Books

NEXT MONTH: Snuggly Books

To parents: Do you have a favorite Snuggly book?
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Some books are laugh-out-loud funny. But, for the most part, those are not attributed to children’s reading material. Well, they should be. Authors and illustrators, while trying to tell a good story and putting ink to paper, often go for the funny bone. Here are 8 titles that do just that. So, sit down, be of good cheer and get ready to rock ‘n’ roll with your favorite audience: your son or daughter. Enjoy the laughter; it’s the best medicine.

Funny!
Looking for laughter in all the right places

[For ages 3-7]

Ribbit!
By Bender & Bender (HarperCollins Publishers,
hardcover, 40 pages, $16.99)
    Whoever knew that there were so many ways for a frog to be. That’s the story line, and when you get to Chad or Ben or Suzie or Sam, you’ll see instantly what all the commotion is about. “Just my eyes, just my chin, this is me, until you begin,” says the froggy. We didn’t count, but the publishers promised that there are 3,000 combinations of what froggy can be, once you’ve taken the several flips on the flip pages and combined them in as many ways as fast, little fingers can turn.

[For ages 4-8]

When The Silliest Cat Was Small
Written and illustrated by Gilles Bachelet (Abrams Books for Young Readers, hardcover, 36 pages, $16.95)
    This little cat is actually a very big elephant. The writer/illustrator Gilles Bachelet has let his imagination go wild by creating an elephant with feline habits. Sound different? Well, it is. But imagine this “cat” snuggling up with its human on the bed. “Tender moments” is how that scene is described. Wait until it’s time to take a bath! Silly, it is.



Waking Up Wendell
By April Stevens; illustrated by Tad Hills (Schwartz & Wade Books, hardcover, 36 pages, $15.99)
    Life is filled with noise, and the cacophony tends to unnerve us. Surely, we hear most of it, though Wendell does not. The bird is the first to awaken, followed by the neighborhood’s other animals. But Wendell Willamore, he loves to sleep in. At least until mommy arrives to brighten the day.

[For ages 4-8]

Previously
By Allan Ahlberg; illustrated by Bruce Ingman (Candlewick Press, hardcover,
32 pages, $16.99)
    This clever idea of fairy tales about everyone living happily ever after – before they lived happily ever after – may take some getting used to. But once the cadence of this unique hook sets in, the familiar stories will take hold. Some parents may need to do some explaining for the little ones to catch the tone. The illustrations by Bruce Ingman are particularly effective. We really enjoyed Jack and Jill, previous to the tumbling down the hill, of course.


[For ages 5-8]

You Think It’s Easy Being the
Tooth Fairy?
By Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt; illustrated by David Slonim (Chronicle Books, hardcover,
30 pages, $15.95)
    For every family with a child who has lost teeth, here is one take on the challenge of being the tooth fairy, who must take what has fallen out – and is hidden under a pillow – and exchange enamel for a coin. She’s tough and she’s smart, this much we know.


[For ages 5-7]

Has Anyone Seen Winnie and Jean?
Written and illustrated by E. B. McHenry (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, hardcover,
30 pages, $16.95)
    This pair of rascally dogs has decided to dig under the fence and go have some fun. Well, that makes everyone who loves them just a little bit uptight. Where have they gone and what are they up to? The tale is told in delightful, rhyming words, such as: “Winnie and Jean were not to be seen.” It makes humans appreciate just how dogs find the things that make them happy, if not just a bit mischievous. Don’t worry, they make it back home safely. But wait; are they gone again?


[For ages 6-9]

The Only Boy In Ballet Class
By Denise Gruska; illustrated by Amy Wummer (Gibbs Smith, hardcover, 36 pages, $15.95)
    As anyone who follows pro sports knows, ballet is one way for male athletes to improve their footwork. But, for little boys, ballet as a recreational choice takes some courage. And that is what Tucker has, because he loves to dance. He can’t keep his feet from prancing, and the other kids make fun of him even before he makes his big announcement, that the dancer in him wants to take up ballet. There is an excellent switch from the discouraged, pecked-upon boy who hangs his head low, to the encouraged, positive boy who finds himself in the dance studio. The story is both richly told and finely illustrated. When it comes time for the challenge of a more traditional sport, guess who steps in as the fast-footed star?


[For ages 3-7]

Mother Goose: Numbers on the Loose
By Leo and Diane Dillon (Harcourt Children’s Books, hardcover, 56 pages, $17)
    Here, the numbers are on the loose in between the rhymes of Mother Goose. This is an excellent way to draw in the young reader to numbers, as well as those just starting to count and those still learning how numbers work. Whoever thought that numbers would work in such an inventive way? For example: “1 is for the master, and
1 is for the dame, and 1 is for the little girl who lives down the lane.” While most number books focus solely on the numbers themselves, parents in this book will be caught up in a real page-turner, which is a salute to this finely tuned story.