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During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
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Getting children hooked on books at a young age doesn’t take much work. All it takes is a selection of bright, colorful, interesting books and plenty of lap time with a parent, and kids will only want more. This month’s books are geared for the little ones, and they are sure to entertain, amuse and leave them asking, “One more time!” For ages 2-5 10 Little Rubber Ducks By Eric Carle (HarperCollins, hardcover, 30 pages $19.99) A cargo boat carrying a large shipment of yellow rubber ducks is sailing along when a huge wave hits it and washes the ducks overboard. Ten little ducks are swept in opposite directions, and Eric Carle, with his striking collages, takes young readers along on the journey. Inspired by an actual news event from 2003, Carle has fashioned a colorful and poignant tale around the incident. Readers will follow the ducks as they float along, and will learn simple counting concepts and directional words. At the end, readers are rewarded with a trademark surprise always found in Carle’s books. Seymour Slug Starts School By Carey Armstrong-Ellis (Harry N. Abrams Publishers Inc., hardcover, 30 pages, $14.95) Seymour Slug is having a bad case of nerves. He’s about to start at a new school, he doesn’t know a soul, and all he can do is worry about doing the wrong thing. But the night before school, his Fairy Slugmother appears and promises to help him throughout the day. But every time she tries to help, it turns into a mess. Can Seymour learn to trust himself? Armstrong-Ellis has created a charming and funny tale, aided by her bright, humorous illustrations. Each page contains hilarious subplot illustrations that will make grownups chuckle. Saving Strawberry Farm Written by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by Rachel Isadora (HarperCollins, hardcover, 32 pages, $16.99) It’s the Great Depression, and young Davey and his sister Rosie are forced to make do with what they have, just like everyone else in their small Midwestern town. Almost everyone is out of a job. Some folks have lost their farms, and that’s what is just about to happen to Miss Elsie, one of the sweetest ladies in town, who owns a strawberry farm. Can Davey rally the town in time to help Miss Elsie keep her farm? The illustrations, done in colored pencil, lovingly evoke those hard times, when the rare spare penny was enough to buy several pieces of candy. Children will learn a valuable lesson about hard times, and how people worked together to make things a little easier for each other. The Bravest of the Brave Written by Shutta Crum; illustrated by Tim Bowers (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, 40 pages, $15.95) A young skunk starts to make her way home through the dark forest. But she is frightened, thinking about all the terrible things that could be lurking in the dark. With great courage, she fights off all of her bad thoughts on her journey back home. The illustrations will delight children with images of the adorable nighttime creatures, and the rhyming text is interwoven with a subtle counting exercise. A Tale of Two Goats Written by Tom Barber; illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Barron’s, hardcover, 30 pages, $12.95) Farmer Jones and Farmer Cole live next door to each other, but they never speak. Each has a goat, however, who become friends and share each other’s crops. Farmer Cole thinks the other goat is eating his vegetables, and Farmer Jones thinks the same thing. They build a fence, which the goats work their way through. Then the farmers build a brick wall, which the goats dig under to get to each other. Finally the farmers build a wall so high even the determined goats can’t get past it. But both goats are miserable; what can the farmers do? The lively illustrations, done in oil, lend a real personality to the characters. And the story has a moral that even young children can understand. Zoopa: An Animal Alphabet Written and illustrated by Gianna Marino (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 30 pages, $14.95) It all starts with a simple bowl of alphabet soup. Then imaginative illustrator Gianna Marino begins to populate the bowl with animals whose names start with letters of the alphabet. Finally the bowl is filled to bursting with all the creatures. Beautifully painted in muted tones of gouache, the book would make a charming addition to any alphabet book library. The Emperor’s New Clothes Retold by Marcus Sedgwick; illustrated by Alison Jay (Chronicle Books, hardcover, 30 pages, $16.95) Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale of pride going before a fall is given a terrific rhyming treatment in this new book. Children will love the various animals that portray the main roles; the emperor character is a vain-looking lion, huge of body and small of head. The illustrations are unique, done in paints and finished with a crackle-glaze varnish that give it a classic, Old-World look. Buzz Bumble to the Rescue Written by Lynn E. Hazen; illustrated by Jill Newton (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, hardcover, 30 pages, $15.95) Everyone admires Buzz Bumble’s amazing flying skills. He swoops; he soars; he flits with the greatest of ease. But then tiny Baby Bumble lands in the garden, and all eyes are on her. Everyone admires her adorable wings and cute antics. Buzz is feeling a little bit neglected, especially when famed photographer Ansel Antennae comes to town to shoot pictures he wants to photograph Baby, not Buzz. Will Buzz get over his jealousy? The characters are well drawn in bright, vivid colors, and are given plenty of personality. And every child will be able to relate to feelings of envy, which they may just be beginning to understand. |
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