Category: Preschool Reads

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Tate’s Wild Rescue will melt your heart!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Tate’s Wild Rescue, by Jenny Turnbull/Illustrated by Izzy Burton, (June 2024, Crown Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593569078

Ages 4-8

Tate is a young girl who loves animals, but she worries about the animals who live in the wild. Are they cold and lonely? She can help! She sends letters to several animals with offers of a warm bed, spa treatment, meals fit for a king, even a trampoline, but each animal politely declines her offer. They’re all happy where they are – or are they? There’s one potential best friend out there that Tate misses at first. Animal lovers all over will immediately relate to Tate and her desire to care for the lions, tigers, bears, and other wild animals in the world, only to realize that all she has to do is look a little bit closer to home. Fun animal facts pop up in each animal’s letter to Tate, and Burton’s colorful, cheery illustrations are a delight to see. Sharp-eyed readers will see Tate’s new friend appearing in each spread, and will likely be waiting on pins and needles for Tate to take notice. An appealing treatise on wild animals needing to stay wild while empowering kids to help make positive changes, Tate’s Wild Rescue is a great adoption story and a tale of finding home.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Duck Goes Meow is great storytime reading

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Duck Goes Meow, by Juliette MacIver/Illustrated by Carla Martell, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $12.99, ISBN: 9781684648962

Ages 3-6

Rhyming, onomatopoeia, and an adorable cast of animals make Duck Goes Meow a storytime essential. Cow leads a group of animals singing their animal sounds, and everyone is on track – Dog says “Woof!”, Cow says “Moo!”, Hen says “Cluck!” – until Duck chimes in with a confident “Meow.” The animals all pitch in to help Duck try again and again, to no avail; the reason is charming. A fun animal story that invites plenty of participation, Duck Goes Meow is an unexpected and sweet adoption story, too. Animal sounds are bold and contained in word bubbles, making it easy to cue younger readers to be part of the fun during a read-aloud. Colorful, bold illustrations make this an excellent choice for younger learners. Read this one with Jules Feiffer’s classic, Bark George, for an animal sounds storytime. Endpapers show duck tracks crossing paths with kitten tracks, giving readers a hint to the story. Originally published in New Zealand in 2023, Duck Goes Meow is inspired by the true story of a mother cat adopting a duckling; tell families for extra squeals of joy. Download free discussion questions at Kane Miller’s website, on the Duck Goes Meow book detail page.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Night Blooming Jasmine: An evening walk brings discovery

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Night Blooming Jasmine, by Diane de Anda/Illustrated by Kendra Binney, (June 2024, Star Bright Books), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-59572-976-7

Ages 4-8

A young girl named Jasmine is fast asleep with the night-blooming jasmine vine outside her window calls to her, inviting her to go outside and discover the world that comes to life outside at night. Encountering frogs and crickets, sleeping dogs and hungry opossums, Jasmine explores the world that wakes up when we go to sleep. Written in occasional rhyme, the verses illustrate the quiet wonder of night, with a playful view, as seen through the eyes of a child: “The spotted hound lies on his back; / his feet run in the air. / Deep in his sleep he’s rousting birds / and chasing down a long-eared hare”. Parallel to the plant with whom she shares a name, Jasmine heads back to bed to “end her nighttime bloom”. Soft, blue-hued illustrations set a calming stage for bedtime reading; Jasmine sets herself apart from her world as she wears a pink nightgown. Back matter includes animal facts on the various nocturnals that appear in the story. A bedtime story that promises dreamy adventures, Night Blooming Jasmine is a great choice for collections.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Pattern fun with Yellow, Red, Green-GO!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Yellow, Red, Green-GO!, by Ellen Mayer/Illustrated by Ying-Hwa Hu, (July 2024, Star Bright Books), $7.49, ISBN: 978-1-59572-979-8

Ages 0-3

Explore patterns the fun way! This playful board book takes a mom and young child on a bike ride through their neighborhood to grandma’s house, where they encounter all sorts of patterns: a dog’s “bow-wow-woof”, the layout of toys in the toy store, and the eponymous “yellow, red, green” of the traffic light. Mom models how to make learning on the go a joy for adult and child readers alike as she talks the child through what the lights on the traffic light mean and points out patterns as they ride along. Part of Ellen Mayer’s Small Talk Books series, the focus on beginning math concepts is just right for toddlers and preschoolers and includes notes to parents, encouraging them to explore patterns with their children. The family presents as multicultural.

