Math is Fun for Little Ones!

There are lots of great ways to introduce your baby or kidlet to numbers. You can start with some fun books that feature numbers and counting.  For babies try these board books:  Baby's Numbers by Karen Katz, which features large colorful drawing of familiar objects to illustrate each number, or 1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite! by Steve Jenkins, where jaggedy parts of each page are missing, ostensibly by hungry dinosaurs. 

Toddlers will enjoy Peter Maloney's One Foot Two Feet: an EXCEPTIONal counting book, where die-cut windows frame one object and a turn of the page reveals a group of them. Or try Laura Seeger's One Boy, where the die-cut does double duty, both to frame the number of objects as well as to make a play on words. The surprise ending will undoubtedly spur your child to enjoy the book all over again!

Older children never tire of the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle which introduces days of the week as well as incrementally increasing bites of food by the insatiable caterpillar.  For something new, try Anno's Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno, a wordless picture book that offers the child something to count on each page while revealing an ever-changing, ever-growing scene. Another engaging read is One is a Snail; Ten is a Crab: a counting by feet book by April Pulley Sayre. Just try to read this one without counting the feet of the animals shown! 

And when you're done with reading, zoom off to the moon with this fun clapping countdown chant:

 Zoom, zoom, zoom,

We're going to the moon.

Zoom, zoom, zoom,

We're going to the moon.

If you'd like to take a trip,

Climb aboard my rocketship.

Zoom, zoom, zoom,

We're going to the moon.

5,-4,-3,-2,-1

Blastoff! 

(On "blastoff", lift baby above your head or jump up with your young one).

-Miss Meg

Sleep Like a Tiger

Excitement, anticipation, impatience, stubbornness. Anyone "in charge" of a child learns to dread these all-too-familiar mercurial states of being when bedtime rolls around. How DO you get that effervescent, truculent ball of energy to CHILL? The little princess in this book has decided that in spite of the sun's absence, she will not go to sleep. Dragging her stuffed tiger from page to page, the princess dutifully follows the calming instructions of her uber patient parents.

They agree that she does not have to sleep, but she must get into her pajamas, brush her teeth, wash her face, etc. if she is to remain awake. The animals that float across each page reinforce the affirmative answer to her question: "Does everything in the world go to sleep?"

Mary Logue's soothing text weaves in and out of Sleep Like a Tiger like a dream. Beautifully accompanied by Pamela Zagerenski's surreally engaging illustrations that invite the restless child and yawning parents to find the miniature tea pots, suns, wheels, and toys scattered lovingly in the wake of the wide-awake princess.

Sleep gently takes the child by the hand as she follows the lead of each snoozing animal and finally (shhhhh) closes her eyes....

MightyM

It's (Dreadful) Sweater Season!

Lester is a very particular child.  His hair is always neatly combed, and he uses a ruler each day to make sure his socks are at a perfectly even height on his calves.  As much as Lester would like to keep things well organized and categorized,  after "Cousin Clara's cottage [is] consumed by a crocodile," his well ordered life is turned upside down.

Cousin Clara moves in with Lester and his family and begins immediately to knit sweaters for Lester.  She knits quickly but not, (in Lester's opinion), particularly well, and Lester is the unlucky recipient of Clara's outrageous creations.  His parents even make him say "thank you" and wear the sweaters to school!

K. G. Campbell's Lester's Dreadful Sweaters is a quirky picture book.  The drawings of the dreadful sweaters are awfully great, and the writing is playful and fun. It brings to mind the classic No Roses for Harry, but with a darker sensibility.  Most of us can relate to being given truly ugly clothes by some well-meaning but out-of-touch relative. Aside from just being a fun read, Lester's Dreadful Sweaters might inspire a timely conversation about how we handle receiving less-than-thrilling gifts. This book is best suited for older preschoolers.

Happy holidays and happy reading!

Miss Robin

Rabbit's Gift

Many years ago, when I was checking out Christmas books for my then four year old daughter, I discovered a gem that embodied the true spirit and meaning of the holiday season.  To this day, it remains my favorite!  Christmas Present from a Friend by Yuriko Kimura is based on an old Chinese fable, not originally intended as a Christmas story. However, when you add the snow and soft light of water color illustrations by Masako Matsumura, we have the perfect backdrop for the setting of our wintery story. The beautiful tale, in its rich simplicity, captures the heart of friendship and this season of giving. Rabbit is very hungry but has nothing to eat, so she must go out in the cold and search for food. She finds two big carrots almost buried in the snow, eats her fill of one, and decides to give the other carrot to her equally hungry friend, Donkey. Donkey has gone out in search for food and is surprised to find the carrot upon his return.  He has been lucky to find a sack of potatoes, eats his fill, and decides to give the carrot to his friend sheep. I think you can see where this is going and even so it is worth the journey, especially, shared with a child on your lap.  Sadly, the book went out of print a few years ago.  I have one beat up and much loved copy at my desk at the library.

