Category: Toddler Reads

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Books for Valentine’s Day snuggles

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day, by Vera Ahiyya/Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia, (Dec. 2024, Random House Books for Young Readers), $10.99, ISBN: 9780593810002

Ages 3-7

Kai and their family are busily preparing for Valentine’s Day! They make valentines and decorate; Mom makes cookies. The next morning, after a special Valentine’s Day breakfast and photos, Kai heads to school, where their teacher encourages students to contribute things they love to her list. Kai worries about not receiving any valentines, but the teacher has asked everyone to make cards for everyone so no one feels left out. Kai receives cards and best friend Chelsea loves hers. Getting Ready for Valentine’s Day is a cheerful book with family and friends showing love to one another. Author Ahiyya, also known as the “Tutu Teacher”, is a Kindergarten teacher who knows her audience and takes care to model positive, inclusive behavior and gives Kai the role of first-person narrator to give readers a child’s point of view; Ahiyya concentrates on enthusiastic wording to communicate Kai’s feelings: “I can’t wait to celebrate with my friends and family”; “My heart feels extra big, knowing how happy everyone is going to be when they open [the valentines]!” A fun and inclusive look at Valentine’s Day for younger readers.

 

I Lava You!, Illustrated by Liv Wan, (Dec. 2024, Cartwheel Books), $7.99, ISBN: 9781546138402

Ages Birth-3

The plush lava on this cartoony volcano welcomes little hands to this adorable ode unconditional love. Seven spreads filled with rhyming phrases make for a snuggle time every time: “I lava you, I really do! No one warms my heart like you”. From volcanoes to diamonds, sunshine and rain to rainbows, to the planets and stars, each spread is filled with bright colors and cheery faces. Readers will visit this book all year ’round.

Visit Liv Wan’s website to see more of her illustrations.

 

Be My Yummy ABC, by Joyce Wan, (Jan. 2025, Hippo Park), $14.99, ISBN: 9781662640766

Ages 2-5

The cutest ABCedary you’ll have in your hands this month! Joyce Wan is one of my favorite children’s illustrators because her artwork is just SO CUTE. She’s all about the bright colors and the bold outlines and her rhymes are the sweetest. With Be My Yummy ABC, Wan creates “a bite of love on every page”, highlighting tasty treats from all over the world: “The cutest GYOZA of my heart. My sticky HONEY BUTTER TART”. Wan’s wide-eyed, smiling food illustrations will delight every reader. Letters of the alphabet are large and puffy, looking like letter balloons and easy to read. Let this be the yummiest book on your shelf. Back matter includes pronunciation of each food, plus a note on each food’s country of origin; the book jacket unfolds into a poster. Endpapers show a variety of foods with heart shapes and rainbows. A feast for the eyes and a lovely look a foods of different cultures. Do not miss.

Visit Joyce Wan’s webpage for Be My Yummy downloadables (and downloadables from her other works)!

 

 

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

Color Our World with stories!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Are you thinking of Summer Reading yet? I am, because we’re working with the theme that the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) has for this year – Color Our World – and I’m enjoying the different books I can fit into this. We’ve got destination books; we have concepts; we have stories of people from all over the world. Naturally, I’ve got some new books that fit the bill. Let’s take a look!

Our World: Cuba, by Terry Catasús Jennings/Illustrated by Marla Cruz Linares, (Oct. 2024, Barefoot Books), $9.99, ISBN: 9798888592304

Ages 2-3

Any time I get a book from Terry Catasús Jennings, it’s a good time; pair that with Barefoot Books’ Our World board book series, and you can’t go wrong. The series is a hit here at my library, thanks to kid-friendly illustrations, a day in the life story, and vocabulary from different languages. Each author draws on their personal cultural experiences to communicate to their readers, which really makes this a unique series. Jennings invites readers to enjoy breakfast and a day full of activity at the park and the beach. Led by a young narrator, readers enjoy toast and café con leche at home; a ride to the beach on the guagua, and a game of los escondidos in the park. The child narrator spends a happy with parents, who are free with affection and a sense of play. Words in Spanish are also spelled phonetically on the page, allowing for easier pronounciation. Back matter provides deeper context to day-to-day life in Cuba. It’s an invitation to a day in Cuba, with warm illustrations and a joyful story. A great add to your board book collections – get some literary stamps in your passports with this book and this series.

