Big Family by Mike Curato

Mouse and Elliot, a tiny mouse and a small polka-dotted elephant,  are old friends. When Mouse goes off to his family reunion, Elliot is lonely and notices families all over the city. Curato does an excellent job of showing different ethnicities and genders in both his words and his pictures, while focusing on the central point: family members enjoying themselves and one another. Will Elliot get to experience what it is like to be a part of a big family? Read it and see.

Little Elliot: Big Fun by Mike Curato

Little Elliot and Mouse head out for an amusement park on the edge of the City, depicted like Coney Island of bygone days. The rides overwhelm Elliot and they have a hard time finding something that is not too fast, or wet or dizzy. But, when they finally take a chance on the giant Ferris Wheel, they (and the reader) are rewarded with a stupendous view of the city from the top. But, the best is when Little Elliot asks Mouse what his favorite part of the day is, and Mouse replies, “Being with you.” True friends, nothing better!

Best Frints in the Whole Universe by Antoinette Portis

What is a frint, you may ask? While this book will give you some hints, the answer lies in the mind of the reader. Best frints on Planet Bobarp do not act like best friends on Planet Earth, which this book makes perfectly clear. For all those parents and teachers who are dealing with friends and siblings who are sometimes enemies, this might be a lighthearted way to start a conversation without making a big deal about childish behaviors.

Bossy Flossy by Paulette Bogan

What happens when Bossy Flossy meets Bossy Edward on the school playground? Do they both stop their bossy ways and become best friends? Well, not exactly, but they do start to recognize what it feels like to be bossed around. Which is always a good thing and maybe a friendship does develop. Have fun reading and hope you don’t recognize yourself in this book!

Hill and Hole are Best Friends by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Vasanti Unka

Hill and Hole live side by side and talk to each other about the world around them. When the time comes that they want to experience the world from another perspective, they enlist the help of Mole who moves the earth to make Hole a hill and Hill a hole. And that’s where it gets a little confusing as Hill the hole talks to Hole the hill.. How many friends want to be just like their best friend and experience life as their friend does? How many of us actually get to do this? While Hill and Hole enjoy switching roles, they soon want to switch back, asking now for the help of Wind, who wisely says, “Sometimes it is easier to do things than to undo them once they’re done.” How true! What appears as a simple story is a metaphor that could be used with children at almost all grade levels. Deep!

Maggie and Michael Get Dressed by Denise Fleming

Fleming is one of my favorite illustrators for children’s books these days. Her drawings are realistic, yet appear to be simple and are amazingly easy to imitate, making me feel like an artist myself! Michael is a toddler who is supposed to be dressing himself, but instead is helping his puppy, Maggie, put on all his clothes. Toddlers who hear this story are learning colors, names of clothing and some body parts. Clever!

Poetry and other books for summer reading

Summer time, time for relaxing, reading and reflecting. Some good books of poetry as well as other fun books to read aloud on these lazy days. Enjoy!

Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka
 

Concrete poems are those that give a visual representation of what the poem is about. One of my favorite was a circle of words: Hola! Gutentag! Boujour! Welcome to the circle tour. No one needs a ticket here. We take this trip every year. Bon voyage! It’s nonstop fun as earth revolves around” And then in the middle, a smaller circle with just the words: “the sun.” So many poems, so many word pictures! So much inspiration!

When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, 

Pictures by Julie Morstad

Poems for every season, each one labeled with a date to give it a personal touch. Mostly free-verse, some just a few words and some list poems, like this one for March 24: what the snow left behind/was a red scarf/next to a wooden carrot/one blue mitten/a big snow shovel/a little snow shovel/and mud/and mud/ and mud/ and more mud/and muddy mud/and mud

These poems were made for sharing and for imitating, sometimes for laughing and always for thinking.

Good Night Truck by Sally Odgers, Illustrated by Heath McKenzie

A modern version of Good Night Moon, with rhyming couplets about all kinds of transportation: trucks, diggers, tractors, boats. All of these are anthropomorphized with shining eyes and crazy eyebrows, drawn in off-beat colors that fit with the busy colorful backgrounds. In the end, all the vehicles are tucked in for the night and the truck gets to cozy down with the narrator as he/she snuggles in bed.

And now for a touch of whimsy, or if you prefer, just plain silliness!

Music Class Today! By David Weinstone, Pictures by Vin Vogel

David Weinstone started teaching Music for Aardvarks almost 20 years ago. His interactive music classes are illustrated herewith whimsical, multi-generational and multi-racial participants. One of Weinstone’s CDs would have made a nice addition to this book, as the major focus of the story is left to our imagination.

