The Snaggle Grollop

TITLE: The Snaggle Grollop
AUTHOR: Daniel Postgate
ILLUSTRATOR: Nick Price
PUBLISHER: Chicken House
COPYRIGHT: 2009

The Snaggle Grollop is a fun story about a little boy named Sam who wants a pet. His parents laughingly agree he can have a “snagglegrollop,” and then are very surprised when one is at their house! Sam and his family have fun adventures with their new pet. The cartoon style illustrations and creative font style go well with this story. I recommend this book for the primary school library.

My son and I thought this was a funny story!

Mine, All Mine!

TITLE: Mine, All Mine!
AUTHOR: Claire Hawcock

ILLUSTRATOR: Chiara Pasqualotto

PUBLISHER: Boxer Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Little Squirrel finds a beautiful snowflake. He decides he doesn’t want to share his snowflake with anyone. He learns a lesson about sharing in this wonderful story. The illustrations are beautiful. Children will want to touch the sparkly, painted snowflake. I recommend this book for the primary school classroom library as well as your home library.

My son and I enjoyed this book together.

What is the Story of our Flag?

TITLE: What Is the Story of Our Flag?

AUTHOR: Janice Behrens
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers

PUBLISHER: Children's Press
COPYRIGHT: 2009

What Is the Story of Our Flag? is a new nonfiction reader. This book talks about the history of the flag of the USA in language that young children can understand. Some of the topics include Betsy Ross, the meaning of the stars and stripes, and Flag Day. It includes a contents page, word hunt, and index. One thing that makes this book appealing is the brightly colored photographs. I would recommend this book for a classroom library for a unit on the flag as well as the elementary school library.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

What is Mount Rushmore?

TITLE: What is Mount Rushmore?
AUTHOR: Laine Falk
ILLUSTRATOR: various photographers
PUBLISHER: Children's Press
COPYRIGHT: 2009

What is Mount Rushmore? is a new nonfiction reader. This book tells facts about Mount Rushmore, including information about the sculptor and visiting the site. It includes a contents page, word hunt, and index. The photographs in this book are enjoyable and give the reader a chance to see this landmark up close. This book would make a nice addition to the classroom or elementary school library.

My son wants to go see Mount Rushmore so he enjoyed this book.

Curious George Plants a Tree

TITLE: Curious George Plants a Tree
AUTHOR: Monica Perez
ILLUSTRATOR: in the style of H. A. Reyes by Anna Grossnickle Hines
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This is a new book featuring the well-loved Curious George. George learns a lesson about helping the environment and gets his neighborhood involved as well. The back of the book includes tips on conserving resources.

My son and I enjoyed this book of one of our favorite characters.

Corey Combine and the Great Big Mess

TITLE: Corey Combine and the Great Big Mess
AUTHOR: Elana Roth
ILLUSTRATOR: Ron Berg
PUBLISHER: Running Press Kids
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Corey and the other machines are trying to prepare Merriweather Farm for a visit from Callie Gator. They have a problem because someone keeps making a mess. Who is making the mess on the farm?

My son and I enjoyed reading this book multiple times together. I love the illustrations of the fun John Deere equipment.

Sort It Out!

TITLE: Sort It Out!
AUTHOR: Barbara Mariconda
ILLUSTRATOR: Sherry Rogers
PUBLISHER: Sylvan Dell
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Pack the Packrat sorts his collection of things. He finds various ways to sort the items, such as things that are green, things with a shell, and things you use when you sew. The illustrations for this book are adorable and add to the appeal of this book. Primary through elementary aged children will enjoy this book.

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a great educational book that would be good for the elementary classroom as well as the library.

Ocean's Child

TITLE: Ocean's Child
AUTHOR: Christine Ford and Trish Holland
ILLUSTRATOR: David Diaz
PUBLISHER: Golden Book
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Ocean’s Child is written as a poem. It is about an Eskimo mother in a canoe with her child as they tell the animals of the ocean good night. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book. The illustrations in this book were appealing to me because of the colors used and how well they went with the flow of the poem.

I found this to be a nice book to read. It would be a nice addition fir a classroom library to read in a unit on Alaska. It also makes a sweet bedtime story.