  So you might be wondering why I tell you about a book no longer available? I give you Rabbit's Gift, by George Shannon with illustrations by Laura Dronzek published in 2007. Yes, the same fable, with a new interpretation, but very close to the one I've just described, both in language and illustration.  Pima County Public Library has several copies available.  Even more good news, Rabbit's Gift is still in print! So if you love it as much as I did, you'll want to buy a copy for yourself and the children in your life.  Happy Holidays!
Miss Julie

Remembering Crystal

It can be especially difficult to deal with issues of loss and grief for families with small children.  How do you explain such big concepts to someone so young?  As we learn in Remembering Crystal by Sebastian Loth, focusing on the happy times you shared together and knowing that you will always love and remember that person can help.

Our story opens with Zelda, a lucky young goose, and Crystal, an elderly tortoise, spending time together.  They enjoyed reading stories, taking trips together and talking about pretty much everything under the sun with one another.

When Crystal dies, Zelda cannot accept that her friend is gone.  She looks for her everywhere and as she searches, she can't help but remember all the wonderful things that she learned about while spending time with Crystal.  And before long she realized that "Crystal would always be with her wherever she went, right there in her heart."

Some of you may already know that one of Pima County Public Library's beloved Children's Librarians, Beth Rubio, passed away in October.  Miss Beth left behind many co-workers, Storytime families and children who will miss her, but she also left us with a wealth of gifts that made us richer for having known her.  We will remember her and her dedication to improving children's lives, and hope for peace and healing for her family.

Miss Kate

Additional titles to consider:
Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley
Always and Forever by Alan Durant
I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas

If you feel like your family needs assistance coping with a death in the family, the serious medical condition of family member or other grief support, you may want to contact Tu Nidito for more help.

Huck Runs Amuck!

Huck, the bug-eyed, bucktoothed wonder, JUST CAN'T RESIST! He's a goat with "super-grip toes," and a desperate obsession for flowers--especially the hard-to-reach kind. Faced with a bleak, flowerless landscape, Huck is compelled to use his unparalleled climbing skills to reach impossible heights for that last patch of...flowery underpants?

Huck's quest is foiled again and again. A tragic outcome looms with each turn of the page. The suspense mounts. Must he make do with munching on plain, brown cardboard boxes or (gasp) rolls of pink toilet paper for the rest of his unnatural existence? No! His single-minded focus wins the day; much to the chagrin of the wedding party. Wedding party? Hey, back up a minute--what wedding?

Children and their reading partners will snort and hoot at Sean Taylor's clever mix of repetitive phrasing, rhyme, and prose as they follow the silly goat's misadventures as interpreted by Peter Reynold's hilariously apropos illustrations. In Huck Runs Amuck, the esteem-building magic of perseverance shines through the eyes of our cloven-hoofed friend--and it is quite infectious.

MightyM

Nursery Rhyme Fun

Are you looking for a fun way to play with you baby, toddler, or preschooler?  Try teaching them a nursery rhyme.  Nursery rhymes are short, easy-to-remember, and often come with music or fingerplays that engage multiple learning styles.  Because they're fun, and offer variety of ways to play together, they've become a standard piece in our weekly storytimes.

 A lesser-known rhyme that is popular in my Babytime is Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel.

Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel
Pizza, pickle, pumperickel
My little gal (guy) shall have a tickle.
One for her (his) nose,
One for her (his) toes,
And one for her (his) tummy
Where the hot dog goes!

There are multiple ways you can enjoy this rhyme.  Bounce baby on your lap, tickling each body part as you say it.  Give a toddler a rattle or something else to shake, or clap to the rhyme.  Preschoolers can tap the out the rhythm with more sophisticated percussion instruments like sticks, bells, or tambourines.

Hickory, Dickory, Dock is another good bouncing rhyme.  Run your fingers up one arm and down the other, gently patting baby's head or nose or giving her a kiss or lift her up in the air for each dong of the clock's bell.  For a toddler, you can make your fingers run up one side of his body and down the other.  By the time a child is three he or she will enjoy taking over the mouse part.

Nursery rhymes that can be sung are especially appealing. There's something about a simple melody that helps us remember the words.  Other rhymes may be unfamiliar to parents, but everyone joins in when we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Mary Had a Little Lamb. At the Dusenberry-River Library we usually end our nursery rhyme play by singing Do You Know the Muffin Man? Last week I overhead a small voice in our children's room singing Muffin Man while he worked on a puzzle.  He was oblivious to his audience, who probably found the tune swimming in their heads for the rest of the morning.

-Miss Meg

Where's Ellie? (The Infinite Loop)

 

What's more fun than a periwinkle pachyderm?

