Rabbit's Snow Dance

Rabbit's Snow Dance by James Bruchac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A traditional Iroquois story retold by James & Joseph Bruchac about a time when Rabbit had a long tail and short patience. A cautionary tale for anyone wanting lots of snow Right Now, no matter the season or the needs of your fellow creatures.

The repetition and chanting would make this an excellent read-aloud for preschool through elementary audiences.

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Norman Didn't Do It! (Yes, he did.)

Norman Didn't Do It!: by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Norman and Mildred are best friends. The fact that one is a porcupine and the other a tree makes no difference at all. That is, until the day that a seedling begins to grow nearby. Then Norman's worries sprout and take root as well, until he feels the new tree is such a threat to his relationship with Mildred that he digs it up in the dark of night and takes it far, far away. Fixed! Except...it didn't fix anything, and now Norman feels horribly guilty and ashamed of himself. What's a porcupine to do?

As always, Ryan T. Higgins' artwork is worth many thousands of words. So much nuance and emotion conveyed with his illustrations. Brilliant, as always.

I love that this is a book depicting someone making a horrible choice, realizing the harm his actions have caused, coming up with a plan to make amends, and following through--a really critical life skill! And this book does it in such a way that it doesn't come across as preachy or afterschool-special-y. A great read-aloud for preschool through early elementary school. Or let's be honest, it's a great read for *adults* too!

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Bruce's Big Storm

Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like all the other Bruce books, this one is absolutely delightful--funny for kids and for their grown-ups. This time around, Bruce is the reluctant host of all the neighborhood animals during a big storm. When a tree crashes through the roof and slices the house in two, the neighbors rally to fix up the house even better than before--adding a "rumpus room" (It's for rumpusing!) where everyone can hang out and play cards. My kids ask for this as a bedtime story over and over and can now recite pretty much the entire book. Or at least sections of it before dissolving in giggles. We love Bruce books so much!

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I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track

I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book to my daughter's kindergarten class in honor of the Transportation unit they were working on. The kids were really into it--caught up in the suspense of whether the ant was going to be smashed by the train. However, even these 5 & 6-year-olds were savvy enough to point out that an ant would most assuredly feel the vibrations of an enormous train barreling ever closer and would have gotten off the rail WAY before the train posed any kind of mortal danger. In fact, they blurted this fact out right in the middle of the story, which gave me an opportunity to respond with, "True, but you can pretend anything you want in fiction!" and then quickly move on before anyone thought about all the ways that *isn't* quite true or realized the switchman should have just picked up the ant instead of trying to redirect a TRAIN from its appointed route.

The illustrations in the book are beautiful--sort of a soft-focus photo-realism...aside from the ant who walks on two legs and carries a stick with a bag of belongings hanging from it. That part's pure "photo-fantasy," you might say.

There are some great vocabulary words in the text, and loads of rhyming words, which the kids were having fun listening for. The rhythm of the text flows along well in all but a few spots, so practicing out loud in advance is a must. The stutter-spots can be overcome if you learn which syllables to emphasize, but that's nigh impossible in the moment.

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I'm a Frog!

I'm a Frog! by Mo Willems
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gerald panics when Piggie starts ribbitting and announces she's a frog. Will HE be turned into a frog, too? He doesn't want to be a frog! Piggie has to explain that she's just PRETENDING to be a frog, and he can pretend, too. But Gerald doesn't want to be a frog.... Moooooooo!

This book is funny and makes my kids laugh, especially when I act out the voices and facial expressions. The pictures really tell the story even more than the words do!

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Pigs to the Rescue

Pigs to the Rescue: A Picture Book by John Himmelman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Farmer Greenstalk's pigs are eager to follow in the chickens' footsteps and save the day...but they aren't quite as successful in their efforts, which makes for some hilarious illustrations. The spirited swine romp through the week with more enthusiasm than sense: plowing furrows deep enough to stand up in, drenching the flower garden down to bare stalks, ripping a kite out of a tree, waking the neighborhood with a cacophony of squeals and oinks, tying on a shoe with a cocoon of rope and ribbon, and sending the duck on a birthday balloon ride. When the cat spills her milk, the family warns, "Don't let the pigs know!"

...Cows to the rescue!

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Chickens to the Rescue

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Farmer Greenstalk & his family are incredibly lucky to have such amazing chickens! The plucky poultry retrieve a watch from a well, cook dinner, rewrite a chewed up book report, bring back a stolen truck, rescue a cow from a tree, and bring home lost sheep. Chickens to the rescue! But by Sunday, they are tired and deserve a rest. ...Pigs to the rescue!

This hilarious tale of resourceful hens had the preschoolers in my storytime cackling with glee. We practiced saying the repeated phrase, "Chickens to the rescue!" before we began, and they belted it out with enthusiasm on every other page (spread).

I do wish the human characters weren't all so pale-skinned, but otherwise this is a fantastic, funny, farce.

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Be Quiet!

Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I gave this to my daughter for her 5th birthday because it makes me laugh out loud every single time I read it. Poor Rupert the Mouse just wants to create a wordless book, but his friends keep talking and ruining it! There are cameos by Higgins' character Bruce and one of the goslings (from his Mother Bruce series), which add to the fun. Plus, my daughter now knows the word "onomatopoeia"!

The illustrations really add to the story. I love Higgins' style of artwork--so much is conveyed by the expressions on the animals' faces and their body language.

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Little Chickies/Los Pollitos

Canticos: Los Pollitos / Canticos: Little Chickies by Susie Jaramillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delightful! ¡Encantador!

What a sweet little book and a clever way to promote bilingual reading experiences to small children. First you read the book straight through in one language (English or Spanish), then when you get to the end, turn the page and read it straight through in the second language. It's printed very cleverly in an accordion format to facilitate this, according to this video. No awkward repetition or lingering on the same pages too long while trying to read in both languages at the same time--I think my daughter will love it instead of getting bored or confused like with other bilingual books!

The book is based on a song, and it looks like the last page of the book contains information on how to find the song online so you can sing the lyrics as well as reading them. Singing is great for helping children break down words into their smaller sounds--an important early literacy skill!

Once I get to see a physical copy, my rating might go up to 5 stars, but I've only seen an ebook version so far, courtesy of NetGalley & the publisher, so I don't yet know how sturdy the flaps and wheels are. Many thanks to NetGalley & Canticos for the ARC!

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Who's in the Tub?

Who's In the Tub? by Sylvie Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Willy is reluctant to take a bath, but once he gets in, he doesn't want to get out!

I read this to a preschool storytime group, and the kids got a big kick out of Willy and the animals. Was it his imagination, or did his bath toys really come to life?

The cadence of the text falters only a couple of times, so it's fun to read out loud with a little bit of practice. The pages are different sizes--going from small to large and back down again, which adds interest to the pictures that develop from one page to another.

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King Bidgood's in the Bathtub

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All day long and well into the night, King Bidgood is enjoying his bath so much that he makes everyone else join him instead of getting out. He hosts mock naval battles, lunch, fishing, and a masquerade ball. Oh, who knows what to do?! (spoiler alert: his Page does! *glub, glub, glub!*)

I wasn't sure how well this would go over when I read it to a preschool storytime because you really have to look at the pictures to appreciate the story, but the kids LOVED it. The repetition of, "...King Bidgood's in the bathtub, and he won't get out!..." had one little boy throwing up his hands by the end and saying, "Not AGAIN!" The parents and other children all laughed or nodded vigorously in response, and my own chuckling made it somewhat difficult to read the rest of the story. It ended up being really interactive to have the kids look at the pictures and announce what was happening in the tub throughout the day.

It comes with a CD, but I haven't listened to that yet.

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I'll Always Love You

I'll Always Love You by Paeony Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter and I LOVE this book. The story is about a little bear who accidentally breaks his mother's favorite honey bowl while trying to surprise her by fixing her breakfast. He's afraid she'll be so mad she won't love him any more, so he tests the waters before he confesses by making up various scenarios of misbehavior to see how she reacts. She always responds with "I'll always love you, but you will have to [insert appropriate consequences here]."

I love that this board book shows children they will be loved no matter what mischief they get into, and there are logical consequences for actions--if you get paint on your baby sister, you will have to give her a bath, etc. I also love that it depicts a child telling the truth even when he knows his mother will be upset and that his relief when he knows he's forgiven allows him to think of a solution for replacing the broken bowl. His "flat brain" becomes three-dimensional again (see Jim Petersen's book Why Don't We Listen Better for reference).

This is a great choice for parents and grandparents (or any other adults) to read to little ones.

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The Goodnight Train

The Goodnight Train by June Sobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The goodnight train gets set to roll. It's being shined, and filled with coal... that looks remarkably like cookies or cinnamon rolls--yum! This bedtime story board book is delightful, with the children's beds and a bathtub for the skunk making up most of the train's cars. Anthropomorphized animals are the train's conductor, porter, etc. The pajama-clad tots ride the train up the mountain, through the tunnel, around the town, across the plains and fields, until everyone is asleep and arrives home.

The rhythm of the words fits the pacing of the story, and the illustrations are fabulous--fun for little kids but with lots of jokes that will tickle the funny bone of older siblings, parents, and grandparents. My toddler loves it, and even after dozens of readings, I'm still noticing new clever visual gags.

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I Ate a Cicada Today

I Ate a Cicada Today by Jeff Crossan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"I ate a cicada today. I know that sounds crazy to say. But it flew in my mouth, and it didn't fly out. I ate a cicada today."

For kids, especially 8 year old boys, who are enjoying language exploration, this could be a fun choice. The vocabulary, rhymes, and humor would most likely fly over the heads of preschoolers, but primary school students should get a kick out of both the book and the song as well.

