Monday, January 30, 2012

B Is For Bear - By Roger Priddy

With cardboard pages and bright photos, this is a combination touch-and-feel, alphabet book, that is just right for any infant 6 months old and up. Glittering fish scales, raised bubbles, real yarn . . .It even includes a mirror on the "Y is For YOU" page! By far the best interactive baby book I've ever seen!

The Little Engine That Could - By Watty Piper

One of the best-loved children's books of all time!  A happy train breaks down before reaching the children on the "other side of the mountain", and no one wants to help - that is, until the Little Blue Engine comes along! She's a tiny engine, but due to her determination and thinking that "she CAN" do it, she's able to reach the top of the mountain and go sailing down the other side! Colorful, old-fashioned illustrations help to make this book both charming and timeless.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Maybelle The Cable Car - By Virginia Lee Burton

This is quite a long story for younger children, but very informative concerning how the cable cars came to stay in modern San Francisco.  Boys who enjoy the "Thomas" train books, as preschoolers, may later enjoy this challenging read. Detailed sketches show not only the history of the cable car, but also its mechanics.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Daisy Comes Home - By Jan Brett

One little hen is being bullied by the others until she finally decides to leave her Chinese hen house, and ends up on an adventure! Introduce children to animals like water buffalo, red-tailed monkeys, and cormorants, while discovering whether or not little Mei-Mei gets her hen back! A richly illustrated book set in rural China.  Such an excellent story for showing readers what life is like in a different culture!

Monday, January 23, 2012

James In The House Of Aunt Prudence - By Timothy Bush

James visits his Great-Aunt Prudence for the day, and discovers that her home is filled with antiques, paintings, and plenty of other interesting, elegant items. It doesn't take many moments alone, before James' imagination begins to run away with him, and everything in Aunt Prudence's home comes alive!  A charming book about child's play.   Detailed illustrations of ancient artifacts, wicked mice, and violent monkeys will definitely capture the imagination!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Best Friends Together Again - By Aliki

This book teaches that some things change and some things stay the same, when a best friend moves away. Letters and photos keep people close, across the miles, and even though lives move on in different directions, you can still have fun when the friend returns for a visit! The colorful illustrations and thought-provoking storyline make this an ideal tool for a kindergarten class.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Sounds Around Town - By Maria Carluccio

A simple book that introduces young children to common sounds that various animals and objects make, as well as a few words in different languages.  The storyline shows a mother and a father who are both very involved in their baby's life.  The unique illustrations appear to be created using different types of paper and textures.  A wonderful book for sharing during a lesson on the five senses!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Flower Garden - By Eve Bunting

A little girl who lives in the city CAN'T give her Mama a whole garden for her birthday, but CAN give her a little garden in a WINDOW BOX!  This is a precious and beautifully illustrated book on the joy of giving something lovely.  The story will help children to recognize several flowers by name and may even plant in their hearts the desire to do some gardening!

The Queen Of Style - By Caralyn Buehner

Queen Sophie has nothing to do all day until she enrolls in the "Royal College Of Beauty".  She studies her lessons diligently, and starts fixing everyone's hair in the kingdom - even the sheep! ORDERING townsfolk to have their hair done, doesn't work out too well, but when Sophie learns to let the people come whenever they want to, everyone is happy! A silly book with a hidden lesson in bossiness.  Very comical illustrations!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

It's Time To Sleep, It's Time To Dream - By David A. Adler

Sweet, sleepy pages to read to your little one as the seasons go by, year after year. Watch the trees and weather change in each soft-colored scene, and observe a little boy getting ready for bedtime in each unique silhouette. A very beautiful "night-night" book!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Cat & Mouse - By Ian Schoenherr

The perfect book for teaching a couple familiar nursery rhymes, while delighting children with large, colorful illustrations!  This story shows that even a cat and a mouse can be friends. SMILE!  Great for reading to a class!

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Listening Walk - By Paul Showers

A terrific book for sharing during a preschool study on the five senses! This story will encourage readers to stop and LISTEN to the many sounds all around them, every day! Lots of different "sound words" float between the colorful illustrations, and are great for trying to copy, as a group. Definitely a fun tool to use before going on a "Listening Walk" as a class or with your family!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Don't Spill The Beans! - By Ian Schoenherr

What better way to teach children some commonly-used idioms and phrases, than by reading them "Don't Spill The Beans!"?! Young listeners may also pick up on two or three NOT-so-common animal names!  Charming illustrations and a fun birthday storyline make this book just too cute for words!

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Finding Joy - By Marion Coste

The tender story of a couple from the United States who decide to adopt a baby girl from China.  This is an excellent book for reading to a child who HAS BEEN adopted, or for sharing with a group of children to TEACH them ABOUT adoption!  The storyline will help little ones to see that being adopted is truly a precious thing - and it doesn't necessarily mean that their REAL parents didn't want them, either!  Because of China's strict family laws, literally thousands of Chinese infants have been adopted since 1991, and are now in loving, caring homes. The oriental illustrations match this story beautifully.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Let's Clean Up! - By Peggy Perry Anderson

An adorable rhyming book, teaching children the importance of keeping a clean bedroom!  Joe Frog sees that when Mommy has worked hard to make everything nice, it hurts her feelings when he messes it all up again.  The two of them discover, in the end, that it is much easier if they work TOGETHER.  Cartoon-style illustrations add to the humor of this cute story.