Who doesn't love dinosaurs? This book is a wonderful first look into the world of our extinct friends. What is particularly great about this book is h...moreWho doesn't love dinosaurs? This book is a wonderful first look into the world of our extinct friends. What is particularly great about this book is how it demonstrates that science is not foolproof, but can change when new evidence is brought to light. Fields that refuse to change are fields that never have a chance to improve, so the fact that this book goes through some of the debunked theories that some scientists proposed about dinosaurs really drives that fact home. Science isn't about upholding past traditions, it is an ever-changing quest for the truth. The illustrations of the past and present suppositions of what dinosaurs looked like are detailed and realistic. Recommended for grades 1-3.(less)
In this illustration-rich book, Ivy and Bean are thrown together by situations outside of their control, and the unlikely duo become friends in spite...moreIn this illustration-rich book, Ivy and Bean are thrown together by situations outside of their control, and the unlikely duo become friends in spite of themselves. Bean, the unstoppable prankster and tomboy, didn't much care for the new girl, Ivy, who had moved in across the street from her. Ivy seems perfectly nice-- and nice is so boring! But when Bean plays a prank on her older sister and needs to get away to escape her wrath and parental retribution, Ivy surprisingly steps up to the plate and hides her. It turns out that Ivy is a lot more interesting than Bean initially thought. She knows how to get past her mom, her room is full of the coolest stuff Bean has ever seen, and she is an aspiring witch. Together they have fun re-imagining Ivy's witch clothing to make it more impressive (Ivy can't make very good stars; some of them don't even have five points, so Bean teaches her how to make them properly) and plotting how to get Bean out of the punishment that's waiting for her at home. Recommended for grades 1-3.(less)
Mercy Watson's porcine hijinks are always worth a read. In this book, the first in the series, Mercy gets scared at night, and so decides to go sleep...moreMercy Watson's porcine hijinks are always worth a read. In this book, the first in the series, Mercy gets scared at night, and so decides to go sleep with her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Being the kind people that they are (the kind of kind people who would give a pig her own bed in her own room and sing to her every night), the Watsons have no problem with this, and they all blissfully fall asleep. Unfortunately, the added weight of the pig makes the bed start to fall through the floor, and all three are jarred from their peaceful slumber. Mr. Watson tells everyone not to move, but Mercy gets hungry, and jumps off of the bed to search for some of her favorite food, toast with lots of butter on it. The Watsons, convinced that she is going to get help, cheer her on. When Mercy finds no toast waiting for her in the kitchen, she is forced to take her search for snacks elsewhere-- to the neighbors. Mercy's unconcern for the predicament her beloved owners are in and her fixation on food above all else make for a very silly story. The artwork uses rich colors, and there is a feeling of substance to it, almost as though the paintings are three-dimensional. The style, and the shininess of people's faces, brings to mind the wholesome art of the 50's. Recommended for grades 1-3. (less)
A great Easy Reader for children who like to spend time helping out in the kitchen, The Best Chef in Second Grade is a good choice for young readers w...moreA great Easy Reader for children who like to spend time helping out in the kitchen, The Best Chef in Second Grade is a good choice for young readers who might still need a little assistance to get through a book. Ollie is a young boy who feels like he isn't the best at anything in his class. So when he hears that a famous chef is visiting the classroom and all the students will get to bring in their family's favorite dish, he's excited-- this could be his time to shine. Unfortunately, it's much harder to figure out what his Family Favorite is than he had anticipated. His little sister doesn't like anything! But Ollie perseveres and finds the perfect dish in the nick of time. The book has several good messages: First, that no one person is the best at everything, but everyone has their own particular set of skills. Second, though nothing was really made of it, having the main character being male showed that there's nothing wrong with being a boy and liking to cook. Recommended for K-2.(less)
Hungry Monster ABC is a great board book to sit and read with a child learning his or her alphabet. The rhyming text begs to be read aloud, and the pi...moreHungry Monster ABC is a great board book to sit and read with a child learning his or her alphabet. The rhyming text begs to be read aloud, and the pictures of the hungry monsters running amok in school are too great not to be shared-- there's even a 'bite' taken out of the corner of the book. Ten hungry monsters arrive at a boy's school, and he teaches them the alphabet using common objects (mostly food, since they're so hungry) to help the monsters understand. "W's for Wiffle ball. (In gym they'll show you how.) But Wiffles aren't waffles. The monsters know that now." There is a lot of silly humor in the rhyming. The boy can't find examples for X, Y, and Z, so the monsters call up their friends X-Ray Man, Yeti, and Zombie to help out. The teacher has to get all of the monsters out of her classroom: ""It's time to stop," Ms. Tubbins says, "and drive out every pest! Here are words each monster hates: Homework, grades, and test!"" The illustration shows her brandishing homework and exams at the cowering monsters. On the next page, the book ends with: "Then ten hungry monsters and monster buddies, too, jump right out the window but-- Ms. Tubbins grabs my shoe." The illustration shows Ms. Tubbins just managing to grab the boy's leg as he's about to flee from the classroom with the monsters, away from the dreaded homework. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
