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.