Pick of the Week: Late for School!

Late for School! by Stephanie Calmenson, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa (Carolrhoda Books, 2008)

Mr. Bungles is late for school and he's the teacher! He rushes like mad to get to school in time...will he make it? This is a great read-aloud that begs for children to chime in. "I missed the train. I won't make a fuss. Down the street, I can catch the....bus!" Children will quickly pick up on the rhyming and anticipate what Mr. Bungles will try next to reach his destination. A fun twist on the daily struggle of getting to school on time!

Pick of the Week: The Nice Book

The Nice Book by David Ezra Stein (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2008)

In this delightfully simple book, monkeys, mice, snakes, frogs, cats, camels, beetles and more share different ways of being nice to each other. Share this book with someone you think is nice!

Pick of the Week: Rufus and Friends Rhyme Time

Rufus and Friends Rhyme Time: traditional poems extended and illustrated by Iza Trapani (Charlesbridge, 2008)

Rufus and his canine friends star in a show about rhymes. Silly sounds, familiar rhymes, and illustrations with hidden pictures all make for a fun read-aloud with young children! This book contains familiar rhymes such as "Diddle Diddle Dumpling" and tongue-twisters like "Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers", along with several less familiar but wonderful early childhood rhymes. Iza Trapani is also the author/illustrator of other traditional rhyme books, including Froggie Went A'Courtin' and Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush.

Math Fun!

Are you a math whiz or are you math phobic? Help your child understand and become comfortable with mathematics while they are young. Beginning math concepts such as counting, number recognition, shapes and size, patterns and beginning prediction and logic are all important skills that they will build upon as they grow. Math is all around them too! Look for shapes and patterns while you're on a walk with your child. Notice and talk about the math we use as we cook together. Tell repetitive, pattern stories that help children build their skills with anticipating what will come next. Share books where characters count, add, subtract and play with math, shapes and numbers. For book suggestions to help build beginning math skills, check out the library's First Math Books booklist.

The book featured above is 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban (Greenwillow Books, 1987).

Pick of the Week: The Sounds Around Town

The Sounds Around Town by Maria Carluccio (Barefoot Books, 2008)

The day has just begun for a baby and his mother, but already the world is full of sounds! Each page contains beautiful cut paper/collage illustrations and simple rhyming text ("There's a chill outside; Mommy puts on my cap. She closes my jacket, snap, snap, snap.") depicting the day's activities. Included in the images is additional sounds the little boy can hear in each scene: "whoosh! flitter, flutter, woof, woof!, purr, purr, snap, snap". Children will enjoy the variety of sounds, and it is a gentle reminder of how interesting and full the day becomes when one pays attention to the sounds around him. Focusing on the sounds and rhymes on each page also helps build a child's phonological awareness. The next time you take a walk, make it a point to listen to the variety of sounds you and your child can hear!

Pick of the Week: I'm Bad!

I'm Bad! by Kate & Jim McMullan (Joanna Cotler Books, 2008)

Tyrannosaurus Rex is bad! T. Rex taunts the reader - Are you bad? I'm really bad - and tries to display just how mean and bad he really is in this great new story from the picture book duo, Kate and Jim McMullan. Children may remember the McMullans from their previous successful books, I'm Dirty, I'm Mighty, and I Stink! Fans of dinosaurs will want to read this one again and again.