Preschool Reads – Page 90

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Realistic Fiction

What is it that Lou can’t do?

Posted on February 10, 2017December 9, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do, by Ashley Spires, (May 2017, Kids Can Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781771387279

Recommended for ages 3-7

Lou and her friends are adventurers! They run faster than airplanes, build mighty fortresses, and rescue wild animals. One day, though, Lou’s friends decide to make a nearby tree the location of their pirate ship, and Lou balks. She’s never climbed a tree before. She likes her adventures to be down, on the ground. Her friends scurry up the tree, but Lou’s not going. What will it take for Lou to get up that tree?

Kids will recognize themselves in Lou, whose got a vibrant imagination, a great group of friends, and a healthy fear of a climbing a tree, which – let’s be honest – can be a pretty scary thing. Like most kids, Lou tries to divert her friends’ attention by suggesting “not-up-a-tree games” and stalling (changing her shoes, claiming an injury, spotting an asteroid heading right for them). With her friends’ encouragement, Lou does attempt that climb – and when she doesn’t make it, her friends are right there for her, heading for a playground to continue their game. Is Lou defeated? Nope. She’s going to try again, maybe even tomorrow. Showing a child overcome her fear and her self-reliance when she doesn’t succeed the first time sends a positive message to kids who may struggle with anxiety over new situations; surrounding her main character with supportive friends sends a message to all kids, to support one another and to compromise.

The digital art is fun and will appeal to all kids; the group of friends is diverse and no one is relegated to “girl” or “boy” roles here – they’re all pirates, race car drivers, or deep sea divers. They’re kids, playing together, like kids do.

I loved Ashley Spires’ award-winning book, The Most Magnificent Thing, and her Binky the Space Cat series has been a winner at any library I’ve worked at. I love her positive messages of self-reliance and the power of imagination, and I can’t wait to get this book on the shelves next to my other Spires books. A great book for elementary collections and kids who are learning that it’s okay to be scared sometimes.

Check out Ashley Spires’ website for more of her artwork and information about her books.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Ladybug’s Garden Blog Tour!

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

(Ladybug’s Garden, by Anabella and Sofia Schofield, Jan. 2017, Pink Umbrella Books, $9.99, ISBN: 9780998516202)

Sixteen year-old sisters Anabella and Sofia Schofield have written a sweet story about a ladybug who takes time out to help friends in need, even as she’s on her way to a picnic. With hand-created illustrations and sweet rhyming text, little ones will enjoy the story about friendship, sharing, and helping others.

This is a project the Schofield sisters began when they were 13. The text shows a gift for rhyme and flow that makes for fun storytime reading and listening. The art is very sweet, and will inspire little ones to make their own ladybugs – help them along with a fun ladybug storytime craft like this paper plate craft, from My Mommy Style. For preschoolers and kindergarteners, pair this with Eric Carle’s The Very Grouchy Ladybug and ask your listeners to point out the differences and similarities between the two ladybugs.

Support this budding author and illustrator and take a look at Ladybug’s Garden!

Ladybug’s Garden Blog Tour:

February 8: Mom Read It

February 9: Beach Bound Books

February 10: Book Review Mama

February 11: I Heart Reading Pre-launch Party

February 12: The Reader’s Salon

Books Direct Review and Giveaway

Pop’s Blog Author Interview

February 13: Little Fox Reads Author Interview

February 14: Life with A

SolaFide Publishing Blog

February 15: Katie’s Clean Book Collection

February 16: Cranial Hiccups, Two Heartbeats

February 17: Sarah Boucher

February 18: The Resistance

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Boo! Who’s biggest? Who’s bravest?

