Submitted by Sue from Leonardtown!
Mommy’s High Heel Shoes by Kristie Finnan and illustrated by Pat Achilles. This story highlights the relationship of a working Mom and her children. Her daughter, nicknamed “Cakes” for her love of cupcakes, realizes that when Mommy puts on her high heel shoes she is usually going to work. While she is gone she tries on all of Mommy’s high heel shoes. Then Cakes remembers what shoes Mommy wears, and where she wears them to. Like the ones she wore to walk the dog, or water the garden. The ones she wore to the pumpkin patch trip, and of course the ones she wore eating cupcakes with friends. When Mommy comes home Cakes asks her why she likes high heel shoes and tells her that they’re hard to walk in. This charming story highlights a working Mom, and her heartwarming relationship with her family. Along the way, enjoy finding the heart, ladybug, and cupcake hiding in each page.
Clothes
Little Bear’s Big Sweater
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Little Bear’s Big Sweater by David Bedford and Caroline Pedler is a great book about brotherhood, and favorite articles of clothing. Big Bear has grown out of his favorite green striped sweater, and must pass it on to his younger brother, Little Bear. “You better take good care of it,” he says, “It’s my favorite sweater – EVER.” Then the brothers run off to play, Little Bear striving to do everything his big brother can (with mixed results). When the brothers get seperated, a worried Big Bear follows a long green thread into woods, and finds Little Bear, with their unraveled sweater. Little Bear expects quite a lashing, but gets a hug instead. “It’s only a sweater,” Big Bear explains, and in the end Mom makes them both new green striped sweaters!
What Can You Do with a Rebozo?
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
What Can You Do with a Rebozo? ¿Que Puedes hacer con un Rebozo? by Carmen Tafolla. What can you use to dress up, play hide and seek, carry a baby, and dance? In this playful celebration of a vibrant culture, a young Mexican American girl explains all the things she can do with a rebozo, a traditional Mexican shawl. The lively rhyme and illustrations celebrate a warm cultural icon that, with a little imagination, can be used in many different ways. With imagination you can do almost anything with the rebozo! This bilingual book is a real gem!
Hug Time
Hug Time is an adorable story by Patrick McDonnell, creator of the “Mutts” comic strip series. Jules is a kitten who is so filled with love, he wants to give the whole world a hug, so he makes a Hug To-Do List and sets off. He hugs his friends, and all the birds in the park. He gets on a boat to find a whale to hug. He travels to Africa to hug an elephant. He explores the rain forest and discovers a new species (which he promptly hugs). He hugs a tiger, a panda, even a wombat (hooray)! He even goes to the north pole to hug a polar bear. While we may not be able to hug the world, we can start spreading the love by hugging those closest to us.
Wombat Walkabout
I love wombats. What else can I say? If your child loves wombats too, Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields, and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is simply required reading. Six wombats go for a stroll through the outback. A handful get distracted by interesting Australian things like a wattle tree, a billabong, and a kookabura (all of which are defined in a handy intro). When only two are left, they discover they’ve been trailed by a hungry dingo, and must save their friends from his evil clutches. They capture him with the tried and true cover-a-hole-with-sticks trick, which may seem old hat to you, but fabulously innovative to your youngster!
Knuffle Bunny
Does your child have a toy they just can’t be parted with? They will totally relate to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems. Trixie takes her favorite stuffed animal, Knuffle Bunny (that’s pronounced ka-nuffle, by the way) on a trip to the laundromat. But Trixie realizes on the way home, her bunny has been left behind. Being a baby, and unable to communicate verbally, she tries to express the dire situation to her father–she bawls, she goes boneless, she becomes quite a handful. Luckily mom knows the reason, and saves the day!