In Utah, we have an amazing chain of 2nd hand stores call Deseret Industries.  (You should be jealous if you don't live in Utah!!!  Trust me on this one.)  People donate all kinds of great things here, especially books!  So... today I went book hunting and found the following:

Not too bad at only  $.50 a book...(and they are in great condition)!

Here are the 2013 Beehive Book Award Nominees, Picture Book category, from the Children’s Literature Association of Utah:

• Art & Max | Written and Illustrated by David Weisner
• Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake | Written by Michael B. Kaplan ; Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

• When Betty Bunny eats chocolate cake for the first time, she declares, “I am going to marry chocolate cake.” She loves it so much that she takes a piece to school with her in her pocket and refuses to eat anything else. Mommy tells Betty that she has to eat healthy food first, and have patience because cake is for dessert, not pockets. But Betty doesn’t want to have patience; she wants to have chocolate cake!
  In this hilarious and spot-on tribute to the chocolate lover (and picky eater) in all of us, a new kindred spirit to Olivia, Eloise, and Ladybug Girl makes her stand.

• Blackout | Written and Illustrated by John Rocco
• Children Make Terrible Pets | Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown
• Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? | Written by Susan A. Shea ; Illustrated by Tom Slaughter
• Doodleday | Written and Illustrated by Ross Collins
• Earth to Clunk | Written by Pam Smallcomb, Illustrated by Joe Berger
• Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! | Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

• Published in a picture book size and format with 66 pages, this is a sort of proto-chapter book that features “6½ surprising stories about 2 surprising friends.” The book is indeed full of jokes and surprises that young readers will love. It is almost like reading a week’s run of some good classic comic strip series in one sitting (think Peanuts or Calvin and Hobbes). This is not Willems’ greatest work ever, but it is still above average in general, and it is quite generous considering he could have strung this out into two or three separate books, but instead kept it all together.

  Review by Joshua Whiting, Granite Library Media Program

  Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
  Interest Level: Grades K and Up  www.mowillems.com

Titles link to reviews if we have them.

Art & Max | Written and Illustrated by David Wiesner

Blackout | Written and Illustrated by John Rocco

Children Make Terrible Pets | Written and Illustrated by Peter Brown

Doodleday | Written and Illustrated by Ross Collins

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? | Written by Susan A. Shea ; Illustrated by Tom Slaughter

Earth to Clunk | Written by Pam Smallcomb ; Illustrated by Joe Berger

Me and My Dragon | Written and Illustrated by David Biedrzycki

Press Here | Written and Illustrated by Herve Tullet

Cherished Picture Book of the Week!

I have a few favorite picture books and they are my favorite, I've realized, because they add meaning to my life currently.  My top favorite book is by Mem Fox.  It's called "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge".  I love this book about a little boy who helps his friend "Miss Nancy" get some of her memories back.  She has lost them.  She lives next door to him in an "old person's home" and Wilfrid makes the patrons there come to life as he describes each one.

My parents recently moved to an assisted living center.  My mother has dimensia and is losing her memory, just like Miss Nancy.   The patrons I see on a regular basis, remind me of some of the characters in this beautifully written and illustrated picture book.  The illustrations are by Julie Vivas.  If you haven't read this, it is a must!  Of all the books Mem Fox has written, this is the favorite among adults in many countries.
www.memfox.com
http://www.memfox.com/wilfrid-gordon-mcdonald-partridge.html 

Great new book by Kevin Henkes

Found this at www.greatkidsbooks.blogspot.com  I'm thrilled to see the Kevin Henkes, one of my most cherished authors is starting to write books for beginning readers.  Take a look.

Today I shared with my students books that make me smile. There is an utter loveliness to books that bring us a simple smile. They may not be hilarious books, but they fill us with warmth, with a small moment that brightens our day. Penny and Her Song is just the sort of lovely book that will bring a smile to the face of a beginning reader.

Penny and Her Song
by Kevin Henkes
NY: HarperCollins, 2012
ages 5 - 7
available from your local library, favorite bookstore and on Amazon

Penny comes home from school one day with a smile on her face. She has made up her very own song, and can't wait to share it with her family. But Mama and Papa tell her she mustn't wake up the babies. So Penny goes to her room and sings to herself in the mirror - but she really just wants someone to listen to her. At dinner, Penny tries to sing again, but her parents ask her to wait until after everyone eats. Finally, Penny sings her special song for the whole family. Her parents adore the song, and then everyone joins in, singing Penny's song.

Young children will delight in Kevin Henkes' first book for beginning readers. They will relate to Penny and the way she just wants her parents to listen to her. But most of all, they will delight in singing Penny's song themselves, in bringing alive Henkes' simple words. The illustrations, in softly bright watercolors and clear black ink, support the text on each page. The variety of spot art, half page boxes, and some sequential small boxes adds variety, integrating the illustrations with the text. While Penny will remind readers of Henkes' outgoing Lily, Penny is her own character, singing her own song.