Babymouse is a quirky little comic about a mouse of the same name who wants to be popular more than anything else. She has a habit of slipping off int...moreBabymouse is a quirky little comic about a mouse of the same name who wants to be popular more than anything else. She has a habit of slipping off into dream worlds in her mind, possibly because of all the books she loves to read-- she imagines giant squid fights, being captain of a star ship, stumbling upon a monster, and being a detective in a very film noir style, among other things. She wants to go to the mean popular girl's slumber party very badly. Babymouse ends up giving the mean girl her book report to turn in as her own just so she'll get an invite. Once she gets to the slumber party, though, she realizes that these girls are nothing like her, and she doesn't enjoy the things they like to do. Additionally, she hears them insulting her friend, Wilson, and realizes that she was happier before she 'fit in' with these people, and that she didn't need to become the Queen of the World with them, since she was already the Queen of a world she cared much more about. The art is very simplistic, with smooth lines, lots of white space, and limited use of backgrounds. The simplicity is heightened by the limited color palate: only black, white, and a little pink are used. Recommended for grades 1-4.(less)
Little Rabbit Goes to School is a silly tale that can be a starting point for discussions about taking responsibility for one's actions. The story is...moreLittle Rabbit Goes to School is a silly tale that can be a starting point for discussions about taking responsibility for one's actions. The story is about Little Rabbit's first day of school, and he insists on taking his little wooden toy, Charlie Horse, with him. Throughout the day, he does several things that are bad, but even the narration pins the blame on Charlie Horse. "Next they made little cakes. But Charlie Horse was naughty and jumped into the cake batter." However, the illustration clearly shows Little Bunny tossing the toy into the batter. The dissonance between how things are described and what is actually happening is amusing, and the art is detailed and colorful. The characters look like they might be stuffed animals come to life. Of course, Little Bunny learns the error of his ways by the end of the book, and decides to leave Charlie Horse at home with his mother for the next day, saying, "He's too naughty for school." Recommended for grades K-2. (less)
Little One Step is an endearing story about perseverance and not giving up. It's the tale of three brother ducklings who get lost far from their mothe...moreLittle One Step is an endearing story about perseverance and not giving up. It's the tale of three brother ducklings who get lost far from their mother and have to make their way back to her. The littlest duckling is very tired, and doesn't think he can make it, until his older brother teaches him a trick: Lift your foot up and say "One," and say "Step" as you put it down. Just by taking things one step at a time, you can accomplish even the most daunting task. Since the littlest duckling was so good at it, his brother decided that his new name should be Little One Step. The drawings, sometimes a handful of separate pictures on each page, are adorable in a minimalistic way, and the palate of yellows, oranges, and brown in watercolor with black pen make for visually appealing illustrations. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
Heat Wave is an imaginative but realistic picture book about the weather. In the days before air conditioning, a huge heat wave hits the city, and it...moreHeat Wave is an imaginative but realistic picture book about the weather. In the days before air conditioning, a huge heat wave hits the city, and it gets hotter and hotter every day of the week. The art is reminiscent of some of the older newspaper comics, and it has a certain nostalgia to it. It gives children an idea of how people used to deal with the heat before the conveniences of modern technology, and practice with the days of the week. Recommended for grades K-2. (less)
Milo's Hat Trick is a book about a bumbling magician who can't seem to get his tricks right. His boss threatens to fire him unless he can pull a rabbi...moreMilo's Hat Trick is a book about a bumbling magician who can't seem to get his tricks right. His boss threatens to fire him unless he can pull a rabbit out of his hat for his next show, so Milo sets out to catch a rabbit. Surprisingly, his carrot bait instead lures in a helpful bear who has learned from a rabbit how to hide in hats. The drawings are simple and cartoonish, and manage to convey emotion well in spite of having blank circles for eyes and Milo's mouth being obscured by his large mustache. The bear's heavy brow in particular makes him seem almost constantly skeptical or bored. Milo's red hair and mustache are usually the brightest thing on the page, drawing attention to him. Recommended for grades K-3. (less)