Bunny Dreams by Peter McCarty

What do bunnies know? What do bunnies dream? This whimsical story takes us through the day and night of a group of bunnies, whose names all begin with B. On each page, the bunnies are drawn to represent different scenarios, sometimes with letters on their bodies, sometimes with wings. But, my favorite pages are the ones where the bunnies are wearing little striped sweaters to make them look like they are bumble bee bunnies. Kind of weird, but in a good way!

The Fintastic Fishsitter: A Big Fat Goldfish Adventure by Mo O’Hara, Illustrated by Marek Jacucki

What I liked about this book:

1.     The main characters are Indian-American, you don’t find that in children’s books, maybe never!

2.     The other characters are a zombie fish and a clever cat, you might find these in other children’s books, but rarely together.

3.     The fish and the cat are both kind of evil, but the girl prevails in the end, getting them to play nicely together.

4.     The humor is not lost on adults or little ones.

Is that enough? Try it, you’ll like it!

Go, Little Green Truck! By Roni Schotter, pictures by Julia Kuo

Little Green is a useful pick-up truck who is displaced by Big Blue when Farmer Gray’s farm grew. Little Green is now lonely, sitting to the side and not being driven. Until finally one day, Fern (notice the name of the farmer’s daughter, sound familiar to you children’s book lovers?) finds lonely Little Green and determines that this truck should be used for trips to the Farmers’ Market. All ends well, with Little Green once again feeling useful! Lots of metaphors here as well as luscious pictures of the farm, all the animals and vegetables! And who can not fall for a book with a farmer’s daughter named Fern?

Let’s Go to the Hardware Store by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Mellissa Iwai
 

Buying a new house means a trip to the hardware store, for sure, so Daddy sets out to get what he needs, accompanied by Flora and the narrator, a little boy who remains unnamed. They explore and buy a myriad of tools that are clearly illustrated and labeled. They even get a birdhouse kit at the end of the trip. But, they forgot the one thing Mommy asked for: picture hangers. So off they go again to the hardware story. Anyone who has ever done any DIY in the home knows how important the trips to the hardware store are!

Concept books or should I say, Books by Laura Vaccaro Seeger?

Most of these concept books are by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and though she is prolific, her quality remains high. Many of her books teach about concepts our youngest readers will be interested in and need to know, but they teach in such a way to be interesting as well as informative. I am constantly amazed at the creativity in her books and have enjoyed looking for the surprise as I go from page to page. If you would enjoy having one of these concept books for your very own, comment on this blog and be sure to let me know which book you would like!

Walter Was Worried by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Weather can worry, frighten, delight and shock us. All of these emotions are portrayed not only through pictures of the actual weather event, but with faces that are decorated with the letters that make up the word being depicted. A very clever way to show a number of concepts: emotions, facial expressions, letter names. Seeger also manages to include both boys and girls and children of different races. A great addition to any library for young learners.

Black? White! Day? Night! By Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Maybe the best book of opposites I have ever seen. Each pair of opposites starts on a page with a see-through window at some place on the page. Lifting this first page shows the opposite concept, with the part that was shown on the see through window cleverly incorporated into the opposite word. One of the most clever is the page that is labeled “same” which contains several windows, all with a small diamond showing through. Lifting this page reveals a page of snowflakes, all “different” from one another, but all containing at some point, a small diamond. I love this book!

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Another concept book by Seeger that also uses the window in a clever way, taking a traditional counting book to a new level. One boy incorporates one into the word alone; five mice (turn the page) skate on ice. The drawings are done with sharp primary colors and the end page shows the one boy, who is now all done, walking away from a group of drawings with his paint brushes tucked in his satchel.

Lemons are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Again Seeger uses the cut out on the page to demonstrate color of common objects. “Lemons are not red; lemons are yellow. Apples are red.” This could become the next early reading/writing text where students work in pairs to come up with another item color combination: I’m thinking, Grapes are not orange; grapes are purple. Oranges are orange. Let’s hear your creative ideas! (It doesn’t have to be food!)

           

Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth

Starting with a basic array of two-dimensional shapes, a young boy and girl take the reader through a creative array of joined shapes that could be anything. A semi-circle under a triangle becomes a dancing ballerina or an elephant floating up into space being held up by a triangular array of balloons. The last page gives a variety of shape combinations and children and adults can use their imaginations to figure out what they represent!. Colorful and playful turns out to be a good way to learn shapes.