 

Playing hide-and-seek with a periwinkle pachyderm!

 

Salina Yoon has created another fun book for the under 5 set: Where's Ellie?  This little board book will have you reading, talking and playing with your child as the two of you  move through this colorful, bright world.  Together you can help a little ladybug find her friend Ellie.  It's not as easy as it sounds.  Is that Ellie hiding behind the plant?  No, it's just a teapot!  How about behind the cactus or the flowers?  Not there either.  Naturally, Ellie is hiding behind something much larger.  (I don't want to give it away but it starts with a "tuh" and ends with a "ree.")  Fair warning though, the book ends with the line, "Let's play again," and your child will most likely want to!

 

Although as adults re-reading the same board book or picture book can quickly become tedious, reading the same book over and over helps your child to develop early literacy skills.  Becoming familiar with the story allows them to predict what will happen next and helps them to engage more fully in the reading process.  Pretty soon, you can take a break and ask your child to read the story to you.

 

When you're ready for more reading fun, bring your child to one of our storytime programs and see what other fun books you can discover.

  

 

 

     

Hippospotamus

Read the first sentence of this picture book and you'll likely want to turn the pageamus. "Hippopotamus had a  spotamus...on her bottomus." Hippo is happily swimming along in her cool pool of water when she notices a reddish spot on her bottom.  All of hippos animal friends have a different idea about what the spot might be. Weasel thinks it's measles; fox says it's hippopox; and bear is sure it's an ingrown hair.  None of their cures rid the hippo of her spot.  Written by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by Tony Ross Hippospotamus  is a fun, tongue-twister, read aloud with a surprise ending!  Your preschoolers will giggle at the funny sound of some made up words like notamus, snottamus, and shotamus and very soon they will be making up their own silly, rhyming words. Encouraging your child to play with smaller sounds in words will help them later in learning how to read. You and your children will like this book alotamus.

Miss Julie

Pancakes for Breakfast

Tomie de Paola's Pancakes for Breakfast is a charming picture book that reminds us how much work the simple things in life, even pancakes, can be. 

Our central character wakes up early, hungry for pancakes.  She gets out the flour, but has no eggs.  She goes to the henhouse for eggs, but has no milk.  She milks the cow, and makes some butter to boot.  She now has everything she needs for pancakes!  Except maple syrup.  And everyone knows you can't have pancakes without syrup.  So out she goes, to buy some from her neighbor.  Alas, her pancake dreams are dashed by her naughty dog and cat who have ruined everything in the kitchen by the time she returns.  Luckily the neighbors are having pancakes too, so she gets to have her pancakes at last!

The fact that it is a wordless book allows each family to tell the story in a way that resonates most for them, by noticing different details.  And ideally, children get to be involved in making those decisions.  When they do so, they are honing their narrative skills.  These skills allow them to understand that each story has a beginning, middle and end.  As they learn to read, sharp narrative skills will clue them in quickly that they need to go back for information they missed, or help them to make smart guesses about unfamiliar words.  Don't be afraid to tell your own stories with books that already have words too!

This book gently reminds us that sometimes we have to work hard and be persistent to get what we want.  There can be a lot of little steps involved in something as delicious as pancakes (or as important as reading), but the pay off is certainly worth it.  Now, would you please pass the syrup?

Miss Kate

Little Nelly's Big Book

What's gray, has large ears, a skinny tail, and weighs 11,000 pounds? Answer: a mouse! Little Nelly has determined what kind of animal she is by reading "The Big Book of Knowledge." There's only one itsy, bitsy, teensy, weensy problem: the book has no pictures.

At Little Nelly's insistence, a mouse family takes her in. Granny Mouse makes this unusual situation work in spite of everyone's reservations--until Little Nelly realizes that something's not quite right. After an Internet search, Granny convinces Nelly that there are other mice just like her at the zoo. While Little Nelly settles into her new home, her friend Micky reads "The Big Book of Knowledge" and discovers he's an elephant! (Albeit a mighty small one...)

The phrase, "Just the facts, ma'am," takes on an entirely different meaning as Micky and Nelly explore their identities in Pippa Goodheart's chuckle-inducing Little Nelly's Big Book. Thanks to Andy Rowland, the illustrations are filled with "subtle" sight gags that complement this sweetly-humored story about kindness, friendship, and self-discovery.

MightyM

Lullabies: Powerful Sleep Aid

Are you having trouble getting your little one to sleep?  Try a lullaby.  The slower cadence and repetitive melody soothes your baby to sleep while also relaxing you and relieving any frustration you may be feeling.  Singing while holding your baby strengthens your bond with each other and signals to your baby that you understand his/her feelings.   Singing at stressful times shows empathy, support, and respect for your baby's feelings, and models for baby a positive way to calm and soothe himself/herself.  Children who are sung to regularly often learn to sing themselves to sleep.  How's that for a powerful sleep aid?!!

