One

Otoshi, K. (2008). One. Mill Valley, CA: KO Kids Books.

Recommended Age: 3+

Format: Hardcover

This book follows the color blue, and his friends, yellow, orange, green, and purple. Blue wants to be like his friends sometimes, but for the most part, he enjoys being blue. Red, is mean to blue though, and nobody says anything to him. Red becomes more and more bossy and grows larger and larger and is meaner and meaner. Until the number 1 shows up and stands up for himself to Red. The other colors follow suit and yellow, orange, green and purple become 2,3,4,and 5. Blue then makes the decision to stand up to Red when Red was mean to him. Blue becomes the number 6 and Red starts to sulk away when blue tells him that he can be a number too. Red becomes the number 7. This is an easy to comprehend book that not only teaches colors and numbers but it is an important lesson about bullying that cannot start early enough. Younger children may not understand the larger implications of this book immediately, but it is good book to start reading early. 

Author's website: http://www.kokidsbooks.com/

Beautiful Oops!

Saltzberg, B. (2010). Beautiful oops! New York, NY: Workman Pub.

Recommended Age: 2+

Format: Hardcover

This fun, interactive book, shows children what mistakes can be turned into. The book starts with a tear in a piece of paper that the child can touch and look at, and when you turn the page the tear is the mouth of a crocodile. This book shows a bent corner of paper turning into part of a penguin, a smudge becoming a bunny face, a stain from a cup becoming a frog, a crumpled piece of paper becoming a sheep, and it even has an accordion-like stack of papers to look into to see what the holes in papers hold. There are few words, and the interactive portions of this book would even be fun for kids up to Kindergarten or 1st grade, but it is suitable for young children as well. The interactive portions are so interest, and so far from lift-the-flap books. The illustrations are amazing to look at, they are colorful and work very well with the tears and the flaps. Children will love seeing what each "oops" turns into. This holds book holds a lesson, as well, not to give up if you make a mistake, you'll never know what that mistake could lead to. Overall, this is a really amazing book.

Author's wesbite: http://www.barneysaltzberg.com/

And Then It's Spring

Fogliano, J., & Stead, E. E. (2012). And then it's spring. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Recommended age:3+
Format: Hardcover


This book tells the story of a young boy who starts off standing on brown land in the middle of fall. He is planting seedlings and waiting patiently for them to grow. He stands guard as the seasons change, the sense of anticipation building until the reader cannot possibly wait any longer. He worries that something happened to them.  And then his world turns green.  The illustrations are understated, yet so important to the story. Little details like the animals that are always with the boy give the illustrations a quiet charm that children might not pick up on. The children can relate to wanting something so badly and having to wait for it. The sense of anticipation along with the simple story line would make this book good for a spring story time with toddlers or preschoolers.

Author's website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/juliefogliano
Illustrator's website: http://erinstead.com/

Stuck

Jeffers, O. (2011). Stuck. New York: Philomel Books.

Recommended Age: 3+

Format: Hardcover

This story is about Floyd. He gets his red kite stuck in a tree, so he takes his shoe off and throws it at the red kite to knock it down. But then his shoe gets stuck, Floyd keeps throwing larger and sillier items at the tree to knock other items he gets stuck down. Some of the items he throws are a bucket of paint, the kitchen sink, a small boat, a large boat, and even a whale. A fire truck comes to see if they can help, and their truck and the firemen get stuck in the tree as well. Finally, Floyd retrieves a saw and knocks his kite down with it. The book ends with Floyd going to bed, feeling like he forgot something. This is a very simple book with whimsical illustrations that are fun to look at. The pure silliness of all the things that Floyd is throwing in the tree and the fact that everything keeps getting stuck will entertain children. Children will be amused with the illustrations, especially the ones that show everything that is stuck in the tree. This would be a good book for toddler or preschool story time. Children can be involved by asking them what they think Floyd will throw in the tree next. 

Author's website: http://www.oliverjeffers.com/

Plant a Kiss

Rosenthal, A. K., & Reynolds, P. (2012). Plant a kiss. New York: Harper

Recommended Age: 3+

Format: Hardcover

This story follows a little girl who plants a kiss. She waters it and waits for it to sprout. Then it does sprout and she shows her friends. She decides she is going to share it everywhere despite her friends saying that she did not want to overuse her kisses assets. But she shares it everywhere she can, and by the end of the book her kiss is magnificently large. This is a fun book for children, and it sends a message of spreading happiness makes more happiness. Literally, children will find the idea of planting a kiss silly and funny. The illustrations are simple, but when her kiss sprouts the illustrations for it are wonderful. Her kiss almost looks like magic. There are very few words in this book, and young children and older children alike would enjoy hearing this at story time. 

Author's website: http://www.whoisamy.com/

Illustrator's website: http://www.peterhreynolds.com/

 

Someday

McGhee, A., & Reynolds, P. (2007). Someday. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Recommended Age: 4+
Format: Hardcover


This book is appropriate for four year olds and older. The book along with the illustrations would entice them and they would enjoy the story. The implications of the story overall will be lost on a 4 year old. This book tells the story of a mother and her baby, and the dreams she has for her "someday". Dreams that she will walk into a deep wood, dive into a deep lake, leave the house, have her own kids, etc. The book is very sentimental and emotional. The illustrations feel soft and the text is written not straight across the page but sometimes arcing between two pages. It is written in a font that looks very similar to a child's handwriting, and that adds to the whimsy. Although this story is not about going to bed, or of that nature, I think the soft illustrations and sentimental words would make a fantastic story for bedtime.



Author's website: http://www.alisonmcghee.com/
Illustrator's website: http://www.peterhreynolds.com/

On the Night You Were Born

Tillman, N. (2006). On the night you were born. New York: Feiwel & Friends.

Recommended Age:4+

Format: Hardcover

This story tells the child that on the night that they were born the entire Earth, and even the moon and the stars celebrated. Tillman paints a lovely picture with her words alone and the images just build upon it. The story says that on the night that the child was born that the moon smiled down upon the baby, and the stars tried to get a peek. The wind whispered the child's name and the polar bears danced until dawn. The moon stayed up until morning, and the lady bugs did not fly off. There are interactive parts of this book as the text tells the child to say their name, and wiggle their toes. The images are mostly at night and tied together by the same smiling moon. The night theme, and the sentimental words makes this a good book to read with a parent before bedtime.

Author's website: http://www.nancytillman.com/