This cute picture book would be a fun read to share with your child. The text, whimsically drifting along the borders of the full-page illustrations,...moreThis cute picture book would be a fun read to share with your child. The text, whimsically drifting along the borders of the full-page illustrations, details common characteristics of five creatures, namely a little girl, her mother, her father, and their two cats. The erasure of the line that separates humans and animals in this family is very interesting, and the different groups that they split into can provide good conversational material for a parent and child. It's funny how many likes and hobbies the humans share with the cats, though in slightly different ways. For instance, of the five, there are "Four who have a knack with yarn." The picture shows the mother and daughter knitting scarves as the cats play with balls of yarn on the floor. The art is childlike and simple, with faces with dots for eyes and lines for noses, soft borders between colors and skewed perspectives. Recommended for grades K-2, especially for children in households with cats or other pets.(less)
Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding is a good book to teach your child a little bit about Chinese wedding traditions. It might also help a young one...moreUncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding is a good book to teach your child a little bit about Chinese wedding traditions. It might also help a young one get over his or her feelings of jealousy if they think that a relative is ignoring him or her in favor of a new spouse. The narrator of the book, a young girl, is very sad on the day of her favorite uncle's wedding, and feeling neglected and ignored. She is reluctantly dragged through the stages of her uncle's wedding, and describes them and explains how they would have been different a hundred years ago, or two hundred years ago. The illustrations are simple, colorful, and a bit busy. It almost seems as though the narrator might have drawn them to aid in telling her story. Recommended for grades 1-3. (less)
Fans of classic stories and art alike will find something to enjoy in this interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. The large, detailed illustrations...moreFans of classic stories and art alike will find something to enjoy in this interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. The large, detailed illustrations are very realistic while at the same time exhibiting a sketchiness and a nuanced use of lines to bestow a feeling of dreaminess, as though we are seeing through the pictures to their very essences. The sense of slight unreality is heightened by the use of soft watercolors. Because Pinkney chose to set the story in the wintertime, Little Red Riding Hood's bright red cloak is the focal point of every page she's on. Since the story is so well-known, the text almost isn't needed; the pictures seem to tell the story all by themselves. Recommended for children of all ages. (less)
This is the tale of the noblest Gnarble of them all-- unlike his fellow gnarbles, who are content to stay on the ocean floor, this fellow decides that he has to see the sun before he dies. In spite of his nay-saying friends and neighbors, who say that he just isn't built for such an adventure, he sets off. He meets a host of other creatures on his journey to see the sun, most of them with ridiculous names, and most of them eager to eat this gnarble who is so far from home. The meter and ludicrousness of the names of all the creatures brings Lewis Carroll to mind, and the poem is very fun to read out loud. The paintings that accompany the text are brightly colored and imaginative, full of made-up animals (with their silly names), making this a good book to share when people are in a silly mood. Recommended for grades K-2. (less)
This wonderful resource allows users to browse through animals by photo, or separate them by habitat or category. Once an animal has been selected, yo...moreThis wonderful resource allows users to browse through animals by photo, or separate them by habitat or category. Once an animal has been selected, you can watch videos about it, look at pictures, listen to the sounds it makes, or read information about it. Additionally, it's possible to look at a map of where the creatures are found, e-mail an e-card to people, or get the information in a printer-friendly version. All of the information contained here is enough to keep a curious kid busy for quite a while, and the website's interface is attractive, useful, and easy to figure out. Highly recommended for grades K-5.(less)
An interactive and fairly intuitive website, Starfall is a great free resource for people who need practice with reading and phonetics. First, there i...moreAn interactive and fairly intuitive website, Starfall is a great free resource for people who need practice with reading and phonetics. First, there is a section where each letter of the alphabet is used in various words and shown in both upper- and lowercase. There are also sections where numbers and colors are the focus of study. In the next section, there are stories that the user can click through, going at his or her own pace, where it is possible to get each word in every sentence sounded out carefully letter by letter, and then as a whole. The story is accompanied by animated pictures that can be replayed multiple times before moving on to the next page, if the user wishes. For more advanced readers, there are tongue twisters, riddles, and poetry. Even more advanced readers get to access plays, folk tales from around the world, and other offerings. There are also pages where seasonal activities are available, such as building your own snowman. Not all of the content is available to non-members, but what is there makes a good foundation for beginning readers. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