Tough Chicks

TITLE: Tough Chicks
AUTHOR: Cece Meng
ILLUSTRATOR: Melissa Suber
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

The three chicks Penny, Polly, and Molly are busy, touch little chicks. Some of the other animals on the farm think they are too loud and cause too much trouble. When a storm comes to the farm, will the chicks be able to show how useful they really are? The illustrations were exaggerated cartoon animals (for example, big round cows and sheep) which went along well with this story although I didn’t care much for the illustrations. Preschool through early elementary aged children will enjoy this book.

I recommend this book for an elementary school library.

Finding Susie

TITLE: Finding Susie
AUTHOR: Sandra Day O'Connor
ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Pohrt
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf

COPYRIGHT: 2009

Finding Susie is an enjoyable book about former Supreme Court justice Sandra’s days growing up on a desert cattle ranch. She's asked for a pet for a long time. Living out in the ranch she's tried to keep various animals, like a turtle, rabbit, coyote, and bobcat, or nurse injured ones back to health. The animals are always glad to return to their homes though and don't ever seem to really like Sandra that much. Will she ever have a pet of her own? Children in elementary grades will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed reading this story and recommend it for the elementary school library. The illustrations are nice as well as the inside cover that has copies of photographs of Sandra’s life.

Two at the Zoo A Counting Book

TITLE: Two at the Zoo A Counting Book
AUTHOR: Danna Smith
ILLUSTRATOR: Valeria Petrone
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

A boy and his grandpa visit the zoo together in this fun rhyming book. They count the animals as they go including a black bear, parrots, penguins, and lions. Preschool through early elementary aged children will enjoy this counting book. The illustrations were fun and will be enjoyable for young children.

I recommend this book for the elementary classroom library.

Birds

TITLE: Birds
AUTHOR: Kevin Henkes
ILLUSTRATOR: Laura Dronzek
PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Birds is a beautiful book written in easy to understand language. It begins with a bird singing at the window in the morning and continues with comparisons about all the different types of birds using their colors and sizes. Questions about birds are brought up, like where do birds go during a rain storm when “they can’t get home to their nests.” The illustrations were very appealing in this book. Children preschool through primary aged will enjoy this.

I recommend this book for the elementary school library as well as the classroom library.

Johnny Tractor Saves the Parade

TITLE: Johnny Tractor Saves the Parade
AUTHOR: Dena Neusner
ILLUSTRATOR: Dave Hill
PUBLISHER: Running Press Kids
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This book features John Deere characters Johnny Tractor, Allie Gator, and Corey Combine. They make plans to have a special Merriweather Farm parade and hang posters so people will come. After a rain storm messes up their posters, no one shows up at the parade. What can the farm equipment do now? Should the parade be cancelled? Johnny Tractor has an idea. Preschool and primary aged children will enjoy this story.

My son and I liked this book. He is a lover of John Deere tractors so this is one he wants to read over and over!

A Visitor for Bear

TITLE: A Visitor for Bear

AUTHOR: Bonny Becker
ILLUSTRATOR: Kady MacDonald Denton
PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Bear has a sign posted on his door that says "No Visitors Allowed." His feelings about visitors are challenged when a little mouse..."small and gray and bright-eyed..."comes to his door and then keeps showing up in his house. This is a cute story of friendship that will make the reader laugh as the mouse keeps appearing in Bear's house. It will be enjoyed by preschool through primary aged children.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book several times and laughing together at the silly mouse.

The Read and Share Toddler Bible

TITLE: The Read and Share Toddler Bible
AUTHOR: Gwen Ellis
ILLUSTRATOR: Steve Smallman
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
COPYRIGHT: 2009

I'd like to recommend The Read and Share Toddler Bible by Gwen Ellis and illustrated by Steve Smallman. With 40 Bible stories from both the Old and New Testament and a bonus 60 minute DVD as well, this is a nice Bible for youngsters ages 4 and under. This full color Bible is a nice size for little ones to hold and carry around.

I enjoyed reading this book and watching the DVD with my son. One thing I particularly liked was a note to parents at the end of each story that gave an idea of something to do with your toddler related to the story. This would be nice for family reading time and would also make a nice gift for a child.

Biscut Visits the Doctor

TITLE: Biscuit Visits the Doctor
AUTHOR: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
ILLUSTRATOR: Pat Schories
PUBLISHER: Harper Festival
COPYRIGHT: 2008

It is time for the cute dog Biscuit to go to the vet for a check up. He is a good dog and gets a treat at the end. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book.