Lost. Found. By Marsha Diane Arnold, Pictures by Matthew Cordell

A book with only two words, repeated throughout as a scarf is lost and found a number of times. Each new finder in the animal world also finds a new use for the scarf. Cordell’s imaginative drawings of bears, beavers, foxes, etc. populate the page with anthropomorphized animals demonstrating their creativity along with his. The ultimate lost is when the scarf unravels into reams of thread, making it necessary for the original owner, Bear, to take up knitting. Preschoolers will love this book as they figure out what each animal is doing with the bright red scarf.

Green City by Allan Drummond

Not exactly a concept book, yet this book does deliver an interesting story around the concept of “going green.” Given that topic, and the way the book is written, it is appropriate for an older reader than our normal picture book audience. Drummond has done an excellent job of describing the problem faced by the residents of Greenburg, Kansas in 2007 and how they as a community decided to take the lemons they were given and make lemonade. For an intermediate class studying issues of energy use and green buildings, this will be an invaluable resource. For families who are trying to show their children what can be done to make a smaller energy footprint, this would make an excellent resource at home as well. A great companion book for Drummond’s Energy Island, published in 2011.

How to Pee: Potty Training for Girls by Todd Spector, Illustrated by Arree Chung

To match Potty Training for Boys published in 2015, we now have Potty Training for Girls. Told in a cute step by step progression for each “style” of getting onto the toilet, you can choose from “Princess Style,” “Fresh-Air Style,” or “Witchy Style” just to name a few. The drawings show cute, large headed girls, all but one appear to be White, going through the motions of getting to the potty and peeing. Spector gives some advice at the end making sure that parents do not take this potty training issue too seriously and ensuring they are waiting for the timing of the child.

Vacation Reading

I recently took a cruise with two good friends. True to form for my reader self, I brought several books to read while I lounged around on the cruise ship. Little did I know my two friends were so active, cramming activities into every minute of our lives on board and on shore. In spite of the numerous activities, I managed to get through a few of the books and start a few more. So here is what I read late at night on this ship:

Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith

One of my favorite series is the 44 Scotland Street series by Smith. This is Book 9 of the 10 books in this series and somehow I missed it along the way. I love the interconnected stories of those who live in the apartment building on Scotland Street, but I especially love Bertie who suffers the indignity of his overbearing mother with grace and ingenuity. This is the book that made me laugh out loud while lying in my bunk late at night.

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin 

Lucia Berlin has written short stories for the last half century or more and this was my first encounter with her work. Her stories have many autobiographical elements, but she has done so many things in her life, including being a cleaning lady, that they are all over the place. Often told in first person, the stories explore relationships, motherhood and dealing with alcoholics, both within yourself and with others that you know. I laughed and cringed at the stories in this book and hope to find other stories by Berlin, although they will have to be previously published as she is no longer with us. A true storyteller who found her calling.

Booked by Kwame Alexander 

 

Following his Newbery award winner about basketball players, Alexander now turns to soccer. A young player is dealing with his parents separation, trying to keep up with his studies at school and playing on a travel soccer team. Written in free verse, as was Crossover, this YA book is perfect to show that not all African Americans live in poverty in the inner city. Nick’s problems, including dealing with his English professor father, are much closer to the typical upper middle class student, giving us an insight into the life of an educated Black family.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I have read a few John Green novels, the hot author of YA fare. Some have seemed unusually saccharine, but this is not within that ilk. Miles goes off to boarding school to find the “great perhaps.” He discovers friendship, love plenty of teenage angst. But, there is a death and there is a great deal of effort put into finding out if this death was or was not a suicide. In either case, Green delves into the lives of teens, exploring why they might want to commit suicide. AS the narrator, Miles is both likable and repulsive. It is easy to see why Green is an acclaimed YA writer.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

A typical thriller set in a small Alabama town tells the story of Lucy Bane whose mother disappeared when she was a baby. Now, as a teen, one of her friends has disappeared, only to be discovered a year later, body dismembered and stuffed in a tree stump. Lucy cannot let go of these mysteries and spends the summer between her junior and senior year trying to solve these two mysteries in her life. Of course, she is confronted at the end by the killer, giving the readers a moment of suspense: will she survive? Spoiler alert: of course she survives!