This book is perfect for new readers who enjoy simple, sweet family stories. It has delighted several of our 1st graders. I just wish I could capture the way they sang Penny's song for themselves. This won't draw readers who want a big laugh or lots of action, but for a quiet kid it will bring a lot of pleasure.

Head over to Mr. Schu's blog Watch.Connect.Read to learn much more about Kevin Henkes and his writing process. Listen to Kevin Henkes talk about Penny here (link courtesy of Mr. Schu):



The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers, HarperCollins, to the Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California, for review in BayViews. This is an excellent review journal, if you are a librarian looking for a dependable source of independent review. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Sometimes "All You Need is Love"

I have a 12 year old son who struggles with reading.  He loves to be read to, but when it comes to reading to himself or to me, he puts up a real fight.  We adopted him when he was two and even though I am not certain, my guess is that his mother drank while she was pregnant with him.  He struggles to spell words correctly, to write even a sentence or two and his math skills are even worse.  His handwriting is completely illegible.  We have tried phonics programs that cost thousands, had his eyes checked by the best of the best, hired tutors for years, tutored him ourselves, drilled him with flash cards and on and on.  So why am I writing about this.  Well, I have read to him since he was small and he has made very slow, but steady progress.  I believe that reading aloud to him is that key that will eventually make him a reader. 

We have read many books together.  Sometimes we take turns reading and sometimes I just let him listen as I read.  I explain vocab and I ask for preditions and such.  Well yesterday we finished the first "Hunger Games" book, just in time, because the movie came out yesterday as well.  He hasn't seen it yet though.  When we finished the book, he gave me a big hug and said, "That was the best ending ever!  I loved that book!"  He could never have read it himself, but all of his friends are reading the books or have already read them.  He wants to be included in the discussions of the books as well and now he can be.

I have to say that I would NOT stock these books in my elementary school library.  (There was actually a debate over it at our school.)  They are awfully violent and about "kids killing kids", but I am willing to read them to my "super reluctant reader" son.  WHY?  First of all, I can skim over parts I want to leave out that may be too violent for him.  Secondly, if I can get him to sit next to me, feel my support and love for him, give him a comfy feeling during the time we have together reading, I think he will end up with a very positive feeling about books and reading in general.  That's my goal and I am willing to give him magazines, comics, graphic novels,  or whatever may interest him at this age.  It may not be of great literary value, but so what?  If he'll read it, then let him read it!

I love this amazing article by Mem Fox.  http://www.memfox.com/like-mud-not-fireworks.html  It supports what I'm talking about!  Sometimes the Beatles are right when they said, "All You Need is Love".  We've tried everything else!!!!! 

Words that Build People

This is an article written by Gladys Hunt at http://tumblon.com/honey.  This was so encouraging and a great reminder as a parent, grandparent, teacher, spouse.....

"The other day I heard a wealthy entrepreneur named Rich DeVos speak as part of a lecture series. He has started numerous businesses, given hundreds and hundreds of people jobs and opportunities to succeed. He is a philanthropist who enriched our city with museums, hospitals, schools, and more. He invests in people. He is a man of principle and strong Christian values.

I had never heard him speak. He’s over eighty now, and I thought he might give us some business principles for success. Instead he gave us phrases that help build the lives of other people. They are so simple to say and yet so hard to speak at the right time—which is just when people need a special word of encouragement. It was inspiring.

I thought of these posts I have been writing about responsible use of language to build relationships in our homes, to inspire our children, and increase their imagination. His words fit. As he spoke I thought of the phrase from an old song: Where never is heard a discouraging word….and smiled because this is the way I was parented as I grew up. Here are words from his list:

1. Learn to say I was wrong. Being wrong is inevitable for human beings—even parents. Your marriage and family life will be stronger if you as parents demonstrate that you can admit this, hard as it is. Of course, it means nothing if it doesn’t come from the heart. Admitting we are wrong is the only way to truly heal the hurt we have caused others. It’s a good thing for our children to learn when they are found with their hand in the cookie jar.
2. Along with saying I’m wrong!” we have to learn to say, “I’m sorry!” These are companion phrases, and our children need to hear us sincerely saying them.
3. “You can do it!” The opposite of this is “can’t” and the opposite of “can’t” is “try.” These words give an attitude in our homes.
4. I’m proud of you! Approving smiles and affirming words are the best vitamins for children. That doesn’t mean we don’t discipline. It means we use language to build, not to tear down. Kids don’t need to be award winners to hear us say this. Not everyone hits the ball over the fence or gets all A’s. But we all need someone who is proud of us.
5. Thank you! Responsible parents are adamant about teaching their children to say this. Children also need to hear their parents say this. Thank you is an acknowledgement that another person’s actions matter. Thank you puts life in perspective.
6. I need you! The truth is we need each other. It is relationships that make lives meaningful; we need to let the people in our lives know they are needed. It’s not a top-down situation. We all need each other.
7. I trust you! This becomes increasingly important as a child grows older. Some one’s trust keeps us from wrong-doing and gives extra reason to do right.
8. I love you! These words make a child feel protected, cared for, believed in. Say these words often. They build people.

