AA - African
American Interest
AS - Asian Interest
DO - Diversity (Other Issues besides ethnicity)
HISP - Hispanic Interest
MC - Multicultural-several or many ethnic groupsThe
annotations below are collected from the following professional journals:
Booklist, BCCB, Children Literature, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and
School Library Journal.
Baker, Jeannie - Home
Illustrated by intricate collages, this
wordless story unfolds from the perspective of a window facing a dilapidated
urban neighborhood. Gradually over the years, as the family evolves, the window
view changes as people transform the neighborhood into an attractive, inviting
community. Ages 5-8
Bang, Molly - My Light
This nonfiction book has a brief text in which the sun explains the
different ways its light is transformed into energy which powers the bulbs that
illuminate the night. The illustrations are sparkling paintings executed in
blues and yellows. Ages 6-10
Bauer, Marion Dane - Very Best Daddy of All
With soft pastel illustrations and simple rhyming text, Marion Dane
Bauer shows how some fathers, animal, bird and human, take care of their
children by bringing them food, playing with them and keeping them safe. Ages
1-5
Beaumont, Karen - Duck, Duck, Goose
Some silly farm animals see a mysterious creature under a pile of
leaves. They fear it is a coyote and run from it. After many nutty adventures
they discover the creature is a bunny who just wants to play. Ages 4-6
Blackstone, Stella -
Secret Seahorse
Young readers will enjoy finding the seahorse
on each page as it hides among other sea creatures, while older readers and
adults will enjoy the beautiful fabric collage illustrations. An illustrated
glossary in the back helps youngsters learn about the sea and its inhabitants.
Ages 4-7
Brett, Jan - Umbrella
Carlos takes his umbrella into the cloud
forest to find some animals. Much to his chagrin, he sees only treetops unaware
of the activity at the base of the tree. All the animals he longs to see are one
by one congregating in his umbrella. Beautiful illustrations of the birds and
animals of the rain forest will make this book a hit with all ages.
Carle, Eric - Mister
Seahorse
Eric Carle brings his inimitable style to the
story of aquatic fathers who care for their young. Mister Seahorse floats
through his world encouraging other fathers of other species as they go through
their day caring for their offspring. Loaded with facts that will surprise and
delight all ages.
Carryl, Charles Edward -
Camel's Lament
Pity the camel's lot in this 19th-century
"whiny yet comical complaint" , as "verse and illustrations compare the poor
camel's practical palate, habitat, utility, and physique with that of other
creatures" . Santore's full-page watercolor illustrations individualize all the
animals in rich detail, especially the droll expressions of the long suffering
dromedary. Useful for story times and read-alouds. Ages 3-6
Crews, Nina - Neighborhood
Mother Goose
Delightful photos of Brooklyn children and
their neighborhood bring to life this collection of Mother Goose and other
nursery rhymes. Ages 4-7
Demi - Hungry Coat
Nasrettin Hoca arrives at the home of a
wealthy friend for dinner wearing his smelling-of-goat, patched coat and is
ignored, but after changing into a fancy new coat is well received. Proceeding
to feed the fancy new coat, he explains that it must have been the intended
dinner guest. Ages 6-10
Downard, Barry (illus.) -
Little Red Hen
When the Little Red Hen asks the other
barnyard animals who will help with the planting, reaping, and other chores they
all say, "Not I," but when the work is done they all want a reward. Humorous
photo collages accompany the traditional text. Ages 4-6
Edwards, Wallace - Monkey
Business
Edwards uses humorous creative artwork to
illustrate 26 idioms (literally), but offers their meanings on the last page. An
added bonus is finding the almost hidden monkey in each picture. Ages 6-10
Ehlert, Lois - Pie in the
Sky
A father tells his child that they have "a pie
tree" in their yard. Through the successive seasons, the child observes visiting
insects, birds, even a raccoon, buds, flowers, and finally cherries, but "no
pie." Finally it is time to pick the cherries and make a pie (recipe included).
