Iktomi and the Berries

Author/Illustrator: Paul Goble

Publisher: Orchard Books

Publication Date: 1989

Genre: Folktale

Audience: Pre-K-2

Overview: Caldecott Medalist Paul Gobel re-tells the Plains Indian folk tale of Iktomi, which is a Sioux name meaning spider. In this story Iktomi goes out to hunt for food. He sees red berries in the water, wants to pick them to eat, but can’t figure out how to get them out of the water. Iktomi must continue to try to get the berries to take home to his family. There is a great lesson at the end of the story.

Activity: Students can draw a picture of Iktomi trying to get the berries out of the water.

Reviewer’s Name: Paula Pavon

The Spider and the Fly

Author: Mary Howitt

Illustrator: Tony DiTerlizzi

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Publication Date: 2002

Genre: Alphabet, Animals, Picture Book, Poetry, Fable

Audience: Pre-K-2

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, ALA Notable Children’s Books, Beehive Award Master List (UT)

Overview: A haunting tale, based on a 1800’s poem by Mary Howitt, about a devious spider who coerces an innocent little fly into his parlor of no return. The illustrations in black and white provide details about the story that would not otherwise be known.

Activity: This fable could be used around Halloween, as a light horror story.  You could then have students write their own horror story.  Have students share their stories with the rest of the class. 

Reviewer’s Name: Kristen

Otis

Author/Illustrator: Loren Long

Publisher: Penguin Group

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Animals, Picture Book

Audience: Pre-K-2

Overview: Otis is an old rundown tractor who is replaced by a big new yellow tractor, and is put into misery when he is left outside because he is no longer of use.  But when his friend, the young calf gets stuck in the mud, he is the only one that is able to get her out.

Activity: Have students think about how Otis helped out the calf.  Have them come up with a list of thing the can do to help out others in the classroom.  Post this list somewhere as a reminder of what they can do.

Reviewer’s Name: Kristen

Gingerbread Baby

Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication Date: 1999
Genre: Holidays

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2
Overview: A young boy (Matti) and his mother are baking a gingerbread boy, but Matti peeks too soon and the gingerbread baby escapes from the oven which leads to a long chase. Matti corrects his mistake by baking a gingerbread house, this time following the directions and not peeking, in which he catches the gingerbread baby and saves him from everyone who was trying to catch him.
Activity: Discuss a time that the students did something that they had been warned not to do and what were the consequences of their actions. How did they solve the problem that they had created? 
Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams

Llama, Llama Red Pajama

Author: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: 2005
Genre: Fiction/ Animals

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2
Overview: Mama Llama tucks her baby into bed, but Baby Llama gets scared after his mama goes downstairs. He whines at first and then hollers when his mama doesn’t immediately come right back into his room. Children relate to Baby Llama’s need for comfort from his mama and the reassurance that she gives him to be able to sleep.

Activity: Have students write about a time that they were scared and what they did to comfort themselves or what a parent did to comfort them when they were upset. Did the same thing happen again? Or did they overcome their fear?
Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams

Toy Boat

Author: Randall de Sève
Illustrator: Loren Long
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication Date: 2007
Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2
Overview: The little toy boat, which had always dreamed of going on an adventure, breaks off its string during a storm and is tossed about with the larger boats on the lake. After becoming tattered and lonely the toy boat misses the little boy. When they are reunited, they play together and the little boy realizes that the little boat can be let off the string and that their friendship will bring him back.

Activity: Have student’s create their own toy boats and discuss nautical terms in the book.
Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams

Bedtime in the Jungle

Author: John Butler

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Animals/ Counting

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2

Overview: It is bedtime in the jungle and each of the different species of animals put their babies to sleep. Throughout the book, the number of babies each mother is putting to sleep increases by one until the elephant puts all ten of her babies to sleep.

Activity: Incorporate this book into a science lesson about different species of animals and their typical number of offspring.

Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams

The Little Green Pea

Author: Alison Barber

Illustrator: Paige Keiser

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Publication Date: 2009

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2

Overview: One little pea has dreams of becoming a tree, but all the other peas make fun of him. The little pea begins to lose hope of ever achieving his dreams when fate plays in his favor and with the help of a kind worm he is buried deep into the ground. In the end he achieves his dream of becoming a tree and he grows and grows.

Activity: Have students write in their journals about a dream that they have and ways that they can achieve that dream.

Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams

The Animals’ Merry Christmas

Author: Tula Anthony

Illustrator: Lisa Haughom

Publisher: Kids Books Inc

Publication Date: 1995

Genre: Holiday/ Animals

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2

Overview: As the animals are eagerly waiting for Christmas, they realize that they forgot to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve. They rush to cram all of the ornaments on the tree, but with their haste they don’t realize that they put all of them on one side and the tree collapses. They must work together to sort the ornaments and delegate the tasks to decorate a balanced tree in time for Christmas morning.

Activity: Have students decorate their own winter wreaths to take home to share with their families.

Reviewer’s Name: Kate Williams 

I Love You the Purplest

Author: Barbara M. Joosse

Illustrator: Mary Whyte

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Publication Date: 1996

Genre: Fiction

Audience: Gr. Pre-K - 2

Overview: Bestselling author of Mama, Do You Love Me? Barbara M. Joose, writes a warm story about a mother’s love for her two sons. Children often wonder which child parents love the most. This story is a warm explanation by the mother of what she loves about each boy, making them equally loved for their individual talents. When the boys want to know who she loves the most, she assigns a color to each boy when she explains what she loves about them. “I love you the bluest” and “I love you the reddest”, together, she loves them the purplest! The illustrations are beautifully done in watercolor medium. All illustrations are a double page spread allowing the reader to feel a part of the very descriptive story. The detail in the illustrations makes them appear to be photographs painted over with watercolor. This is a wonderful book to give each child in a family to remind them of how special each child is in their own way and that the love of a parent is not divided but multiplied.