You can find some wonderful lullabies in the library.  In fact, you might learn a new one when you attend Babytimes!  Once you're there, you can ask your children's librarian if he/she has any suggestions.  Another good start is Wee Sing for Baby, which includes lyrics to the songs on their accompanying CD.  For a full list of CDs featuring lullabies that you can borrow from the Pima County Public Library, click here.  And remember, the only voice your baby wants to hear is yours, so have fun singing!

Family Fun Time

Trying to limit screen time at your house?  Does Peter McCarty have a heroine for you!

Chloe, (the love interest from  Henry in Love), is an exceptional young rabbit who lives for family fun time. Being a rabbit, Chloe naturally comes from a really large family.  She has "ten older brothers and sisters, and ten younger brothers and sisters,"  which places her exactly in the middle.  McCarty's illustrations of Chloe's family are charming, and you and your child can have fun picking out the subtle differences that make each member of this family unique.   

One day Dad brings home a brand new television for the family to watch after dinner. Chloe is less than enthused. Watching TV doesn't feel like family time to Chloe, so with the help of her littlest sister she entices her other siblings to play with the cardboard box and pop the bubble wrap that the television came in.  Eventually, they make their own "television show" by climbing into the cardboard TV.  Thanks to Chloe, family fun time rules the day.

She may not know it, but Chloe is right in step with  The American Academy of Pediatrics  which recommends no television viewing for children under two, and no more than 2 hours of TV per day for older children.  So, when it's time to turn off the television, try reading a book, playing a simple board game or even putting on your own show like Chloe and her family did.  In order to promote your child's development of early literacy skills, just remember to read, sing, talk, write and play with your child every day!

For little "pea-ple" everywhere!

Do your kids like to eat peas? Maybe, or maybe not. But I believe they will find the little green peas, (other wise known as "pea-ple") in Keith Baker's concept books very likeable.  In LMNO Peas the pea-ple are busy being artists, builders, climbers, dancers, etc., as they highlight an alphabet of occupations. Each giant, colorful letter is contrasted by many tiny green peas illustrating a variety of careers and activities.   This delightful book, as well as 1 2 3 Peas can be enjoyed on many levels.  Teach your child the alphabet and how to count with these books that are packed full of color, action, rhyme and  lots of new vocabulary.  Keith Baker's illustrations are so clever and just plain fun.  Play a game of finding the Ladybug who appears in every two page spread.  Take your child's pointer finger and help them count each of the pea-ple from 1 to 100.  And if you don't mind messy fingers let them press their pointer finger in a green stamp pad then onto clean white paper to create their own story world of little pea-ple. Those uneaten peas on their plates just might become the new characters in their pretend play.  So go ahead, let them play with their food and check out these books at your local library!

Fun with Rhymes

As children learn to speak, they inevitably notice something familiar about certain words.  "Cat" sounds like "sat" and "bug" sounds like "hug."  In no time, they are having fun playing with words that rhyme.  They don't realize that improving their sound awareness (paying attention to the small sounds that make up words) is helping them with their speech, as well as getting ready to read. 

Although that all sounds like a lot of work, it sure doesn't feel like it when you read a book as silly as Rhyming Dust Bunnies.  We meet four zany dust bunnies playing a rhyming game.  One of them, named Bob, is clearly the most observant of the bunch.  While everyone else is rhyming "far, jar, tar," Bob notices a "big scary monster with a broom!"  But his attempts to let everyone know are delayed by the fact that "look out!" doesn't rhyme with any of the words that the dust bunnies are currently working on. 

This book is a great way to get rhyming games going in your own family.  And without any interruption from brooms and vacuum cleaners, you'll be able to rhyme 'til the dust bunnies come home. 

Miss Kate

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens

   -
Everyone knows a Boris. He's the one who marches to his own set of bagpipes. Mama, Fluffy, and Skinny spend a typical cat day doing typical cat things. When Mama walks on a stone wall, Fluffy and Skinny walk on a stone wall. When Mama sharpens her claws, Fluffy and Skinny sharpen their claws, too. When Mama washes her paws, well guess what? Fluffy and Skinny wash their paws! See a pattern here? Wait, I can almost hear you screaming, "But what about Boris?" Boris? Oh you mean that little orange cat over there napping at the foot of a tree, beneath a bush, beside the wall?

Through Denise Fleming's use of brightly colored homemade paper and eye-catching colored cotton pulp, children have the delightful opportunity of catching Boris being Boris. When the rest of the family finally settles in for a nap, guess what Boris does? He sharpens his claws, walks the wall,  washes his paws--and then he naps! The simple, oversized-text and striking illustrations of Mama Cat Has Three Kittens are the perfect combination for showcasing the important point that being unique doesn't mean being left out. No matter who he or she is, everyone is loved!