 

Many Things at Once, by Veera Hiranandani/Illustrated by Nadia Alam, (Jan. 2025, Random House Studio), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593643907

Ages 4-8

A biracial girl reflects on her Jewish-Indian heritage, ruminating on her parents’ stories: her mother’s mother, a seamstress in Brooklyn, New York; her father’s mother cooking daal on a coal stove in India. The memories go deeper, exploring struggles on both sides of her family; her paternal grandparents separated during the Partition of India, and her maternal grandfather’s escape from the pogroms in Poland. Her families came to America for safety and a new beginning. Her parents tell her that she’s lucky to be “both Jewish and Hindu, to be part of many things at once”, but she sometimes feels neither “Jewish enough” or “Hindu enough” for her parents. Seeing a butterfly, the girl remembers a teacher telling her no two butterflies are the same, and she reflects on this and the roots anchoring the flowers from which the butterfly draws nectar. It all comes together: “I think of all the journeys I’m connected to and grow from”. Hiranandani tells an emotional story of struggle and love and the journey of self-discovery that biracial children travel, inspired by her own family background. An author’s note gives further texture. Pencil and digital illustrations show a diverse family and historical context: the girl views family photos from different decades and she imagines the struggles endured by her grandparents. Relating her cultural heritage to a butterfly will lift hearts. An excellent choice for collections.

 

I LOVE Blueberries!, by Shannon Anderson/Illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, (April 2025, Feeding Minds Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781948898195

Ages 4-8

Jolie from I LOVE Strawberries! (2022) is back and this time, she has a friend! Jolie, who still loves growing strawberries, learned how to germinate blueberry seeds thanks to a local farmer. While showing her germinated seed and sprout in class, she meets new neighbor Margot, a homesick girl who’s just moved from Maine. The two hit it off – Margot’s love of blueberries is a delightful catalyst – and become interested in their teacher’s hydroponic gardening setup, which would let them grow blueberries even quicker. The teacher, who happens to be married to the friendly blueberry farmer, explains hydroponic gardening; the girls are inspired and proceed to hold a local blueberry festival and fundraiser to raise the necessary monies needed to invest in hydroponic equipment. I LOVE Blueberries! is a great story encompassing many areas that will interest readers: friendship, innovation and entrepreneurship, hydroponic gardening, and food farming. The way the community rallies around the two friends to support their ideas is gratifying and inspiring. The illustrations are filled with journals, as with I LOVE Strawberries: Jolie’s journals are joined by Margot’s this time, allowing us some insight into both characters in addition to illustrating the scientific method. Blue endpapers feature line illustrations of blueberries, and back matter includes a note on hydroponics, gardening, and blueberries as a superfood, A great choice for STEM/STEAM collections.

That’s a good start – what Summer Reading titles are you considering?

 

Posted in Toddler Reads

Christmas Board Books for stocking stuffers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You know I love a good board book and holiday board books are just the cutest! Enjoy the season’s readings!

Winter Light, by Aaron Becker, (Sept. 2024, Candlewick Studio), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536236460

Ages Birth-3

Aaron Becker’s board books are works of art. Winter Light is the companion to We Are Light and describes the waning of light outdoors, heralding the arrival of “winter light”: “Glowing embers, cozy hearths, flames to warm the night”. Becker’s die cuts form the illusion of snowflakes and fire’s embers, with sheer tiles of color to hold against the light to delight readers. It’s a quiet, gentle read filled with the warmth of the winter season. An essential for your board book shelves.