Words are a great gift. Use them wisely."

A Plug for Fairy Tales!

 “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

 

Folk and Fairy Tales, Tongue-in-Cheek Versions

As always when you're analyzing literature together, keep the touch light or you'll ruin the whole thing. Remember that most of these books are meant to be funny. Don't destroy the humor by making too big a chore out of it.  Our next suggestion is that you sample one of two of the selections below. Enjoy it together. Notice what the illustrator has done to enhance the tale. Then look at the choices the author has made. Think back to the basic tale and list the things he or she could have dealt with and then look at what the author did tackle. Speculate on the author's purpose. Was he or she just looking to amuse us? Was the author making a political or literary statement? Use these points of speculation as a starting point as you examine other volumes.  This might also be the point where you'll want to develop a working vocabulary for describing the books, depending on the age and sophistication of the students. Such terms as satire, irony, pastiche, bowdlerization, take-off, parody, and tongue-in-cheek can be defined and applied as appropriate.  You may suggest that they categorize these tales by the method the author used: telling the tale from a different character's point of view, putting the tale in a modern setting, looking at the inconsistencies in the story, trying to make the story more realistic, or changing roles, for instance. Okay, on to the tales.

 

Jack and the Beanstalk:  * * Cole, Brock. The Giant's Toe.  Be prepared to be just a bit put off when the giant accidentally hacks off his toe which becomes a very clever albeit tiny boy. The giant is outwitted at every turn by this tiny one and so is Jack when he shows up very near the end of the book. That's when it becomes apparent that it's a Jack and the Beanstalk prequel. 

* Briggs, Raymond. Jim & the Beanstalk. Jack's son revisits the giant at the top of the beanstalk to find that he has aged considerably and needs lots of help.

* Kellogg, Steven. Jack and the Beanstalk.  The story line is pretty much standard -- Jack sells the cow for beans, a beanstalk grows from them. It's an ogre instead of the usual giant in this version but the real difference comes from the illustrations and the details and subplots they hold. There's a cat quartet and the ogre is deliciously evil.

The Frog Prince: See also Helen Griffith's Emily and the Enchanted Frog listed below under Combinations of Tales.

* * Scieszka, Jon. The Frog Prince Continued. Illustrated by Steve Johnson.
This is a true fairy tale extension in that we find out what happens after the princess marries the frog she kissed and turned into a prince. They didn't live happily ever after. He kept too many of his froggy ways to suit the fastidious princess. He thinks she nags too much. There is a solution, however.

Cinderella: 

Buehner, Caralyn & Mark. Fanny's Dream.
Fanny, a big, capable young woman, dreams of going to the ball and meeting her prince. Enduring the ridicule of her family, she waits in the garden for her fairy godmother. She doesn't appear but Heber Jensen does. A neighboring farmer, he can't offer her riches, but he offers her love and she accepts. Years later, after becoming a mom three times over Fanny rests for a moment in the garden. This time the fairy godmother does appear with apologies for being late, but this time Fanny refuses the offer. More Info.

* Minters, Frances. Cinder-Elly. Illustrated by,G. Brian Karas.
Here's an updated Cinderella who goes, not to a ball, but to a basketball game. She wears glass sneakers (among other things) to the game and gets there by bike. The rhyming text is better than average and there's good humor here.

* * Ketteman, Helen. Bubba the Cowboy Prince. Illustrated by James Warhola.
Here's a Texas version of Cinderella. It's the youngest of three sons who is taunted and made to do all the work by his stepbrothers and stepfather and it's a fairy godcow who supplies the magic. The lovely single woman who owns the big spread nearby conducts the dance, and it's the missing cowboy boot that matches. The best line in the book is uttered by that woman after she's danced with most of the possible suitors: "There goes another ten dollar Stetson on a five cent head."

* * * Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.
It doesn't usually work to build a novel around a fairy tale. We like our two dimensional characters to stay that way. Making full bodied characters necessitates explaining or making logical the events and, in a fairy tale, that way lies confusion or hilarity. Ella Enchanted is, therefore, a delightful surprise. It works from the first sentence to the last. Levine's inspired plot has Ella cursed at birth by a well-meaning fairy who declares that she shall be obedient. This allows her, later, to become subservient to her stepsisters and stepmother. The absent or ineffective father in this novel becomes a selfish, profit hungry man whose only use for his daughter is to marry her off. Most children, hearing or reading the book, may not become aware of the Cinderella plot until well into it.

Snow White: * French, Fiona. Snow White in New York.   This is a tongue in cheek version of Snow White done with Art Deco illustrations. The setting is 1920s New York and Snow White is a flapper guarded by seven jazzmen.

The Three Bears:  * Ross, Tony. Goldilocks & the Three Bears.  Ross' tale proceeds according to the usual outline but the setting is modern. His bears are white and live in luxury -- even color television. Their walls are adorned with paintings, even a Modigliani. But their reaction to the unwanted visitor, albeit jeans-clad, is fierce and typically satisfying.