MightyM

Sing a Song!

Singing is a powerful way to learn.  Catchy melodies, repetitive lines, and rhyming words make it easy for your child to remember the lyrics. Singing together is a wonderful way to share a moment, catch or divert your child's attention, and elevate your mood.  On top of that, you'll expose to your child to new vocabulary, words that might not ever come up in casual conversation. 

Many songs have fun hand movements that will add to your child's enjoyment and memory of singing a song.  These songs are perennial favorites in our storytimes: The Wheels on the Bus, She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain, This Old Man, Five Green and Speckled Frogs, There's a Spider on the Floor, Five Little Ducks, just to name a few. 

You'll find a wonderful selection of CDs you can check out in any of our branches.  Look for these artists if your child is 18 months to 3 years old:  Raffi, Hap Palmer, and Carol Hammet.  If your child is a bit older, add these artists to your repertoire:  Laurie Berkner, Sarah Barchas, Greg & Steve, Trish & Gail, and Old Town School.  And for some wonderful songs in Spanish (some are bilingual), check out something by Jose Luis Orozco.

Many parents have asked me if we have any bean bag songs similar to what we use in storytime.  The answer is yes! We often use songs by Gerorgiana Licone Stewart, Hap Palmer, and The Learning Station in our storytimes.   And you don't need to have a bean bag to enjoy them.  Any small stuffed animal will do. 

Have fun playing and singing with your child. The memories will last a lifetime.

-Miss Meg

Hands-On Reading

Babies and toddlers love kittens, but the feeling isn't always mutual. Fortunately, Roger Priddy has recently published a new touch-and-feel board book called Meow! Meow! which might provide a satisfactory solution for this conundrum. As it says on the cover, "The CUTEST kittens EVER are waiting to meet you!"  Whew, finally!

 Meow! Meow! has large photos of kittens with simple and bright two-toned backgrounds to make it easy for young eyes to focus on the pictures.  Furthermore, its rhyming text catches a child's attention.  Children need to hear all kinds of different speech as they develop, and rhymes and poetry help them to become aware of sounds in letters and words.  This kind of sound awareness is important for a successful start in school.

Meow! Meow! has several different interesting textures to feel. When your child reaches for a picture, talk to him about what he is doing.  "That's the kittens' basket.  It feels bumpy!"  The number one thing babies and toddlers thrive on is interaction with their parents.

At birth, a baby's strongest sense is the sense of touch.  That's why your baby or toddler wants to grab everything within reach.  (And the reason everything goes straight to the mouth?  That's where his strongest sense of touch develops first!)  Touch-and-feel books are a great way to help your child explore books in the way that's most natural and enjoyable for her. 

Of course, the library has other touch-and-feel books available for checking out, as well.  Find one that meets your child's interests, and together you can enjoy some hands-on reading! 

Bark, George

If you are looking for a book fun enough share with your older kids, and simple enough for toddlers to enjoy as well, look no further than Bark, George by Jules Feiffer.

George is a cute little puppy who meows, quacks, oinks, and moos instead of barking like he's told.  Kids love being able to mimic the animals noises in this book and really enjoy knowing that George is making the wrong noise.  That's not a bark!  Those noises seem like they are just plain fun (and they are) but they are also a great tool in helping kids become more aware of the sounds we make and how we form them. 

Once George has made all of his noises once, it's time to go to the vet and have the source of these noises removed.  Out comes a cat, a duck, a pig and a cow.  And of course, we all get to make the noises all over again, this time even louder and sillier than before.  Everyone is so happy and relieved to finally hear George bark!  One last time, George's mother says, "Bark, George" and the surprise of what George says on the final page (no spoilers here!) gets everyone laughing. 

Miss Kate

This Little Chick

A multilingual chick! This resourceful tyke leaves the nest to explore the world. In order to have a more satisfying adventure, the little chick learns how to communicate with friends from other cultures. For instance, what does he do when he finds himself in the midst of three pigs and their mother? He grabs a tail, hangs on, and oinks! He tests the waters with his outlandish orange feet when he meets up with a family of ducks. They quack. He quacks. A quacking grand time is had by all. At the end of the day, our diminutive, yellow prodigy has learned five languages! (Pig, Duck, Cow, Frog, and Sheep.) Mother Hen is bemused and pleasantly surprised, but his siblings cover up their ears when a cacophony of barnyard sounds erupts from his tiny beak.

John Lawrence must have had a "whole lot of fun" writing and illustrating This Little Chick. His detailed woodcuts portray the surprise, joy, and exuberance of all the animals chick encounters throughout his busy day.