Colorful, textured paper collages, and simple bold text makes it useful for
story times. Older children will enjoy finding the items mentioned in the
smaller gray text on their own. Ages 3-7
Ernst, Lisa Campbell -
Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book
A bright and clever alphabet book in which
each letter becomes different objects as the book is turned different
directions, as when A becomes a bird’s beak, a drippy ice-cream cone, and the
point of a star. Using bold graphics, Ernst’s alphabet is an exercise in visual
imagination rather than in phonics and initial letters. (Horn Book) Ages 3-6
Fleischman, Paul & Kevin Henkes - Sidewalk Circus
The splendor of everyday life is revealed in this quietly exciting
wordless offering. As a city street awakens, with commuters passing by and
grocers setting out their wares, a brightly lit marquee announces the coming
Garibaldi Circus. A worker pastes up posters for the circus's various acts, and
a little girl's joyful gaze finds the circus in the everyday waking city. Ages
5-9
Geeslin, Campbell -
Elena's Serenade
This delightful story takes place in Mexico,
where Elena wants to be a glassblower like her Papa. Unfortunately, girls are
not glassblowers. Dressed as a boy she ventures out on her own to Monterrey
where all the great glassblowers live. Along the way she makes friends with
various animals in the desert and gains confidence in her abilities. She returns
home to Papa, shares her amazing adventures and together they blow glass for all
the curious tourists. Ages 3-7 HISP
Gleeson, Libby Cuddle Time
This short, simple story for toddlers is about two children rolling out of their
beds and crawling into their parents' bed for rolling and tumbling and giggling
and cuddling.. Ages 2-5
Heidbreder, Robert -
Drumheller Dinosaur Dance
With a "boomity-boom, rattely-clack ...," the
Drumheller dinosaurs crawl out of the ground, "assemble themselves - fronts,
sides and backs," and then "rock and roar" the night away. Vibrating with the
rhythmic text, the illustrations feature the white dinosaur skeletons dancing
against Badlands backgrounds of red-brown earth and blue-to-orange-red skies.
Dino fans will enjoy joining the party. The book is also useful for story times.
Ages 3-6
Henderson, Kathy - And the
Good Brown Earth
Gram and Joe work on their gardens throughout
the year from digging time to gathering time with the help of the good brown
earth. At harvest time vegetables abound in Gram’s neatly rowed garden and in
Joes’s “higgledy-piggledy, tangly, FANTASTIC” garden. Ages 3-5
Henkes, Kevin - Kitten's
First Full Moon
An irresistible offering from the multifaceted
Henkes. The spare and suspense-filled story concerns a kitten that mistakes the
moon for a bowl of milk. Repetitive phrases introduce each sequence of desire,
action, and consequence, until the animal's instincts lead her home to a
satisfying resolution. The rhythmic text and delightful artwork ensure storytime
success. Kids will applaud this cat's irrepressible spirit. Ages 3-6
Hoberman, Mary Ann - Whose
Garden Is It?
When Mrs. McGee walks through a garden
wondering whose it is, all of the plants and animals, as well as the sun and the
gardener claim it as their own. Hoberman ends by letting the audience answer the
title question. Jane Dyer’s sunny watercolors of a magnificent garden are
radiant and inviting. (Booklist, Publishers Weekly) Ages 3-7
Hopkinson, Deborah -
Packet of Seeds
In a tribute to the privations suffered by
pioneer women, Hopkinson writes of their loneliness and sadness as they go with
their men to settle the west. Annie saves her mother from despair by starting a
kitchen garden to remind her mother of the friends and family they left behind
and the chance of new fertile life. Ages 5-9
Jenkins, Steve - Actual
Size
Dramatic cut and torn paper collages
illustrate various animals and parts of animals in their actual size.
Illustrations vary in size from the world's smallest fish to the foot of an
African elephant. Additional material on the animals is included in an appendix.
Ages 4-8
Johnson, Angela - Just
Like Josh Gibson
A young girl learns that her grandmother could
throw, hit and catch a baseball just like Josh Gibson, a Negro-league player.