The Princess and the Pea:  * * Johnston, Tony. The Cowboy & the Black-eyed Pea. Illustrated by Warren Ludwig.  In this delightful switch it's the bodacious and wealthy Farethee Well who is looking for a sensitive mate. Knowing that a true cowboy is known for his sensitivity, she places a black-eyed pea beneath the saddle blanket of each suitor and sends him off to ride the range. Most don't notice the discomfort, but one cowboy, arriving in a rainstorm, asks for more and more padding but is still uncomfortable.

The Three Little Pigs:  * * Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf. Illustrated by Lane Smith.  He was only trying to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbors who happened to have built very flimsy houses. Not his fault! And all that huffing and puffing business? He had a cold. Could he help it that he sneezed too hard? Once the pigs were just lying there defenseless he'd be a poor excuse for a wolf for not taking advantage of the situation. As he points out, it's wolves bad luck that they keep to a diet of things we find cute such as lambs and pigs. If, he adds, hamburgers were cute, we'd suffer the same bad rap.

* Lowell, Susan. Three Little Javelinas, Illustrator Jim Harris. .
This southwestern version of the Three Little Pigs features a coyote villain and hairy javelinas. Nestled in the plot is some information about desert flora and fauna and the tale becomes a pourquois tale when it explains why the coyote howls.

Stone Soup:  * * Ross, Tony. Stone Soup.   Ross grabs characters from other tales and gives new life and a wild humor to an old folk tale. His soup maker is the Little Red Hen. His villain is The Big Bad Wolf. The one joke text is turned into a two joke twist. The story has always been that of a con game. In this version, the wolf threatens to eat the hen and grab all her goodies. She tells him that he should have a nice bowl of soup first and gets him to do a series of exhausting chores as she adds more and more ingredients to the soup which she starts with a stone. The finished product is delicious and when the exhausted and now satiated wolf has eaten it all, she says he can eat her up, he says he's too full.

* * Blundell, Tony. Beware of Boys. This time it's a wolf who is intent on making soup -- little boy soup. However, the resourceful boy has other ideas. He has better recipes, he says, but the wolf must run to get the desired ingredients. Each time there's a missing ingredient to prevent them from making that dish. The boy also has plans for some of those inedible ingredients he's had the wolf gather. 

Chicken Little:   * * Kellogg, Steven. Chicken Little.  Although the text of this folk tale sticks fairly close to the typical version, Kellogg loads his crowded illustrations with a subplot and many humorous asides and details.

Little Red Riding Hood: * * * Marshall, James. Red Riding Hood. Marshall's touches are everywhere. In the dialogue: Gramma's not ill, she's "not feeling up to snuff today". The wolf's first approach is, "Care to stop for a little chat? " Red Riding Hood herself is not the sweet little thing to whom we've grown accustomed. She's a bit tubby with stringy brown hair, but she lives life with gusto up until the wolf gets her. Encouraged by him to gather some flowers for Gramma, she tackles a field of sunflowers far taller than she. Gramma becomes one of my favorite characters of all tales when her only remark on being rescued from the depths of wolf is, "It was so dark in there I couldn't read a word."

* * Lowell, Susan. Little Red Cowboy Hat. Illustrated by Randy Cecil.
Little Red Cowboy Hat is not as gullible as the more familiar Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma is certainly not the helpless bed ridden one. Little Red Cowboy Hat rides her pony to Grandma's to deliver a jar of cactus jelly. Together they best the wolf and end up sitting on the fence eating sandwiches after their victory which needs no passing huntsman.

* * Artell, Mike. Petite Rouge. Illustrated by Jim Harris.   The tale is told in short, jaunty rhyme and the argot is Cajun, of course. A helpful, very brief history of the Cajun people starts the book followed by a very clear and useful glossary. Those facts in our heads, we can proceed to enjoy Petite Rouge's encounter with Claude, an old gator who frequents the swamp. He first accosts the young goose and her cat as they traverse the swamp in her pirogue and demands the food she is taking to Grandmere's. When that attempt fails, old Claude is off to Grandmere's to try again. The slight variations on the "What big eyes you have." routine add to the fun and the use of hot sauce for the gator's comeuppance is a nice touch.

Rumplestiltskin:  * * Stanley, Diane. Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. Rumpelstiltskin's pleas for the child include a promise that he'll read to it and even coach Little League. He and the Queen run away and are married. Now it's sixteen years later and their daughter Hope runs afoul of the greedy king and he sets her to spinning gold. This time Hope escapes with no hero to rescue her.

Sleeping Beauty:  * Yolen, Jane. Sleeping Ugly. Illustrated by Diane Stanley.

This turn-about version of Sleeping Beauty gives us word play as well as a feminist twist. We have the Princess Miserella as the selfish but beautiful princess and Plain Jane as her opposite. There's the prerequisite Good Fairy and a prince, of course. The moral is clear and punful.