Activity: Students could write a poem about who or what they love and why.

Reviewer’s Name: Paula Pavon

My Very First Book of Numbers

Author: Eric Carle

Publisher: Philomel Books

Publication Date: 2006

Genre: Concept Book

Audience: Gr. Pre K-2

Overview: This is a book that the pages are divided into halves. The bottom half has the number of fruits that match up with the top half that has the correct number.

Activity: Have cards with numbers on them and cards with pictures of fruit on them. Have the children try to match up the card with the number of fruit with the card with the numbers.

Reviewer’s Name: Erin Mazzatta

The Penguin Who Wanted to Fly

Author: Catherine Vase

Illustrator: Helen J. Taylor and Benjamin Brown

Publisher: Shadowcatchers

Publication Date: 1993

Genre: Picture Book

Audience: Pre-K - 2

Overview: This is an exciting tale about a penguin that is determined to fly despite failing multiple times. He never gives up hope and stays motivated by repeating the same phrase, 'We penguins are birds, we belong in the sky!' This is a wonderful motivational story for kids.

Activity: After reading this book to class, have the students write one goal they have for the school year. Collect each student’s goal and hang up them on a bulletin board so they can constantly be about their goal. 

Reviewer’s Name: Corri Deegan

The Bungarra Five

Author: Josephine Barrymore 

Illustrator: Lauren Wilhelm

Publisher: Little Aussie Pty, Ltd.

Publication Date: 1994

Genre: Concept Book / Picture Book

Audience: Pre-K - 2

Overview: This story takes place in Yardie Creek, which is a real place on the Northwestern side of Australia. It is the story about five Monitor Lizards who are known on the land as the Bungarra Five. It is fun-loving story that teaches readers about manners and morals while exposing them to many interesting creatures found throughout Australia.

Activity: After reading this book to class, have the students write three sentences about a lesson they learned and to write one polite manner that they will try to abide by for the rest of the school year.

Reviewer’s Name: Corri Deegan

One Woolly Wombat

Author: Rod Trinca and Kerry Argent

Illustrator: Kerry Argent

Publisher: Omnibus Books

Publication Date: 1982

Genre: Concept Book / Picture Book

Audience: Pre-K - 2

Overview: This is a fun, classic Australian counting book which uses numerous Australian animals, including koalas, wombats, dingoes, platypuses, emus and more to count from one to fourteen. The rhyming text and watercolor pictures help bring the beautiful Australian scenes to life.

Activity: Re-read the book to the class and have the children count the numbers with you while you read. Then, give the students other animals and have them count from one to fourteen on their own. 

Reviewer’s Name: Corri Deegan 

Detective LaRue letters from the Investigation

Author/Illustrator: Mark Teague

Publisher: Scholastic 

Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Fiction

Audience: Pre-K-2

Overview: Hilarious antics of Ike LaRue, dog of the LaRue family who gets blamed for cats who have gone missing while his family is on vacation. Letters are written to Mrs. LaRue from Ike while in jail, who has been wrongly accused of having done something with the cats! Clever Ike escapes from jail to prove his innocence and finds the missing cats. The illustration with the text allows the reader to see where Ike is and what he is getting into. Ike is a great dog with a wonderful ability to write humorous tales of his trials and tribulations while trying to prove his innocence.

Activity:  Students can write a letter as if they are Ike LaRue to their “owners.”

Reviewer's Name: Paula Pavon

Howard

Author and Illustrator: James Stevenson

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Date: 1980

Genre: Fiction picture book

Audience: Gr. 1-2

Overview: Howard the duck misses the annual migration and ends up in New York City in the dead of winter. He befriends a strange group of friends including a frog and three mice and they live together in an abandoned building and become a family. This is a great story to read to children to teach them that families come in all shapes and sizes.

Activity: Have each child draw a picture of his or her family.

Reviewer’s Name: Sarah Garretson

Chester

Author and Illustrator: Syd Hoff

Publisher: Harper and Row Publishers

Publication Date: 1961

Genre: Fiction picture book

Audience: Gr. Pre-K-2

Overview: Chester is a story about a wild horse that wants to have someone to love and take care of him. He tries everything he can to find a home and fails at every attempt. Finally, when he is not trying, a group of cowboys find him and take him in as their own. This is a great story about being loved and being a part of a family. The illustrations are drawn with colored pencils and are vibrant and simple.

Activity: Print out a picture of a horse and have the class color it in and name it. They can then create a background story about the horse and where it came from and what it is good and bad at.

Reviewer’s Name: Sarah Garretson

Thumbelina

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Illustrator: Herb Leonhard

Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books

Publication Date: 2005

Genre: Fairy Tale

Audience: Gr. Pre-K-2

Overview: This story is about a woman who wants to have a child but when a witch grants her this wish she has a child who is smaller than a thumb. This tiny little girl is named Thumbelina who is born as a lost little girl and goes through many trials and tribulations and has to marry the son of a frog. Will she get her wings to become a fairy?

Activity: Have the students draw what they think Thumbelina looks like.

Reviewer’s Name: Alex Corbutt

Black is brown is tan

Author: Arnold Adoff

Illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Publication Date: 2004

Genre: Multi-Cultural

Audience: Gr. Pre-K-2

Overview: This book is about a family with a brown-skinned mother, white-skinned father, and their two children who celebrate each other and all of the things in nature. The love and happiness that this family shares is contagious.

Activity: Have the students think of something they would do with the members of the family for a day.

Reviewer’s Name: Alex Corbutt