Books for Giving 2010

As the year draws to an end, lists of the year's best books are popping up everywhere. The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library has created a Books for Giving list of some of our favorite books published this past year. Take a look at the list here: http://www.thebestlibrary.net/joomla/images/pdfs/books_for_giving_2010.pdf

A few more of my favorite picture books from 2009 are included below. Many of these have been featured as picks of the week. I've got a lot of "favorites", as you'll note, so I'll post a few here and a few more in the days to come:

Otis by Loren Long

When a big new yellow tractor arrives, Otis the friendly little tractor is cast away behind the barn, but when trouble occurs Otis is the only one who can help.

Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka, characters and environments developed by the Design Garage--David Shannon, Loren Long, David Gordon

For generations, Trucks have been sharing these beloved tales, rowdy rhymes, and honk-along songs. Finally these classics have been gathered into one big, noisy, high-octane collection! All the favorite truckery rhymes are here, from "Peter Peter Payload Eater" to "Little Dan Dumper", all the way to "Pop! Blows the Diesel."

Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor

Nancy is devastated, which is even worse than heart-broken, when her fancy Christmas tree topper breaks, threatening to ruin Christmas.




 
 
 
 

All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant
 
Illustrations and rhyming text pay homage to a new day, with promises for the future in its "perfect piece of time."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
 
Follow a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning till night as they discover the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky.
 
 
 
 
 

Bears on Chairs by Shirley Parenteau
 
Four chairs. Four adorable bears. All is well until Big Brown Bear shows up -- what a stare -- and wants a seat. Can these clever bears put their heads together (among other things) and make space for one more?
 
 
 
 
 

Big Frog Can't Fit In: a Pop Out Book by Mo Willems
 
Big Frog really wants to fit in. But how? After much frustration, and with her friends' help, she finds out how.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Chair for Always by Vera B. Williams
 
Rosa is excited when her new cousin, Benji, is born, but when Grandma wants to remove a beloved armchair, Rosa puts her foot down and insists that the chair, just like Benji, is a member of the family.
 
 
 
 
 

 Chicken Little by Ed Emberley and Rebecca Emberley
 
A retelling of the classic story of Chicken Little, who has an acorn fall on his head and runs in a panic to his friends Henny Penny, Lucky Ducky, and Loosey Goosey, to tell them the sky is falling.


 
 
 
 
 
 

Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp
 
Harry sneaks out of bed one night with his best friend, Horsie. Bubbles fill Harry's room and begin carrying items into space. Can Harry find Horsie?
 
 
 
 
 
 

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli
 
One child. One swing. An obliging dad. The inevitable plea to go "Higher! Higher!" Add Leslie Patricelli's wildly expressive illustrations, and an everyday pastime reaches new heights of humor and whimsy. How high can it go? Higher than a giraffe? Taller than a mountain? Is Earth the final frontier? The creator of a popular series of board books rises to the occasion with an ingenious picture book of very few words that expresses the giddy glee of being pushed in a swing.


 

How to Raise Mom & Dad: instructions from someone who figured it out by Josh Lerman
 
Advice on how to manipulate your parents in order to avoid eating vegetables, extend your bedtime, or get a puppy.

Listen to the Wind: the story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
 
Lost and delirious, Mortenson stumbled into a remote Himalayan village after a failed climb up K2. The villagers saved his life, and he vowed to return and build a school for them. His remarkable story of a promise kept is now told in this read-aloud.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pick of the Week: Dog Biscuit

A relative of mine once reached for her bottle of medicine and by mistake picked up the wrong bottle of pills. Without knowing, she swallowed her pet dog's antibiotic pill by mistake. When she discovered this error, she panicked and called the Poison Control Center. The operator on the other end of the telephone line said, "Don't worry, you won't wake up barking!" and then assured her that she would be just fine (and added a lesson to double check all medicine bottles labels prior to taking any medicine!). So, when the new picture book, Dog Biscuit by Helen Cooper arrived in the library last week, I immediately thought of my relative's mishap. 

Dog Biscuit by Helen Cooper (Doubleday, Random House) tells the story of little, hungry Bridget who finds some biscuits in the shed and eats one. This biscuit, however, is meant for the dog and not for little girls. When Mrs. Blair discovers that Bridget has eaten a dog treat, she jokingly tells her that she'll end up barking and turn into a dog! Little Bridget, however, doesn't realize that Mrs. Blair is only joking. She begins to worry that she really will turn into a dog and begins seeing signs of this inevitable occurrence everywhere! Young children often believe things literally, so this story will appeal to young listeners. The story is at once funny, sympathetic, and reassuring.

Zero to Three: School Readiness Interactive Tool

I am a big fan of Zero to Three. As both a professional and a parent, I've used the Zero to Three site and publications numerous times to further my understanding and education of early childhood. There is a wealth of information for parents, caregivers, and professionals working with very young children on their site and in their publications. A great feature of the Zero to Three website is the inclusion of interactive tools for parents and caregivers. For instance, you can go online, select the School Readiness Interactive Tool,  and gain access to great information on language and literacy, thinking skills, self-control, and self-confidence for your child's age.

Happy First Day of Winter!

Welcome Winter! This is a book we often feature during storytime in late December. Denise Fleming's The First Day of Winter, is a wonderful cumulative tale that also teaches counting. During the first ten days of winter, a small child adds more and more items to eventually create the perfect snowman!

Need a Winter Break activity?

image source: andy castro on flickr

Winter Break has just begun for many in our community, but if you're already looking activities to engage and occupy your little ones at home, how about mixing up a batch of peppermint playdough? Check out this fragrant wintertime activity for children here: http://www.kinderthemes.com/peppermintplaydough.html. Even better, the recipe calls for glitter! Playing with playdough is not only fun and uses children's imaginations, but it can actually help build literacy skills as well! How about constructing letters out of playdough? What does your child's name look like in a three-dimensional form like craft dough? Many children learn better when they are using all of their senses, so adding the texture (and smell!) of peppermint playdough to your playtime activities can become a learning opportunity as well. Try molding different shapes and discussing their differences and similarities?  

Counting, Counting 1 2 3

Olly and Me 1 2 3 by Shirley Hughes

Katie and Ollie (Ollie and Me) are back in a warm, inviting counting book for young children. The text will draw young children into the tender, classic illustrations by Shirley Hughes. Children will get practice learning their numbers and counting to 10, as well as poring over the details in each scene.

Hold the Date: Practical Tips for Feeding Kids Well event 1/23

Practical Ideas for Feeding Kids Well

January 23rd, 2010, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, main meeting room

A free Growing Families Together event designed for parents of children of all ages. OSU Extension Faculty will share easy and inexpensive meal and snack ideas that can help families eat healthy and well.  We will look at healthier food and beverage choices that taste great and don’t cost a lot. Discussion will include what to do if a child refuses to eat these healthy foods.  Workshop 11 – 12pm, resource booths 12 – 1pm. Sponsored by Corvallis Parks & Recreation, Samaritan Health, OSU Extension, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and LBCC. Call 766-6794 for more information.

Interested in learning more about health, nutrition and young children? A Place of Our Own: Early Childhood Solutions offers a DVD on Health and Nutrition. You'll find it at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. This PBS Home Video DVD is part of a partnership several organizations invested in early childhood issues. For more information and the episode schedule for A Place Of Our Own, head here.