Sparrows by Hans Post and Kees Heij, illustrated by Irene Goede

Open this book and fully enter the world of the house sparrow.  From eggs to flight, the reader follows the birds as they catch food for their young, feed them, and then as the babies move from the nest to becoming fledglings.  The seasons change and we get to see how the sparrows live in each season until spring returns and new nests are built. 

The simple language of the book with its frank but child-friendly tone is very nice.  The illustrations are realistic, often featuring close ups on white backgrounds to clearly show what the text is speaking about.  Some of the illustrations are from interesting perspectives including the point of view of a fledgling looking to fly. 

Most children have sparrows around their house but few will think about the details of their lives until now.  This book is an accessible early nonfiction title for children on a subject they can easily relate to.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac by Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis and Wang Fei

This picture book is adapted from a Chinese Buddhist legend that explains why the cat and rat don’t get along at the same time it introduces the Chinese zodiac.  The Great Emperor of Heaven invited all of the animals to visit him before sunrise on the top of the Jade Mountain.  Cat protests that it is too early for her, but rat assures her that he will wake her in time.  But when the time comes in the morning, rat plays a trick by not waking the cat.  He also manages to slip to the front of the group by riding up the mountain on the ox’s head.  So Rat becomes the first symbol of the zodiac and the animals continue from there.  The book concludes with the Chinese zodiac and the pleasure of finding out your corresponding animal.

This book is so graphically strong and stunning.  Done just in black and red, the images are linoleum prints.  Each zodiac animal is depicted along with its Chinese symbol.  The text is nicely simple and strong, a great pairing with the images.  Each zodiac animal is shown having the characteristics that the zodiac gives them. 

This is one of those books that looks so very simple but takes such great skill.  Perfect for zodiac units around Chinese New Year, this book would be rough for story times with mixed ages because you would spend a lot of time looking up dates.  It might be nice for a classroom with a limited age range but only if you aren’t worried about children becoming monkeys, horses and oxen.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Buffalo Song by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth.

A boy and his father find a buffalo calf who has survived the slaughter of its herd by white hunters.  They take the calf to Walking Coyote who adds it to his herd of young buffalo, calling him Little Thunder Hoof.  Walking Coyote and his family then lead the herd of nine calves over the mountains to safety.  The trip is treacherous and filled with dangers.  When they reached the St. Ignatius Mission, the priests refuse to take the animals so they journey onto the Salish people.  As years pass, the buffalo herd grows and Walking Coyote finds others who share his vision of hills and fields black with buffalo roaming free.

Bruchac’s words sing here as they lead readers from the slaughter through dangers to safety and survival.  There is plenty here for readers to enjoy with spiritual aspects, environmentalism and adventure.  Farnsworth’s art is a magnificent accompaniment to the text, offering lots of nature, vistas and landscapes, and the promise of the blanket of buffalo.

Recommended as a very accessible book on Native American culture.  The beauty mixed with the adventure will have kids enjoying this book thoroughly.  Appropriate for ages 5-9.

The Cajun Cornbread Boy by Dianne de Las Casas, illustrated by Marita Gentry.

This spicy twist on the Gingerbread Boy is a lot of fun.  Down on the Bayou, a little old woman makes a cornbread boy but when she opens the oven he runs away calling "Run, chere, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me – I’m full of cayenne."  The Cornbread Boy runs past a raccoon.  Then past a fox who surprisingly does not catch him, until he comes to the water of the bayou.  An alligator offers to carry the boy across.  Can you guess what happens next?  You may be surprised!

The writing here is filled with nice Louisiana touches that will have you doing your best Cajun accent.  If you manage an accent, the book rollicks along with phrases dancing with the rhythm and beat.  The illustrations are done with watercolor and ink.  This lends them a more rustic and handmade feel that is right at home here. 

Recommended as an alternative Gingerbread Boy that is perfect for hot summer days.  This could be nicely paired with one of my other favorite Cajun read-alouds Petite Rouge: a Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell.

The Bears in the Bed and the Great Big Storm by Paul Bright and Jane Chapman

In a cozy cave, Bear and Mrs. Bear are fast asleep.  A storm blows through with wind howling and Baby Bear comes into their bed.  The thunder crashes and now Bear is awake and so is Little Bear who comes into their bed.  The lightning flashes and Bear wraps his pillow around his head.  Now Young Bear gets into their bed.  Suddenly there is a knock on the door that wakes them all up.  Could it be the monster who has been scaring the children all night?

The language in the book begs to be read aloud.  The storm is handled with plenty of drama, carrying the story forward easily.  There is a skilled rhythm to the writing that makes it easy to read as well as plenty of words that make it fun as well.  This is simple but evocative writing done very well.  The illustrations are aglow with warmth and tiny touches that make the cave feel like home to any reader.  The page with the monster on it is done in deep blues and purples that make it a direct contrast to the yellows and oranges of the cave.  It’s sure to get a shiver out of your audience.

A delight to read aloud.  This book should be included in toddler and preschool story times about bears and storms.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.