 

Where’s the Reindeer?, by Ingela P Arrhenius, (Sept. 2024, Candlewick Press), $9.99, ISBN: 9781536237719

Ages Birth-3

Arrhenius creates such fun sensory books for little hands! Where’s the Reindeer? is a fun guessing game where readers have to find a caroler, a snowy owl, an ice skater, and a reindeer, all hidden behind shaped felt cutouts. The final spread contains a mirror, where children can see themselves. Christmas icons like Santa and his sleigh, elves, Christmas trees, and reindeer have friendly, expressive faces that kids will love. Where’s the Reindeer? is a book kids will reach for all year ’round.

 

Peekaboo Santa, by Camilla Reid/Illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius, (Sept. 2024, Candlewick Press), $9.99, ISBN: 9781536237634

Ages Birth-3

Peekaboo Santa is another fun exploratory read that lets readers manipulate pushes, pulls, and turns to reveal Christmas friends. “Peekaboo Christmas” has a push that reveals a hidden star at the top of the book; “Peekaboo Elf” has a pull that reveals an elf. The final spread, “Peekaboo You”, lets readers pull to reveal a mirror. Arrhenius’s illustration is made for young readers, with expressive eyes and bright colors. An absolute delight for board book shelves.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Meet Marc Brown’s newest friend, Hop

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Arthur fans, get ready! Marc Brown has a new group of friends for readers to meet, and they’ll be coming to Max in April.

Hop Helps Out, by Marc Brown, (Feb. 2025, Orchard Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781339035680

Ages 2-6

Hop is a frog who lives in Fair Village with his friends. One day, he and his friend Benny meet a troll named Helga, who’s crying by a bridge. She wants to explore and see the world, but she’s scared. Not to worry: Hop and Benny take Helga by the hand and bring her exploring, introducing her to their friends and enjoying fun things like making ice cream and playing dress-up. Geared toward younger children, the narrative focuses on short, easy-to-read sentences. Marc Brown’s signature style is familiar to any Arthur fan, and the emphasis on friendship and being able to support one another is perfect for a younger age group learning social skills. Brown also creates characters that “are reflective of our communities and friends and inclusive of children who had been underrepresented in the media”, featuring characters with some sort of disability: Hop wears one sneaker that looks like a platform; a depiction of anisomelia (one leg is shorter than the other). Helga is coded as having agoraphobia.

According to Scholastic’s press release, RespectAbility, an advocacy nonprofit organization fighting stigma and advancing opportunity for people with disabilities, was brought on to consult on the series.

Posted in Toddler Reads

Can’t get enough baby books!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Twirl has some adorable new baby and toddler books out this month!

My Books, by Xavier Deneux, (Aug. 2024, Twirl Books), $14.99, ISBN: 9791036369049

Ages Birth-3

High-contrast artwork with punches of color for extra fun punctuate this fun look at having the right book for the right situation. A little rabbit has lots of books, each with a special mission: the yellow book accompanies the bunny on a camel ride in the desert; a blue book accompanies Bunny on a sailing voyage; a green book ventures into the forest. Die-cuts let readers explore with little fingers; foil overlays emphasize spreads. One-two sentence explanations on each spread place readers and set the stage for deeper text. A great little board book that grows with your little ones, this will be a book they’ll return to again and again, while learning that a good book can accompany you anywhere. A fun introduction to colors and concepts!

 

 

My Big Book of Happy Sounds, by Marion Cocklico, (Aug. 2024, Twirl Books), $22.99, ISBN: 9782408052461

Ages Birth-3

This is such a fun series. My Big Book of Happy Sounds is the companion to My Big Book of Nature Sounds (2023) and My Big Book of Sounds (2019) and includes over 100 sounds organized into areas that invoke happiness: morning sounds like birds singing, morning kisses, and hellos; garden sounds like birds chirping, rolling in the grass, and backyard bowling; together sounds, like laughing, cuddling, and baby babbling. Each button maps to an area of the book, noted by a colorful icon at the top left hand of each page. At the press of a button, little ones can hear all the sounds illustrated on the pages, all clearly labeled. Colorful illustrations show a nonstop parade of fun activities. Perfect for lapsit exploration or to enhance a storytime, these sturdy pages and buttons will hold up to multiple reads.