My son and I love stories about Biscuit. Add this to a list of enjoyable Biscuit books!

Stuff! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

TITLE: Stuff! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
AUTHOR: Steven Kroll
ILLUSTRATOR: Steve Cox
PUBLISHER: Marshall Cavendish Children
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This is a story about a pack rat named Pinch. He is hesitant to join his friends in a tag sale because he doesn't want to lose his stuff. He changes his mind though when he sees how much others enjoy things that he didn't even really value. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this book. The bright, fun illustrations are very appealing and add to the story.

My son and I totally enjoyed this book and read it several times together. I highly recommend this book for the elementary classroom and school library. It will be enjoyed over and over.

Baseball Hour

TITLE: Baseball Hour
AUTHOR: Carol Nevius
ILLUSTRATOR: Bill Thomson
PUBLISHER: Marshall Cavendish Children
COPYRIGHT: 2008

This book is about children practicing baseball. It shows all that would go on in a baseball practice from the warm-up to the closing team chant. It's written with only a couple lines per page and the text rhymes. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this book.

When I saw this book on the shelf at the library, I was in awe of the beautiful illustrations. My son and I read this multiple times. Besides being a great read, I appreciate the fact that the illustrations show both girls and boys playing baseball.

The I Believe Bunny

TITLE: The I Believe Bunny

AUTHOR: Tish Rabe

ILLUSTRATOR: Frank Endersby

PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson

COPYRIGHT: 2009

Thomas Nelson has a new children’s book called The I Believe Bunny by Tish Rabe and illustrated by Frank Endersby. This is actually part of the “I Believe Bunny” series. This book is the tale of a bunny who does all he can to help a mouse in trouble. Bunny finds out that prayer does work! The book is appropriate for preschoolers through primary aged children.

I enjoyed reading this book to my son. He also enjoyed the pictures and the story. The cute illustrations add to the enjoyment of this book. I appreciate finding a book I can share with my child that teaches a strong biblical truth in a story with text understandable for young children. I look forward to other books in this series.

100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs

TITLE: 100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs
AUTHOR: Stephen Elkins
ILLUSTRATOR: Tim O'Connor
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson
COPYRIGHT: 2004

If you have young children (toddlers through primary aged), I would like to recommend a wonderful Bible story book for you. It is called 100 Bible Stories 100 Songs created by Stephen Elkins with illustrations by Tim O'Connor. This illustrated storybook is perfect for Bible story time before bed or for the early readers to read themselves.

The book has 100 Bible stories told in a concise, easy-to-read format. The story is on one page along with the title of the song, and on the facing page is a picture with three application sentences related to the story. The illustrations are colorful and appealing. The two CD’s have 100 songs that correlate with the 100 Bible stories. You’ll hear many old favorites like “Be Careful Little Eyes” and “The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock” as well as hymns like “Amazing Grace” and many other songs I’d not previously heard.

I was excited to receive this before we left on our recent trip. It was perfect to take along in the car. I’d read a few stories to my son and then he’d listen to the CD. My son totally loved both the stories and the songs. This is a wonderful resource to help children hide God’s Word in their hearts.

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms

TITLE: Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms
AUTHOR: Julia Rawlinson
ILLUSTRATOR: Tiphanie Beeke
PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Fletcher the fox is so excited to find what he thinks to be white snow flakes falling to the ground. He hurries to tell his friends to come play with him in the snow. When he gets back to the spot, he realizes it really wasn't snow after all. The animals all enjoy the blossoms though. The illustrations in this book are amazing and very enjoyable. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this story.

My son and I enjoyed this story and the illustrations. It was our second book to read about Fletcher.

Budgie & Boo

TITLE: Budgie & Boo
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: David McPhail
PUBLISHER: Abrams Books for Young Readers
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This new book from David McPhail is about Budgie the bear and Boo the bunny. Even though they have their differences, they are best friends. The two have adventures and help each other solve problems throughout the day. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this story of friendship.

My son and I enjoyed this sweet story of friendship.

Sally Goes to the Farm

TITLE: Sally Goes to the Farm
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen Huneck
PUBLISHER: Abrams Books for Young Readers
COPYRIGHT: 2002

This book is another tale about Sally the Labrador. She is going to visit the farm. She meets all the animals and has fun in the fields. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book. The illustrations are once again well done by this author/illustrator.