Posted on January 27, 2017August 29, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Boo!, by Ben Newman, (Apr. 2017, Nobrow), $12.99, ISBN: 9781911171058

Recommended for ages 3-6

A cute little mouse claims to be the bravest animal around, but he has no idea what’s coming up behind him… BOO! Each animal in Boo! is ready to brag about being the bravest, but there’s always a shadow lurking, waiting to pounce in the next spread in this fun cumulative story. This is a fun story about size and how being the biggest may not always mean being the bravest. It’s a fun, interactive read, giving kids the opportunity to call out when there’s a rising shadow that the current bravest animal doesn’t know about, and to yell, “BOO!” in each reveal. You can make animal noises, ask kids to predict what animal is in shadow, and what animal could be scarier as you progress.

There’s a nice rhythm to the story: animal states that he or she is the bravest; the opposite page shows a shadowy antagonist rising up behind the current star of the story, and the following spread features the jump scare reveal. Kids will love the suspense and the chance to be part of the story. Ben Newman’s retro art is fun and bright, with exaggerated scale and reactions for his characters. This is an especially great read-aloud, yell-along book for toddler and pre-k audiences! Fun endpapers show the progression of the scare chain.

Ben Newman is an award-winning illustrator who also works on the Professor Astro Cat children’s books with Dr. Dominic Walliman; also published by Nowbrow/Flying Eye Books. His website has a podcast, some great artwork and a trailer for Boo!, which is currently released in the UK.

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Surprises await toddlers in See How I Sleep

Posted on January 18, 2017January 17, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

See How I Sleep, by Liesbet Slegers, (March 2017, Clavis), $12.95, ISBN: 978-1605373331

Recommended for ages 6 mos-2 yrs

Animals greet readers and surprise them with a hidden friend in this slide-and-see board book full of surprises for little hands. Find a hedgehog curled up next to its friend, a mouse has a visiting friend, and a teddy bear waits for its best friend under the blanket. Toddlers will love the thrill of the unexpected reveal, and the sturdy pages will hold up to multiple uses. This one will enter heavy storytime rotation in my storytimes; the bright, boldly outlined art is adorable and eye-catching and the vivid handwriting font makes for easy reading to groups. A creative add to toddler book collections.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Join Porcupine’s Picnic!

Posted on January 9, 2017January 9, 2017 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Porcupine’s Picnic: Who Eats What?, by Betsy R. Rosenthal/Illustrated by Giusi Capizzi, (Feb. 2017, Millbrook Press), $19.99, ISBN: 9781467795197

Recommended for ages 4-6

Porcupine is going on a picnic! He packs a basket full of clover and settles into a perfect spot. Nearby animals ask to join him, and bring their own food: koala loves his eucalyptus, squireel enjoys his acorns, and giraffe nibbles on his leaves. When Tiger shows up, though, the picnic comes to a very quick end!

This is a cute introduction to different animals and what they eat. An explanation at the end of the book introduces readers to herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, and points out which animals from the story belong to which group. The digital art is very cute, and the reptitive pattern of the story – animal asks to join, Porcupine offers clover, animal declines and eats his or her own food – will appeal to younger readers, who can predict what will happen next. The story does tend to go on a bit long, at 40 pages, and could have used a few less animals; I worry about younger readers’ interest as the story proceeds. This would be a good flannel story candidate: create animals and foods, and invite storytime audiences to match the animal with the food on the flannel board, or even make up a worksheet and/or memory game to hand out after the story. An additional purchase for animal collections.

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Trains and tracks love to play in Old Tracks, New Tricks

Posted on December 28, 2016December 9, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Old Tracks, New Tricks, by Jessica Peterson, (March 2017, The Innovation Press), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1943147243

Recommended for ages 3-6

Trixie, Tracky, and Tinker are three wooden toy tracks that are excited when a little boy brings them home. They’ve been waiting to join a train set of their own! Things are a little different than they expected, though, when they arrive. The trains are bossy and mean, and the old tracks just snore on the floor. These tracks aren’t about to just snooze their days, away, though – they get to work and show the old tracks (and trains) some new tricks – and then share them with readers!

This is such a fun little rhyming story full of adorable photo and digital art! The facial expressions digitized onto the toys give a fun feel to the story and little additions, like stickers, paint, and crayon, personalize the characters, really making the toys look and feel like they’ve come from a child’s room. Younger audiences will love the rhyming cadence, and the bright colors really catch a reader’s attention.

