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Recommended for ages 3-8

Langston Hughes’ 1923 poem is brought to life with images by illustrator Charles R. Smith in this 2010 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award-winning book. The book brings together the 33 words of Hughes’ beautiful ode to beauty and sepia-toned photographs of African-Americans of all ages. The photos are close-up, happy, expressive faces against a black background, with additional photos of faces running down the margins of the pages; these are lighter sepia so as not to distract from the main photos and words on the page. The faces appear to emerge from the shadows, and Smith often juxtaposes young and old together, creating a perfect harmony on each spread. The font is large and bold, alternating white and sepia. The endpapers offer a collage of faces in the overexposed, faded sepia we see on the page margins inside.

This is an excellent story time choice for young audiences. The faces will appeal to babies, toddlers and preschoolers alike, and at 33 words, the reader can take his or her time, allowing listeners to enjoy the faces and allow the words to sink in. This would make an excellent Black History Month reading, but can be a reading done at any time. It would be a good addition to a multicultural story time in diverse neighborhoods, which could include fingerplays and songs from other cultures. Participants can be invited to contribute their own nursery rhymes, songs and fingerplays.

Recommended for ages 2-8

Ben Kachoo is a hippo with allergies. Unfortunately for him, he lives in a swamp at the zoo that does nothing but aggravate those allergies. He uses his sneezes as a positive, though; they are so forceful that they propel him through the water – until the day they send him crashing into a crocodile named Arrow. You see, the crocodiles and the hippos don’t mix, despite sharing the same swamp; so his collision with Arrow leaves Ben  worried, at first, and he apologizes profusely. Arrow couldn’t be friendlier, and not only accepts his apology but strikes up a friendship with the sneezing hippo.

The story of how unlikely friendships occur (with an emphasis on manners) is a great story for young readers and for read-alouds. The cartoon-type artwork is bright and lively, with exaggerated facial expressions taking up much of the pages and making it accessible for young, pre-readers to enjoy and follow along. The story font is black, bold, and in an expressive, angular font that will keep the interest of slightly older readers.

The accompanying plush Ben is a friendly, soft companion for a read-aloud. A squeeze of his tail activates one of his six sneezes, a “Whoa!” and an “Excuse me!”. which can enhance the storytelling. The story is also a good candidate for felt board storytelling; there are many sites that offer animal printouts.

This would be a great addition to a read-aloud on either friendship or manners. DLTK’s website offers a friendship craft where children trace their hands and cut them out to form a wreath.

Recommended for ages 2-5

An adorable kitten sees her first full moon. Believing it is a saucer of milk, she sets out to have a taste. Her curiosity leads her on a series of misadventures where she ends up with bugs on her tongue, hurt from a leap off the porch, and soaking wet from a dive into a pond. The 2005 Caldecott Medal winner places Kitten’s actions in a repetitive series: she sees the moon and wants to drink from it; she takes an action and deals with the consequences; and the moon – referred to as the “little bowl of milk” – waits for her next move. Will Kitten learn from her mistakes? Kevin Henkes uses a charcoal and cream-colored palette, with simple, understated illustrations outlined in thick, black line, to tell his tale, and Kitten’s face is very expressive. The brief text on each page is simple, bold, and black; it causes no distraction for young readers and listeners. Preschoolers will see themselves in the tenacious Kitten, who is single-minded in her goal.

The repetitive actions of the story and its happy resolution make this book a good choice for a story time read aloud. This could be part of a moon stories read aloud with companion books like Bringing Down the Moon by Jonathan Emmett, which tells a similar tale. There are moon rhymes and fingerplays that can flesh out this story time.

The author’s website offers teaching resources for parents and educators.

Recommended for ages 2-5

A cranky duck warns the reader not to tickle him – not to tickle his stomach, his foot, or under his wing – but really enjoys it when you do. Textured spots on each page add an additional dimension for young readers.

This 2006 Bulletin Blue Ribbon winner features a duck, reminiscent of a child who demands not to be tickled, only to shriek with laughter when tickled. It becomes a game, just as it does with this story. The story begins and ends with the endpapers, making use of every bit of space the book has to offer, and the different, touchable textures on duck’s body are exciting for younger, more tactile readers. The cartoon artwork and the big, colorful fonts will appeal to readers. The artwork is boldly drawn and outlined in black; the colors are simple – blue-gray, yellow, orange, and white – but stand out. The book could provide a fun laugh-out-loud read-aloud with an enthusiastic leader.

There are four books in the Duck series: Tickle the Duck!; Stop Kissing Me; Duck’s Afraid of the Dark; and Have You Been Naughty or Nice?

The author’s website offers more information about his books.