Dona Flor is a folk tale about a giant woman who grew to an enormous size because her mother sang to her. She is a Paul Bunyan-esque friendly giant, a...moreDona Flor is a folk tale about a giant woman who grew to an enormous size because her mother sang to her. She is a Paul Bunyan-esque friendly giant, always helping out her village in ways that only a giant can-- she makes gigantic tortillas that people use as roofs, pokes a thumb into the ground to make a river spring up, and hugs a vicious wind all night to calm him down. Her enormous size is exaggerated in the text, like when she was startled and jumped up, only to hit the sun with her head and give it a black eye. Dona Flor's village starts to be terrorized by a wildcat yowling all night-- the puma sounds huge because it is very loud, but Dona Flor can't find it. Can her animal friends help her find it? There are Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout the text. The illustrations, which take up full pages, are wonderfully executed with soft lines and texture. The palate is warm and consists mostly of golden browns, blues, and greens. Recommended for grades 1-3. (less)
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a raccoon, foraging in neighborhoods for food once all the people have gone to bed? This rhyming po...moreHave you ever wondered what it would be like to be a raccoon, foraging in neighborhoods for food once all the people have gone to bed? This rhyming poem, narrated by the raccoons and split up into its separate stanzas, explores with a family of raccoons on their nightly expedition. They find a trash can that's hard to open, and when they finally do manage to pry the lid off as a team, it starts rolling away from them, down a hill. They chase after it, dreaming of all the treats it must contain, and feast when they catch up to it where it eventually stopped in a creek full of frogs. The poem is accompanied by rich color illustrations, done in oil paints that make the family of raccoons look very soft and fluffy. Their faces are very expressive, showing their effort as they try to pry the garbage can lid off, shocked as the can rolls down the hill, and supremely happy as they gorge on the food within the can. Since the story takes place at night, the palate is dark and dreamlike, with many blues. Recommended for grades K-2, especially for reading aloud.(less)
What constitutes a mean person? To the little bunny in this book, a mean person could be anyone-- his mom trying to make him eat peas, his teacher say...moreWhat constitutes a mean person? To the little bunny in this book, a mean person could be anyone-- his mom trying to make him eat peas, his teacher saying his letters are not on the lines, or his grandparents telling him to sit down and sit up at the same time. Mean people shout, but some of the meanest people whisper. The book goes on to mention that screaming people disappear when they yell, and shows an angry, yelling bunny being propelled off the page by the force of his shout, an angry word balloon that fills up most of the page. Though it goes through many of the ways people can be mean, the book does end on a high note: Triumphant yellow letters proclaiming "I WILL SMILE ANYWAY!" The next page shows text saying "How about that!" and the bunny hopping into a bunch of flowers, holding a copy of "The Book of Mean People." There is a lot of white space on the pages, and the lines of the illustrations are not straight. The action shown is often exaggerated, showing the bunnies flying around. The color palate is usually somewhat muted and washed out. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
This is a twist on the monster-under-the-bed scenario-- a young boy is convinced that there is an alligator living under his bed, but when his parents look, the alligator hides somewhere so they don't believe him. He comes up with a plan to lure the alligator out from under his bed: he places a trail of various kinds of food from his room down to the garage, and when the alligator follows the trail to its end, he closes the door and locks it in the garage, then leaves notes taped to the door to warn his father that the alligator is in there now. But really, this book raises more questions than it answers. Was there actually an alligator? If so, where did it hide? Why did it want to eat candy, pop, and fresh fruit and vegetables? If there wasn't an alligator, where did all the food on the floor go? The illustrations, in a pretty basic color scheme (not too bright, not too monochromatic), make the alligator look more dopey than threatening, but it's still understandable that a kid wouldn't want one under his bed. Mr. Mayer is excited about his book, and really gets into the storytelling, but he uses some rather silly sound effects over the story, like children laughing. However, the music he chooses, upbeat banjo, for the second half of the story, fits very well. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
Harry is a dog that just hates baths! When he hears his family running the b...moreI watched Betty White read this story online at http://storylineonline.net
Harry is a dog that just hates baths! When he hears his family running the bath, he takes his brush, digs a hole in the back yard, buries it, and runs away. He plays in the dirtiest places he can find until he turns from a white dog with black spots into a black dog with white spots. Then he's all tuckered out and wants to go back home, but his family doesn't recognize him. He tries doing all his old tricks, but it's no use. Dejected, Harry is about to leave when he remembers that he'd hidden his scrubber out in the yard. He digs it back up and runs to the bathtub, eager to be bathed for once. His family obligingly washes him, and they are amazed when all the dirt is off and they see that it is their beloved Harry.