My son and I enjoy reading about Sally's adventures.

Just Like a Baby

TITLE: Just Like a Baby
AUTHOR: Juanita Havill
ILLUSTRATOR: Christine Davenier
PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Family members come to welcome new baby Ellen. Each one has their own idea of what she could be following in their footsteps. Ellen has her own ideas though. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book.

The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkids
COPYRIGHT: 2008

The story of this book is centered around Brother Bear's baseball game. He sees his cousin Fred praying in the game and Brother decides to try praying too. He learns a lesson though from Fred about answered prayers. This book is appropriate for primary and elementary aged children.

My son and I enjoyed this book. He particularly enjoyed the baseball game in the story.

Sally's Snow Adventure

TITLE: Sally's Snow Adventure
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen Huneck
PUBLISHER: Abrams Books
COPYRIGHT: 2006

Sally the dog is ready for another adventure. This time she is visiting a lodge in the mountains. She makes many new dog friends. One day while out exploring she realizes she is lost. Who will rescue Sally? Preschool and primary aged children will enjoy this book.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book. He wanted to read it again and again.

The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2008

In this Berenstain Bear book, the Bear family participates in many activities on Sunday but do not attend church. Mama thinks they should all go to Sunday School as a family. Everyone is glad they went together because of what they learned and the fun time they had. This book is appropriate for primary and elementary aged children.

My son and I read this book together and enjoyed it.

Freddie's Fast-Cash Getaway

TITLE: Freddie's Fast-Cash Getaway The Parable of the Prodigal Son
AUTHOR: Bill Myers
ILLUSTRATOR: Andy J. Smith
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Freddie is an ant who heads to the city with money from his Dad. He realizes the city-life isn't all he'd hoped because once the money is gone he has no "friends." He learns his lesson and returns to his family. Primary through elementary aged children will enjoy this book and the funny cartoon-style illustrations.

I enjoyed this retelling of the parable of the prodigal son. I noticed many modern-day shops in the story on the illustrations of the city, like "Bugs & Noble."

The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jan & Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

As the Bear family is on the way to a festival, they have car trouble. The family learns a valuable lesson about being a good neighbor when they are helped in their time of need. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this story similar to the Good Samaritan story of the Bible.

My son and I have enjoyed reading this book.

Natalie School's First Day of Me

TITLE: Natalie School's First Day of Me
AUTHOR: Dandi Daley Mackall
ILLUSTRATOR: Lys Blakeslee
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This is the newest book in the "That's Nat!" series by Dandi Daley Mackall. Natalie is getting ready for kindergarten and her mind is filled with "what ifs" about the first day. This book is appropriate for early readers and young primary aged children will enjoy this story.

I found this book very appropriate for myself to read also as the mother of a boy who is heading to kindergarten. It made me see things through his eyes and the "what ifs" he may have about the first day. I would recommend this book for parents to read with their children who are going to kindergarten.

The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Sister Bear receives a new locket that has the Golden Rule engraved inside. Sister begins to understand the true meaning of the Golden Rule when a new bear arrives at school and is left out at recess and on the bus ride home. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this story and will be able to relate the story to make application in their own lives.

My son and I enjoyed the lesson taught in this book.

God Is with Me through the Night

TITLE: God Is with Me through the Night
AUTHOR: Julie Cantrell
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

This book is a wonderful reminder to a young child that God is with you even in the darkness. The photos are beautiful in this book. It would make a nice companion to God is with me through the Day.

My son and I enjoyed the book and the photographs.

Bee & Me

TITLE: Bee & Me
AUTHOR: Elle J. McGuinness
ILLUSTRATOR: Heather Brown
PUBLISHER: Accord Publishing
COPYRIGHT: 2008


Bee is sad everyone is afraid of her and explains to the boy all the benefits of bees. The reader will enjoy turning the pages to watch Bee fly through this book with its special visual effects. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book. It would make a fun addition to a classroom or home library and would be great to read during a lesson on insects or spring flower gardens.


My son and I enjoyed this book together.

