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Reading Circle Program

PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN

Another Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make it Bad, written and illustrated by Mark Gonyea. Henry Holt and Co., ©2007. This book teaches the elements of design to young readers and encourages experimentation. Organized in a chapter format, elements such as shape, line and color are presented in an easy, conversational style with bold, colorful illustrations. The tone invites the readers to try their own designs. Kindergarten children could "play" with all the elements. The theme of the book is in the title, with the added dimension that complicated can be simple. (Art, Design, Color, Shapes)

Baby Can, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Maxie Chambliss. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. A new baby brother has arrived at Brendan's house. Mother, Dad and Grandmother all call his attention to each new thing Baby James accomplishes. Each time, Brendan shows that he, too, can crawl, roll, burp and walk. The watercolor illustrations clearly show what is happening. Facial expressions show the joy of the family as James is learning. The text is simple and slightly repetitive. (Family, New baby, Brothers)

The Baker's Dozen: A Counting Book, written and illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Henry Holt and Co., ©2007. A personable baker makes an increasing number of sweet treats. The rhyming lines identify the treat and some special ingredient for it. The book not only identifies the numbers 1 through 13, but also bakery treats. The oil-paint pictures fill the page and have a joyous quality. The back matter is stripes illustrating each number and its treat.

The Best Nest, by Doris Mueller, illustrated by Sherry Neidigh. Sylvan Dell Publishing, ©2008. Once upon a time, the magpies' nests were the envy of all other birds. One magpie tried to teach the other birds how to build a nest, but they were impatient and flew off without listening to all the directions. This clever retelling of an old English folktale teaches the importance of careful listening. This picture book for ages 4-8 is aligned to Missouri math and science curriculum standards. The author enjoys doing school visits. Missouri author and subject

Bobbie Dazzler, by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Janine Dawson. Kane/Miller Book Publishers, ©2007. This delightful story is about a red-necked wallaby who can perform many gymnastic tricks, but she cannot do the splits. Her friends try to comfort her, but to no avail. Finally, one morning she is determined to do the splits and she does — but she can't get up! However, she is happy, because if she did it once, she can do it again. Even her friends practice and they, too, learn to do the splits. The Australian setting is presented through animals and plants. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations give each character a personality that adds to the quality of the story. (Sports, Tumbling, Personified animals, Australia)

The Boy on the Bus: A Sing-Along Storybook, written and illustrated by Penny Dale. Candlewick Press, ©2007. "The Wheels on the Bus" receives a new set of characters such as ducks, chickens, goats, sheep, cows and more. The rhythm pattern of the familiar rhyme is maintained. A verse from the original rhyme is included. The details in the illustrations deserve a close look while enchanting the reader. Full-color and humor are an additional plus. (Humor, Song, Repetitive, Animals)

Callie Cat, Ice Skater, by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Anne Kennedy. Albert Whitman and Co., ©2007. Callie Cat skates every day and enjoys each minute. A skating rink is opening and will have a performance contest. Callie's friends urge her to enter. On the big day she skates well, but someone else wins. Later, Callie skates at home and feels joy from doing what she loves. The soft illustrations show the personalities of the personified animals and the animated actions of a skating routine. The rigors of the sport and the pleasure of being on ice skates are presented. (Sport, Win or lose, Friendship)

Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for School? written and illustrated by Barney Saltzberg. Candlewick Press, ©2007. The adventures of Cornelius P. Mud continue. This time he is getting ready for school — his way. Each picture shows what Cornelius is really doing. For example, to the question "Are you up?" he answers "yes," but what the reader sees is Cornelius hanging upside down in mid-air with a bunch of balloons tied to his feet. Giggles are sure to come from the children. Large, bold illustrations and a repetitive text make this a good book for story hour. (Humor, Repetitive text, Family)

Cute, by Lida Dijkstra, illustrated by Marije Tolman. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. Toby is tired of being thought of as cute, so he sets out to change his image with sunglasses, a tattoo, pierced ears and a noisy motorcycle. When his lady-love, Tara, calls him a creep, he decides being cute is better. They start a family of 12 bunnies. The last page is a surprise that a storyteller can make dramatic. The pictures are quite simple but propel the story along. (Being yourself, Personified animals)

Fix it, Sam, by Lori Ries, illustrated by Sue Ramá. Charlesbridge, ©2007. Redheaded Sam can fix anything, according to his little brother. Sam is certainly prepared, wearing his own tool belt. Repairs go smoothly until the brothers build a tent with a quilt between two chairs, and the roof keeps falling. The surprise twist is the solution on the last page. The illustrations are done with colored pencil, water-soluble crayons and watercolors. The texturing of the backgrounds makes the smoothness of the children seem to come off the page. Sam's facial expressions run a gamut of emotions as he is continually called on to "fix it." (Brothers, Problem-solving)

