Book Recommendations

Phoebe Gilman

"There is just enough material here to make... a wonderful story!"

Something From Nothing is a modern version of a Jewish folktale.  In the story, the grandfather gives his grandson, Joseph, a blue blanket with the moon and stars on it.  When the boy grows older, a tailor recycles it into a jacket, a vest, a tie, and a cloth-covered button.  The most important thing that the blanket is made into, however, is the story of the relationship between the grandfather and grandson, trust, transformation, and optimism.



The repetitive, rhythmic phrases make it perfect for a read-aloud as children will anticipate and join in.

Something From Nothing was the winner of the Ruth Schwartz Award for best children's book (1993) and the Sydney Taylor Award as an outstanding book of Jewish content for children and teens (1992).

This book is related to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle theme that is a part of the Creative Curriculum.

"I used this book in a class of two and three year olds.  It's great!!  The repetition gets the children involved actively with the story and the artistry keeps children busy looking for all sorts of details.  Wonderful book for children of all ages." - Amazon.com review

"This book gives a wonderful feel of family, tradition, and love." - Amazon.com review

Published in 1993.  32 pages, hardcover.  Scholastic Press.  9 years and up. 
ISBN: 987-0590472807

Sources:
"Something From Nothing" on Amazon.com
"Phoebe Gilman" on Wikipedia.org
"Sydney Taylor Award" on JewishLibraries.org

George McClements

"Can seven clever critters save their forest home?"

Seven woodland friends have discovered that their forest is going to be destroyed to make space for a Plas-Tic Trees factory.  Rojo the fox and his friends have to figure out a plan to save their home.  By working together, they are able to built a giant mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex designed to scare off the factory workers and save their forest.  Will the factory workers stop building their factory?  Will Rojo and his friends save their home?

Dinosaur Woods was nominated for a CYBILs (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) award in 2009.

The book is related to the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle theme of the Creative Curriculum.

"One of my son's favorites.  It teaches a message about protecting the environment, but more importantly, it teaches about cooperation." - Amazon.com review

Published in 2009.  3 years and up.  Hardcover, 40 pages.  Beach Lane Books. 
ISBN: 978-1416986263

Sources:
"Dinosaur Woods" on Amazon.com
"Dinosaur Woods" on 100ScopeNotes.com
"The Cybils" on DadTalk.com

Sam McBratney

First published in 1994 in the United Kingdon and 1995 in the United States, Guess How Much I Love You has now sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and been published in 37 languages.  A loving story between two rabbits who, while never actually referred to as such, appear to many to be a father and son.  The relationship that they show can be extended to many different types of relationships, not just father and son without the distinction being made.

"Guess How Much I Love You?"  This book tackles one of the most important things that a little one wants to know: how deep their parent's love runs for them.  Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare try to show each other, with larger and larger measurements, how much they love each other as the book continues.  Measuring with how far their arms can spread and how high they can hop, the rabbits take turns declaring their love.

"Sam McBratney tells a simple bedtime story of sweet familiar love with humor, insight, and a delightful surprise at the end.  Children and parents will love snuggling up for this one -- a treat to be read again and again, just before the light are turned out."  - Amazon.com Editorial Review

"...the near-monochromatic backdrop of Jeram's pen-and-wash artwork, rendered earthy tones of moss, soft brown and gray... a visually quieting effect just right for that last soothing tale before sleep." - from Publishers Weekly

Reading level: Ages 0 and up
Board book, 20 pages
Publisher: Candlewick, 1996
ISBN-13: 978-0763600136

Lois Ehlert

"Dad says we are going to grow vegetable soup."

This is the first sentence in Growing Vegetable Soup, which takes the reader on a journey that starts with putting the seed in the ground and ends up enjoying a nutritious bowl of vegetable soup.  Lois Ehlert's signature cut-paper-style illustrations shows seeds, plants, vegetables, and the necessary tools for making sure that your vegetables can grow.  The simplicity of the book makes it great for reading aloud to younger readers, who will love pointing at objects and waiting for the adult reader to provide the name.  The colors are bright and the words are printed in black next to the item to provide simple and pleasing contrast.