The book includes instructions for the track tricks used in the story. Tips offer ideas for experimenting and suggest adult help where necessary. A website dedicated to the book (maybe it will become a series?) is coming in January, and further resources, like printables and educator resources, may be on the way in the future.

This is a fun go-to for storytime, especially if you’ve got room for a couple of trains and tracks to keep out so the kids can play and explore with parents after storytime. If space or budget is an issue, there are fun paper trains you can make as a post-storytime craft. You can hand out some paper track printables, if time permits, and have parents and kids fit together their own train routes. This is one of those books that will be a great resource for preschoolers and school-age kids alike; you can discuss ideas like teamwork, bullying, and welcoming a new friend.

Early Reader, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Preschool Reads, Teen, Toddler Reads, Tween Reads

Holiday Shopping: Something for Every Reader!

Posted on December 15, 2016December 15, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The days are getting closer! Get to your nearest bookstore (or order online, if you can swing the express shipping) and fill your basket with some of these goodies for the readers you love.

Edited to add: Please excuse the terrible formatting! It looked fine when I previewed this post last night, but things have gone wonky. I’m still learning HTML, so I hope this doesn’t turn anyone off the post.

What Does Kitten Hear? A Big Book of Animal Sounds, by Lizelot Versteeg, (Nov. 2016, Clavis), $16.95, ISBN: 978-1605372525

Recommended for ages 2-4

This big board book is an adorable combination of seek and find, counting, and name that sound. A kitten wanders through a farm, city, zoo, beach, the woods, a park, and a house. Every spread is a new part of Kitten’s world, complete with sights and sounds to explore. Questions prompt readers and their favorite cuddly grownups to look identify the sounds kitten hears, and count the different objects to be found. Additional questions throughout each spread prompt discussion on about other things in the book: compare hot air balloons to see which flies higher; what squirrels eat versus what blackbirds eat. Toddlers and early preschoolers will love this book – I’m lucky I got my copy away from my preschooler long enough to write this piece.

An Artist’s Alphabet, by Norman Messenger, (Sept. 2016, Candlewick Press), $$17.99, ISBN: 978-0-7636-8123-4

Recommended for ages 2+

This ain’t your usual ABCedary. Artist Norman Messenger has created beautiful watercolor and pencil artwork to demonstrate upper- and lower-case letters in the alphabet. Kids will connect with some right away – the acrobats demonstrating the letter A, the eels for the letter E – and some will take some thought. Bold, black upper- and lower-case letters in a lined box on each page will help developing writers get an idea of scale for their letters. The only thing that would have made this perfect for me would have been a key to the drawings at the end of the book, because there are a few I’m still working out. It’s a stunning art book for kids of all ages.

The Doll People’s Christmas, by Ann L. Martin and Laura Godwin/Illustrated by Brett Helquist, (Sept. 2016, Disney/Hyperion), $17.99, ISBN: 9781484723395

Recommended for ages 4-7

This latest Doll People book is a picture book! It’s Christmas at the Palmer family residence, and Annabelle Doll is excited to share the holiday with her best friend, Tiffany. After all, she knows what makes Christmas perfect! But nothing is perfect, and sure enough, things start going wrong. Annabelle is convinced that Christmas is ruined, but she learns that being surrounded by family and friends makes Christmas – even Christmases that aren’t what you expect – perfect. You don’t need to be familiar with the Doll People series to enjoy this story; it’s a great way to introduce the characters to new readers.