Grandmother tells her a story of the day the boys in her neighborhood let her
play baseball even though she was a girl. Ages 5-7 AA
Johnson, Angela - Violet's
Music
Violet loves to play music. From the days she
banged her rattle on her crib, Violet has been looking for friends who share her
love of music and finally finds them one day in the park. Ages 4-8 AA
Ketterman, Helen -
Armadilly Chili
The Little Red Hen folk-tale gets a
Texas-twist when a tarantula, mockingbird and horned toad refuse to help an
armadillo prepare the chili. Armadillo shows us it's not the food that's
important, but the friends to share it . Ages 5-8
Laguna, Sophie - Too Loud Lily
Family and friends of exuberant Lily Hippo often complain that she is
too loud. The new drama teacher, Miss Loopiola, finds just the right creative
outlet for Lily and all her noise in the school play. Watercolor vignettes add
fun to this story. Ages 3-6
Lyon, George Ella -
Weaving the Rainbow
A young woman who is shepherd, weaver and
artist relate in detail her sheep from birth to shearing to finally weaving a
picture of a Kentucky pasture filled with an array of rainbow colors. Ages 3-6
McMullen, Nigel - It's Too
Soon
Anna, a floppy-eared little bunny, chants
again and again, “it’s too soon” to go to bed, but her special Gramps takes her
one step at a time through the bedtime routine. Ages 2-5
Macken, JoAnn Early -
Sing-Along Song
Each small event in the day of an exuberant,
music -loving, African-American child, morning till bedtime, provides
inspiration and reason for the boy to "burst out singin! Chant like songs invite
readers to sing along. Ages 3-8
Mallat, Kathy - Mama Love
Rhyming text celebrates the love between a
mother chimpanzee and her child. Brilliantly colored illustrations portray
the powerful bond between parent and child. Ages 2-6
Morrissey, Dean & Stephen Krensky -
Monster Trap
Paddy and his grandfather work to build a
better monster trap to rid Pop's Place of monsters. The intriguing use of light
increases the suspense of the story. The bits and pieces from the objects in the
shop used to build the increasingly sophisticated traps will interest young
inventors of every sort. Ages 5-8
Odanaka, Barbara -
Skateboard Mom
During her son's birthday party, a wild-eyed
mom takes off with his birthday present, a skateboard, and shocks everyone with
her incredible skateboarding antics. Ages 4-8
Paterson, John & Katherine -
Blueberries for the Queen
A young boy in America, imagining himself a
knight, wants to help during WWII. Hoping to cheer Queen Wilhelmina of the
Netherlands, who is staying at a neighboring farm, he takes her blueberries,
telling her they “will make your mouth rejoice.” (Based on an incident in John
Paterson’s life.) Ages 4-8
Prosek, James - Good Day's
Fishing
A young boy searches through his tackle box -
bobbers, lures, hooks and other fishing gear to find the essential item he needs
for a good day’s fishing. Ages 5-10
Provencher, Rose-Marie -
Slithery Jake
All children get excited when they find a
great pet and Sid is no exception. He finds a snake and names him Jake much to
his family’s chagrin. Quirky watercolor illustrations wonderfully portray the
hysteria that ensues when the new pet snake is found missing from his cage. Ages
4-7
Rash, Andy - Agent A to
Agent Z
Agent A must find a spy. Will he find the fake
in time? Through the alphabet he goes dodging dangers, facing foes, trying to
complete his official mission.Rash’s drawings provide comedic details with a
smart tone. Ages 4-7
Roth, Susan - Hard Hat Area
Interesting collage illustrations provide a glimpse into a construction site as
Kristen, an apprentice ironworker, goes about her job learning various tasks and
bringing supplies and snacks to other workers. In addition, information is
provided on the workers' jobs and equipment. Ages 5-8
Shange, Ntozake -
Ellington Was Not a Street
Shange's poem "Mood Indigo" is beautifully
illustrated by Kadir Nelson with rich oil paintings. She introduces us to "the
company of men who changed the world" she knew as a young girl. Author's Notes
include biographical sketches of these influential African-American men. Ages
8-10 AA
Sherman, Allan - Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!