The recipe for vegetable soup is included, so the fun doesn't have to end with reading the book.  Following a recipe provides a wonderful opportunity for your little one to learn about measurement and to help in the kitchen (with safe steps that don't involve a hot stove or a knife).

"As a teacher, I have always loved this book.  The bold colors hold children's attention and it fits well with lessons for younger children on what seeds/plants need to grow... For early childhood teachers, it can become an early science/social studies/math lesson and also a parent/child activity.  A must have!" - Amazon review.

Reading level: Ages 3 and up.
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Sandpiper, 1990
ISBN-13: 978-0152325808

Source:
"Growing Vegetable Soup." Amazon.com

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was originally published in 1989, but has become a classic children's book.  Written by Bill Martin, Jr. (author of the Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? series) and John Archambault and illustrated by Lois Ehlert (known for Growing Vegetable Soup, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, and Nuts to You!), the book is quickly recognized by the bright colors and design of the front cover.

The letters are climbing up a coconut tree in alphabetical order until.... the tree collapses!! 

Available as an audio book as well (look at your local library), Chicka Chicka Boom Boom inspired a sequel in 2004  (Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3).

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom was voted Best Book by Children's Catalog (2001) and Children's Choices (1990) and received both the Kentucky Bluegrass Award (1991) and Parents' Choice Award (2003), being voted as one of the "Best 25 Books in 25 Years."


Reading level : Ages 4 and up (but it still is a wonderful read-aloud for younger children)
32 pages, paperback
Beach Lane Books, 1989, ISBN 978-0689835681

Source:
"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom."  Wikipedia.org.
"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom." Amazon.com.

Author - Chris Raschka
Publisher - Swartz & Wade Books
2012 Caldecott Medal Winner!!
3 years and up

Daisy the dog has a red ball that she loves very, very much.  She plays with it, and even snuggles it when she is napping on the sofa.  One day, Daisy and her owner go for a walk.  Daisy's owner carries Daisy's beloved ball and then she gives it to Daisy to play with.  All goes well until a brown dog decides to play with the ball too!

A story about love and loss as only Chris Raschka can tell it.  Any child who has ever had a beloved toy break will relate to Daisy's anguish when her favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog.

In the tradition of his nearly wordless picture book Yo! Yes?, Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka explores in pictures the joy and sadness that having a special toy can bring.  This tale is easily readable to all ages as the pictures tell the story.  Parents and caregivers can enjoy adding to the story with fun sounds, facial expressions, and emotions!  A Ball for Daisy is an affectionate story that will appeal to young dog lovers and anyone who has ever lost something special.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! was the last book written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss and was first published by Random House shortly before he passed away.

The main character is a young boy but the text mostly refers to "you," which makes it easy to relate to as it seems like the book is talking to the reader.  The young boy makes a decision to leave town and travels through many lands until he arrives at "The Waiting Place."  He continues to explore, instead of sitting and waiting where time does not pass, and eventually the book ends happily with the young boy still imagining all of the places, people, and things we will see as he continues on his journey.

The book has come to be given frequently as a high school or college graduation gift due to the subject matter of life and the challenges that you may run into along the way.  Sales of this title spike in the spring of each year with approximately 300,000 copies sold every year.

"Will you succeed?  Yes, you will indeed.  (98-3/4% guaranteed.)"

"Inspirational yet honest, and always rhythmically rollicking, Oh, the Places You'll Go! is a perfect sendoff for children, 1 to 100, entering any new phase of their lives.  Kindergarteners, graduate students, newlyweds, newly employed -- all will glean shiny pearls of wisdom about the big, bountiful future." - Amazon.com Review

Random House, January 22, 1990, available in hardcover and paperback, ISBN 978-0-679-80527-4

Source: "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" on Wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh,_the_Places_You%27ll_Go!)

