Submitted by Sue C. from Leonardtown!
Falling For Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox and illustrated by Lydia Monks. When a Prince spies Rapunzel high in a tower he thinks he can rescue this girl of his dreams the traditional way. But Rapunzel isn’t traditional, and she mishears him, and throws down everything but what the prince asks for, until the end. Rapunzel finally does throw down something that makes the prince happy. “I’m glad I finally heard him right!” thinks Rapunzel at the surprise ending to this funny tale of happily ever after.
Classic
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
If bed time is a big struggle in your house, consider reading How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Yolen and Teague are the creators of the wonderful “How Do Dinosaurs” series of books, demonstrating appropriate versus inappropriate behavior in a variety of venues. In this installment, they treat us to possible answers to the titular question: Does a dinosaur pout when its time to go to bed? Do they stomp their feet and throw toys around the room? Do they moan and sulk and sigh and cry? They most certainly do not! Dinosaurs, as it turns out, have impeccable manners. When it’s time to turn out the lights, dinosaurs give a hug and kiss to mom and dad and say “good night!”
The Stray Dog
I might be a wee bit partial to this book because I am the owner of a formerly stray dog, who I adopted from a shelter a year ago, and now totally rules my life, but this story is great, and I find children really get emotionally invested in it. The Stray Dog, adapted from a true story and artfully illustrated by Marc Simont, tells the tale of a family who grows fond of a homeless canine during a picnic in the park. Mom and Dad and the two kids worry about the mutt they dub Willy until they meet him again, being chased by the dog catcher! “He has no collar. He has no leash.” says the dog catcher, but the little boy takes off his belt. “Here’s his collar,” and the little girl takes off her hair ribbon–“Here’s his leash.” Willy is saved and taken in by the family in this heartwarming book!
Max’s Chocolate Chicken
Max’s Chocolate Chicken by Rosemary Wells is perfect for the springtime holidays. Someone (maybe the Easter Bunny) has left a chocolate chicken in the birdbath! “I love you!” Max says to the chicken. He’s ready to chow down, but his big sister Ruby (who’s kind of like the fun police) insists that they hunt for painted eggs. Whoever collects the most can claim the chocolate chicken. Ruby find eggs of all colors and patterns, but poor Max only finds mud, acorns, and ants, so he decides to run away with the chicken and eat the whole thing! This is an adorable story of sibling rivalry, and I guarantee you will fall in love with Max, the young and foolish title character.
Sitting in My Box
There’s nothing much more fun than playing in a giant cardboard box. I remember as a child receiving an enormous Playskool kitchen set for Chanukah and having a lot more fun playing with the packaging it arrived in (no offense to Playskool–that kitchen set was awesome, but I unfortunately have never been much of a culinary artist). Dee Lillegard captures the excitement of letting your imagination run wild in Sitting in My Box, illustrated by the great Jon Agee. In the story a little boy is sitting in his box, reading a book about jungle animals. The animals suddenly begin to present themselves, asking him to make room, until he’s sharing the box with a giraffe, elephant, baboon, lion, and hippo. The box is getting a little overpopulated, but a pesky flea plans to change all that!
Good Night Gorilla
Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann is a cautionary tale for unobservant zookeepers. In it, a very tired zookeeper is doing his nightly rounds, saying “good night” to all of the animals, beginning with Gorilla, who deftly snatches the keys from his belt and begins setting his fellow animals free. The zookeeper heads home to go to bed, unwittingly followed by the entire menagerie. This is unacceptable to the zookeeper’s wife, who sends all the animals back to their pens. “Good night zoo,” she says, but that crafty Gorilla has a surprise for her. This charming story, told mostly through illustrations, is a true treat.