Take advantage of this story to encourage young children to engage wholeheartedly in the exploration of their communities (accompanied by appreciative adults, of course).

Mighty M

How Rocket Learned to Read

Rocket is a typical little dog…he loves to run around and chase and chew things, and hasn’t given a thought to reading until a little yellow bird arrives out of nowhere and pronounces herself his teacher.  Rocket will have none of it, and tries to ignore her until he overhears her reading a story about a dog named Buster who has forgotten where he buried his bone.  The bird has ignited Rocket's interest!  She cleverly saves the rest of the story for the next day, leaving Rocket wanting more.  Like reluctant readers everywhere, Rocket just needs the right story, and someone to read it to him, to spark his interest in reading.  If you like How Rocket Learned to Read, check out its sequel, Rocket Writes a Story, coming this July.  Both books are by Tad Hills.

Other wonderful stories about books and reading include Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t) by Barbara Bottner, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson, The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore, and Wolf! By Becky Bloom.  And, if your child would like to read (or pretend to read) to a dog, check out our Read-to-a-Dog program at many library branches in Pima County.

Duck Goes Potty (And So Can You!)

Potty training looms large in the world of toddlers and their parents. With the exception of certain wonder babies (seemingly born potty trained, walking and speaking three languages), children typically start showing signs of readiness between the ages of two and three.  Books about "going potty" and "big kid undies" are naturally of great interest to toddlers, since they relate directly to their everyday experiences.

Your library has many fun and engaging picture books and board books about toilet training.   Duck Goes Potty is one such book.  Once Duck's mommy tells him "No more diapers," Duck is introduced to the Potty Chair.  A few mishaps ensue, but Duck takes them all in stride. When he finally gets it right, Mommy announces, "You're a big duck now!" 

Karen Katz has written  My Big Boy Undies and its companion, My Big Girls Undies, which were both published in February of this year.  Her bright, bold illustrations are just right for catching a toddler's attention, and her cheerful text is reassuring and encouraging.

Books that depict potty training are not only inherently interesting to toddlers, they can also help with the training process.  They introduce toileting vocabulary and concepts.  If a child is a little intimidated by toilet training, reading a book about it can help reduce that fear by building familiarity and setting expectations. Furthermore, the characters in the books model the behavior that leads to success.

Just like adults, children love to read and talk about things that are relevant to their lives. Engage your toddler with a good "potty story" and, while you're at it, check out some of the great parenting guides to toilet training which are also available at your library!

Miss Robin

One small act of love

I have planted kisses...on the top of my child's head, on tiny baby toes, and on the tip of a turned up nose...but never in the garden. Who would think to actually plant a kiss? A child of course. The kind of free spirited child conjured up in the imagination of one brilliant author, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Plant a Kiss speaks volumes about caring, kindness and love using just a few rhyming words per page. If you've ever planted a garden you know it takes water, sunshine, and lots of waiting before seeds sprout and bloom. Imagine the faith and patience it takes to wait for a kiss to sprout. Rosenthal's determined Little Miss begins to doubt then pout but just when you think she might give up, turn the page and there is the sprout! Magical, sparkly kisses grow and children gather to stare and stare. And what will happen if you share? Will the garden go bare? Our little gardener decides to spread her kisses everywhere. Award winning author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds has created the perfect images to express all the emotions Little Miss feels in this charming picture book. Passionate. Poignant. Perfect for all ages, young and old.

Miss Julie

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Last week, I rediscovered The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. It was a book I already knew and loved for the bright colors and charming story, and this time around I realized it also offers parents a perfect opportunity to talk with their kids about one of the most important ways we take care of ourselves: healthy eating.

Our little caterpillar starts as an egg, becomes a hungry caterpillar, eats his way through a variety of fruit, and then eats his way through so much cake, ice cream, candy and pie that he doesn't feel well at all. The next day he feels better again after eating a nice green leaf. Having eaten so well he's now ready make his cocoon and become a butterfly. Kids are obviously not so different from this caterpillar since they too need lots of good, healthy food to grow to their fullest potential.

There is more to this book than a lesson in healthy eating; kids will get a chance to count, learn the days of the week and to consider the "butterflies" that they are becoming. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a book you'll enjoy reading with your children again and again.

Miss Kate

The Easter Bunny's Assistant

'Tis the season for the great rabbit multiplication phenomenon via those ubiquitous dyed eggs! And the perfect book to illustrate this EXCITING process is The Easter Bunny's Assistant by Jan Thomas.

The Easter Bunny proceeds to give detailed instructions regarding the decoration of otherwise boring white eggs. As the lesson progresses, the assistant, a skunk, gets very EXCITED. The poor rabbit is getting increasingly nervous as the skunk's excitement escalates to the point of his inevitable expulsion from the kitchen.