Follow along with a young boy and girl as we meet an assortment of fun and fanciful creatures such as the seven-humped Wump, the winking Yink, and the boxing Gox. 

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish continues in the usual Dr. Seuss style with rhymes and simple words designed to assist young readers in emergent literacy.  The book fulfills Dr. Seuss' goal of pairing education and entertainment.  Written in a way so that there is no specific need to read in order (there is no logical chronological order for most of the text), One Fish, Two Fish makes an excellent choice if you have a child that likes to jump around in the book, change up the flow, or be in charge of where you go next in the text.

1960, Random House, hardcover and paperback, 63 pages, ages 4 to 8, ISBN: 0394800133

The Cat in the Hat is perhaps the most famous of Dr. Seuss' books.  The book revolves around the fun chaos that the Cat brings to a young brother and sister on a rainy day.  The Cat performs fun tricks with the help with Thing 1 and Thing 2 to amuse Sally and her brother.  The Cat, Thing 1, and Thing 2 create quite a bit of mess in the house... Will the house get cleaned up before Sally and her brother's mother gets home? 

The character of the Cat has been featured in six of Dr. Seuss' books as well as on sll on subsequent Dr. Seuss books after the publication of the book as well as on all "Beginner Books," the line of Random House's children's books designed for children aged 4 - 8 years old.  All of the books in the Beginner Books line are written using no more than 200 different words off of a list of 379 words meant to make up the basic vocabulary for young readers and include books by Dr. Seuss, P.D. Eastman (Go Dog Go!), and Stan and Jan Berenstain (The Berenstain Bears).

Dr. Seuss wrote the book because he felt that the primers used to teach reading to young children weren't entertaining enough to engage them in the story.  The book is written in his usual style and features a limited vocabulary to make it an achievable title for emergent readers.  It has now been printed over 11 million times and translated into more than 12 languages.

Random House, 1957, hardcover and paperback, 61 pages, ISBN: 978-0717260591

Sources: "The Cat in the Hat," Wikipedia; "Beginner Books," Wikipedia

Green Eggs and Ham was originally published in 1960 and according to Publishers Weekly it is the fourth-best-selling English children's book of all time.  It was also voted the third out of 100 popular children's books on both the children's and teacher's list in an online survey conducted by the National Educational Association (the organization that named Dr. Seuss' birthday "Read Across America" day and March National Children's Reading Month).

The book is intentionally designed for beginning readers and in response to a bet from his publisher that he couldn't do it, Dr. Seuss wrote the entire book using only fifty different words.

The 50 are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, the, them, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.

Random House, 1960, hardcover and paperback, 62 pages, ISBN: 9780394880165

Source: Wikipedia.org, "Green Eggs and Ham"

Happy Birthday to you, Dr. Seuss!  Today is March 2 and would have been his 108th birthday!  Most of our centers are doing something a little special to celebrate this day - including having the children make their very own Cat in the Hat hats and taking the kids on a parade through the center. 

We wanted to share in the fun of celebrating, too, so throughout the rest of the month, we will be featuring Dr. Seuss books as our Book Recommendations. 

Be on the lookout for the first book on Monday, March 5!

The Tooth Book
Dr. Seuss

Teeth!  You find them everywhere!

Dr. Seuss published almost 50 children's book that featured unique characters and rhymes.  Perhaps he is best known for Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, and The Cat in the Hat.  This Friday is March 2 and would have been his 108th birthday!  It has been adopted as National Read Across America Day by the National Education Association (NEA). 

In The Tooth Book, children explore their own teeth and teeth in general with Dr. Seuss by learning who has teeth, who doesn't, and how to take of them.


Random House Books for Young Readers, 2000, 48 pages, hardcover

Author: P.K. Hallinan

P.K. Hallinan is an author and illustrator of over 80 children's books.  His stories usually feature inspirational stories that teach children about holidays, relationships, life values, and morals.