Natalie Really Very Much Wants to Be a Star

TITLE: Natalie Really Very Much Wants to Be a Star
AUTHOR: Dandi Daley Mackall
ILLUSTRATOR: Lys Blakeslee
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

In this second book about Natlie, she finds out her Sunday School class will be performing a Christmas play. She desperately wants the part of Mary. What will Natalie's attitude be when she doesn't receive the part?

I enjoyed this book. One part I did have a problem with though, which was Natalie's use of the word "stupidhead." I can see the author is trying to make her a realistic little girl who has a bad attitude about things sometimes. What I didn't like though was that the "stupidhead" was something she mumbled under her breath and she knows no one else hears her when she says it...like she knows she isn't supposed to say it but says it anyway. I just didn't like that attitude of Natalie. This is a cute story about Christmas and the true meaning of the holiday. Young girls who are early readers will enjoy this book.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew

TITLE: How Groundhog's Garden Grew
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Lynne Cherry
PUBLISHER: Blue Sky Press
COPYRIGHT: 2003

Little Groundhog eats from a neighbor's garden when he is hungry. Squirrel teaches Little Groundhog how to grow his own garden. The detailed illustrations in this book are lovely and very enjoyable to view. Preschool through elementary aged children will enjoy looking at this book and hearing this story. It would be a wonderful addition to a classroom library.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

Stink Bug Saves the Day!

TITLE: Stink Bug Saves the Day! The Parable of the Good Samaritan
AUTHOR: Bill Myers
ILLUSTRATOR: Andy J. Smith
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Pop Roly-Poly is on his way to vacation with his family when he is attacked by a gang of flies in the book that is a retelling of the parable of the Good Samaritan. He is helped by a stink bug. This book teaches a wonderful lesson. Young children will enjoy this book and the cartoon illustrations.

My son and I enjoyed this book and the lesson it taught.

How to Make a Cherry Pie and see the USA

TITLE: How to Make a Cherry Pie and see the U. S. A.
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Marjorie Priceman
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf
COPYRIGHT: 2008

The reader gets to take an adventure across the U. S. A. in this book to gather the materials to make the utensils (pie pan, pot holders, rolling pin, measuring cup, plastic, and others)needed for making cherry pie since the cook shop is closed. A cherry pie recipe is also included in the book. This is by the author of the popular book How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this book. It would be excellent for the classroom library.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

The Berenstain Bears God Loves You!

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears God Loves You!
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2008

Both Brother Bear and Sister Bear receive surprising news when they try out for the basketball team and a play at school. They learn a lesson about God's love through this experience of not being chosen. Primary and elementary aged children will enjoy this story and the lesson it teaches about God's love for each of us.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book.

God Is with Me through the Day

TITLE: God Is with Me through the Day

AUTHOR: Julie Cantrell

PUBLISHER: ZonderKidz

COPYRIGHT: 2009

This book is a reminder that God is with us where ever we go and He will never leave us alone. Through simple wording and minimal text per page along with stunning animal photographs, the author reminds the reader God is there all day. This book would be excellent for any home library with young children. The children will enjoy the photographs as they listen to a Bible truth.

My son and I loved this book, and the beautiful photographs made us smile as we looked at each one.

Natalie and the One-of-a--Kind Wonderful Day!

TITLE: Natalie and the One-of-a-Kind Wonderful Day!
AUTHOR: Dandi Daley Mackall
ILLUSTRATOR: Lys Blakeslee
PUBLISHER: Zonderkids
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Natalie is a five year old girl who wants to have a one-of-a-kind wonderful day. She tries first thing in the morning by making "omel-nats." That turns out to be not such a wonderful idea. This sweet, determined little girl continues to try new wonderful things all day long that just lead to disasters. She doesn't feel very happy by bedtime until a talk with her parents shows her God made her special and wonderful. Primary aged girls will enjoy this story and the character of Natalie.

I enjoyed getting to know Natalie in this book and recommend this for your daughter or church library.

The House That Went Ker-Splat!

TITLE: The House That Went Ker--Splat! The parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
AUTHOR: Bill Myers
ILLUSTRATOR: Andy J. Smith
PUBLISHER: Zonderkids
COPYRIGHT: 2008


Two wasps build houses using very different methods and attitudes which leads to very different results. This is an excellent story about the parable of the wise and foolish builders. Children as well as adults should be able to appreciate the applicaption for living in today's world. The illustrator did a good job too contrasting the two characters with light and dark colors. Children of any age will enjoy this book.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book.

