Tag Archives: Animals

Five Little Monkeys Storybook Treasury

Posted on February 27, 2014 | Comments Off on Five Little Monkeys Storybook Treasury

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We love four out of five of the stories in this book, with their charming pictures and constant refrains:  Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”), Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do (“There’s nothing do!”  “Oh yes there is,” says Mama), Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake (“Sh-h-h!  Don’t wake up Mama!”), and Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car (“I KNOW!” says one little monkey.  “I KNOW!”).  I don’t like Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree as much as the rest, but the boys like it fine.  As an added bonus, this treasury comes with drawing tips for making your own monkeys and lots of stickers.

If you want to give a really popular birthday present, pair this book with the Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Game.  The game itself isn’t really that exciting.  But it doesn’t need to be; it includes a big plastic “bed” with a spring mechanism inside and lots of monkeys to put on top.  Push a button on the bed and every so often the spring releases and monkeys go flying.

Author:  Eileen Christelow
Illustrator:  Eileen Christelow

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Jamberry

Posted on February 24, 2014 | Comments Off on Jamberry

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This adventure of a boy, a bear, and “billions of berries” was very popular a few years back.  It is great to read aloud, with a wonderful rhythm and enticing pictures (by the illustrator of the original Magic School Bus series).  You might need multiple copies and you are likely to memorize it.

Author: Bruce Degen
Illustrator: Bruce Degen

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Posted in Board Books, Picture Books

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How to Scratch a Wombat

Posted on February 22, 2014 | Comments Off on How to Scratch a Wombat

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Currently, we are completely infatuated with wombats.  Diary of a Wombat was our gateway story; now we cannot get enough of those charming, stubborn marsupials.  This nonfiction follow-up to Diary has lots of information (quite straightforward and unblushing information–if you are uncomfortable reading about bums and scat, this will not be the book for you), lists (e.g., “How to Find a Wombat in the Bush”), a glossary of Australian terms (e.g., “bush” means “a wilderness area”), quizzes (e.g., “Are You a Wombat?”), real-life stories (the author has actively lived among wombats for more than 30 years), and charming illustrations.  In case it isn’t already clear, this book is very educational and very, very funny.

Author:  Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley

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Posted in Chapter Books, Non-fiction

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The Complete Brambly Hedge

Posted on February 20, 2014 | Comments Off on The Complete Brambly Hedge

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This book is a compilation of cozy, old-fashioned stories about a community of mice in England.  (It really feels quite British, at least to this American.)  There is lots of loving discussion of food and games and activities (the creation of a beautiful ice hall to have a Snow Ball in is a favorite).  But the sweet stories may just be an excuse for the tremendously detailed, wonderful illustrations.  The many cross section pictures (like the one above) are particular favorites.

Author:  Jill Barklem
Illustrator:  Jill Barklem

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The Snail and the Whale

Posted on February 10, 2014 | Comments Off on The Snail and the Whale

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This is the tale of a tiny snail
And a great big, gray-blue humpback whale.

Adventure.  Excitement.  A snail “with an itchy foot” craves these things (and finds them) along with a (very large) kindred spirit.  This book is a spellbinder and an absolute pleasure to read aloud.

Author:  Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler

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Good Night, Gorilla

Posted on February 5, 2014 | Comments Off on Good Night, Gorilla

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My youngest loved this book as a young toddler.  He’d ask for it every night before bed and we’d watch the gorilla release all of his animal friends so they could follow the zookeeper home.  We’d loved the details, like the toy in each animals’ cage,  the balloon that drifts through each double-page spread, and the mouse constantly lugging around a huge banana.  He would giggle and giggle when one of the characters got a big surprise.  A real charmer and, of course, perfect for bedtime. (He also loved the Scholastic video version of the book, which is less detailed but equally sweet.)

Author:  Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

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Usborne Touchy-Feely series

Posted on February 3, 2014 | Comments Off on Usborne Touchy-Feely series

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This series is nothing if not predictable.  A little white mouse says “That’s not my [robot/monster/train/etc.]” over and over, explaining why the item on each page is not the one he is looking for (usually based on their textures or colors).  At the end of each book, the little mouse exclaims “That’s my [robot/monster/train, etc.]!” and then explains why.  (For example, “Its antennae are so sparkly.”)  These books were very popular through the toddler years–we had the robot, monster, and train versions and there were lots more at daycare.  Strangely, the whole series is now out of print.

Author:  Fiona Watt
Illustrator:  Rachel Wells

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Goodnight Moon

Posted on February 2, 2014 | Comments Off on Goodnight Moon

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Another book that needs no introduction, Goodnight Moon was part of my oldest’s bedtime routine for about a year, beginning when he was around six months old.  We hoped the hypnotic words, the coziness of the pictures, and the unchanging routine would help him (finally) go to sleep.  And, as he got older, we enjoyed looking for the mouse hiding in each picture of the room.

Author:  Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrator:  Clement Hurd

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Posted in Board Books, Picture Books

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Posted on February 1, 2014 | Comments Off on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

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I’m not going to pretend this book needs an introduction.  I read it on my honeymoon and now I’ve read it to my six year old.  I loved it then.  He loves it now. 

Author:  J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Mary Grandpre

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Posted in Chapter Books

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Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

Posted on January 31, 2014 | Comments Off on Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

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One summer day, Henry and
his friend decided to go to
Fitchburg to see the country.
“I’ll walk,” said Henry.
“It’s the fastest way to travel.”
“I’ll work,” Henry’s friend
said, “until I have the money
to buy a ticket to ride the
train to Flitchburg. We’ll see
who gets there first!”

Based on a passage from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, this book focuses on how there are many ways to reach the same destination.  Some of them are more conventional.  Some of them are quicker.  Some of them are more fun.  And all of them take effort, of one sort or another.

Being thoughtful about the kind of effort is best suited to a particular task, rather than just hopping into the first thing that comes to mind is a good message for anyone.  The boys like the racing aspect of the book, they like counting the money and the miles accumulated by the two bears, and they are always a bit surprised that the “winner” is ambiguous.

While we really enjoy this book, we’ve tried out a few other in this series (Henry Builds a Cabin and Henry’s Night) that did not connect with the boys.  Your mileage may vary.

Author: D.B. Johnson
Illustrator: D.B. Johnson

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