My Dentist, My Friend is designed for children 3 and up.  Through this book, children learn about what happens on a visit to the dentist.  Readers will learn about everything from the waiting room to the examination room, from the initial cleaning to a complete dental exam.

Ideals Publications, 2002, 24 pages

Author: Leslie McGuire

A chimp, a shark, and other animal friends will teach your preschooler about proper dental hygiene in this pop-up book designed for toddlers.

Brush Your Teeth Please features fun hands-on opportunities for your little one - including movable floss and brushes that let your child help the animals take good care of their teeth.

If your child is resistant to brushing and flossing their teeth, this may be the perfect book.

Check out the reviews on Amazon.com from parents like you singing its praises!
* "I highly recommend this book to any parent having problems getting their small kids used to brushing and flossing."
* "This is a great book to give as a gift to every toddler you know."
* "I was looking for a fun book that would encourage my daughter to brush all parts of her teeth.  This is simple, fun, and we can remember each page as we brush our teeth every night.  Wonderful!"

Readers Digest, 1993, 12 pages, hardcover, pop-up

Author: Marc Brown

Arthur's wiggling his tooth all the time, but it doesn't seem to want to fall out.  Francine even has one of her teeth fall out in class.  Everyone in his class has lost a tooth... except Arthur.  All of his friends try to help him get his tooth to fall out but it's no use.  His dentist tells him to be patient and reminds him that everyone is different (and loses teeth at different times).  He's wondering if his tooth will ever fall out... when he receives help in an unexpected way.

A nice story featuring a well-known character that reminds children that everyone is different, baby teeth will fall out in their own time, and patience is a great character trait to possess.

Joy Books, 1987, 32 pages, paperback.

Stan and Jan Berenstain

Random House, 1981

32 pages, paperback

"Taking care of your teeth
is what bears like to do.
They brush them and floss them
and visit the dentist, too!"

The Berenstain Bears are a well-known family of bears featured in a series of books where the cubs, Brother and Sister Bear, learn a lot of life's lessons, including how to keep their room clean (The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room), how important "please" and "thank you" are (The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners), and how to make and keep friends (The Berenstain Bears Trouble with Friends).

In The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist, the reader shares in Sister Bear's joy in showing off her first loose tooth to her brother, friend, and parents.  Brother Bear teases her that if it doesn't come out before their dentist visit in the afternoon, the dentist will yank it out.  Sister gets worried, but at their dentist visit, the dentist lets Sister watch Brother's appointment and explains his tools so that Sister isn't afraid of them.

The Kissing Hand

Audrey Penn
Child and Family Press, 1993

Chester Raccoon does not want to go to school - he wants to stay home with his mother.

She assures him that he'll love school - with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books.  Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years - The Kissing Hand.

This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home.  She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers and kisses his palm.  Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he - in a warm and touching moment - gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away.

This delightful tale is great to share with children who may be a little apprehensive about their first day of school.  Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even first graders are sure to love its warmth and encouragement.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Phillip C. Stead
Roaring Book Press
2 years and up

Each morning it is the same.  An aging Amos McGee gets out of bed, puts on his zoo keeper uniform, and goes to his job at the City Zoo.  Amos takes great pride in his work.  He always makes sure to play chess with the elephant, run races with the tortoise, sit quietly with the penguin, and blow the rhino's runny nose.

One day, Amos wakes up ill and has to stay in bed.  The animals decide that they must do something, so they get together and take the bus to Amos's house!  The animals keep him company and help him out all day.  Then, Amos reads them all a story and each one of them tucks in for the night.

A charming story that proves friends come in all shapes and sizes.  The tale does have a great message, but even more than that, it is just simply fun!  Children will love the warm-hearted humor and captivating images.

The soft tempo of the book makes it a great bedtime story, while the text is fairly simple enough for beginning readers to master with some help.  This 2011 Caldecott Award winner is sure to be a hit with children for years to come.

(Parent Press, January 2012)