A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma pays homage to the life of a tree. From being covered in huge white blossoms, to bearing fruit, to sowing seeds and creating new trees, and giving a home to many animals, children will recognize that the trees around them are doing the same things. Finally the tree grows old and brittle and falls down, but she is still a home to animals of many kinds and she is surrounded by the trees that grew from her seeds. Yes, this can be seen as a story of death, but I think that many children will just see it as a story of trees. It will lead to discussions of the stages of trees they have seen, so it is a perfect addition to a unit or storytime on trees.

May I Please Have a Cookie? by Jennifer E. Morris is a charming easy reader. Designed for the earliest of readers, the story is silly, fun, and one that small children everywhere can relate to. Alfie’s mommy is baking cookies and Alfie desperately wants one. After demanding a cookie, his mother asks him to think of a better way to get a cookie. It is not until Alfie tries a number of crazy ideas that he remembers that saying please might help. With the brevity of the words, the pictures really carry the story. Alfie and his mom are friendly alligators with faces that show their every emotion. Recommend this to the earliest of readers and they will enjoy it as much as Alfie enjoys cookies.