The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: a tale from Africa by Cristina Kessler, illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.

Almaz, a young girl who lives in Ethiopia, vows that she will one day be a beekeeper and have the best honey.  When she goes to the other beekeepers (all adult males) for help, she is laughed at and told that she should focus on women’s work instead.  But a kindly priest tells her that she can do it.  So Almaz finds a way to raise bees that is different than the way the men do it.  She faces some setbacks, but figures out solutions that allow her to offer the best honey even though she doesn’t have the size and strength of the men.

The illustrations by Jenkins are amazing with combinations of stunning colors.  They bring the text by Kessler to life.  Kessler’s words make the book easy to read aloud and will capture the imaginations of children in Kindergarten through second grade.  I especially enjoyed the fact that Almaz solves her own problems.  She is shown support by the priest, but stands alone as she solves her problems and invents her own solutions. 

This book is recommended for units on insects or Africa.  It vividly portrays a society and culture that most American children do not know. 

Black? White! Day? Night!: a book of opposites by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

This is a wonderful lift-the-flap book that should not have librarians groaning in horror.  The premise is that each page has a small window that shows part of the image under the flap.  When the flap is lifted, the opposite of the first image is shown.  So in the first image, a black bat is show for “black?” and the the flap is lifted to show that it is actually the mouth of a “white!” ghost.  The flaps are all full-page size, so there is little chance for them to rip like smaller flaps.  Additionally, the illustrations are child-friendly but also intriguing.  This was a book that would be of interest to small children learning of opposites, but also for much older elementary children who enjoy a good guessing game.  It is pure fun, but also educational.  Libraries looking to get some quality interactive titles that will not fall to pieces immediately should purchase this one.

These two books from the publisher Barefoot Books include music CDs where the story is sung. 

The first, Dragon on the Doorstep by Stella Blackstone, illustrated by Debbie Harter, sung by Fred Penner, is a very cute story of two children who keep on finding wild animals throughout their house.  The animals follow them from place to place and children can spot their tails or ears in the illustrations.  Finally it is revealed that it is all a big game of hide and seek.  The illustrations are light and colorful.  The song that accompanies the book is lilting and fun.

The second, The Journey Home from Grandpa’s by Jemima Lumley, illustrated by Sophie Fatus, is a repeating story with a chorus.  This works very very well with the accompanying CD.  The song is a simple one that children will enjoy listening to.  The illustrations in this book are loose and charming.  It is certainly a story that will have transportation loving preschoolers coming back again and again.

In both cases, the CDs include instrumental versions of the music, allowing talented children’s librarians, parents and teachers to sing along on their own.