Sally Goes to the Mountains

TITLE: Sally Goes to the Mountains
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen Huneck
PUBLISHER: harry n. abrams, inc.
COPYRIGHT: 2001

Sally is going on camping trip to the mountains. This is the story of things she will see and do in the mountains. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book told from the perspective of the dog. The artwork in this book is also worth noting. The illustrator used woodblock prints for the illustrations.

My son and I enjoyed laughing together as we read this book multiple times.

The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game

TITLE: The Berenstain Bears Play a Good Game
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Jan and Mike Berenstain
PUBLISHER: Zonderkidz
COPYRIGHT: 2009

Brother and Sister Bear are having fun playing soccer with Papa Bear as their coach until things on the field get a little ugly as they face a team of bullies. The team and the coaches learn some valuable lessons about playing fair and having good sportsmanship from their game. Primary aged children will enjoy this story and the familiar Berenstain Bear family.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book and appreciate the lessons it taught.

Pal the Pony

TITLE: Pal the Pony
AUTHOR: R.A. Herman

ILLUSTRATOR: Betina Ogden

PUBLISHER: Grosset & Dunlap
COPYRIGHT: 1996

A little pony at Star Ranch tries to do everything the big horses do. He feels he is too little for the rodeo until a little girl notices him. Preachool aged children will enjoy this book. It is appropriate for beginning readers to read on their own as well.

My son and I liked this story.

Daddies

TITLE: Daddies
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Lila Prap
PUBLISHER: North-South Books
COPYRIGHT: 2007

A daddy and his little boy pretend they are animals--giraffes, hippos, kangaroos, monkeys, snails, and others--before the little boy goes to bed. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this book of pretend as well as the colorful, large illustrations.

My son and I both enjoyed this book.

Monkey and Me

TITLE: Monkey and Me
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Emily Gravett
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
COPYRIGHT: 2007

A little girl takes along her stuffed monkey on a trip to the zoo. Together they see many animals and try to act out how the animals act. Preschool aged children will enjoy the animal illustrations and trying to guess which animal the girl and monkey are pretending to be.

My son and I had fun reading this book.

Kitchen Dance

TITLE: Kitchen Dance
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Maurie J. Manning
PUBLISHER: Clarion Books
COPYRIGHT: 2008

In this book two children awake in the night to kitchen sounds. They tiptoe downstairs and peek through the door to see their parents doing a kitchen dance as they clean up the kitchen. Mama spies her little children and brings the children in to do the kitchen dance with them. Preschool through primary aged children will enjoy this fun book, bright illustrations, and easy to read text.

My son and I enjoyed reading this book multiple times.

A Day with Nellie

TITLE: A Day with Nellie
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Marthe Jocelyn
PUBLISHER: Tundra Books
COPYRIGHT: 2002

Readers get to go through a day with Nellie from the time she wakes up, chooses her outfit, eats breakfast, plays, naps, has a picnic lunch, gets muddy, takes a bath and prepares for bed. Preschool children will enjoy this book for the daily routine it describes with which they would be familiar from their own day.

My son and I enjoyed this book.

Wild Boars Cook

TITLE: Wild Boars Cook
AUTHOR: Meg Rosoff
ILLUSTRATOR: Sophie Blackall
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2008

These four stinky boars, Boris, Morris, Horace, and Doris, are hungry. Doris finds a recipe for the four of them to fix. This silly book is appropriate for primary aged children. I also believe it could be used in the classroom for a lesson on action verbs because many vivid verbs are used throughout the story.

My son and I enjoyed this book. It was appealing to me because the animal characters were unusual compared to your normal children's picture book characters.

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are you Waking Up?

TITLE: Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up?
AUTHOR: Bill Martin Jr and Michael Sampson
ILLUSTRATOR: Laura J. Bryant
PUBLISHER: Marshall Cavendish
COPYRIGHT: 2008

A little kitty cat is very distracted one morning doing all sorts of things except the one thing her mother wants her to do... get ready for school. This rhyming conversation between the kitty cat and its mother are delightful. As you can see from the front cover picture above, the illustrations are very enjoyable and really add to the appeal of this book. It is appropriate for preschool through primary aged children.

My son and I loved this book and read it many times together.