Three Billy Goats Gruff:  * Wolff, Patricia R. Toll-Bridge Troll. Illustrated by Kimberley Root. Grades 2 - 7.  Trigg, a young boy in jeans and sneakers, must pass over a bridge on his way to school each day. Under the bridge lives the standard troll who demands a toll. Trigg outwits him by using riddles many kids will be able to answer.

* Emberley, Rebecca. Three Cool Kids.  These three kids live on a city lot which is becoming barren. On the other side of the street is an empty lot with lots of green grass. However, a big fierce rat lives under the grate they must cross. From then on it's like the original tale with a "The grass is always greener on the other side" moral.

* * Hassett, John & Ann. The Three Silly Girls Grubb. Grades 2 - 7. 
Three little girls, sizes small, medium and extra large, must cross a bridge each day to get the school bus. Under the bridge lives a bad boy -- the kind who throws stones at cats and never goes to school. He threatens each girl in turn and each refers him to the next one. We knew the extra large girl would get him, but she does so by threatening to kiss him. That does it: he's off to school.

The Little Red Hen: * * Crummel, Susan. Cook-a-Doodle-Doo. Illustrated by Janet Stevens  Grades 1 - 7.   A descendant of The Little Red Hen, a fine rooster, finds her cookbook. It turns out she made much more than bread. Scorned by some of the animals, he is aided by three others, a pig, a turtle and an iguana, as the rooster attempts to make shortcake using The Little Red Hen's recipe. The process is funny and involves many Amelia Bedelia sorts of misunderstandings and misinterpretations and one outright disaster, but they end up with delicious shortcake.

The Emperor's New Clothes:  * * Lasky, Kathryn. The Emperor's Old Clothes. Ill. by David Catrow. Grades 2 - 7.   I didn't know that the Emperor discarded each piece of clothing as he donned the invisible items created by his con-men tailors, but he must have. In this parallel tale, as each item is thrown from the coach bearing his royal majesty to the parade, it is found and put on by a very simple, happy farmer named Henry. Each time Henry first perceives the item to be something more familiar to him. The exclamations he utters with each find are delightful. At last he gets to the parade only to discover that the Emperor is stark naked. Returning home in all his finery, Henry finds his simple chores impossible and, when a small chick falls to the ground convulsed with laughter, Henry realizes how foolish he looks and joins in the hilarity.

Combinations of Tales:  * * Ahlberg, Janet & Allan. The Jolly Postman. Little Brown, 2001. Grades 1 - 7.   A postman goes on his rounds delivering mail to the characters from fairy tales. The pages become envelopes or pockets in which the letters, junk mail and postcards can be found. Besides offering an amusing look at a large variety of mail, the book serves as a reminder of the tales from which the characters come.

* * *Griffith, Helen. Emily & the Enchanted Frog. Illustrated by Susan Lamb. 
Emily is an imperturbable little girl who knows her fairly tales and discovers, in the first story, that kissing a frog really does turn him into a prince; the only trouble is, he doesn't like being a prince and greatly prefers his frog state. Now she must kiss every frog he brings her until she finds a princess. When they kiss each other, they become blissful frogs again. In the second story, an elf appears to grant Emily one wish. When she wishes to be invisible, her wish is granted. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as she thinks on, she realizes that being invisible may not be so good after all; it would be fun in games, but the other kids won't know she's playing; at school the teacher won't know she's there and will mark her absent. She even imagines joining a support group of invisible people. Then the elf reappears to tell her he made a mistake. She was supposed to get three wishes. She uses the first to become visible again and wastes the last, of course. My favorite is the third in which she finds a little crab-like creature who insists he's a mermaid. Emily finally convinces him that, even though she has never actually seen a mermaid, she is sure he is not, but that causes a tremendous identity crisis. When a similar creature approaches them on the beach, both Emily and the first creature are sure that they'll find out what he is. And they're right. The second creature says he's a mermaid. More Info.

* * Scieszka, Jon. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.
This humorous book of revisionist fairy tales is perfect for a diverse group of elementary school boys and girls. The ten complete stories are clever, amusing and true to their name: really stupid. Although these versions do not attempt to be faithful to the original stories, these zany stories give children the opportunity to enjoy some modern tales taken from the familiar.

