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Reading Circle Program

PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN

Amandina, written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Holtzbrinck, ©2008. Amandina was a shy but talented little dog. She decided to give a performance but first she had to clean the theater, make the costumes and sets, and send invitations. When opening night arrives, the curtains open, but only a little cockroach is there. While Amandina starts her performance the cockroach calls his friends, who call their friends and so on. At the end of the show, Amandina is surprised to hear applause from a full theater. She is a very happy dog. The pictures show the different acts Amandina did to add to the reader's enjoyment. A good book for one-on-one reading. (Shyness, Perseverance, Success)

Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art, by William Lach on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by various artists. Henry N. Abrams, ©2008. Children are never too young to be introduced to great works of art. The art in this book features young animals with differing styles and textures. The startling picture of tigers by Géröme, the pencil sketch of a bear cub by da Vinci, and the elegant cats by Currier and Ives are a few examples. The text consists largely of an identification of the names of baby animals. (Art appreciation, Animals)

A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play, written and illustrated by Ida Pearle. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. The opening lines by Robert Louis Stevenson set a pleasant mood of anticipation. Each letter of the alphabet is an action a child would do. The bright, bold illustrations are collage abstracts that will intrigue the reader. (Play, Alphabet, Children)

Dear Child, by John Farrell, illustrated by Maurie J. Manning. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. The gentle, reassuring text consists of letters that explain the special feelings adults have for their children. Different lifestyles and diverse families are part of this loving story. The colorful illustrations show the joy, contentment and love within each situation. The story is told in rhyme giving it a pulse pushing the reader forward. (Families, Family relationships)

Duck Dunks, by Lynne Berry, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata. Macmillan, ©2008. Five ducks go to the beach to have some fun. The ducks participate in the common summer fun activities but each one is defined within a set of five, such as "two do this while three do something else." This will encourage reader participation by counting on each page. The watercolor and ink illustrations are warm and sparkle with summer fun. (Stories in rhyme, Beach, Counting)

Everywhere the Cow Says "Moo!" by Ellen Slusky Weinstein, illustrated by Kenneth Andersson. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. Animals make different sounds according to different languages. This book presents the sounds of four animals in English, French, Japanese and Spanish. A pronunciation guide is supplied. Children will have fun learning these words and participating in storytelling by adding the sounds. This book also introduces students to the concept of onomatopoeia. (Languages, Animals, Sounds)

Five Little Firefighters, written and illustrated by Tom Graham. Henry Holt and Co., ©2008. Five firefighters are sitting to have dinner when the alarm goes off in the firehouse. All rush to the scene of the fire where they rescue a family and put out the fire. The colorful, clear pictures follow the action and the reactions of the people in town. It should be noted that one of the firefighters is a woman. At the end, the tired firefighters are asleep when the alarm goes off again, creating the sense of a circle story. (Firefighters, Occupations)

Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move, by JoAnn Early Macken, illustrated by Pam Paperone. Holiday House, ©2008. The easy-to-read text and the acrylic illustrations show a variety of seeds. Examples include tumbleweed, locust tree pods and coconut. Each seed's method of movement is also illustrated, such as wind, water or animals. (Science, Seeds, Growing plants)

Friends and Pals and Brothers, Too, by Sarah Wilson, illustrated by Leo Landry. Henry Holt and Co., ©2008. Follow a pair of brothers through the seasons and the adventures they have. In the fall they paint pumpkins; in winter they ski and slide; in spring they play baseball; in summer they camp outside. The watercolor and pencil drawings enrich the gentleness of the story. (Stories in rhyme, Brothers, Friendship)

Hen Hears Gossip, by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Joung Un Kim. HarperCollins, ©2008. The event starts with a gossipy hen. She hears Cow tell Pig something behind the fence and rushes to tell Duck what she heard. Things get out of hand and the message gets back to hen entirely different. So she decides to investigate what went wrong. Even when the true message is discovered, things are still confused, bringing giggles from the children. This is a good story-circle tale. The colorful illustrations add to the humor of the situations. (Communication, Animals)

Holly's Red Boots, written and illustrated by Francesca Chessa. Holiday House, ©2008. Holly wants to go outside with her cat, Jasper, and build a snowman. But she can't until she finds her red boots. So she and Jasper search the house, finding other red-colored items until she finds her boots. When finally she is ready to go outside, the snow has melted, leaving good puddles to splash in. The colorful, exuberant pictures attract the reader as does the format of guessing over page turns. (Color, Play)

Houdini: The Amazing Caterpillar, written and illustrated by Janet Pedersen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. Houdini is a monarch butterfly in the making. As a caterpillar, he finds himself in a glass tank in a classroom, where he entertains the children with tricks. One day, he makes his own chrysalis. Later, he reappears as a monarch butterfly. Houdini's story personifies the life cycle of the monarch. The illustrations are in ink, watercolor and digital media. (Science, Butterflies)

