Submitted by Melissa from Lexington Park!
All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Marc Boutavant, features creative and fascinating pictures, that draw readers in, and add insight to the many aspects of family. One can be comforted by the words–anything can be part of a family: “Bottle caps, ginger snaps, buttons, or rings. You can make families from all sorts of things!” Family can be a difficult thing to explain in certain situations. This book simply describes and illustrates the basic concept, so it is easy for children to understand. From fingers to toes, make believe families to families from long, long ago–children and adults alike will enjoy the rhythmic language and the idea that we all play a very special role. See this book listed in our catalog
Rhyming
All the World
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
And here is my second favorite picture book of 2009: All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Caldecott Honor medalist Marla Frazee. The words of All the World are a poem about the earth which everyone shares. The illustrations are those of multi-cultural faces, in multi-cultural places, experiencing universal emotions and activities. Witness the beauty of nature, and the comfort of things we all do: eat, grow, travel, relax. “Hope and peace and love and trust. All the world is all of us.” I find this book to be a soothing meditation, well suited to the child curious as to how they figure into this big, whirling, planet that countless people call home. See this book listed in our catalog
The Longest Christmas List Ever
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
If there’s one thing our library never seems to run out of, it’s books about the Christmas holiday! Ask your librarians to suggest some titles if you’re feeling overwhelmed. One of my favorites is The Longest Christmas List Ever by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis. Meet Trevor–a precocious young boy who couldn’t be more excited to open presents Christmas morning! Santa Claus got him everything he asked for! But, oh no! He forgot one important thing! A fluffy brown puppy! So Trevor decides to start his letter to Santa early. He writes it all year long. Every time he thinks of another thing he needs, he jots it down. Soon the list is 500 feet long, and to mail it will cost 6 trillion dollars! Trevor decides to downsize, but it’s too late! He’s missed Santa’s deadline! “What was I thinking? Where was my head? I asked for too much–I’ll get nothing instead!” he laments. But when he wakes up in the morning, there’s a puppy there waiting for him! Mom and Dad must have gotten a letter off to Santa in the meantime, and Trevor learns “It takes love–not toys–to bring Christmas cheer.” See this book listed in our catalog
Peeny Butter Fudge
Submitted by Catherine from Charlotte Hall!
Anyone who has ever had a Nana (or Grandma) knows how awesome they are. There is nothing better in the world than spending a day with Nana when Mom and Dad go out to take care of boring grown up stuff. In Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni and Slade Morrison, with illustrations by Joe Cepeda, the reader gets to spend the day with three kids and Nana. Nana is the awesome kind of Grandma who does everything from story telling, to potato sack races. She can even make nap time fun! But the best thing of all is her “Peeny Butter Fudge,” a recipe that’s been past down through the family. And now you can make it too from the recipe in the back! This rhythmic and rhyming story will have parents and kids smiling together as they think about fun times with their Nana. See this book listed in our catalog
Silly Sally
Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
See this book listed in our catalog
Dog Wants to Play
Submitted by Melissa from Lexington Park!
Dog Wants to Play by Christine McDonnell is a delightful tale with adorable illustrations. Throughout the book, the optimistic little pup approaches his farm mates with a request to play. His excitement diminishes with each rejection, but finally he meets a companion who is willing to play all day! This book is written in rhyme and has a few repeating verses, making the book both pleasant to listen to, and engaging for a young listener. The clear pictures, simple story, and familiar objects in the illustrations allow readers to ask open ended questions about the images and words. Such books lend themselves to imaginative story telling and will encourage young readers and listeners to go beyond the words on the page and tell their own story! See this book listed in our catalog