The Book of Heroes: Tales of History’s Most Daring Dudes, by Crispin Boyer, (Nov. 2016, National Geographic Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-4263-2553-3
The Book of Heroines: Tales of History’s Gutsiest Gals, by Stephanie Warren Drimmer, (Nov. 2016, National Geographic Kids), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-4263-2557-1

Recommended for ages 8-13

Guys and girls alike will love these books, each including over 100 figures from history, fiction, and entertainment. There are world leaders, athletes, gods and goddesses, pioneers for human rights, and animals here, offering something for everyone. One eyebrow raise goes to Wonder Woman, whose clothing and accessories are highlighted in the Heroines book, while a generic superhero in the Heroes version is the backdrop for “superpowered” real people (Usain Bolt and his superspeed, a blind teen who taught himself to “see” using echolocation). The cartoon hero’s superpowers of invincibility, speed, heightened senses and strength get the highlight here, thanks to these gifted individuals, but why are we concentrating on what Wonder Woman is wearing? She can fly (even without her invisible plane), she’s super strong, and she’s got superior fighting ability. Other than that? Love these books, and love the recent spate of women in history books that have come out this year, like Rejected Princesses, Frontier Grit, and Wonder Women.

Dungeonology, by Matt Forbeck,, (Oct. 2016, Candlewick Press), $24.99, ISBN: 978-0-7636-9353-4

Recommended for ages 10+

This book is AMAZING. If you have fantasy roleplaying gamers in your life, this is the perfect gift for them. If they want to game, but have just been reading Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons books, get them this book plus the D&D basic board game. Dungeonology takes readers, led by Volo the Wizard, on a journey through the Forgotten Realms universe. See basic Dungeonology equipment, fold out a giant map of the Sword Coast; check out a novice’s spell book (Magic Missile is there, fellow D&D fans), and check out all sorts of magic items. There is so much to explore in this book; pull-out books, pages that unfold to share their secrets, and a dragon waiting for you at the end of the book, if you play your cards right (and tilt the book). This is THE gift for your gamers, trust me on this.I hope you find enough here to make everyone’s holidays bright. Everything is available right now!

Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Holiday Giveaway: How to Catch an Elf!

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The holidays are just around the corner and it’s time to catch an elf!

Sourcebooks’ newest holiday picture book, How to Catch an Elf (ON SALE; October 2016, $10.99), is the latest from the gang who brought us the New York Times bestseller, How to Catch a Leprechaun. This time out, one of Santa’s elves is wise to kids’ tricks: they can’t catch Santa, so they’re going to try and catch him! He’s got to navigate all the traps that kids set – and keep Santa safe and delivering presents! -as Christmas Eve progresses.

The endpapers bring you right into the fun, with peppermint candies across a pale blue background. The digital over sketched artwork is adorable – I love Santa’s and the elf narrator’s sweet facial expressions, and the traps are hilariously complex, like mad scientists in training got together and worked on them. The rhyming text makes for some fun reading, and watching the duo dodge flying food, prowling pets, and the Elf Snatcher 3000 allow for kids to point out some wacky Christmas fun. This is a great Christmas read-aloud – make sure to get those milk and cookies ready before you settle down with this book and your favorite little elves on Christmas Eve.

Want a chance to win a $50 gift card for some last-minute holiday shopping? It’s simple – snap a photo of your very own #elftrap and post it with the hashtag #catchanelf, to be entered to win a $50 gift card for last-minute holiday shopping! There are more details on the Sourcebooks Pinterest page. Good luck!

Want a chance to win your own copy of How to Catch an Elf? If you’re a US or Canada resident, just enter this Rafflecopter giveaway and I’ll contact you if you’re a winner! This giveaway also runs through December 16, so enter now!

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Sugar and Spice and everything… Candy Pink?

Posted on November 18, 2016November 17, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Candy Pink, by Adela Turin/Illustrated by Nella Bosnia, (Nov. 2016, NubeOcho), $15.95, ISBN: 978-84-944446-7-8

Recommended for ages 5-8

A classic written 40 years ago with the goal to promote equality between boys and girls arrives in the United States for the first time. Candy Pink is written in the style of a folk tale, explaining how elephant all became gray. You see, male elephants were always gray, but female elephants were candy pink. To get that color, they ate only peonies and anemones, wore bibs and shoes, and stayed together in a little walled garden, while the boy elephants playing in the mud, eating yummy grass, and sleeping beneath trees. When one little elephant named Daisy doesn’t turn pink, her father is harsh and cruel, her mother, sad. They pressure her to eat more pink food and threaten her by telling her no one will want to marry her. When they finally give up, the girl elephant embraces her freedom, sheds her bib and shoes, and enjoys life – something that doesn’t go unnoticed by the other female elephants. And, well… you can’t tell the difference between boy and girl elephants anymore, can you?