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brash

I am always open to new books and ideas, but I will not seek out any additional works by Brash. While I did not love this book, I did read it to the end. She writes mostly through pictures and the art work is quirky to say the least. While I could relate to some of the stories and while she made depression more understandable, I was not pulled into this book or her life as I was with many of the other reads I took on this trip. If you are in your 20s and love dogs, you may find this more compelling than I did.

Books about friendship

Books about friendship have always had a special place in the world of children’s literature. Who out there cannot relate to the friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte or the unusual friendship between George and Martha or the more recent Herman and Rosie (Gordan). We all need our friends and the special friendships we form in childhood often stay with us, giving us old and new memories to share as we age. Here are a few new books about friendship both within and outside of the family. My only concern is that all of these books focus on the friendships of boys. Only Lenny and Lucy includes a female within the friend mix, but that character does not enter until the last few pages of the book. Come on, authors, let’s support girl friendships as well!

Big Friends by Linda Sarah and Benji Davies

If you have ever experienced a great friendship that is disrupted when a third person joins in, this book is for you. Birt and Echo are “Big Friends” spending every minute together having adventures on Sudden Hill with their cardboard boxes. When Shu joins them, the rhythm changes and Birt feels left out. Luckily for Birt, both Shu and Echo joyfully encourage Birt to rejoin the group and now the adventures have three. A happy story of friendship gone right. A great classroom read when children seem to be forming alliances for and against one another. Big Friends shows how friendship can expand to reach more than two.

Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead, Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

When Peter and his family move to a new house, he is not happy and the dark woods on the other side of the bridge outside his window keep him awake at night. Peter and his dog Harold build Lenny first as a guardian of the night, but when that does not seem enough, they build Lucy as well. Finally, Millie, the girl next door comes over offering her binoculars “and a bag of marshmallows, too.” This nascent friendship is barely described and occurs on the last few pages of the book. But, it is compelling and begs to be continued. This award winning husband and wife team have once again connected with both children and adults in a story about moving, loneliness, fear and ultimately friendship.

How to Share with a Bear by Eric Pinder, Pictures by Stephanie Graegin

Thomas builds a cave of blankets and pillows in his living room, but finds that a little bear has invaded his space. What follows is a bunch of tricks on Thomas’ part to get the bear out of the cave. While Thomas devises clever ploys, the bear always seems to be one step ahead of him and his time alone in the cave is short. Toward the end of the book, the reader realizes that the bear is a younger sibling making the book so much more meaningful and poignant. A sweet way to introduce sharing space and objects with younger siblings as well as the idea that a brother or sister could be a good friend.

Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright

Love Monster is returning home after a long trip, only to find a box of chocolates on his doorstep. Imagining sharing this box of chocolates with his friends, Love Monster quickly realizes that if he shares, he might not get the chocolate that he wants. When his queasy stomach will not allow him to keep the chocoaltes to himself,  Love Monster runs to his friends eager to share his gift with them. When he finds his friends, they are busy getting ready for a party to welcome him home. Opening the box of chocolates, he discovers that his friends have saved one last chocolate for him and it is his favorite: Double Chocolate Strawberry Swirl! Oh, to have friends who know what our favorites are and who save our favorites just for us!

Dear Yeti by James Kwan

Two young hikers are on an adventure and looking for Yeti, a beat of the mountains. Yeti proves to be elusive until the hikers are in danger of being eaten by a bear. Then he appears and politely asks the bear not to eat his friends. Sweet drawings and simple language told largely through notes the hikers write to Yeti.

.Kwan’s first picture book sets him up for a long career writing and illustrating for children.

Time for  Cranberries by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Illustrated by Jed Henry

When I first glanced at the picture of the front of this book, it made me think of the commercials for Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice. The author who lives on a cranberry farm with her husband and two sons describes the process of harvesting cranberries through words, pictures and interactions between three family members: father, mother and school-aged son. For those who live on farms, the hard work and use of large machinery will be recognized. For those who do not, the depictions of harvesting just one of our many food crops will open their eyes to the hard work and sheer joy involved. While no child friends are shown in this book, the young boy has a great friendship with his parents as they obviously love doing what they are doing.

Books with a Lesson

While there are beautiful children’s books that simply tell a good story, there are many others that build a lesson into the story that’s being told. The books on this page teach a lesson, whether it is that it is as profound as “It’s okay to be biracial” or as simple as “Moving is hard, but we all have to do it some time” these books tell a story, teach a lesson and entertain us in the meantime. Enjoy these lesson teaching books!

