Submitted by Ms. Janis!
Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla, a Pura Belpre Honor book, is surely a hit for toddlers and preschoolers. The short lines of text encourage participation in these age groups. “Fiesta Babies go out on the town—right-side up and upside down!” The “Fiesta Babies” are celebrating a local Hispanic holiday. They are wearing brightly colored clothes and handmade crowns (coronas). The Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book can be understood in context. These Fiesta Babies dance, march on parade, and sing along to mariachi songs in their spirited celebration of fiestas. Children are introduced to the many colorful aspects of an important and lively Latino cultural tradition. See this book listed in our catalog
There’s a Cow in the Road
Submitted by Ms. Amanda!
There’s A Cow in the Road by Reeve Lindbergh is a great book, that is written in rhyme, all about a child’s morning routine, with a twist. When the narrator wakes up in the morning to get ready for school, she sees a cow in the road. Then a goat joins the cow! As the narrator continues to get ready, a huge group of animals gather in the road in front of her house. Before she knows it there is a cow, goat, sheep, horse, goose and a pig in the road! Finally, she joins the crowd in the road in front of her house. The crowd is standing there waiting in the road in front of her house… What are they waiting for? They are waiting so they won’t be late, the school bus comes at a quarter to eight! What a cute way to read about time and sequence with children. Each animal shows up at a different time and step in the narrator’s morning routine. The story flows nicely, since it is written in short rhyming sentences. I have loved this story for years and hope you will too! See this book listed in our catalog
Help! A Story of Friendship
Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Help! A Story About Friendship by Holly Keller. Mouse and Snake have been friends for years, but one day gossip gets in the way. Fox tells Skunk, and Skunk tells Mouse: snakes are very dangerous, especially to mice! Mouse is scared and hides from his friend, even though Hedgehog is sure that Snake would never hurt either of them. But then Mouse, distracted by his fears, has an accident and gets hurt! Squirrel, Hedgehog, and Rabbit try to help but can’t. It’s up to Snake, even though his feelings are hurt, to show real friendship in Mouse’s time of need. This sweet story is illustrated by the author in a unique watercolor style called “collographs,” which resemble leaf rubbings and collage. The expressive animals and simple story convey a just-right message about friendship, gossip, and trust, that every child can understand. See this book listed in our catalog
Hooray for Reading Day!
Submitted by Ms. Tammy!
Hooray for Reading Day! by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Arthur Howard. Jessica finds herself filled with anxiety as she battles the difficult task of learning to read. Jessica stumbles over her words in class and everyone laughs, making her even more nervous over the upcoming Reading Theater Day. Each child must wear a costume and read a short line aloud in front of classmates and families. Her teacher continues to encourage her, and soon, with the help of her family and her dog Wiggles, Jessica is ready for the big show! After a glowing performance, with no mistakes, Jessica finds she loves to read, and spends the rest of the night reading to Wiggles! See this book listed in our catalog
All Aboard to Work–Choo-Choo!
Submitted by Ms. Tammy!
All Aboard to Work–Choo-Choo! by Carol Roth, illustrated by Steve Lavis. Catching the morning train is all part of getting ready to start a busy day at work! Follow along as seven animal families start the day, saying good-bye to mommies and daddies heading off to work on the morning train. In this rhythmic story, children will learn the name and profession of each animal parent as they board the train to start the day. When the work day finally ends, the train brings them home again. They return home to their families, where they take a bath, eat some dinner, enjoy playtime, and end with a bed time story! See this book listed in our catalog
The Tree House
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
The Tree House by the daughter-father-artist team of Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman is a breathtakingly beautiful book in my opinion. It is a wordless picture book, with the “story” beginning on the front cover. We see a white bear riding a whale (perhaps a latent comment on global warming?) to a tree house in the middle of the water. The white bear is soon joined by a brown bear in a boat, and they decide to share the magnificent tree house. Soon the seasons change, the water disappears, and new animals migrate to and from the bears’ tree house, like gorgeous pink flamingos, adorable owls, and a murder of crows. The bears remain, snacking, reading, and enjoying their life together. It’s a completely lovely and enchanting book with engrossing illustrations that will hopefully spur dialog between you and your child. I implore you to please enjoy The Tree House as soon as you can. See this book listed in our catalog