Pick of the Week: The Incredible Book Eating Boy

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel Books)

I've seen plenty of babies and toddlers attempt to "eat" books (no judgement here - it's totally developmentally appropriate, as they explore their world through their senses). I'm sure it's possible that some of you may have wondered about whether one could gain knowledge if one digested his or her books, literally (maybe a little judgement here, ha ha). Well, perhaps we can all take an imaginative ride into what might happen if someone attempted just that very thing:

Henry, like many children, loves books. However, unlike most children, he doesn't read them, he eats them. He'll eat anything, too - big books, small books, reference books, picture books... Amazingly, he really does grow smarter with all of these facts he's digesting. After awhile, though, all of those facts get jumbled inside of him. He's eating too many books and too quickly for him to fully digest each morsel of knowledge. All of this chaos inside creates a stomachache for Henry. Perhaps he'll find another way to love books, gain knowledge, and avoid feeling ill. Check out this picture book by Oliver Jeffers and find out what happens to this young bibliophile.

Pick of the Week

My First... by Eva Montanari (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007)

All Alice wants for her birthday is a doll. When the moment arrives, Alice is ready for her new doll with her baby basket and embroidered socks. But Alice has to fight back tears when she opens her present and realizes it is not a doll! "It's much better than a doll, Alice," explains her mother. "It's alive. It tells stories. It will stay with you all your life." What did Alice receive? Will she learn to love and appreciate her gift?

This is a delightful celebration of the surprises awaiting for us in books and the attachment children find in the most unexpected gifts. Enjoy!

Raindrops & Reading

My last post featured a great new colorful book by Nancy Tafuri - a recommendation for brightening up the dullest of rainy days. As the drizzle continues, why not celebrate the wetness by sharing the joys of rain with these picture books?

The Yellow Umbrella by Jae Soo Liu, music by Dong Il Sheen (Kane/Miller Book Pub., 2002)

This is the story of children making their way to school on a rainy day. This wordless book comes alive when set to the accompanied music cd. A great way to begin a discussion about rain - how it sounds, how it makes us feel, what it looks and feels like. This book is a visual and musical treat!




One Rainy Day by Valeri Gorbachev (Philomel Books, 2002)

When Pig arrives at Goat's house drenched, Goat guesses that Pig got caught in the rain. Goat asks, "why didn't you stop under a tree?" to which Pig responds by explaining that he did, but was joined by several other animals. With so many animals seeking shelter from the rain under the tree, there was no room for Pig! A fun counting book.





Priscilla and the Splish-Splash Surprise by Nathaniel Hobbie (Little Brown, 2006)

Bored after three days of non-stop rain, Priscilla goes outside to perform a rain-stopping dance and meets Posy the Pixie, who shows her the magical land of Primrose and teaches her to appreciate both rain and sunshine. (c. Syndetics)



Soggy Saturday by Phyllis Root (Candlewick Press, 2001)

After a hard rain, the animals on Bonnie Bumble's farm all turn blue. (c. Syndetics)

Great for sharing with toddlers and preschoolers! This is also a fun book for talking about colors.





The Puddle by David McPhail (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1992)

A boy sets out to sail his boat in a puddle and is joined by a frog, a turtle, an alligator, a pig, and an elephant. (c. Syndetics)








Wet World by Norma Simon (Candlewick Press, 1995)

A small girl awakens one morning to find her world wet with rain. She spends the day witnessing the wet world around her - the watercolor illustrations are a great reflection of wetness and the alliteration of the simple text makes a delightful read-aloud. A good choice for rainy day storytimes.




In the Rain with Baby Duck by Amy Hest (Candlewick Press 1995)

While mommy and daddy duck love taking walks in the rain, Baby Duck certainly does not. But a stop at Grandpa Duck's house changes Baby Duck's opinion when Grandpa lets him in on a secret. A great read for little ones who are reluctant to changes or those who have close relationships with grandparents - as Grandpa Duck always seems to know just what to say and do!



Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein (Clarion Books, 1999)

As one dry day follows another in the Australian outback, everyone and everything is waiting for the rain, which seems as though it will never come. Rosie"s kids, the panting dogs, the fat green frogs, and Old Stephen all do what they can to keep cool as they watch for storm clouds on the horizon. Stunningly beautiful full-color artwork and spare text evoke the long wait during the dry season, and the jubilant relief when the long-promised rain finally arrives. (c. Syndetics)


Gugu's House by Catherine Stock (Clarion Books, 2001)

Kukamba loves helping her grandmother decorate her mud home in a dusty Zimbabwe village, but when the annual rains partially destroy all her art work, Kukamba learns to see the goodness of the rains. (c. Syndetics)

Books and Toddlers Class this Spring

Beginning soon...