I was taken aback the first time I read Candy Pink, because it seems harsh on a young girl: the emphasis on appearance and girlish pursuits, Daisy’s parents’ terrible reaction to her inability to fit their mold for her. A second reading put more in perspective for me – the little elephant embraced her uniqueness and wasn’t ostracized for it – the other female elephants flocked to her, and made a huge change that exists to this day. It’s a powerful little story for school-age kids that lends itself to some pretty big ideas. Originally published in Italian in 1976 with the title Rosaconfetto, Adela Turin tackled gender identity and the pressure society puts on appearances by using a parable that everyone could understand and that young girls could relate to. Forty years later, Candy Pink is just as relevant.

Award-winning illustrator Nella Bosnia’s artwork is beautiful. She uses shades of gray and pink against muted background colors for the world of the story; primarily greens, blues, and yellows for the assorted flora and fauna. The bibs, shoes, and bows on the elephants tails are frilly and exaggerated, even pinker than the pale pink elephants; against Daisy’s natural gray, it’s a true contrast.

An interesting and still-timely look at gender, society, and the expectations parents put on their own children. A good addition to bookshelves. Booktalk and display with self-esteem boosters like Karen Beaumont’s I Like Myself!, Peter Reynolds’ Ish, and Todd Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different. Want another elephant fairy tale? Emma Dodd’s Cinderelephant is a light-hearted, fun take on the classic fairy tale.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Catch Ralfy Rabbit, the Book Burglar!

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar, by Emily MacKenzie, (May 2016, Bloomsbury), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1681192208

Recommended for ages 4-7

Ralfy Rabbit LOVES books: he dreams about them; he makes lists of them; he wants to be surrounded by books ALL THE TIME. He loved books so much that he started sneaking into people’s bedrooms and reading their books while they were sleeping, but even that wasn’t good enough; he upgraded to taking the books home! One little boy named Arthur noticed that his books were starting to go missing, and to add insult to injury, soggy lettuce and half-eaten carrots were left behind. He makes a plan to catch the book burglar, but can Ralfy be rehabilitated?

A fun story with a good subplot about borrowing (and a great shout-out to libraries!), Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar is a great storytime book and a great independent read. Kids can appreciate Ralfy’s single-minded love for books and understand Arthur’s dual frustration at having his books go missing and have no one believe him. Arthur’s confrontation and solution makes for good conflict resolution and problem-solving that works for everyone.

Emily MacKenzie’s artwork is adorable. Ralfy is wide-eyed and innocent, even when he’s up to no good; when he’s caught red-handed, his eyes fill up with tears and readers can’t help but feel bad for the poor book bandit. Arthur is drawn with a kindness that will invite readers to put themselves in his place right away. The pictures are sketched with defined outlines, and the font changes for emphasis: bolds, enlarged fonts, angled text to keep readers’ attention.

I’ve paired this with Helen Docherty’s Snatchabook and Ian Schoenherr’s Read It, Don’t Eat It! for library visit read-alouds; the kids love Ralfy and Arthur, but know that Ralfy’s “not being nice” when he takes books. One Kindergartner even called out, “He should just go to the library!” (Love that kid!) You can have a great discussion about borrowing versus taking things with kids as young as preschool; for younger audiences, use Ralfy’s adventure as a good starting point for talking about sharing and forgiveness.

Originally published in 2015 in the UK, Ralfy’s just arrived on US shores. Give him a welcome space on your shelves! There’s an activity kit available from Bloomsbury UK, and you can see more of Emily MacKenzie’s art and books at her author site.