This version of the comical song in which a young summer camper
describes in a letter all the horrors of Camp Granada and begs his parents to
let him come home after only one day is hard to read without singing along! The
short text seems to be written on lined paper and is accompanied by bold and
humorous illustrations. Ages 6-10
Spinelli, Eileen - Do You
Have a Hat?
A bouncy, rhyming story highlights the many
uses and shapes of hats worn by famous people in history. Endpapers offer
a line or two about each figure. The brightly colored illustrations make a great
addition for storytime. Ages 3-6
Spinelli, Ellen -
Something to Tell the Grandcows
Emmadine the cow wants grand adventures to
tell her “grandcows” but what’s an ordinary cow to do? When Admiral Byrd asks
for volunteers to go to the South Pole, she is more than ready to leave her warm
barn and travel in search of adventure. Ages 4-7
Stevens, Janet - Plaidypus
Lost
Grandpa’s old plaid shirt is transformed into
a lively young girl’s favorite new toy, Plaidypus. When she takes her toy to the
park she mistakenly leaves him behind. He is returned and has other adventures -
to the market, the lake and a car ride until Plaidypus is finally lost for sure.
A little worse for wear he is returned and with some tender loving care from
Grandma once again becomes the young girl’s favorite companion. Ages 3-6
Sturges, Philemon - She'll
Be Comin’ 'Round the Mountain
New words for the traditional song describe
the anticipation and the celebratory preparations for the arrival of a special
guest to Reederville. Wolff's illustrations of animals busily cleaning, cooking,
and decorating for a fiesta, capture the southwestern flavor and give hints to
the occupation of the visitor "drivin a bookmobile,”Six White Horses” This is a
good book for story times and music programs. Ages 3-7
Waddell, Martin - Room for
a Little One
On a cold winter’s night Kind Ox welcomes Old
Dog, Stray Cat, and Small Mouse into his stable, reassuring each that “There’s
always room for a little one here.” When there is no room at the inn Kind Ox
also welcomes Tired Donkey, Mary and Joseph, and finally the baby Jesus into the
stable on the first Christmas Night. Ages 3-7
Weatherby, Brenda -
Trucker
Wesley dreams his toy semi-flatbed rig grows
big enough for him to have a trucking adventure but wakes to find he is in the
back of his father's truck. Ages 3-7
Webb, Steve - Tanka Tanka
Skunk
A bright, colorful book filled with a rhythmic
beat and amusing animals. Tanka the elephant and Skunk love to play the drums.
With these two friends establishing the beat, young readers will clap their
hands enthusiastically as they call out the names of the various animals. Ages
4-8
Weeks, Sarah - If I Were a
Lion
A round-faced, red-haired young girl pouts,
“I’m sitting in the time-out chair because my mother put me there”. Accused of
being wild, our precocious young lady works through her anger and frustration as
she imagines how wild she could be if she were an animal. Ages 3-6
Wilson, Karma - Hilda Must
Be Dancing
Hilda Hippo’s dancing disturbs her jungle
friends. They suggest other quieter activities but nothing makes Hilda as happy
as dancing until Water Buffalo suggests swimming. Then Hilda finds a new way to
express herself. Ages 3-7
Wormell, Christopher -
Teeth, Tails & Tentacles
The bold lino-cut prints illustrate the
various parts of many children's favorite inhabitants of land and sea. Counting.
from 1 to 20, each block is a fascinating study of the creature's identifying
characteristic. The blocks are repeated in smaller scale at the end with the
Author's Notes about the animals. Ages 4-8
Zimmerman, Andrea & Dave Clemesha -
Dig!
Mr. Rally loves to dig in the dirt with his
big yellow backhoe and the help of Lightning, his dog. Today they have a list of
five jobs, and yes, they complete all of them with time to dig in their garden
at the end of the day.With retro-style illustrations, this book reinforces
counting from 1-to-5, and will be useful for story times. Don't miss Lightning's
finds during the day. Ages 2-5