 

Posted in Toddler Reads

Check out this high-contrast board book series that grows with your baby!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Kane Miller has the inside line on a board book series that grows with your baby: author Lily Murray and illustrator Jane Foster have new, high-contrast board books made for cuddle time. Originally released in the UK, the publisher has brought them to the U.S. Let’s take a look.

Jane Foster’s Baby’s First Stories (0-3 Months), by Lily Murray and Jane Foster, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $10.99, ISBN: 9781684649105

Ages 0-12 months

Four rhyming animal stories make up this first board book: an elephant uses her trunk to sing a special song; a panda snoozes and spends a day at play; a playful whale spends the day with under-the-sea friends, and a bunny spends the day exploring before retiring to her burrow for bedtime. Developed for babies 3 months old and younger, the high-contrast black-and-white illustration work is perfect for baby’s developing brains. The animal illustrations include contrasting shapes and patterns to help babies develop visual focus, and the simple rhyme is easy and soothing to read: “Little whale dives through the seas, / Where turtles swoop and glide. / She meets a friendly starfish / Who asks to hitch a ride”.

 

Jane Foster’s Baby’s First Stories (3-6 Months), by Lily Murray and Jane Foster, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $10.99, ISBN: 9781684649112

Ages 0-12 months

As baby gets a little bigger, Foster adds a splash of color to her illustrations and Murray includes fun activities in the storytelling to engage baby and caregiver: “Now here comes an octopus / Tickling your tummy. / Tickle, tickle everywhere / Tickling’s so funny!”; “There’s Panda! Smiley Panda, / Waving back at me. / I see Panda! Hello, Panda! / And Panda sees me”; “Little Elephant, stomp your feet. / Little Elephant, waggle your nose. / Little Elephant, flap your ears. / Little Elephant, touch your toes!” Caregivers will enjoy tickling and identifying noses, feet, and ears during lap time and cuddle time. The animals from the Baby’s First Stories 0-3 months return, providing comfortable continuity, and the rhymes incorporate movement, questions, and answers while adding blue backgrounds and details to the black and white images and patterns help developing eyes grow stronger and continue creating neural networks.

 

 

Jane Foster’s Baby’s First Stories (6-9 Months), by Lily Murray and Jane Foster, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $10.99, ISBN: 9781684649129

Ages 0-12 months

The animal friends celebrate baby’s new milestones with stories about daily routines: Panda goes through a morning routine of waking, washing up, and getting dressed; Bunny enjoys a tasty lunchtime; Elephant has a bath after playing in the mud all day, and Whale gets ready for bed. As baby reaches 6-9 months, these rhymes parallel a baby’s busy day and include questions like, “Have you finished, Little Bunny? / Let’s clean you up, don’t wait!” and playful phrases like, “Gently, gently, with a towel, / Rub-a-dub-a-dub! / All clean, Little Elephant…  / …till the next time you find mud!” A cheery splash of orange joins the blue, black, and white illustrations and makes the animals’ patterns stand out, easily recognizable. An adorable way to go through the day’s activities and teach babies about routine.

 

Jane Foster’s Baby’s First Stories (9-12 Months), by Lily Murray and Jane Foster, (May 2024, Kane Miller), $10.99, ISBN: 9781684649129

Ages 0-12 months

New friends, additional color, and more complex stories await developing babies and toddlers. Murray and Foster introduce new animal friends, including a tortoise and a duck, all sporting vibrant, high-contrast patterns. Playful text and question and answer formats make reading interactive, inviting readers to search for Bunny, help cheer Panda up and scratch his nose, find Elephant’s missing clothes, and guess where Whale’s friends are hiding. Active phrasing and rhyming text keeps babies engaged, and fun wordplay allows for playful storytimes: “Who’s this coming now, / Creeping oh so slow? / Plod-plod-plod! It’s Tortoise! / Where did Bunny go?”

