Book Review: Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great by Bob Shea

Having just witnessed a little girl in a unicorn costume run through the Himmel Park Library, I couldn't think of a better book to review than Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great, written and illustrated by the glorious Bob Shea.  You really can't miss this book, as the cover features a delightful display of cupcakes raining down from the sky.  And, you really can't forget this book, for that image is the stuff of dreams...  Okay, okay, enough about the cover.  Bob Shea's latest story begins with Goat who is happily swinging, biking, and making marshmallow squares.  Then, Unicorn shows up.  Unicorn has it all: he can fly, he can prance, and he can turn stuff into gold!  Best of all, he has a horn.

Sing-Along Songs

Are you looking forward with trepidation to a long road trip with your tykes?  Music might be the answer. Singing songs beats the boredom blahs by stimulating your brain in multiple ways.  It's a great way to introduce new vocabulary and other concepts to your child in a way that's both fun and memorable.  Advertisers have long known the power of a jingle for subliminally planting a "remember me!" seed in the minds of consumers. Syncopation and melody can do the same for helping your child learn and remember new words and can spark new conversations between you.  Just try listening to catchy songs like Baby Beluga by Raffi or Mother Gooney Bird by Dr. Jean and see if you don't agree.  Other artists who are perennial favorites in Storytime include Hap Palmer, Sarah Barchas, for songs in English, and Jose Luis Orozco and Hot Peas n' Butter for songs in Spanish. The library owns a number of titles by each of these artists.    
Singing also gives you the opportunity to introduce numbers and math concepts in a super-fun way before your child even enters preschool.  Songs like Five Little Ducks, Monkeys on the Bed, Chocolate, or This Old Man are great examples.  And who needs to learn about sequencing when you can internalize the concept by singing She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain or Spider on the Floor. Whatever you sing, don't worry about your voice...just have fun.

-Miss Meg

You are the Pea, and I am the Carrot

Sometimes two things are just made for each other, there can be no denying it! Just like Tucson and Sunshine, Librarians and Cardigans, the University of Arizona and Basketball, peas and carrots go together. You are the Pea and I am the Carrot, written by J. Theron Elkins and illustrated by Pascal LeMaitre, is the sweet story of a girl and a boy who just know they are meant to be together.

Like peanut butter and jelly or a hamburger and fries, this story compares their close relationship to a wide variety of silly food combinations which will have you and your child laughing all along the way. The adorable illustrations make this a book to revisit! Please share it with someone you love, of any age!

~ Roller Derby Librarian

The Nowhere Box

Being the eldest of four and the sister of two brothers, I totally empathized with this set upon older brother in Sam Zuppardi's The Nowhere Box. George, our long-suffering protagonist, cannot get any serious play time without the destructive intrusion of Sib 1 and Sib 2.

Various attempts to ditch the persistent duo (not even the bathroom is sacrosanct), are foiled. Meanwhile, in the chaotic background, Dad gleefully accepts delivery of a new washing machine. The box becomes our hero's salvation.

He promptly declares he is going "Nowhere" (sans the terror twins), and the adventures begin! Zuppardi's corrugated cardboard collages and child-like drawings capture the boy's exuberance as he savors the freedom of SOLITUDE. Thanks to the various nifty knobs, buttons, and switches scrawled on the cardboard conveyance, he swoops on a rollercoaster, plunges through space, and plows through the waves on a pirate ship. But something's off--WHERE ARE THE VILLAINS???

Zuppardi perfectly captures the plight of the older sibling desperately in need of some alone time. But in the midst of all his fun, George soon realizes that, as is the case with many fulfilled dreams, there can definitely be "too much of a good thing." He quickly presses the "Home" button. Maybe his younger brothers aren't so bad after all...

MightyM