Submitted by Sue from Leonardtown!
The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. This sweet rhyming story about a scarecrow’s place on the farm, and the magical night he becomes free from his post, will enchant young readers and inspire them to rhyme. The full page, beautiful illustrations are done in acryl gouache and watercolor. Scarecrow finds himself free from his post one early autumn night. He skips through the fields and farm, and dances under the moon. As he passes by the farm house, he hears a young boy’s prayer for the farm and for him. Scarecrow is touched, and understands where he belongs, and his importance for the first time. He dances back towards his pole back in his field, and kneels to pray of rain, and sod, and faith, and beauty. “For anyone can dance,” thought he, “But only I can keep fields free.” See this book listed in our catalog
Wolves
Submitted by Allana from Leonardtown!
Pet Shop Lullaby
Submitted by Carol from Charlotte Hall!
Pet Shop Lullaby by Mary Ann Fraser is a short, simple story about a pet shop, and what happens in a pet shop at night. All the animals sleep at night, except of course for the hyper hamster. The hamster comes alive at night. He just can’t sleep. He loves to play on his wheel, and scratch, and munch all night long. However, all the other animals are getting very cranky because of this, and they try to think of ways to get the hamster to sleep. They try everything. They give him a bath, brush his teeth, sing to him, read him a story, and tuck him in. Read to find out if the animals can get the hamster to sleep at night. See this book listed in our catalog
Book! Book! Book!
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss. When the children go back to school after summer vacation, all the animals are bored. Hen announces she is going to town to find something to do. She sees happy children coming from the library, so each animal decides to go inside the library. However, the librarian cannot understand the animals, so she chases each one out. The hen finally goes inside, and flaps her wings and says, “Book! Book! Book!” The librarian complies, and the group of animals head back to the farm, each with a book. They are sitting under a tree reading, having a story time of their own in one of the great illustrations in this book. This is a great book for talking about the sequence of the story. What happens, first, second, and last is an important early literacy skill, to focus on comprehension. See this book listed in our catalog
I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way
Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way by Thad Kranesky. Emmy is an adorable three year old who gets into trouble left and right. She spills juice on Daddy’s pants, but doesn’t get in trouble, “after all… she is only three.” She “trips” over her brother Tom’s toy race car track and destroys it, but gets out of trouble by making a “tiny little scene, and Mom yells at Tom, after all… she is only three.” She builds a dollhouse out of her sister Suzie’s stuff and Suzie get a time out for not sharing, after all Emmy is only three! She plays pirate queen and buries all her loot ( her brothers boot, she sister’s rings, and half the silverware) — when her Dad finds her, he makes her clean up, even though she is only three! Emmy gets into more and more trouble through out the book until finally Mom has had it. She dresses up her brother’s pet lizard, floods the upstairs hall, soaks her sisters shoes, and throws the lizard into her mother’s lap. After all that, Emmy is finally punished, possibly until she is four! This is a cute book about being spoiled. It is written in rhyme, and is sure to make you giggle. The great pictures depict all the trouble Emmy gets into, as well as her sweet faces, and the fits she throws to get out of trouble! See this book listed in our catalog
You Can’t Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
How much trouble can a balloon cause? In You Can’t Take a Balloon Into the Metropolitan Museum, by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Weitzman, we find out that balloons can cause all sorts of mischief. In this beautiful wordless book, a little girl and her grandmother are off to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the first time, but the guard explains that balloons have no place in museums. Having no wish to be left out of the fun, the balloon makes a break for it, and leads the guard on a chase around New York City. While the little girl examines paintings and sculptures from all different eras and artists, the balloon leads the guard to places in New York City that reflect the art at the museum. Reproductions of famous pieces of art contrast nicely with the detailed, yet sparsely colored illustrations showing the antics of the little girl and her wayward balloon. Any child or adult with a love of art, or just a need for a funny story, will love this wordless masterpiece! See this book listed in our catalog