On Storyline Online, Betty White reads the tale as the illustrations are displayed on the screen with some added animations that really make the story come alive, showing changes in facial expressions, Harry running around and playing with other dogs. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
Have you ever wanted to draw your own cartoon, but you were unsure of where to start and what some of the comic book conventions are? This book, a com...moreHave you ever wanted to draw your own cartoon, but you were unsure of where to start and what some of the comic book conventions are? This book, a comic book itself, is a great guide for starting off making your own comics. It follows the adventures of a knight and his fat horse as they journey to find a bubble-gum-chewing dragon. Along the way, they are aided by a magical elf who knows all the rules to making comic books, and the examples they use to teach are wonderfully played out so that the readers know exactly what they're talking about. The art style is simple, appealing, and easy to imitate, with lines for limbs and dots for eyes. In the back of the book, is an Ed-Emberly-inspired step by step guide to drawing the characters, and several examples of comics that children made. This book would be a great guide for children looking for a project to do or who love comic books and want to create their own. Highly recommended for grades 1-5. (less)
Some schools think that having students wear the same clothes levels the playing field and makes students concentrate on their schoolwork instead of w...moreSome schools think that having students wear the same clothes levels the playing field and makes students concentrate on their schoolwork instead of worrying about fashion. But what if you hate the uniform? Monique's school uniform is blue and brown and she hates it! She wants to wear something different so she can stand out and be unique. Rummaging through a trunk full of her mother's old clothes in the attic one day, she finds the perfect accessory-- a big red hat. She wears it to school the next day, and is the center of attention. Her teacher gets upset and tells her to take off the hat in class, but she can still wear it in the halls and on the bus home, so Monique holds her head up high and proudly displays the hat to her fellow students when she can. The next day, all of the students are wearing all different kinds of hats. The day after that, hats are banned by the principal. Monique doesn't mind. She found some colorful glasses in the chest, and proudly wears those. The following day, all the kids are sporting glasses. The day after that, glasses are banned, except for those children that need them. The same pattern is followed for all sorts of accessories: colorful socks, headbands, big bags, painted nails, and many more. Finally, Monique comes in one day with her hair perfectly neat, her uniform ordinary, and nothing exceptional about her. Her teacher is thrilled, and calls her up to the front of the class to show everyone what a model student she is. Monique smiles and tells the class about her homework-- showing off the brightest and most colorful braces anyone had ever seen. She had finally found a way to be unique that the principal couldn't ban. The artwork is a skillful mix of media, with watercolor and what appears to be crayon adding texture and interest. The characters are rather simply drawn, with big, circle eyes and simple line noses and mouths. Recommended for K-2.(less)
Ever wondered what it would be like if someone actually got your nose when they performed that age-old trick? What would they do with it? Happy Horace...moreEver wondered what it would be like if someone actually got your nose when they performed that age-old trick? What would they do with it? Happy Horace finds out the hard way when his twin brother Borris (the bad twin), irritated at Horace's good mood one morning, steals his nose right off of his face and takes it around town, doing the most awful things imaginable to it. A marathon runner's armpit, dog poop, garbage, rotten fish-- nothing is too stinky for Borris to hold Horace's nose to. He even throws it into a beehive and stomps on it! Poor Horace is reduced to following Borris around on his exploits, hoping he'll show mercy. Instead, Borris just laughs-- so Horace swipes his nose right off of his face, and they have a good, old-fashioned Stinkoff. The art is very modern-looking and cartoonish-- the backgrounds don't have outlines, and the characters are almost always depicted in motion. The palate is black and shades of orange, though the characters themselves have blue skin and eyes, which makes them stand out from the scenery. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
This book of short stories about Frog and his friend Toad is a time-tested classic and a good addition to any collection. Frog and Toad may not be hav...moreThis book of short stories about Frog and his friend Toad is a time-tested classic and a good addition to any collection. Frog and Toad may not be having the kinds of adventures where they end up saving the world, but their stories of waking up from hibernation, losing buttons off of coats, and being worried about looking funny in their swimsuits is quite entertaining, and the large print, easy vocabulary, and short sentences make it easy for young children to read on their own or follow along with their parent or an older sibling that's reading the book to them. The illustrations, mostly in greens, browns, and grays, take up most of the page and are done in a pen and watercolor style that many parents today might remember from their own childhoods, as the book received the Caldecott Honor Award in 1971. Recommended for grades K-2.(less)
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