Taken from Carol Hurst's amazing website. Please go visit at http://www.carolhurst.com

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know

100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know

ABUELA
Dorros, Arthur
While riding on a bus with her grandmother, a little girl imagines that they are carried up into the sky and fly over the sights of New York City. J PIC D
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ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
Viorst, Judith
Recounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander. J PIC V
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ANANSI AND THE MOSS-COVERED ROCK
Eric A., Kimmel
Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals, until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson.J 398.24 K
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ANDY AND THE LION
Daugherty, James
The lion remembers Andy's kindness to himJ FIC D
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BARK, GEORGE
Feiffer, Jules
A mother dog worries about the strange noises her puppy is making.J PIC F
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THE BOSSY GALLITO: A TRADITIONAL CUBAN FOLK TALE
Gonzalez, Lucia M., retold by; illustrated by Lulu Delacre
In this cumulative Cuban folktale, a bossy rooster dirties his beak when he eats a kernel of corn and must find a way to clean it before his parrot uncle's wedding.J 398.2 G
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BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES
Hoban, Russell; illustrated by Lillian Hoban
Frances decides she likes to eat only bread and jam at every meal--until to her surprise--her parents grant her wish.J PIC H
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BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Martin, Bill, Jr.; illustrated by Eric Carle
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them.J PIC M
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BRUNO MUNARI’S ABC
MUNARI, BRUNO
Beginning with an "Ant on an Apple," illustrations, simple text, and a pesky fly who will not stay on his page introduce the letters of the alphabet. J PIC M
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BUZ
Egielski, Richard
When a little boy swallows a bug along with his cereal, pandemonium breaks out as the bug searches for an escape, the boy searches for an antidote, and Keystone Cops-like pills search for the bug. J PIC E
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CAPS FOR SALE; A TALE OF A PEDDLER, SOME MONKEYS AND THEIR MONKEY BUSINESS
Slobodkina, Esphyr
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.J PIC S
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THE CARROT SEED
Krauss, Ruth; illustrated by Crockett Johnson
A young boy plants a carrot seed and, although the adults tell him that nothing will happen, he just knows it will come up.J PIC K
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A CHAIR FOR MY MOTHER
Williams, Vera B.
A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.J PIC W
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CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM
Martin, Bill, Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert
An alphabet rhyme/chant that relates what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.J PIC M
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CLICK, CLACK, MOO : COWS THAT TYPE /
Cronin, Doreen
When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want. J PIC C
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COME ALONG, DAISY!
Simmons, Jane
Daisy the duckling becomes so engrossed in playing with dragonflies and lily pads that she temporarily loses her mother.J PIC S
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CORDUROY
Freeman, Don
A teddy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but, when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of all.J PIC F
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CURIOUS GEORGE
Rey, H. A.
The adventures of a curious monkey.J FIC R
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DINOSAUR ROAR!
Stickland, Paul and Henrietta
Illustrations and rhyming text present all kinds of dinosaurs, including ones that are sweet, grumpy, spiky, or lumpy. J PIC S
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DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!
Willems, Mo
When the bus driver leaves the bus for a while, the pigeon wants to drive the bus so badly that he starts to dream himself behind the steering wheel vroom-vroom-vroom. J PIC W
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DUCK ON A BIKE
Shannon, David
A duck decides to ride a bike and soon influences all the other animals on the farm to ride bikes too. J PIC S
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FIRE TRUCK
Sís, Peter
Matt, who loves fire trucks, wakes up one morning to find that he has become a fire truck, with one driver, two ladders, three hoses, and ten boots. Features a gate-fold illustration that opens into a three-page spread. J PIC S
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FREIGHT TRAIN
Crews, Donald
Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.J PIC C
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FROGGY GETS DRESSED
London, Jonathan
Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.J PIC L
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THE GARDENER
Stewart, Sarah
A series of letters relating what happens when, after her father loses his job, Lydia Grace goes to live with her Uncle Jim in the city but takes her love for gardening with her. J PIC S
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GEORGE AND MARTHA
Marshall, James
Relates several episodes in the friendship of two hippoppotamuses.J FIC M
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GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER!
Emberley, Ed
Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to help a child control nighttime fears of monsters.J PIC E
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GOIN’ SOMEPLACE SPECIAL
McKissack, Patricia
In segregated 1950s' Nashville, a young African American girl braves a series of indignities and obstacles to get to one of the few integrated places in town: the public library. J PIC M
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GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA
Rathmann, Peggy
An unobservant zookeeper is followed home by all the animals he thinks he has left behind in the zoo.J PIC R
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GOODNIGHT MOON
Brown, Margaret W.; illustrated by Clement Hurd
A little bunny says goodnight to all the familiar things in his little room.J PIC B
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GOSSIE
Olivier, Dunrea
Gossie is a gosling who likes to wear bright red boots every day, no matter what she is doing, and so she is heartbroken the day the boots are missing and she can't find them anywhere. J PIC D
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GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY
Say, Allen
A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries.J PIC S
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HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON
Johnson, Crockett
Harold goes for a walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon and created many fantastic adventures.J PIC J
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HARRY THE DIRTY DOG
Zion, Gene; illustrated by Margaret Graham
A little dog who hates baths hides his scrubbing brush then becomes so dirty that his family does not recognize him.J PIC Z
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HENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG
Johnson, D. B. (Donald B.)
While his friend works hard to earn the train fare to Fitchburg, young Henry Thoreau walks the thirty miles through woods and fields, enjoying nature and the time to think great thoughts. Includes biographical information about Thoreau.J PIC J
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HORTON HATCHES THE EGG
Seuss, Dr.
When a lazy bird hatching an egg wants a vacation, she asks Horton, the elephant, to sit on her egg--which he does through all sorts of hazards and waits until he is rewarded for doing what he said he would.J PIC S
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HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD NIGHT?
Yolen, Jane
Mother and child ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss. J PIC Y
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I KISSED THE BABY!
Murphy, Mary
Various animals tell how they saw, fed, sang to, tickled, and kissed the new duckling. J PIC M
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IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE
Numeroff, Laura J.
Relating the cycle of requests a mouse is likely to make after you give him a cookie takes the reader through a young child's day.J PIC N
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IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE: A YIDDISH FOLKTALE
Zemach, Margot, retold and illustrated by
Unable to stand his overcrowded and noisy home any longer, a poor man goes to the Rabbi for advice.J 398.2 Z
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JOHN HENRY
Lester, Julius; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Retells the life of the legendary African American hero who raced against a steam drill to cut through a mountain.J 398.2 L
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JULIUS