An expediently placed clothespin on the rabbit's nose, allows the skunkus non grata to assist in the hiding of the eggs.

Jan Thomas, author of Rhyming Dust Bunnies, obviously enjoyed depicting the interaction between these two friends. Bright colors and the use of large print, invites the child to predict what will happen when the skunk loses control in a small kitchen.

Mighty M

Never Too Little to Love

If you are Tiny Too-Little, how far would you go for a kiss? Would you stand on a thimble? A watermelon? How about a cabbage? As the pile grows steadily higher and precariously unstable, Tiny Too-Little's courage and perseverance are challenged. After all, he is w-a-y down here and his friend is w-a-y up there. What to do? Is our diminutive mouse friend too little to love?

Jeanne Willis' cut-away-page book is an engaging format for adult and child to flip through as our intrepid rodent constructs a tower that is almost tall enough to reach his friend.

The illustrator, Jan Fearnley, has a deft touch throughout this very sweet book. Her watercolor renditions of the trembling mouse atop a "ladder" of produce and household items will have both young and old rooting for the satisfying solution.

Each item used in the pile is labeled, providing a vocabulary enrichment opportunity for your favorite young reader.

Mighty M

Tongue Twisters=Word Fun

Books that mimic the sounds of machines or musical instruments, or that feature the sounds that animals make, are a great way to tune your child's ear to the sounds of letters and words, a helpful pre-literacy skill. And, for four and five year olds, nothing beats tongue twisters for hours of fun playing with words. Kids will revel in testing their ability to articulate these funny phrases, and they'll probably want to test you too!

One of the best books on tongue twisters I've seen lately is Six Sheep Sip Thick Shakes and Other Tricky Tongue Twisters by Brian P. Cleary. It features 22 original twisters, each whimsically illustrated. Best of all, at the back of the book Cleary shares tips on how to make your own tongue twisters! For other books on tongue twisters click here. Have fun!

Little White Rabbit

Little White Rabbit is full of imagination. As he hops along one morning exploring his world, he begins to wonder: What would it be like to be as green as the grass? What would it be like to be as tall as a tree? Each question is followed by a beautiful two-paged illustration that brings Little White Rabbit's imagination to life. Children will want to pause over Henkes' boldly outlined pictures because there is a lot to talk about in each one.

Although we really are able to observe and get a sense of a child's make-believe play around the time they are two or three, the development of pretend play begins as early as year one. While Little White Rabbit really shines as a catalyst to further make-believe play for preschoolers around ages three and up, it's also a great cuddle-up book for parents and toddlers.

Along with Little White Rabbit, Kevin Henkes has written many other wonderful children's books such as A Good Day, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, and 2005 Caldecott winner, Kitten's First Full Moon. Henkes is an author your child can grow with since he has published everything from boardbooks to late elementary level novels. Reading, talking and imaginative play are essential to early literacy skill development. Check out Kevin Henkes and see what conversations and fun his books can inspire at your house today!

~Miss Robin

Fun with Letters!

There are so many wonderful alphabet books to share, and The Zoo I Drew by Todd Doodler is one of them. It features an animal per letter, and both the text and the drawings are playful and engaging.

Learning letters is an important early step towards reading, but sometimes alphabet books can seem just a little too long when read A to Z. One of my favorite ways to read an alphabet book is to hop around and spell things that mean something to the child who is listening. For example, the first letters we learn to recognize are usually those in our name. So one great way to break the book up might be to start with the letter "K" for Kate. I wonder who we'll find on that page?

Let's see...

It's a Koala! We could keep looking for the letters in my name, or we could look for Mom, Dad, or anyone else who is special to us. Be creative with your words and don't be afraid to get silly with it! You'll be amazed at how much fun an alphabet book can be.

Miss Kate

Real Animals!

If your child is a budding zoologist, check out the Amazing Animals series all by Valerie Bodden. These books are a perfect fit for preschoolers and may even enlighten you! Each of the titles focuses on a particular animal, showcasing it with over sized photos and short bits of interesting information, all packed into a picture book-sized package. Bodden's book on polar bears, for instance, equates the size of the bear (1,500 pounds), to something young children can relate to: "eight grown-up men put together". She goes on to say that "a polar bear standing on its back legs could touch the rum of a basketball hoop", and that "polar bears sometimes stand up for a look around".

Oppportunities to introduce new words to your child's vocabulary abound, and the book even includes a short explanation for some of the more unfamiliar words (like "predator" or "Arctic").

You will probably want to read all of the titles available in our library. In addition to Polar Bears, these include Monkeys, Penguins, Lions, and Sharks.

Minji's Salon

An ice cream shampoo and watercolor highlights--what more can a dog ask for? When Minji sees her mother enter a beauty salon, she knows her fluffy-eared dog deserves nothing less than to be the lucky recipient of her own prodigious styling skills.

