Digby Takes Charge by Caroline Jayne Church.

Digby is a new sheep dog who has never herded sheep before.  But how hard can it be?  There are only six of them.  But the sheep don’t like Digby’s style.  He tries growling at them, and they ignore him.  Then he tries using force.  Nothing, in fact the sheep are beginning to smile.  More force?  Still nothing.  It isn’t until the other farm animals tell Digby the secret of how things work on this farm that he is able to get the sheep to listen to him.  Anyone know the magic word?

Adults will see the ending coming from the start, but I guarantee even adults will be shocked enough to laugh out loud at the force that Digby uses on the sheep.  My sons were in hysterics at how funny it was.  The illustrations are very accessible to children with their cartoon-like, friendly style.  In fact, the cover alone sells this book.

I highly recommend this book for reading to active preschool classes.  The illustrations will shout clearly across the room and the surprises in the middle of the story will have even the most restless little ones listening in no time.  Great for that final book of a storytime that much catch their attention.  It is also a good one for adding to dog or sheep storytimes.

20 Hungry Piggies: a number book by Trudy Harris, illustrated by Andrew N. Harris.

This picture book begins with the comforting words of the This Little Piggy rhyme.  But that’s just how it begins.  From there we have skydiving piggies, ones that play music, and several who cook.  It is great fun.  Adding to the fun are the illustrations where children can find the wolf hidden in each picture until he decides to pounce. 

More than just a basic counting book to 20, this book talks in terms of first, second, third little piggies, offering preschoolers new terms for numbers.  I appreciated the way it started with the traditional rhyme and then went on from there.

Share this in a counting unit with preschoolers or kindergarteners.  You could also share it in a piggy story time.  But it will be best on someone’s lap or in a small group where children can see the pictures closely enough to find the hidden wolf.

Elissa’s Quest by Erica Verrillo.

Elissa is a thirteen-year-old who has lived with her Nana in a small village.  She doesn’t know anything about her parents and Nana refuses to tell her anything.  Elissa has a gift of talking with animals, and one of her best friends is Gertrude, a donkey.  Then one fateful day, Elissa’s father, a royal prince, comes and takes her away.  They travel to the Khan’s fortress, where Elissa is to be used as a bargaining chip between the Khan and her father.  It is only through her own gifts and newfound courage that Elissa finds her way free of the web she is trapped in.  This is the first book in a new series.

Yes, I know the paragraph above is short on details, but one of the joys of this novel is slowly discovering its twists and turns.  Elissa is a well-drawn protagonist, a girl who would never think she was brave but finds it deep within herself.  Her young companion, Maya, is also charmingly rendered.  The adult characters are not as fully imagined as the child characters, but young readers shouldn’t mind that.  There is a strong sense of mysticism in the novel, creating a deeper experience than many fantasy novels for youth.

This is the perfect book for tweens.  With a protagonist who’s a teenager, tweens should really enjoy reading this.  Yet it doesn’t have the sexuality or dark violence of a fully teen novel. 

Share this book with tweens who enjoy Tamora Pierce.  This is a new female warrior of a different type that they will enjoy rooting for.

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli.

Take one look at the cover of the book, and you can get the sense of exactly how this book reads.  It is a friendly, silly, imaginative book about a toddler who receives a box for his birthday.  When he unwraps the paper, he is thrilled to find a box that has a stuffed dog inside it.  He names the dog Oscar and they immediately set off on adventures based on the box. 

My favorite part of the book is the ending where the thrill of having a cardboard box is not broken, but sustained.  Perfect.  I also liked the way that the real present of the stuffed dog is incorporated into the child’s play, but just isn’t the center of it.  The illustrations are cartoony and friendly, perfect for toddlers.

Recommended for toddlers, but make sure to have a large cardboard box on hand in case it inspires them!  This book will work for a group of toddlers as well, because it combines two fascinations:  boxes and birthdays.

Whale by David Lucas.

Joe is asleep in bed when there is a sudden crash and his whole house tips sideways.  It turns out that a huge whale has beached and landed on the town.  No one knows what to do to fix the problem.  Joe asks the Owl who asks the Wind who asks the Sun and finally after a few more steps the Innumerable Stars are consulted.  And the Stars recommend that everyone sing the Rain Song.  Though there are people who don’t think it will work, they try it.  And the whale is free.  The town was still smashed to pieces until the sea creatures come to help.

The art of this book is wonderful.  It has a folksy feel to it that is warm and embracing.  I especially enjoy the pages filled with panels that move the story forward, such as the page where Joe notices the very large eye filling his window.  I also loved the size of the whale being so immense and amazing above the smashed buildings of the town. 

Lubar has written prose that goes beautifully with the art.  It has rhythm that is not intrusive but can still be clearly felt.  The device of asking the Owl, the Wind, etc. for advice ties the story to folktales, deepening the connection with the illustrative style. 

This one will fly off of library shelves due to the huge whale on the cover.  It would be a great addition to story times for Kindergartens and preschoolers on sea life, folktales, or just for fun.  This is definitely worth sharing.

Whole World by Christopher Corr and Fred Penner.

Just look at that cover and you will know how bright and vibrant this book is.  It shouts out with the various skin colors, places on earth, and the joy of the earth itself.  Perfect match with the song. 

I always enjoy picture books based on songs.  I think they offer a perfect bridge into books for children.  So get your singing voice warmed up and you can get even the wiggliest kids to pay attention and even join in.  On the accompanying CD, you get the song sung by Fred Penner and also a version with only music so you can sing along if you choose.  I always prefer to just sing aloud myself, because then the kids feel free to make their own mistakes.  😉

Share this one with toddlers and preschoolers who will enjoy the bright colors and the music. 

My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks: and other funny family portraits by Hanoch Piven. 

It all starts with a family portrait that a child draws which she thinks doesn’t really portray all of the qualities of her family.  So instead she creates pictures out of objects that show a special quality of that family member.  The father is as jumpy as a spring, the mother as soft as the softest fluff, her younger brother is as sneaky as a snake, the dog is as stinky as an onion.  This is a winning concept.  The final portraits of each member are silly and fun, but also demonstrate an artistic concept as well as the use of metaphors. 

I would share this book with elementary age children working on metaphors and similes.  I would also recommend it for a jumping off point for art projects, perhaps family portraits made with found objects?  A gateway to folk art?  All sorts of options here.

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart. 

Stewart’s art is the winner in this story of a boy who bumps into a Big Blue Beastie who wants to eat him up.  Dexter comes up with a series of adventures that they could go on together instead of the Beastie eating him.  They ride scooters, form a company, solve mysteries, eat large amounts of ice cream, and more.  The ending is sweet but not saccharine.

I love that the author has really thought outside of the norm when coming up with ideas of what the boy could tempt the Beastie with.  Often it is just food, perhaps a game, but here it is the formation of a flower delivery business, scooter rides and mysteries.  I think that almost anyone would be tempted away from hunger with those options.  I particularly liked the montage of mysteries that they solved together with all of the zany names each like a small glimpse of a complete story. 

This would make a nice readaloud, but I would particularly recommend it for reading to a few kids in an intimate setting.  It is that type of warm, cozy book that should be shared along with a hug.