Johnson, Angela; illustrated by Dav Pilkey
Maya's grandfather brings her a pig from Alaska and the two of them learn about fun and sharing together.J PIC J
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KITTEN’S FIRST FULL MOON
Henkes, Kevin
When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.J PIC H
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LILLY’S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE
Kevin, Henkes
Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later.J PIC H
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THE LINE-UP BOOK
Marisabina, Russo
Sam lines up blocks, books, boots, cars, and other objects, all the way from his room to his mother in the kitchen.J PIC R
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THE LITTLE RED HEN: AN OLD STORY
Zemach., Margot
A retelling of the traditional tale about the little red hen whose lazy friends are unwilling to help her plant, harvest, or grind the wheat into flour, but all are willing to help her eat the bread that she makes from it.J 398.24 Z
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LON PO PO: A RED RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA
Young, Ed.
Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.J 398.2 Y
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LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE
Waber, Bernard
The helpful, happy crocodile living on East 88th St. causes a neighborhood feud.J FIC W
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MABELA THE CLEVER
MacDonald, Margaret Read
An African folktale about a mouse who pays close attention to her surroundings and avoids being tricked by the cat.J 398.2 M
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MACHINES AT WORK
Barton, Byron
During a busy day at the construction site, the workers use a variety of machines to knock down a building and begin constructing a new one. J PIC B
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MADELINE
Bemelmans, Ludwig
The story of a school girl in Paris.J PIC B
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MAISY GOES SWIMMING
Cousins, Lucy
The reader helps Maisy the mouse undress and put on her bathing suit for a dip in the pool.J PIC C
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MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS
McCloskey, Robert
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard found a quiet place to raise their babies then took them to the pond in the Boston Public Garden where there were peanuts to eat.J PIC M
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MAMA CAT HAS THREE KITTENS
Fleming, Denise
While two kittens copy everything their mother does, their brother naps.J PIC F
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THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS
Gerstein, Mordicai
A lyrical evocation of Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. J PIC G
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MARTHA SPEAKS
Meddaugh, Susan
Problems arise when Martha, the family dog, learns to speak after eating alphabet soup. J PIC M
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MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL
Burton, Virginia L.
The story of an Irish steam-shovel artist and his old-fashioned steam-shovel, Mary Anne.J FIC B
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MILLIONS OF CATS
Gág, Wanda
The story of a peasant who goes off in search of one kitten and returns with trillions of cats.J PIC G
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MISS NELSON IS MISSING!
Allard, Harry and James Marshall
The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.J PIC A
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MR. GUMPY'S OUTING
Birmingham, John
Mr. Gumpy accepts more and more animals on his boat until the inevitable occurs.J FIC B
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MUFARO'S BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS: AN AFRICAN TALE
Steptoe, John, retold and illustrated by
Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife.J FIC S
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MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA!
Fleming, Candace
After planting the garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all his vegetables.J PIC F
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MY FRIEND RABBIT
Rohmann, Eric
Something always seems to go wrong when Rabbit is around, but Mouse lets him play with his toy plane anyway because he is his good friend. J PIC R
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THE NAPPING HOUSE
Wood, Audrey
In this cumulative tale, a wakeful flea atop a number of sleeping creatures causes a commotion, with just one bite. Illustrated by Don Wood.J PIC W
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NO, DAVID!
Shannon, DAVID
A young boy is depicted doing a variety of naughty things for which he is repeatedly admonished, but finally he gets a hug. J PIC S
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OFF TO SCHOOL, BABY DUCK!
Hest, Amy
Baby Duck experiences the fear of the first day of school, but with a little help from Grampa, everything turns out okay in the end.J PIC H
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OLD BLACK FLY
Aylesworth, Jim
Rhyming text and illustrations follow a mischievous old black fly through the alphabet as he has a very busy bad day landing where he should not be. Illustrations by Stephen Gammell.J PIC A
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OLIVIA
Falconer, Ian
Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.J PIC F
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OWEN
Henkes, Kevin
Owen's parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.J PIC H
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PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME
Carle, Eric
Monica's father fulfills her request for the moon by taking it down after it is small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size. Some pages fold out to display particularly large pictures.J PIC C
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PIERRE: A CAUTIONARY TALE
Sendak, Maurice
The story of a boy who learned to care.J FIC S
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THE POLAR EXPRESS
Van Allsburg, Chris
A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus.J PIC V
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PUSS IN BOOTS
Perrault, Charles
Translation of Chat botte´ illustrated by Fred Marcellino.J 398.2 P
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THE RANDOM HOUSE BOOK OF MOTHER GOOSE: A TREASURY OF 386 TIMELESS NURSERY RHYMES
Lobel, Arnold
An illustrated collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, including well-known ones such as "Bah, Bah, Black Sheep" and "Little Boy Blue" and less familiar ones such as "Doctor Foster went to Gloucester" and "When clouds appear like rocks and towers." Selected and illustrated by Arnold Lobel.J 398.8 M
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ROUND TRIP
Jonas, Ann
Black and white illustrations and text record the sights on a day trip to the city and back home again to the country.J PIC J
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RUMPELSTILTSKIN
Zelinsky, Paul O.
A strange little man helps the miller's daughter spin straw into gold for the king on the condition that she will give him her first-born child. Retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.J 398.21 Z
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THE SNOWY DAY
Keats, Ezra Jack
A story of a young boy explores the magic world of snow -- snowball fight, snowman making, sliding down the snow way, etc. He loves the snow fall.J PIC K
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SPOTS, FEATHERS AND CURLY TAILS
Tafuri, Nancy
Questions and answers highlight some outstanding characteristics of farm animals, such as a chicken's feathers and a horse's mane. J PIC T
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THE STORY OF FERDINAND
Leaf, Munro
The story of a bull that would rather sit quietly under a tree than fight. Illustrations by Robert Lawson.J FIC L
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THE STRAY DOG
Marc, Simont
A family befriends a stray dog, names him Willy, and decides to keep him. From a true story by Reiko Sassa. J PIC S
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STREGA NONA
De Paola, Tomie
A retelling of an old Italian tale about what happens when Strega Nona leaves her apprentice alone with her magic pasta pot, and he is determined to show the townspeople how it works.J 398.2 D
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SWIMMY
Lionni, Leo
Swimmy, the only black fish of the entire school, devises for himself and his adopted brothers and sisters a safer way to live in the sea.J FIC L
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SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE
Steig, William
In a moment of fright Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again.J FIC S
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THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT
Potter, Beatrix
Peter disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost gets caught.J PIC P
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TAR BEACH
Ringgold, Faith
A young girl dreams of flying above her Harlem home, claiming all she sees for herself and her family. Based on the author's quilt painting of the same name. J PIC R
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TEN, NINE, EIGHT
Bang, Molly