How Do You Say Goodnight? by Raina Moore, illustrated by Robin Luebs. HarperCollins, ©2008. A puppy, piglet, lamb, kitten and duckling are asked the title question but each response is different. A mother's loving and gentle response make for a good naptime or bedtime story. (Stories in rhyme, Bedtime, Animals)

I Feel a Foot, by Maranke Rinck, illustrated by Martijn van der Linden. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. Friends Turtle, Bat, Octopus, Bird and Goat are asleep when a sound wakes Turtle. Each animal goes out into the dark to examine what the creature feels like. Turtle feels large turtle feet, Bat feels a wing, Octopus feels an extra big tentacle, Bird feels a beak and Goat feels a goatee. What could this possibly be? The circle-story format adds a touch of humor on the last page. The black background of each page enlivens the vivid colors of each animal. The dialogue has a personal touch, making each character an individual. (Animals)

Jack and Jill's Treehouse, by Pamela Duncan Edwards, illustrated by Henry Cole. HarperCollins, ©2008. The nursery-rhyme characters Jack and Jill build themselves a snug little tree house. Rebus pictures are included in the text panels so a child can tell the story from the pictures and the rebus symbols. The soft colors and the added items in each illustration add to the appeal of the story. (Cumulative story, Nursery rhymes)

Jack Wants a Snack, written and illustrated by Pat Schories. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. Jack the puppy has returned in a wordless adventure. He wants to join a tea party but he is allowed only one kernel of popcorn as he competes with dolls, a teddy bear and a chipmunk. The facial expressions and obvious actions in each picture help this story to move along rapidly. As with most wordless books, there are many opportunities for chatting, sharing and creating. (Tea party, Playtime, Puppies as pets, Wordless book)

Little Panda, written and illustrated by Renata Liwska. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. A doubtful grandchild listens to the story of the little panda Bao-Bao whose mother taught him to climb, wrestle and run. When Bao-Bao's mother departs to search for bamboo for food she leaves her son sleeping in a tree. Bao-Bao, awakens to find a tiger climbing his tree. The soft pencil drawings fit the make-believe aura of the story. (Panda bears, China, Safety)

Marco Flamingo, written and illustrated by Sheila Jarkins. Delta Publishing Co., ©2008. Marco the flamingo lives in the South but wants to know what is up north. After a night of studying, he is off. As it gets colder, he adds clothing until he can no longer fly, but he discovers that he loves the snow. The colorful pages are full of action and expression, and encourage the reader to become a part of the story. This book also comes in the Spanish version, Marco Flamenco, and the bilingual version, Marco Flamingo/Marco Flamenco. (Habitat, Climate, Winter, Flamingo, Personal quest)

Miffy the Artist, written and illustrated by Dick Bruna. Tate Publishing, ©2008. Miffy, a character created in 1955, heads to an art gallery where she investigates colors and shapes. When she returns home she takes her crayons and draws pictures of her own. She finishes tired, but happy, and looks forward to doing more drawing the next day. The primary colors and line drawings give dimension to the simple story. (Artists)

Monsters on Machines, by Deb Lund, illustrated by Robert Neubecker. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. Each member of an energetic construction team has a specific job when constructing a custom, prehaunted home with thistles for a lawn. The young monsters do a good job, and are proud of their work. The India-ink drawings were colored digitally with just the right amount of dirt spread around. (Construction, Monsters, Humor, Rhyming couplets)

Mouse Island, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Dominic Catalano. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. Mouse lives on an island all alone. Content as he may seem, there seems to be something missing. He isn't sure what that is. One day, a terrible storm sinks a boat nearby. Three of the boat's crew members are saved, but one more is struggling in the water and Mouse sets out to save him. What he finds is an unlikely ally. The illustrations are done in pastels and complement the story. (Friendship, Unlikely friends)

My Preschool, written and illustrated by Anne Rockwell. Henry Holt and Co., ©2008. The main character of this story is a boy who loves to go to preschool. On each page, he guides the reader through the activities of the day and the people found in his preschool world. The white background sharpens the bold colors of Rockwell's illustrating style. (Preschool)

Night of the Veggie Monster, written and illustrated by George McClements. Bloomsbury, ©2008. Oh dread! It's Tuesday night, which means there are peas for supper! As one pea touches the lips of the little boy character, he begins to transform into a veggie monster. But when he swallows the pea he discovers it wasn't too bad. All seems well until he remembers tomorrow is Wednesday, which is broccoli night. Dialogue bubbles present additional text in small, light print. The elements within most pictures are set like collages against a white background. (Vegetables)

No Hugs Till Saturday, written and illustrated by Julie Downing. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. Felix's mother decides he needs some quiet time after he throws balls in the house. When that is over Felix declares there will no hugs until Saturday. When he realizes how far away Saturday is, he keeps changing the day when hugs will return. Each excuse is different and practical. Finally, when he goes to bed that night he gives his mother "a super, special, gigantic monster mash" hug for every day of the week. The two-page spread of Felix's quiet time will attract young children. The watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations add to the charm of the story. (Family, Family relationships, Days of the week, Behavior)