Each book is easily read and enjoyed by a variety of ages while offering a grow-as-you-go approach to the special milestones of baby’s first year. Bold, high-contrast artwork and fun, rhyming text that becomes more complex keeps baby’s attention while assisting development. The series is an excellent addition to early childhood collections and makes a great gift for a new baby.

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 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, 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, Toddler Reads

Baby and Toddler Storytime is the best time!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Since our children’s librarian is on vacation this week, I get to be a children’s librarian again – and boy, have I missed it. Today, I did our weekly storytime and I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it more than the kids. Here’s what we did:

Welcome Song: We Clap and Sing Hello
We clap and sing hello,
We clap and sing hello,
With our friends at storytime,
We clap and sing hello!
(Stomp and sing hello; jump and sing hello.)
Credit: Storytime Katie

 

It’s Your Time to Shine, by Dianne White/Illustrated by Nanette Regan, (March 2024, Little Simon), $8.99, ISBN: 9781665932035

Ages 0-3

The Littles enjoyed this story about a little girl growing up and learning that life is full of ups and downs: “Sometimes you’ll feel nervous, embarrassed, or small. / Soon you’re back on your feet with a smile, standing tall”. The child goes from a baby to a young woman, gaining confidence as she goes; she learns that it’s her time to shine and embrace all that she is. Adorable for a graduation or an inspirational readaloud, the verse is empowering and realistic, letting readers know that life is never a straight path, but it all contributes to building resilience and character, making us all ready for our moment to shine. Regan’s colorful illustration sets the characters and settings off against the white background of each page. The main character has light-brown skin and curly reddish-brown hair. A sweet addition to board book collections.

 

Song Break!

Active Rhyme: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

Bubble Bubble Pop (I pick colors the Littles are wearing to incorporate into my song)
One little red fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
One little red fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Two little blue fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
Two little blue fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Three little yellow fish swimming in the water, swimming in the water, swimming in the water.
Three little yellow fish swimming in the water, bubble, bubble, pop.
Credit: Jbrary

This Baby, That Baby, by Cari Best/Illustrated by Rashin Kheriyeh, (Feb. 2024, Anne Schwartz Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9780593564639

Ages 3-7

This went over so well! The story of two babies who live across from each other really clicked with my Littles. Two city-dwelling babies live in apartments across from one another on a “beep-beep street” and happily greet one another from their windows. The day goes on and the two play with their parents, have diaper changes, eat, and nap, only to discover each other on a walk in the afternoon. It’s a sweet story that reminds me of Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, with its joyful storytelling and recognizable moments in Baby’s day; having it set in a city, with all the “beep-beep streets”, “bumpy sidewalks”, and various neighbors visible in their windows, made it something the kids in my community can relate to. Best hits a homer with her descriptive storytelling, and Kheiriyeh’s mixed media illustration creates two adorable, expressive children and a cozy and bustling city. With starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and BookPage, this is a book that should be in your storytime collections.

 

Classics Song Break!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star

I finished up with Finding Grateful, which brought things to a gentle close. We brought storytime to an end with one final song – Yo Te Amo, courtesy of Jbrary – and then we did our Goodbye Rhyme, Tickle the Clouds, courtesy of Laptime Rhymes:

Tickle the clouds (we reach up high)
Tickle your toes (we reach down low)
Now reach up and tickle your nose (tickle noses, make a sneezing sound)
Reach down low (we reach down low)
Now reach up high (we reach up high)
Storytime’s over for now, so let’s wave goodbye! (wave goodbye)

That was it! My first storytime in a while, and I felt pretty good shaking the rust off. I’m hoping to fit some more storytime programming in during Summer Reading. I’ll keep you posted.