Mixed Me! By Taye Diggs, Illustrated by Shene W. Evans

Mike is a mix of his dark-skinned dad and his red-headed mom. He likes who he is and does not want to be forced to choose one race or one group of friends. While the text is short, it is to the point. As Mike says at the end: “They call me Mixed-up Mike, but that name should be fixed. I’m not mixed up, I just happen to be mixed.”

Peep and Egg: I’m Not Hatching by Laura Gehl, Pictures by Joyce Wan

Peep wants Egg to hatch so they can enjoy the world together, climbing to the top of the barn to watch the sunrise, or riding on the back of a sheep. But Egg is afraid of coming out into the world. A great book for young ones who seem to be afraid of many things. The final page shows Peep and Egg as a newly hatched chick sitting on the roof of the barn, reading a book and eating a picnic: enjoying life together!

Before I Leave by Jessixa Bagley

For all those children who have to move and leave their best friends behind! Hedgehog and her family are leaving best friend, Anteater. While Hedgehog insists that she is not going, she continues to pack and eventually is forced to leave with her parents. What she does not know is that there are notes in her suitcase from Anteater. These notes decorate her new room and remind her that she has a best friend back home. A good companion book to Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move by Judith Viorst.

The Toy Brother by William Steig

Originally published in 1996 by acclaimed children’s book author, William Steig, The Toy Brother tells the story of Yorick and Charles, two brothers who do not see eye to eye. When their parents go away to attend a family wedding, Yorick, the older brother, plays around in his father’s laboratory and succeeds in shrinking himself. Younger brother Charles takes good care of him and even fantasizes about Yorick staying small forever, so Yorick can no longer ignore him. Shades of “Honey, I’ve Shrunk the Kids” here, but on a simpler, less complex plane. Lesson: don’t mess with your dad’s stuff!

The Tale of Tricky Fox Retold by Jim Aylesworth, Illustrated by Barbara McClintock

Aylesworth retells the tale of Tricky Fox with animation and verve. Both the prose and the brief bits of song move the story forward and make for an interesting read. McClintock uses motion and facial expressions to match the animation of the words. The light orange background and the limited color palette combine to pleasing effect. This will go to the top of the list when working on folk tales and trickster tales. As with all trickster tales, there is a lesson for the tricker: don’t get too cocky; and a lesson for the tricked: when you don’t tell the truth, you open yourself up to the trickers of the world.

You’re Here for a Reason by Nancy Tillman

 

With Tillman’s trademark illustrations and rhyming verse, You’re Here for a Reason gives anyone who has had a bad day a chance to see that even when a day goes wrong, “To somebody else, you will always be strong!” The message here, as in all Tillman’s books is “You are loved!” Who can resist that?

I Used to be Afraid by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

A young girl has many fears, but each one is reconciled through pictures and clever cutouts. “I used to be afraid of spiders, but not anymore.” Sets the stage for repetitive language. However the illustrations are anything but repetitive. Each page turn leads to another discussion. Why does the beauty of the spider web lesson the girl’s fear? What did she do so she is not afraid of being alone?  Lesson: deal with your fears head on.

It’s Not Easy Being Number Three by Drew Dernavich

Number three is tired of being a number, he feels taken advantage of and underappreciated. In a weird, surreal way, Number Three explores other options. Clever artwork and imagination show how three can be any number of things, from the hem of a scalloped skirt to the bottom of an anchor. But, nothing seems to satisfy Three, until he becomes a bronze statue in a park. There he is appreciated and looks forward to the many adoring crowds. But, when winter comes, he is once again left alone. Although the other numbers beg him to come back, he refuses, until finally, he realizes that without a number Three, the world really cannot go on, or at least the Fair cannot go on. Lesson: be sure to be who you are; stick with what you know; be adventurous, but always return to your roots? Who knows?

Board books to keep us from getting bored

Board books are for the youngest readers and started out as the simplest books, often with only one or two words on a page. Recently, publishers are reprinting books for young children in a board book format. Because these books tend to be smaller than regular children’s books, not all books translate well to this format. I have put these books in order from those that work best in this format to those that would be best left alone (either not pushed into a board book format, or not reprinted at all). When looking for a good board book for the youngest readers, consider the color palette (limited colors is best), the potential for interactivity (can you engage the child in the book easily?) and simple language and concepts (are the concepts presented appropriate for readers aged 2 to 4?).

I Get Dressed by David McPhail

I Play by David McPhail

 

In I Get Dressed, each page has one animal from David McPhail’s Nursery Rhyme collection and each animal has one item of clothing: shirt, pants, socks, tie, etc. Simple drawings and simple words, for our youngest ‘readers.’

