Do you have a little dinosaur living in your house? Does your child like to ROAR? If the answer to those questions is “yes” then Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea is the perfect book for you! Nothing can stop the little dinosaur in this story! A pile of leaves? Defeated! A big slide? Crushed! A bowl of spaghetti? Beaten! Talking grown-ups? Overcome! Again and again, little dinosaur is challenged, but he roars his way to victory every time. He is the champion of taking a bath, and triumphant at tooth brushing! But what happens when little dinosaur faces his biggest challenge yet: Bedtime? He roars and roars until he is too tired to roar anymore. Bedtime wins for now, but I’m sure little dinosaur will be back to roar again soon!
Picture Book
10 Things I Can Do to Help My World
10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh provides ten fun and easy eco-tips. These are all kid-friendly activities that a child (and their gaurdian) can do to help the planet without leaving home. Walsh suggest turning off the lights when you leave the room, or turning off the water while you brush your teeth. She also provides compelling reasons to follow her advice, for instance, remind your parents to unplug the TV when you’re not watching it because “many electrical appliances use energy even when they are turned off. Of course there’s a page about recylcing your cans, glass, compost, plastic, and paper. In fact, the book itself is made out of 100% recycled material!
Best Friend on Wheels
Best Friend on Wheels by Debra Shirley, illustrated by Judy Stead, is a great way to teach your child that people with disabilities are still people. Our narrator is a second grader who’s teacher asks her to show “the new girl” around. She is surprised to see that “the new girl,” Sarah, was in a wheelchair. At first she didn’t know what to do, but once she got to know Sarah, she discovered they had a lot in common! They became best friends and now do all their favorite things together: painting, reading, having sleepovers, scrapbooking, and hot air balooning! They even go dancing–Sarah loves ballet–“Shes spins on her wheels and twirls every which way.” Some people only see a wheelchair when they look at Sarah, but our narrator only sees her best friend.
Where’s My Teddy?
It’s a case of mistaken identity in the forest with Where’s My Teddy by Jez Alborough. A little boy, Eddie, is searching for his lost teddy bear, Freddie, in the woods. The trees are dark and scary, and Eddie really just wants to curl up in bed with his favorite toy. But what does he find? An enormous teddy bear! “How did you get to be this size?” he wonders, until he hears a voice crying outside the clearing. Suddenly, a giant bear is stomping toward him, carrying Freddie, and bewailing his smallness. “My ted!” rejoices the bear, and then “A boy!” he screams in fright! The two exchange teddies and dash is opposite directions. The story ends happily with both Eddie and the bear in their own snuggly beds, with their own cuddly teds.
Punk Farm
Punk Farm is a fantastic read by Jarrett J. Krosoczka! What do you think farm animals do when the farmer goes to sleep at night? Well, on Farmer Joe’s farm the end of the day is only the beginning of the fun for his animals. They have to get ready for their concert! Pig plugs in his guitar, Cow sets up her drums, Chicken gets her keyboard, Goat tunes his bass, and Sheep checks the microphone. The other animals are waiting outside to buy tickets, and soon the barn is packed! The crowd goes wild as the band leads them in a punk rock rendition of “Old MacDonald.” Thank you Wisconsin! And don’t miss the sequel Punk Farm On Tour.
Don’t Worry Bear
Don’t Worry Bear is an adorable book by Greg Foley. The titular protagonist, a little bear, is concerned for his friend the caterpillar. Caterpillar is hard at work on a cocoon. He’s going to stay inside it for a while, but promises Bear he’ll see him soon. Bear comes to check on him at night with a flashlight, but Caterpillar assures him he’s not afraid of the dark. Bear comes again when it’s windy and rainy and snowy, but Caterpillar assures him he’s well protected from the elements. Bear is almost care-free until one day he visits the cocoon and find it lying empty on the ground. Caterpillar is gone, but in his place is Bear’s newly transformed friend, a beautiful silk moth!