The Hound from the Pound, by Jessica Swaim, illustrated by Jill McElmurry. Candlewick Press, ©2007. When Miss Mary Lynn MacIntosh went to the pound to find a dog companion, she picked Blue, a blue basset. That evening, when he howled, all the other dogs in the pound broke out and joined Miss Mary Lynn's household. Chaos reigned until a canine trainer came to her rescue. They fell in love, married and had a household of dogs. The illustrations of each dog breed show each one as a different personality, such as mischievous, charming, and devoted. The colorful scene-scapes draw the reader's eye across the page to see all the breeds. Children will want to know about the different breeds, so a little pre-information might be helpful. (Dogs, Pets)

Little Mouse's Happy Birthday, by Jeanne Modesitt, illustrated by Robin Spowart. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. Little Mouse has planned a special day to celebrate her birthday. She wants to go to the beach (her brother will like that), have a picnic by the river (her dad will like that) and fly kites in the meadow (her mother will like that). At the end of this perfect day, they go home and find a strawberry birthday cake waiting — Little Mouse's favorite. The soft, colored-pencil drawings fit the simplicity of the story. Happiness is the predominant mood of each illustration. (Personified animals, Celebrations, Birthdays)

Little Rooster's Diamond Button, retold by Margaret Read MacDonald, illustrated by Will Terry. Albert Whitman and Co., ©2007. A retelling of a Hungarian-based folk tale, this book features a rooster with an empty stomach and a diamond button. The king takes the button for himself and the rooster sets out to get it back. Through a series of events, the king tries to get rid of the rooster. At each try, the king gets increasingly angry, as shown by the words used: "mad," "angry," "furious" and "infuriated." At the end, the rooster fills his stomach with treasure, enough for his friend and the whole village. The stylized drawings in darker hues provide a valuable stage for this tale. (Folk literature, Rooster, Greed, Repetitive phrases)

Little Trucks with Big Jobs, written and photographed by Robert Maass. Henry Holt and Co., ©2007. This concept book presents examples of many urban trucks from ambulances to Zamboni machines. The photographs show the trucks being used in appropriate situations, often including people. The colorful pictures and text-block design will attract readers. (Concept book, Trucks, Cities)

Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary, by Beverly Donofrio, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Random House, ©2007. A gentle story about the friendship of a young girl and a mouse follows two generations. Mary drops her fork so she can wave to the mouse, who drops her spoon to wave to Mary. They are temporarily separated when they grow up, but reunite, and their daughters continue the ritual. The illustrations are parallel, showing Mary on the left, mouse on the right. Details in the pen-and-ink, watercolor and gouache illustrations are a feast for the eyes. The simple lesson on friendship can be deepened through discussion. (Parallel story, Friendship, Generations, Personified animals)

Mine! by Mathilde Stein, illustrated by Mies van Hout. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. A little girl has a guest — a nice-looking, roundish, young ghost. The only problem is that he claims everything as his own. But Charlotte will not let him continue being that way if he wants to play. Soon he learns to share. The two main characters are outlined in black, so they stand out against the soft backgrounds. Their emotions are clear, adding yet another dimension to the story. (Sharing, Fantasy, Ghosts, Friendship)

My Cat Copies Me, written and illustrated by Yoon-duck Kwon. Kane/Miller Book Publishers, ©2007. The companionship between the little girl narrator and her cat is gently presented. Readers can identify with the actions of stretching, hiding, tunneling, crouching and so much more. Traditional Korean colors add an extra dimension to the story. (Pets, Cats)

One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, written and illustrated by Maggie Smith. Random House, ©2007. The circle story of a child's day uses counting as an organizational pattern. One starts with the baby in the tub. Each successive number shows him getting ready to go outside to play. Then, in reverse number-order, the boy plays in the rain and comes back in to take a bath. The illustrations are from the child's perspective, so you see Mother's legs, feet, arms and hands as she helps the baby. The pictures are bright and happy, if a bit cluttered. (Counting, Child's day)

Remembering Grandpa, by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Layne Johnson. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. A gentle and tender story unfolds dealing with the sadness and grief after Grandfather dies. Daysha sets out to make her grandmother happy by going to all the places she and Grandfather went. At each place she collects something to remember him by. When she gets home, she shows her "treasures" to Grandmother, who is happier, though she cries. The soft illustrations add to the tone and emotions of the story. (Family, Grandparents, Grief)

