Expecting her baby to arrive soon, a mother bird leaves her nest and egg to gather food. When the baby hatches ahead of schedule, he goes out to search for her (without having any idea what to look for). After much confusion, there is a joyful reunion.
The language here is basic. Prosaic, even. But the pictures are great and the concept reliably amuses (my mother used to read it to me).
Author: P.D. Eastman
Illustrator: P.D. Eastman
Comments Off on Are You My Mother?
Posted in Early Readers
Tagged Animals, Are You My Mother?, bedtime, I read this as a kid, Mother's Day, P.D. Eastman
The Bear family didn’t always live in the
big tree house down a sunny dirt road
deep in Bear Country.
Years ago, when Brother Bear was an only
cub, they lived in a hillside cave halfway
up Great Bear Mountain at the far edge of
Bear Country.
And years ago, when I was an only child and the age my youngest is now, my parents gave me this book because we were moving. It must have helped. I came back to it many times over the years and now it is one of my youngest’s most requested bedtime stories.
Author: Stan & Jan Berenstain
Illustrator: Stan & Jan Berenstain
Comments Off on The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day
Posted in Picture Books
Tagged Animals, bedtime, Berenstain Bears, garden, I read this as a kid, series, Stan & Jan Berenstain, The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day
There is a house,
a napping house,
where everyone is sleeping.
And in that house
there is a bed,
a cozy bed
in a napping house,
where everyone is sleeping.
A beautifully-illustrated rainy day, cozy bed, sleepy family, and unexpected visitor combine with gently-rhythmic prose to create a warm and funny book.
Author: Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Comments Off on The Napping House
Posted in Board Books
Tagged Animals, Audrey Wood, Don Wood, New York Times Best Illustrated Book, The Napping House
“No, no!” you say,
“that isn’t right.
The pigs say
OINK
all day and night.”
This book has eleven sentences; there isn’t really a plot. It is just an excuse for spending time with toddlers making animal sounds, telling jokes they can understand, and sending them off to bed giggling.
Author: Sandra Boynton
Illustrator: Sandra Boynton
Comments Off on Moo, Baa, La La La!
Posted in Board Books
Tagged Animals, bedtime, Moo Baa La La La!, Sandra Boynton
An adorable mouse, a succulent strawberry, a possible threat to the strawberry, and a narrator with an ulterior motive make for a cute tale that charms kids and amuses adults. This is a great one to read aloud with much dramatic flair.
Authors: Don and Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Comments Off on The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
Posted in Board Books
Tagged Animals, Audrey Wood, Don Wood, food, The Little Mouse the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear
Barney Bipple is six, but he’d rather be eight. He’d also like a big, shiny car of his own and for his dog to be able to talk. One day he does a favor for his very well dressed next-door neighbor, who rewards him with three white, puffy dandelions.
“Make a wish, blow on a dandelion, and your wish
will come true. But stick to simple wishes, like for diamonds
and furs. If you need more, just let me know.
Now Barney can have everything he’s ever wanted. But things don’t turn out quite the way he expected in this playful book.
Steven Kellogg’s pictures are sunny and fun (and give a very different tone to this book than Arnold Lobel’s work gave to the same author’s work in The Tale of Meshka the Kvetch). The boys love seeing how Barney’s wishes in action and suggesting ones of their own.
Author: Carol Chapman
Illustrator: Steven Kellogg (apparently we have the revised edition of this book, where Kellogg did new, more colorful, illustrations)
Comments Off on Barney Bipple’s Magic Dandelions
Posted in Picture Books
Tagged Animals, Arnold Lobel, Barney Bipple's Magic Dandelions, Carol Chapman, fairy tale, Machines, out of print, Steven Kellogg, The Tale of Meshka the Kvetch
In this story, a talented, homeless orphan is taken in (in more ways than one) by a bird catcher who deceives her in order to take advantage of her musical ability and kind heart.
This book reminds me a good bit of The Lorax, despite having a very different story and style. Both books show individuals’ choices making a difference and both focus on interactions between individuals and the natural world. The villains in both books are multidimensional, lonely, and even sympathetic characters who lives are warped by greed. Finally, like The Lorax, Birdsong‘s beautiful pictures and unusual story fully capture the boys’ attention.
Author: Gail E. Haley
Illustrator: Gail E. Haley
Comments Off on Birdsong
Posted in Picture Books
Tagged Animals, Birdsong, fairy tale, Gail E. Haley, out of print, The Lorax
This classic story is beautiful, disturbing, and hopeful. It is also, unsurprisingly, a great read aloud and not to be missed.
“But now,” says the Once-ler,
“Now that you’re here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It’s not.
Author: Dr. Seuss
Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Comments Off on The Lorax
Posted in Picture Books
Tagged Animals, Dr. Seuss, fable, I read this as a kid, knitting, Machines, The Lorax
This book is a charming extension of the old song. The board book version has six fewer pages than the picture book, but contains the essence of the tale. Whichever version you end up with, it is great for toddlers.
Author: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Comments Off on Skip to My Lou
Posted in Board Books, Picture Books
Tagged Animals, food, Nadine Bernard Westcott, out of print, Skip to My Lou, songs
A gosling’s beloved bright red boots turn up missing (literally) one day. This sweet book has a lot of character and a very satisfying ending. It would make a great last-minute addition to an Easter basket, especially if your toddler has had enough of bunnies.
Author: Olivier Dunrea
Illustrator: Olivier Dunrea