Toddle On Over Today (Reading is Fun!):
a fun parent/child class to encourage reading and literacy play with your toddler.

Join a small group of parents, caregivers and toddlers for a five-week series of early literacy activities for your active 12- to 24-month old child. Learn fun and easy ways to incorporate the six early literacy skills of Every Child Ready to Read through discussion, stories, music, and play. Participants receive a book each week and great ideas to share with their toddler.

Meets at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Storytime Room (645 NW Monroe Ave.).

Mondays, March 31 - April 28th from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
or
Mondays, May 5 - June 9th from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (class does not meet May 26)

Cost: $37 for 5 weeks. To register, call LBCC at (541) 917-4949.

Instructor: Kristin, Youth Services Librarian

Brought to you by the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library and Linn-Benton Community College Parenting Education Department.

Bring on the Babies!

Did you know that the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library owns board books for our very youngest patrons? These books are not cataloged, so stop by your library to see what we have available to check out.

Need some suggestions? Try one of these staff picks:

Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban

Crisp, bright, simple photographs are the signature style of Tana Hoban. Introduce simple color identification and vocabulary to the youngest children.




Shapes (Little Scholastic) by Justine Smith

Very simple, bright books bring concepts like shape and color to babies. Visually appealing and stimulating for little eyes.




That's Not My Puppy... by Fiona Watt

This board book series by Fiona Watt for Usborne Books is a hit with little ones. Watt brings us simple plot lines, touch-and-feel sensory fun, and vocabulary just right for young children.



Blankie by Leslie Patricelli

One of the most treasured of all childhood things, this book celebrates the love between baby and blankie. Simple, cute illustrations and just the right amount of drama.



Country Babies Wear Plaid by Michelle Sinclair Colman and Nathalie Dion

These wonderfully illustrated board books celebrate babies of all styles - this one featuring the world of babies growing up in the country. Other titles include "Urban Babies Wear Black" and "Beach Babies Wear Shades" and "Eco Babies Wear Green"). Cute titles that parents will appreciate too.


Toes, Ears, & Nose! by Karen Katz

This lift-the-flap book offers a neat opportunity for babies to learn the names of different parts of their bodies. Babies love the interactive element of lift-the-flap books and Karen Katz's illustrations are gorgeous.



My Colores Mi Colores by Rebecca Emberley

Very simple, colorful illustrations identifying a variety of objects in both Spanish and English words. A great book to share with bilingual babies.




Baby Cakes by Karma Wilson

Author Karma Wilson brings a new board book full of adorable illustrated babies and loving rhymes - making this one a great bedtime, lap-sharing book!




Baby Dance by Ann Taylor and Marjorie Van Heerden

Rhythmic language and beautiful illustrations pair up for a celebration of song and togetherness with your small baby.




Baby Faces by DK Publishing

Babies love looking at other babies. These baby faces display a variety of emotions to read and talk about too!




Baby Pets by Margaret Miller

Margaret Miller is one of the best author/photographers out there for the smallest children. The Look Baby board books should be a welcome addition in every child's first library experience. Baby Pets, Baby Talk, Baby Faces, Peekaboo Baby, and I Love Colors are all titles in this series to look for. Gorgeous photographs and simple text make these great for an introduction to books for very young babies.


Out to Play by Michel Blake

Michel Blake and Candlewick paired to create Easy-Open board books that are just right for small hands to manipulate and turn the pages. Black and white photographs combined with bright colors make the illustrations pop in these simple board books that center around the environment of a baby and toddler.



Bear and Kite by C. Wright

Precious classic illustrations, rhyming text and the concept of opposites create a visually appealing board book to share with older babies.




Baby Talk by DK Publishing

Thick lift-the-flap pages and cute photographs are the highlight of this board book. As mentioned above, babies just love looking at other babies! The flaps are easy for little hands to lift (and won't tear as easily as many other lift-the-flap style books) and the question/answer format make great "conversation" starters for parents reading to their little ones.

Remember, you know your baby best. Look for the best times to share books with your little one throughout the day. Let her play with the books and if she show signs of disengaging with you, stop and try again another time. Keep the experience fun and a time for bonding!