The Rich Man and the Parrot, retold by Suzan Nadimi, illustrated by Ande Cook. Albert Whitman and Co., ©2007. A retelling of a Persian folktale, the story tells of a man's love for his parrot that tells stories. He is afraid of losing his friend, so he keeps him in a cage. When the man travels to the parrot's homeland, India, he asks what he can bring back for his friend. The trick is that what he brings back tells the parrot how to escape. The illustrations are colorful and give a cultural feel appropriate to the story. (Parrots, Rumi tale, Treating others)

The Story of Giraffe, conceived and illustrated by Guido Pigni, written by Ronald Hermsen. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. An imaginative telling of an animal that misses Noah's ark while searching for a mate. None of the animals he asks for help can direct him to a girl giraffe. Finally, in despair he returns to the boat only to find it gone. He travels by himself in the stormy water, following the boat, until the animals on the ark rescue him. On board is a girl giraffe that has been awaiting his return. The illustrations are abstract in nature using darker hues, representing the approaching rain. The match between text and picture makes for a full narrative. (Rain, Animals, Noah's ark)

A Strange Day, by Iris van der Heide, illustrated by Marijke ten Cate. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. Jack has entered a drawing contest but has not received word as to whether he won. He sadly walks around town doing good deeds without realizing what he is doing. When he gets home, he discovers he won the contest after all, and people are thanking him for what he did for them. This book is a natural for one-on-one reading because of the details of the story found in the colorful illustrations. (Contests, Helping others)

The Surprise, written and illustrated by Sylvia van Ommen. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. The surprise of this story is seen on the last two pages of this wordless book. A sheep goes to have his own wool dyed a nice red. Then he shears it and takes it to Ms. Poodle for spinning. He then rolls the yarn into balls and knits and knits and knits. When he is finished, he sends the result to his friend the giraffe — a truly long-necked sweater. The pictures are clear and easy to decipher for the storyline. Action is implied in a "still-picture" technique. The colors add vitality to the illustrations. (Wordless book, Friendship, Knitting)

Tire Mountain, by Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Ken Condon. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. This gentle story is about a young boy who builds a playground with tires in the inner city. The vacant lot has a tire swing, tire garden and tire sandbox, with plans for a tire mountain. The pictures are appealing, presenting the city and the neighborhood clearly. Readers could suggest other ideas for the park. An additional facet of the story is that the family is thinking of moving, and the son does not want to leave their home. (Family, Ecology, Moving, Neighborhood)

When Randolph Turned Rotten, written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper. Random House, ©2007. Randolph and Ivy are best friends. When Ivy is invited to a party, Randolph becomes jealous. So he plays a trick on Ivy by not packing the usual things needed for a sleepover. When the guests accidentally get locked out of the house, it turns out what Randolph packed was a big help. Meanwhile, Randolph is sorry for what he did. The two become friends again. Because of the number of dialogue-inserts in each illustration, this book should be read on a one-to-one basis. The acrylic pictures are simple and one-dimensional, and are effective partners of the text. (Jealousy, Trickery, Friendship)

Who Will Sing a Lullaby? by Dee Lillegard, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Random House, ©2007. Several birds try to put a baby to sleep, but each time they put the baby down, it starts to cry again. Finally, the nightingale sings a lullaby and the baby sleeps. Then the other birds can sleep, too. The illustrations are bright and colorful with oranges, yellows, greens and blues predominant. The images are large and could be seen in a reading circle. (Baby, Lullaby, Birds)

Who's Hiding? written and illustrated by Satoru Onishi. Kane/Miller Book Publishers, ©2007. A puzzle-in-a-book is a good way to describe Who's Hiding? The layout of animals on each double-page spread is the same in order and color. On alternate pages the reader is asked to find the hiding animal and identify it from visual clues. Other pages ask different "who" questions. Children will feel successful as they solve each puzzle. The abstract, brightly colored illustrations make for an interesting game tableau. An answer key is provided. (Games, Identification, Animals)

The Wish, by Elle van Lieshout and Erik van Os, illustrated by Paula Gerritsen. Boyds Mills Press, ©2007. Lila lives far away from people. Each year she plants sunflowers, she picks beans and apples, and she makes applesauce. Just as she runs out of food, she sees a falling star and wishes for flour. When she finds some in front of her house, she makes bread and continues to wish and bake until her birthday. For that day, she wishes for two cakes and a chauffeured red tractor. The minimal text and broad-shape illustrations are teamed well. The softly colored pictures add a magical aura. The blend of the magical and the practical is an effective technique. (Wishing, Birthday)