Yellow, Red, Green-GO! is also available in Spanish. The book detail page on Star Bright Books’s website includes a link to an original song, My Favorite Things, that explores patterns.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: The Boy Who Found His Voice

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Teen artist and activist Tyler Gordon tells his story in this inspirational picture book. From a kid who once had trouble with words, Tyler painted with his mom, learned to be patient with himself, and became…

The Boy Who Found His Voice, by Tyler Gordon
(June 2024, Farrar Straus Giroux), $18.99, ISBN: 9780374389673

Ages 4-8

The story begins with Tyler, who has all the words right in his head: he’s got jokes, he’s got rhymes, he’s got cool things to talk about, but when he tries to speak, he gets STUCK. Tyler’s mom knows how “frustrated, frazzled and in a funk” he becomes, and helps calm him with breathing excercises, positive self-talk, and painting with him. Eventually, it is artwork that helps Tyler find his voice: he presents his art to his classmates, receiving wild acceptance and praise. Gordon illustrated his story with expressive characters and bright colors. He incorporates pastel watercolor and thought bubbles into his scenes, letting his work pop against a bright white page. Bright and bold fonts emphasize emotions and interactions with Tyler’s mom. Tyler has a multicultural group of classmates and Tyler has brown skin and natural hair. Kids will love Tyler’s self-portrait, included in the story, and a note from the author goes into more detail about how Gordon found his voice through art and the support from those around him.

 

Tyler Gordon is a teen artist and activist. You can follow him on Instagram and visit his Linktree for more info. He also has a page on VR platform where you view his artwork and enjoy a virtual exhibit.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Measuring Me tallies our numbers

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Measuring Me, by Nicola Kent, (March 2024, Kane Miller), $19.99, ISBN: 9781684647873

Ages 4-8

We are made up of all kinds of numbers, and Measuring Me is a great place to start when explaining some of those numbers to young learners. Using an “average five-year-old child in the Western World”, we learn that kids featured in the book are as tall as about 10 tin cans, with the ability to smell about 50,000 different smells, and with enough energy to power a light bulb. Using our bodies as a measuring stick, Kent gives readers information they can visualize, allowing them to play with numbers and their place in this world. Kids will develop a comfort with numbers and their own bodies through the fun facts and pictures. Colorful illustrations look child-drawn and feature an inclusive and diverse group of kids illustrating concepts. Endpapers feature a ruler running along the side of the page – inches in front, centimeters in back – with a wealth of items that appear throughout the book. Playful and easy to read, kids will love coming up with ways to use the world around them to come up with new ways to measure: how many board books high are you? Do you weight as much as a frozen turkey? There is a lot of fun to be had here; readers will want to come back to this one. The book comes with a double-sided height chart inside, measuring – you guessed it – with tin cans, and fun facts like, “A giant panda’s shoulder height is almost equal to seven cans”. One side is colorful and includes the fun facts; the other side is black and white, letting readers color in their own cans and fill in personal information to make it a keepsake. If you’re using your copy in the library or a classroom, you can include the height chart as part of a storytime and have readers see how they measure up.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Zoom off to bedtime with Sleep Little Dozer

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sleep, Little Dozer, by Diana Murray/Illustrated by Cleonique Hilsaca, (June 20245, Random House), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593119044

Ages 2-6

It’s been a full day for Little Dozer, but when Papa tells him, “Let’s roll! Time for bed!”, Dozer is concerned: Mama is working late! How will Dozer fall asleep? No worries: Papa knows the routine. This sweet rhyming bedtime story is just what a child needs when a parent is working late or traveling and another parent – maybe not the usual parent or caregiver – is left to handle bedtime. Papa Dozer is a large bulldozer with a bushy mustache; Little Dozer is a tiny bulldozer. The vehicles all have bold, friendly expressions and colors are soft, gentle, wonderful for bedtime. Much of the story is Papa’s bedtime rhyme, which Little Dozer chimes in on; it’s relatable to kids who have their bedtime routines down pat. Visions of numbered jeeps fill in for a human child’s “counting sheep”, and various vehicles bed down for the night as Dozer struggles with anxiety over not being able to sleep without Mom. Endpapers show truck-shaped clouds against a night sky. A very cute and comforting story that vehicle fans will ask for at bedtime, and a good addition to collections.