What? A Bad Day?

"When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad... You should do what I do," wrote Dr. Seuss in Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?. In this book, we meet an old man who instructs us that there is always someone worse off than us. But no matter who we are, we all have bad days.

One of my favorite books for children on this subject is:

Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt. In this book, Horace is having a terrible day and arrives home feeling very mean. Lucky for Horace, mom knows just what to do to make it better - they'll make "mean soup"!

Other popular books on this subject are Dinah's Mad, Bad Wishes by Barbara M. Joose;

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang (1999).
"A young girl is upset and doesn't know how to manage her anger but takes the time to cool off and regain her composure."



Sometimes I'm Bombaloo by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Yumi Heo (2001).
"When Katie Honors feels angry and out of control, her mother helps her to be herself again."


Numerous books have been written for young children on dealing with emotions such as anger, feeling sad, and other difficult feelings. But what about when it is the adult in their lives that is having a bad day? It can be confusing or scary when mom, dad or the caregiver is having a bad day. While it's unrealistic to expect parents and caregivers to be happy and always having a good day, there are ways to talk about your feelings with your small child. This can help them recognize their own emotions and begin learning how to manage them. Here are a few picture book suggestions that discuss this very situation:

When Mommy Was Mad by Lynne Jonell, illustrated by Petra Mathers (2002).
"A young boy helps his mother realize how her bad mood is affecting everyone in the family."




When Owen's Mom Breathed Fire by Pija Lindenbaum, translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard (2006).
"Owen wakes up one morning to find that his mother has turned into a dragon!" This book uses humor to relate a child's experience with his grumpy mom.

And often that's just what it takes - a little bit of humor to turn a bad day into a great one!

Dealing with Trauma

The recent terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech has affected many households in many different ways. As parents, caregivers and concerned citizens, there may be times when you notice how tragic events and the continuing media coverage of these events may affect the young children in your lives. Zero to Three, the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families, has collected research and information on how stressful events affect the lives of young children. Two handouts they have created for parents are: Little Listeners in an Uncertain World and Circle of Trust.

The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library also has resources available for you and your children on the topics of stress, grief, trauma and reassurance.

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret M. Holmes and illustrated by Cary Pillo (2000).

"After Sherman sees something terrible happen, he becomes anxious and then angry, but when a counselor helps him talk about these emotions he feels better."


Take time to reassure your young child, so that they feel loved, safe, and secure in uncertain times. Cuddle up with a feel-good book such as these:

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram (1995).

"During a bedtime game, every time Little Nutbrown Hare demonstrates how much he loves his father, Big Nutbrown Hare gently shows him that the love is returned even more."



Mommy Hugs by Karen Katz (2006).

"A loving mother counts the hugs she gives her baby throughout the day."

For other suggestions or reference assistance, contact your Youth Services Librarians at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 541-766-6794.

Baby, oh baby!

Recommendations from your Youth Services Librarians:




You and Me, Baby by Lynn Reiser & Penny Gentieu (2006)

This is a photographic celebration of babies everywhere. With sweet rhymes depicting the interaction between parent and baby throughout the day ("Mmmm, baby, hug me, huggging you, hugging me, hugging you!"), this book captures the love and joyful play between caregiver and baby. A treat for sharing one on one with the little person in your life.




Baby Brother by Tanneke Wigersma & Nynke Mare Talsma (2005)

In Baby Brother, we meet a young girl writing a letter to her Grandma. She describes the changes she notices in her pregnant pet cat, Stripes - she can't jump high enough to catch butterflies, for instance. Meanwhile, the reader can spot another change in her household. Her pregnant mother's belly is growing bigger on each page and soon the little girl will have more exciting news to share with Grandma. Share this one with children expecting a new sibling.



How to be a Baby, by Me, the Big Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap.

"When you're a baby, you are in a crib and not in school." So begins this new picture book by Sally Lloyd-Jones and Sue Heap. There are a lot of things a baby can't do, but that a big sister can do. The big sister in this book has written a guide to being a baby from someone who's "been there" before. This big sister hopes instruct her new sibling on the important things in life, so that baby will grow up to be just as amazing as she is! This book reinforces how great it is to be a big sister, even during a time when the newest arrival in the household may be getting a lot of attention. A fun one to share with an older sibling. After all, as big sister says, "When you're a baby, you don't read books. You eat them."