Archive for February 27, 2013

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way

Written by Alice Schertle
Illustrated by Jill McElmurry

Buy on Amazon

Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry deliver another charming tale about a little blue truck that has a way of bringing perspective to the busy vehicles around him. This book is an obvious pick for reading aloud (especially the Big Book edition). The illustrations are captivating and colorful, and the text gives just the right amount of rhyme and rhythm to relay a timeless tale.
» Read more

All About Boats

Written by David and Zora Aiken

Illustrated by David Aiken

Buy on Amazon

I am always fascinated at the infinite array of alphabet books for children. Whether it is animals or machines or places, there seems to be no topic that can’t be turned into an alphabet book!  I think this is a great idea, because it provides children with the opportunity to explore new topics and learn new vocabulary in a fun, yet structured format.
» Read more

Every Little Thing

Written by Cedella Marley

Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Buy on Amazon

A charming adaptation of Bob Marley’s song “Three Little Birds.” Three chirping birds greet a young boy who has dreadlocks and a Bob Marley t-shirt. There may be rain, hurt feelings at the playground or a mess in the kitchen, but the birds keep chirping out the message “Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be all right.” When the boy gets up the next day, sure enough he greets the day with a smile. The illustrations are bright, colorful drawings with just the right touch of mixed media. The recurring cat and bird mischief lends the right touch of whimsy. The subtext of this book is that love of family and friends makes every little thing all right, giving it an emotionally reassuring tone that even young children will appreciate.
» Read more

I’m and Won’t, They’re and Don’t: What’s a Contraction?

Written by Brian P. Cleary
Illustrated by Brian Gable

Buy on Amazon

What’s a Contraction? is yet another clever book in the “Words are CATegorical” series. As expected from author Brian P. Cleary, this book is full of easy-to-read pages filled with funny, rhyming sentences.

The illustrations are larger than life and as funny as other books in the series. The colorful illustrations make this book a fun read for any student. The story is zany enough to keep kids engaged and informative enough to provide a learning experience at the same time. The illustration style, along with the fun approach to what could otherwise be a difficult grammar point, make learning about contractions interesting.
» Read more

What Does a Hammer Do?

Written by Robin Nelson

Buy on Amazon

Kids are always curious what various objects are for. This brief look at a hammer answers that question in a straightforward fashion. Numerous photographs show close-ups of the various parts of a hammer, its place among tools, and suggested uses. The first page shows a close-up of the striking surface and asks the reader to identify the object. A tool belt demonstrates the group where hammers belong. A proper grip on the handle with work gloves is recommended. The photographs show how to drive a nail and examples of the uses of nails. They also show how to remove a nail with the claw. The author explains what a carpenter does and remarks that hammers are important for building tree houses. Both males and females are shown using hammers, which is a plus.
» Read more

Eye on the Iditarod

By Aisling Lara Shepherd with Hope Irvin Marston
Illustrated by Bob Renaud

Buy on Amazon

Aisling (pronounced Ashley) is a young girl with a big dream. After watching the Iditarod dog-sled race on television when she was three years old, Aisling became fascinated with the sport. by her mother and grandparents, Aisling acquired her first team of dogs and began entering mushing competitions in the northeastern United States and Canada. By the time she was eleven years old, Aisling was a junior champion in the sport and had even gotten her mother and grandfather into mushing! Through it all, she continues to pursue her big dream: to race in the famous Iditarod when she is old enough.
» Read more

Birds of a Feather

Written by Francesco Pittau and Bernadette Gervais

Buy on Amazon

Pittau and Gervais have created a wonderful interactive book all about birds. Have you ever wondered how fast an ostrich can run? They can run 70 kilometers an hour! You will discover what color flamingos are before they turn pink. How many penguin species are there? An emu egg is HUGE! You will get to see and compare the color and size of many different eggs as you lift each flap to see what bird laid them. Cardinals love to drink maple sap from the holes people have drilled into the trees to extract maple syrup. These are just a few of the amazing things you will learn about over forty birds in this magnificent book. All this information is hidden behind flaps with drawings or silhouettes of the birds. There are also pages that will allow the child to “create” his own bird by turning different flaps and exposing different shapes and feathers.
» Read more

Oopsy, Teacher

By Stephanie Calmenson

Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa

Buy on Amazon

Even teachers have a bad day, according to Mr. Bungles. Sometimes the day starts wrong for everyone and just keeps getting worse.  It all started even before Mr. Bungles got out of bed, when the alarm went off and he bumped his head.  Things got progressively worse as he showered and got soap in his eye, and dripped jam on his tie.  His bad luck followed him to school when his students played a trick on him, followed by the class hamster escaping.
» Read more

Apple Cake: A Recipe for Love

Written and Illustrated by Julie Paschikis

Buy on Amazon

Alfonso captures bookworm Ida’s heart over an apple cake made with love, and the illustrations show just how far Alfonso is willing to go to demonstrate his deep love for Ida.  This simple book by Julie Paschikis weaves a love story through a recipe and whimsical illustrations. Apple Cake is an easy read aloud book, but the illustrations are truly what make this book a treat to read. If one simply hears the words, one hears a simple recipe and instructions for making a cake, but to truly appreciate the book, one must study the artwork. This would be an interesting book to have a second grade class read around Valentine’s day and respond through various writing and math assignments.
» Read more

What Does a Level Do?

Written by Robin Nelson

Buy on Amazon

This is such a simply written book. While second graders will read it for sure, first grade readers and kindergarteners will also enjoy the vivid photographs, and in the process learn what a level is and what it does.

A level is a tool. Through photos, the book shows us that a level can be used both across and up-and-down to make sure a surface is straight. We see a photo of a builder with a level, and are asked what we could use it for. That is a great jumping off point for a classroom discussion. Many fun activities can be built around a level — from putting up planks as shelves to measuring the classroom walls to make sure they are straight!
» Read more

« Older Entries