The illustrations are simple watercolors which enhance and emphasize the humor of the random, quirky lyrics. ("I followed a swallow today. She wanted me to go away. She swerved and she swooped. I looked up, and...oops!"

This picture book comes with a CD, but my free review e-copy didn't include the audio files, so I've only heard a sample of the first few pages. I can't speak to the full song, but the sample certainly got stuck in my head! I think elementary school teachers could easily incorporate Crossan's book and music into their story times.

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The Hundred Dresses

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nobody really pays much attention to Wanda Petronski other than to tease the shy, silent girl about the hundred dresses she claims to have, so no one even notices at first when she stops showing up to school. When her classmates do think of her, it's often to wonder why she would lie about something so obvious--she clearly has only the one dress, which she wears every single day.

Maddie's best friend Peggy instigated the daily teasing sessions, and Maddie has always felt guilty about that, but she's been afraid to speak up for fear the girls' attention would turn to her next. After all, she's poor, too, although not quite so poor as Wanda. When Wanda stops coming to school, Maddie wants to do something to make up for hurting her, especially after they all learn the truth of the hundred dresses. But are they too late?

This classic story highlights not only the emotional pain inflicted by bullies but also the trauma caused by bystanders who privately object yet publicly do nothing to stop the abuse. Like Mean Girls, but for an older elementary school crowd. It would be a great choice for a classroom read-aloud and discussion (or role-playing session), as well as an excellent book for parents and grandparents to read (aloud or silently) and discuss with their children/grandchildren. Even though it was first published in 1944, it's still relevant today, other than the sexist design/coloring competition and the fact that girls only wear dresses to school.

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Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick

Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick by Kevin Henkes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great little book about an older sister who doesn't want to share with her younger sister. The illustrations really tell this story and convey Sheila Rae & Louise's feelings better than words could ever do. The last page, however, I often skip when reading to my daughter because it seems like it was tacked on to appease parents, and I don't find it believable. Too saccharine.

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Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! The expressions on Pigeon's face are pitch perfect--EXACTLY like a child trying to distract you from putting him (or her) to bed.  Great for caregivers of preschool-age children (also kindergarteners & even first graders) to read to said children.  Or just to read to themselves for the chuckles and memories.

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Kenny and the Dragon

Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kenny Rabbit is a bookish sort of a boy. He lives on a farm with his parents, and his best friend is the town's bookseller. Then Kenny's dad spies a dragon on their farm, and Kenny learns that not everything you read in books is true, certainly not when it comes to dragons. THIS dragon loves creme brulée and hasn't ever eaten a princess. Unfortunately, the townsfolk are fearful of having a dragon in their midst, and Kenny must come up with a daring plan to save his new friend.

I absolutely fell in love with this sweet story of friendship, loyalty, bravery, and ingenuity! I can see why it won Switzerland's Prix Chronos award, which, according to Tony DiTerlizzi's website is "an inter-generational book award with the ambition to encourage people to read and to bring together generations: children at the age of 10 to 12 and elderly people together read and review five nominated books."

For readers' advisors: It's got some great vocabulary words, so it might be a bit of a stretch for some 3rd and 4th graders, but it would make a great choice for reading with an adult at bedtime.

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The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so envious of The Streak. I wish my parents (or I) had thought of that when I was little--to read to me every single night until I went off to college. We were never as financially strapped as the Brozinas were, so I had opportunities Alice does not seem to have had, like going on youth group retreats and mission trips, which would have broken The Streak long before college began. Still, I wish we had tried.

The Reading Promise tells of an eccentric elementary school librarian and his equally quirky youngest daughter navigating the difficult world of single parenting with the help of a promise to read together each and every single day--no exceptions. The stability of their routine supports them through some incredibly trying times. Alice, now a recent college graduate, has a writing style which had me in turns laughing hysterically at the fish funeral, wishing desperately to comfort her pre-teen self, and ready to go to battle at her father's side over the removal of all books from the school library.

My mom, also a retired elementary school librarian & teacher, insisted I read this memoir before she returned it to the library, and I'm so thankful she did. This is a must-read for parents and grandparents (and step-parents). Reading to children enriches both the children and the adults on so many levels, the benefits are incalculable. Not to mention priceless and essential. And free!

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, story is secondary. No sex, violence, or bad language, so no excuses!

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I Am a Pole (and so can you!)

I Am a Pole by Stephen Colbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stephen Colbert cracks me up!

I bought copies of this book for my husband and my brother, thinking it would be more like Colbert's previous book I Am America (and so can you!). I didn't realize it was written as a picture book. While the cadence of the language lends itself to reading the book aloud, I don't think I'll be reading it to any preschoolers any time soon, though, thanks to the (really funny) page about the pole dancer. However, my mother, my husband, my eleven-year-old stepson, and I all laughed out loud while reading it to ourselves, which I see as a great sign of widespread appeal.

The story is of a pole trying to find its calling in life. It tries out many careers before settling on the patriotic one of displaying the American flag.

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