Pair with Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train, both by Sherri Duskey Rinker, for a fun pajama storytime.

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

The Paw-sibilities are endless! This Little Kitty in the Garden

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This Little Kitty in the Garden, by Karen Obuhanych, (Jan 2024, Knopf Books for Young Readers), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593435175

Ages 3-7

Obuhanych spins a delighful rhyming tale about cats and gardening. Endpapers bring readers in with dirty kitten paw prints over bright colored leaves; the verso and recto pages show a cheerful garden with a marmalade cat peeking up from the leaves. Five kittens are ready to “help” their people garden today, and immediately set to rummaging through the tools and starter plants. They play in the garden, sneezing at pollen and poking at various flora and fauna as their humans work around them. When everything has been planted and cleaned up, the exhausted helpers take a nap in the garden bed. Cat lovers will want multiple reads of this sweet and silly story. Mixed media illustration is bold, bright, and textured. A playful story that will make anyone reading it or listening to it happy.

This Little Kitty in the Garden is a companion to Obuhanych’s 2023 book, This Little Kitty. You can see more of Obuhanych’s artwork at her website.

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Harold the Iceberg is back!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Harold the Iceberg is Not a Super Food, by Lisa Wyzlic/Illustrated by Rebecca Syracuse, (June 2024, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250877802

(Ages 3-6)

Harold the anxiety-ridden iceberg lettuce is back, and he’s still stressed out: this time, because he can’t match up to Kayla, who’s clearly a SUPER food: she’s “tall and strong, with glorious full leaves” and everything just seems effortless for Kayla! Harold is so quick to be down on himself, but his friends come to the rescue and let him know that he does great things, too: he helps his friends, whenever they need him, and if he wants to do more, there’s always ways to help. Once again tying in themes of social awareness, Harold’s friends enourage him to volunteer at a charity event. Digital illustrations are bold and bright, with expressive faces that are both sensitive and cheerful. Back matter includes “Harold’s Tips for Helping Your Community”, offering readers ways to get involved with their community, from donating used clothes and toys to picking up litter. Endpapers display a spreaad of food labels. A fun additional purchase, especially where the first book did well. Download a Harold The Iceberg Activity Kit to share!

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Building a Beak showcases STEM with a heart

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Building a Beak: How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World, by Becca McMurdie/Illustrated by Diana Hernandez, (June 2024, Page Street Kids), $18.99, ISBN: 9781645678687

Ages 4-8

Based on the true story of an injured toucan and the people who helped her, Building a Beak is a touching story of cruelty and empathy. In the Costa Rican treetops, a toucan later named Grecia went about her days and nights until someone – still unknown – caused her to fall and break her beak. Rescuers found her and brougt her to a veterinarian, who determined that without the beak, Grecia would not be able to eat, sing, bathe, or balance. Grecia’s plight went public, prompting activists from all over to push for the passage of animal welfare law 18,298, making it illegal to harm wildlife. Engineers created a blueprint for a 3-D printable beak, successfully attached during a delicate surgery. Grecia’s story is an uplifting tale of human kindness while bringing to light the problems with animal cruelty and how devastating a thoughtless act can be. Humanizing Grecia goes a long way here, from naming the toucan to McMurdie’s providing an inner dialogue for her. Hernandez’s illustrations show brown-skinned scientists, animal rescuers, and activists coming together not only for Grecia’s sake, but the sake of the planet. An author’s note, timeline, and bibliograpy make up the back matter. A strong addition to STEM/STEAM collections.

There are some good Grecia resources available online, including this article from Costa Rica Ricos. Visit Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center’s webpage to learn more about the center where Grecia recovered and lived after the attack. My Dear Journal has a fun toucan paper plate craft for a post-storytime or extension activity.