In I Play, the little bear is featured with one simple verb per page, cutely illustrated by bear singing, running, and even reading.

While there is not much here, both of these books can be very interactive and lead to active play, a good combination of reading and active moving! Three stars for meeting three of the criteria listed above!

Night Owl by Toni Yuly

Baby Night Owl is waiting for Mommy Owl to come home, listening to all the night sounds and hoping that he will soon hear Mommy Owl. Using a limited color palette, Yuly illustrates this uncomplicated story with orange, yellow, black and purple simple line drawings. Many opportunities for interaction here as the different sounds are questioned and identified. Whoo wants to read about Night Owl? Another three star book!

Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks, Pictures by Georg Hallensleben

Little Tiger is reluctant to close his eyes as he prepares to go to sleep. Anyone who has had a conversation with a child where one answer leads to three more questions, will recognize Little Tiger in their own child. Mother Tiger has all the answers and finally convinces Little Tiger to go to sleep. The images in both words and pictures are poetic while still being easily understood by the youngest listeners: “You can even float among the clouds, and when night comes, the moon will hold you in its lap.” Three stars.

Mimi and Bear in the Snow by Janee Trasler

Mimi is a rabbit with human features who carries Bear with her wherever she goes. But, when she takes Bear out to play in the snow, she leaves him behind. After a careful search, she finally finds Bear and starts carrying him in a backpack so he won’t get left behind again. A perfect story for any child who has a special stuffed animal that goes everywhere with him/her. Three stars.

Kiss, Kiss, Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, Pictures by Dan Hanna

The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen, Pictures by Dan Hanna

 

Pout-Pout Fish has many adventures, all in rhyme and all below the sea. You will meet a variety of fish swimming and working together in both of these sweeter than sweet stories. If you like to rhyme and have the time, you’ll be right in the swim of things with these two new stories. One star for the potential for interactivity.

I’d Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman

The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman

 

Nancy Tillman is known for her beautiful illustrations and her sweet sentiments. While some books do not translate into board books as easily as others, I’d Know you Anywhere, My Love works perfectly with smaller renditions of her artistry and a tiny font for her rhyming lines. A book to be told with copious amounts of hugs and kisses.

The Spirit of Christmas, on the other hand,  is clearly told for the adult and not so much for the child. The rhymes are sometimes saccharine, “He spoke to me then/ in a whisper of wings./ “There are gentle things/ the season brings.” And the pictures alternate between artful realism and fancifully stylized. As a Christmas book, it has my vote for when I am looking for a way to express how I miss the children in my life at that time of year. One star for the potential for interactivity.

Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

 

Following in the footsteps of Train Man and Fire Engine Man, Digger Man follows big brother on his adventures with a large earth mover as he scoops rocks, pushes mud and honks his horn. The main character is always concerned about his little brother and wants to be sure to teach his brother how to work with the digger! One star for simple language.

Firebears: The Rescue Team by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illustrated by Dan Andreasen

 

The firebears have a number of adventures, fighting fires, rescuing other bears and even helping a cat stuck in a tree. Told in simple rhymes, the story moves quickly from one emergency to another. Brightly colored illustrations support the text and help to tell the story. Classrooms that have units on community helpers would love this book. Since the bears are not explicitly gendered, it could be a good tool for talking about both firemen and firewomen. One star for simple language.

This Plane by Paul Collicutt

While the language is simple, the concepts here are not. Colorful images of different types of planes accompany each page where a plane is described in plain text. Little ones will love the colors and the variety of planes. Older toddlers will be interested to learn more about the different kinds of planes. Be prepared for a multitude of questions. One star for simple language.

Tractor Mac Farm Days by Billy Steers

A shortened version of a Tractor Mac story, just right for toddlers. The anthropomorphized tractor is a busy as can be as he plows, plants, grades and scoops. Just another busy day on the farm! One star for simple language.

At the Supermarket by Anne Rockwell

A little boy accompanies his mother to the supermarket, telling about the groceries he bought, including the necessary ingredients for making a cake, just in time to celebrate his birthday the next day. As I read through this, I wondered: who still eats meat every day? Where are all the black and brown people? There is one Asian looking woman working at the register and one or two other darker skinned people, most seem to be working rather than shopping. The back of the book indicates that the books was first published over forty years ago. While it is a cute story and one that many children can relate to, the lack of diversity makes me think this should be a book that can be kept on the shelf. Can’t give any stars to this one. Let’s leave this book back in the seventies!