The author/illustrator, Eun-hee Choung, displays a great sense of fun throughout Minji's Salon with parallel shots of the mother and dog's makeovers. Children everywhere who have ever gotten into their mother's makeup stash will enjoy Minji's "salon's" grand opening.

Minji's problem solving skills are creatively highlighted through complimentary text and artwork. The language is simple and humorous, making it easy for young readers to relate to Minji's unabashed exuberance. Adults will appreciate the author's tongue-in-cheek commentary and deft handling of Minji's mother's surprise homecoming.

Mighty M

Bears on Chairs

Counting! Rhyming! Bears on Chairs! There is a lot to like about Bears on Chairs. This book combines Shirley Parenteau's bouncy, preschool-friendly rhymes with simple and sweet illustrations by David Walker.

While children already have strong ideas about right and wrong, Bears on Chairs tackles two important concepts for preschoolers that can sometimes seem to be in conflict: fairness and sharing.

All is well in the pastel world of bears Calico, Fuzzy, Yellow and Floppy. Each is happy to be sitting on his or her own chair. One chair apiece is clearly a fair and equitable distribution of seating resources, but the arrival of Big Brown Bear complicates the situation. How to share four chairs between five bears? After some experimenting, a solution is found to satisfy even the most stringent of pint-sized moralists. All of the bears share by pushing their chairs together into a kind of bench that can hold everybody.

There are many points to talk about as you read this book with your child. How many bears and how many chairs do you see on the cover? How do you think Calico, Fuzzy, Yellow and Floppy got their names? What would you do to help Big Brown Bear? You probably have everything you need at home to keep the story going into playtime with your own stuffed bears and your own chairs.

Check it out! Use Bears on Chairs as a fun way to read, talk and play with your child today.

~ Miss Robin

The Creative Family

Do you like to play, create, sew, imagine, and explore with your children? Having a hard time coming up with just the right project or running out of ideas? Then it is time you checked out The Creative Family and two other inspiring books by Amanda Blake Soule. In her introduction Soule writes about how her need and desire to create was initially sparked when she became pregnant with her first child; how she feels more complete when her creativity is expressed; and most importantly how she has nurtured her children's growing, creative spirits. Soule's book of simple projects and activities is arranged in four parts; gathering, playing, living, and connecting. There are projects for felting, drawing, finger knitting, and weaving; recipes for natural glue, henna and earth dyes; patterns for bedtime bags, birthday banners, and wool blocks. One of my favorite ideas is creating a musical banging wall (outside, of course) made up of pots, pans, plastic bottles and other items found around the house. (see page 196) Soule's writing has inspired and enriched my life. May it do the same for you. Her other books are Handmade Home: simple ways to repurpose old materials into new family treasures and The Rhythm of the Family: discovering a sense of wonder through the seasons.

Miss Julie

Keiko Kasza -- Picture Book Author & Illustrator Extraordinaire

Isn't it wonderful to come across an author-illustrator that is able to combine entertaining storytelling with appealing illustrations that young children just love? Keiko Kasza does both combining funny stories that contain messages about sharing, self-esteem and friendship, with watercolor illustrations of adorable, expressive animal characters. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

In her story, The Rat and the Tiger, children learn about the importance of sharing and taking turns. Tiger is not very good at either and almost loses his best friend when he starts bossing Rat around, doesn't equally share at snack time and karate chops the block castle Rat spent a long time making. Children will automatically sympathize with Rat as he struggles through hurt feelings and anger towards Tiger. It all works out in the end as Tiger goes about proving that he can be a good friend after all.

Another fun story, especially if you have a young worrywart in the family is, Ready for Anything! Duck is all ready to go on a picnic until his good friend Raccoon starts to imagine all the bad things that could go wrong. After all, "what if" they were chased by killer bees, or got stuck in a terrible rain storm, or met up with a scary dragon? Luckily, Duck has a much more optimistic outlook and is able to reassure Raccoon about all the good things that might happen instead.

 And finally, one of my favorites provides a twist to the classic bad wolf image found in a lot of children's tales. In, The Wolf's Chicken Stew, the ever hungry wolf is set on making a delicious chicken stew. He has chosen the perfect chicken and is just about ready to pounce when he decides it would be better to fatten her up instead. Children will laugh out loud as they see images of Wolf making 100 scrumptious goodies over three days which he leaves outside chicken's door. At the end of the story, you'll end up saying "ah shucks" along with Wolf after he meets 100 endearing little chicks that shower him with kisses and call him "Uncle Wolf." Needless to say, a change of heart occurs and instead of making stew, Wolf ends up making lots of new friends.

Check out other books by Keiko Kasza and be on the lookout for her newest book called, Silly Goose's Big Story, coming in March 2012. I can hardly wait!

Miss~Mary