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THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
Taback, Simms
Presents the traditional version of a famous American folk poem first heard in the U.S. in the 1940s with illustrations on die-cut pages that reveal all that the old lady swallows. J 784.4 T
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THE THREE BEARS
Galdone, Paul
Three bears return from a walk and find a little girl asleep in baby bear's bed.J 398.2 T
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TRASHY TOWN
Zimmerman, Andrea Griffing
Little by little, can by can, Mr. Gillie, the trash man, cleans up his town. J PIC Z
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THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS BY A. WOLF
Scieszka, John
The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs. Illustrated by Lane Smith.J PIC S
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TUESDAY
Wiesner, David
Frogs rise on their lily pads, float through the air, and explore the nearby houses while their inhabitants sleep.J PIC W
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UPTOWN
Bryan, Collier
A tour of the sights of Harlem, including the Metro-North Train, brownstones, shopping on 125th Street, a barber shop, summer basketball, the Boy's Choir, and sunset over the Harlem River. J PIC C
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THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR
Carle, Eric
Follows the progress of a little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.J PIC C
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THE WHEELS ON THE BUS
Zelinsky, Paul O., adapted and illustrated by
Through the use of movable illustrations, the wheels on the bus go round, the wipers swish, the doors open and close and the people go in and out in this adaptation of the traditional song.J PIC Z
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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Sendak, Maurice
After Max was sent to bed for misbehaving, he escapes by imagining that he sails away to a wild land full of monsters.J PIC S
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WHERE'S SPOT?
Hill, Eric
It's time for supper, so Spot's mother searches for him.J FIC H
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WHISTLE FOR WILLIE
Keats, Ezra Jack
A little Black boy tries very hard to learn how to whistle for his dog.J PIC K
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THE WOLF’S CHICKEN STEW
Kasza, Keiko
A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have unexpected results. J PIC K
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YOKO
Wells, Rosemary
When Yoko brings sushi to school for lunch, her classmates make fun of what she eats--until one of them tries it for himself.J PIC W
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ZOMO THE RABBIT: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM WEST AFRICA
McDermott, Gerald, retold and illustrated by
Zomo the Rabbit, an African trickster, sets out to gain wisdom.
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