Paul Owen Lewis cordially invites us to the most smashing event of the season in P. Bear’s New Year’s Party. It’s black tie of course, so only the most formally dressed of Polar Bear’s friends will be there. An orca, some dairy cows, skunks, zebras, pandas, dalmations, and of course penguins are on the guest list. Help Polar Bear count down to his party, with the aid of a clock on each page and the setting sun and rising moon in the background of each dichromatic illustration. This book is great for teaching your child simple concepts of counting, colors (or lack thereof), and telling time. Plus it’s just great to see a new year’s party with a whale. I wish I was there!
Recommended for Kids
I Can Save the Earth!
I Can Save the Earth! is from the line of “Little Green Books” teaching children about the environment. In this story we’re introduced to Max, a little monster with some bad habits. Max throws his trash anywhere he pleases. He lets his sink overflow, and clogs his toilet with paper. He leaves every light in his house on, until one day there’s a blackout. Max goes outside to see what caused it and discovers how beautiful the earth is. He hadn’t noticed how much he loves the beach, and animals, and playing outside. Max changes his ways to help the earth. He conserves energy, recycles, reduces and reuses. He’s a green monster now, and you can be too!
The Neighborhood Mother Goose
The Neighborhood Mother Goose is one of my favorites by the fabulously talented Nina Crews. Crews was inspired by her neighborhood in Brooklyn to create this urban reprinting of traditional nursery rhymes. Each verse is illustrated photographically–pictures of real children with beautiful multi-cultural faces accompany each selection. Every page is a delight, whether it’s Pat-a-cake with two girls in front of a bakery, Georgie Porgie on the playground, to market to market to buy a fat pig at the grocery store, or Mary Mary quite contrary watering her garden. It really modernizes and brings meaning to stories that seem trite and old-fashioned to the new generation. Check this book out for a spicy new taste of Mother Goose!
Even Firefighters Go to the Potty
Even Firefighters Go to the Potty is a hilarious book by Wendy and Naomi Wax, and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. If you have a child who is hesitant to start using the potty, proof that everyone who’s anyone sits on a toilet might be reassuring. As the title suggests, Firefighters use the potty. It’s true! Police officers do too! Baseball players, construction workers, doctors and dentists–they all go to the potty. Astronauts use the potty (although its a little difficult with those bulky space-suits). When you’re at a restaurant and wondering where the waiter is? He’s probably on the potty (and most definitely washing his hands!) Do polar bears use the potty. No–but you can bet the zookeeper does!
Mouse Paint
Mouse Paint is one of several wonderful books concerning mice by Ellen Stoll Walsh. In this installment Walsh’s mice are hiding from the cat, as usual, when they discover three jars of paint–one red, one yellow, and one blue. They, of course, jump right in (why not? there’s a jar for each of them), and start dribbling colors onto a white piece of paper. When they step in each other’s paint puddles (and do a little mouse dance) they discover that mixing colors together creates new colors!This is a fun book to help teach your child about colors, maybe with a craft to reinforce the lesson?
Duck for President
Duck for President by Doreen Cronin, and illustrated by Betsy Lewin, was incredibly popular around election season (check outs were usually accompanied by clever parents commenting that the duck seemed like a good candidate), but it’s a great story for any time of the year. Duck lives on Farmer’s Brown’s farm. He and the other animals all have chores, but Duck doesn’t like chores, so he decides to hold an election, which he subsequently wins. But running the farm is hard work, so he begins his campaign for governor. Soon Duck is head of the state, but this job too is extremely difficult. So Duck pulls out all the stops and runs for President (eventually retiring to write his memoirs). Duck for President is one of my favorite books! It’s a kid-friendly commentary on politics that hopefully everyone can enjoy.