One is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale, by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. Holiday House, ©2008. When Thanksgiving dinner is over, Mouse comes out of his hidey-hole and scampers under the table where he picks up tidbits dropped by the diners. His pile grows until he has a pea, cranberry, carrot, potatoes, turkey, gravy and pumpkin pie. As Mouse searches for food, Cat creeps closer until he and Mouse are eye to eye. The illustrations are large, lush, and full of details from the mouse's perspective. Children will want to stop to find all the little things that add dimension to the story. (Feast, Food, Thanks)

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley,written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. Pearl and Charlie are good friends, even though they are very different from each other. These differences allow them to complement each other. The characters look like rag dolls. The color palette is dark but it does not take way from the happiness of the story. The simple text and big pictures of the characters make this a good story to share. (Friendship)

Ping Pong Pig, written and illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. Holiday House, ©2008. All of the animals on Apple Tree Farm have chores to do, but Ping Pong the pig spends his time trying to fly. His attempts are unsuccessful and tend to leave a mess, so the other animals build him a trampoline. The illustrations are simple, bold and energetic. (Pigs, Animals, Behavior, Friendship)

Red Sled, by Patricia Thomas, illustrated by Chris L. Demarest. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. In a story told in rhyming pairs, a father and son go sledding in the snow. The story begins and ends with the same word pair, "red sled," creating a circle-story format. The watercolor illustrations clearly show the emotions of the main characters and are big enough for a story circle. (Winter, Snow, Sledding, Fathers and sons)

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. The premise of this book is that children all around the world have 10 fingers and 10 toes. The repetitive element allows readers and listeners to participate. Oxenbury's children are delightful and each has a distinct personality. Their smiling faces and laughter bring a smile to the reader. The softness of the illustrations is appropriate. (Stories in rhyme, Babies) (Booklist starred.)

Twenty Heartbeats, by Dennis Haseley, illustrated by Ed Young. Roaring Brook Press, ©2008. A wealthy Chinese man wishes for a painting of his favorite horse, so he summons Homan, a renowned horse painter, to complete the job. As years pass and the horse grows old, the wealthy man still has no painting of his horse. The wealthy man visits Homan, who produces the portrait. But the journey to create the painting has taken much longer. The illustrations portray the Chinese culture and add a further dimension to the folktale-like story. Kindergarten children will enjoy the general story line while older students can look for deeper lessons and themes. There are several discussion possibilities for this story if more depth is wanted. (Art, Chinese culture, Horses) (Publishers Weekly starred)

The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas and Grandpas! by Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Michael Emberley. HarperCollins, ©2008. This guide gives advice from the child's point of view, making it easier for the reader to relate to the facts given. A different animal illustrates each idea, implying the universality of the actions. The closing advice is to kiss and hug your grandparents because they like that most of all, ending the story on a warm note. Each bold and colorful picture has a touch of humor adding to the general good feeling of the book. (Grandparents, Family) (Publishers Weekly starred, SLJ starred.)

Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2008. Wangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, has a mission to cover the naked earth with green. She leaves her forest home in the shadow of Africa's Mount Kenya when she wins a scholarship to study in America. When she returns to what had been her village in the forest, she finds all the surrounding trees cut down and the land barren. Wangari starts to plant seedlings, but realizes more are needed, so she talks the village women into planting trees. Talk of the trees spreads until 30 million trees stand where there had been none. The book includes an author's note telling of the Green Belt Movement that Wangari started in 1977. The illustrations have a folk quality, appropriate to the story. They allow the reader to feel as if they are experiencing and participating in the planting. (Biography, Ecology)

Wave, written and illustrated by Suzy Lee. Chronicle Books, ©2008. This wordless book captures the delightful playful partnership between a little girl and waves. The last wave soaks the girl but leaves shells to be collected for her to show her mother. The little girl and her mother leave the beach, but the reader feels sure they will come back again. The texture of charcoal and acrylics adds to the illusion of the spray of water. The wide, narrow book allows a sense of space and anticipation. (Beach, Water, Sea shells, Play)

Who Made this Cake?, text and translation by Chihiro Nakagawa, illustrations by Junji Koyose. Boyds Mills Press, ©2008. A building team, small in stature, sets out with construction equipment to build a birthday cake. The illustrations are so packed with details that individual readers will want to study each double-page carefully. Among the images, dump trucks unload ingredients and a crane lifts eggs. While the cake bakes, the crew enjoys a restful interlude but goes right back to work to get the cake out of the oven. The charm of the small pen-and-ink figures contrasted with large equipment makes this simple text roll along. (Birthdays, Construction, Cooking)