Little Tug

Little Tug might not be the tallest, fastest or biggest boat in the harbor, but he is certainly the most helpful.  He pulls, pushes and guides other boats and ships to safety.  At the end of his busy, helpful day, Little Tug runs out of steam and so the boats he has been helping return the favor by tucking him in for the night.  The tall sail boat gives Little Tug a sail for a blanket, the fast motor boat “hums him a lullaby” and the big ocean liner give him a “great big hug.”

This book is just right for toddlers.  The story is simply told and easy to follow and the illustrations are clean and engaging.  Your own little helper will be able to see a bit of himself or herself in Little Tug, and the story has a cozy all’s-right-with-the-world feel.

Stephen Savage also wrote and illustrated the picture book Where’s Walrus?  and illustrated the picture book  Polar Bear Nights.  Check them all out at your library!

Miss Robin

Two Little Blackbirds

I have a vague memory of my mother reciting this classic rhyme to me when I was a young child. Her version, however, used the term dickie birds instead of blackbirds.  According to Wikipedia this English language rhyme was first published in Mother Goose Melody in London around 1765.  In this version the birds were given the names Jack and Gill.  In modern versions published in the 19th century (the one my Irish Catholic mom preferred)the birds were named after the apostles Peter and Paul. Whichever version you choose, your baby or toddler will catch on quickly to the act of putting one, then the other finger behind their back. I recite the following rhyme near the end of all my baby storytimes at the library using bird finger puppets made with felt in black, blue, red, and yellow.  Pointer fingers work just fine, but simple, colorful finger puppets attract and hold their attention throughout the recitation. Give it a try.  And get ready to recite it over and over.  Babies love repitition.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill          (hold pointer fingers up in front of you)
One named Jack, the other named Jill.     (make small motions with fingers)
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill.                    (put one, then the other finger behind you)
Come back Jack, come back Jill.             (bring each finger back to front)

Two little blue birds sitting on a gate
One came early, the other came late.
Fly away early, fly away late.
Come back early, come back late.

Two little yellow birds sitting on a cloud
One came soft, the other came loud.
Fly away soft, fly away loud.
Come back soft, come back loud.

Two little red birds sitting in the snow.
One came fast, the other came slow.
Fly away fast, fly away slow.
Come back fast, come back slow.

Miss Julie

Learning Letters Starts with Shapes

Before we can learn to read, we have to learn our letters.  And before we can learn our letters, we have to learn our shapes.  Not only does learning our shapes give us a vocabulary for talking about what each letter looks like, it also helps highlight the sometimes very slight differences between letters.  Learning to talk about the difference between a circle and an oval, or a square and a rectangle, for example, can pave the way for talking about the subtle differences between letters like b, d, p and q.

So how do we learn our shapes and have fun?  We share excellent books, of course!

Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert uses layers of colorful shapes to make various animals.  As you turn each page, you remove one shape from the animal, and a new animal is revealed below.  This book is lots of fun to read together and kids enjoy discovering each animal as they turn the page.

Another great book, My Heart is like a Zoo by Michael Hall takes one shape, the heart, and uses it to make a variety of animals.  You and your child will both be amazed at how versatile the heart can be!

And finally, Dot by Patricia Intriago is a study in how small changes to the shape of a dot can completely change what it means to the viewer.  Teaching your child to focus on the small cues that make shapes different from each other will be helpful to them as they begin to sort out which shape belongs to which letter.

And when you're done reading, be sure to take your shapes on the road. Discovering them here, there and everywhere is fun for everyone!

Miss Kate

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