Unicorn Races by Stephen J. Brooks, illustrated by Linda Crockett.

Unicorn Races arrived in my mailbox this weekend.  I added it to the large pile of books waiting to be reviewed.  But my son had a different idea and asked me to read it to him immediately.  I know that the sparkling lettering and amazing unicorns had a lot to do with it. 

The book is about a young girl, Abigail, who instead of going to sleep at night after being tucked in, goes out into the night with a unicorn to the unicorn races.  She dresses and acts as a princess throughout the night, judging who has won the race, dining on sweets, and flying on the back of her unicorn friend.  The book is illustrated in deep purples and pinks and filled with sparkling unicorns, fairies and elves.  One of the big appeals of this book is that there is no scariness to the night that Abigail goes out into.  There is only magic, wonder and a feeling of safety. 

This book is not one that will win any awards on literary merit, new subject matter, or breaking boundaries.  However, it is filled with child appeal.   From the sparkling title to the very colors and language used, Brooks knows his audience.  This book will fly off of library shelves into the hands of girls who dream of being princesses and befriending unicorns.  Recommend it to any small girl entering the library with a My Pretty Pony and they won’t be disappointed. 

Space Leftovers: a book about comets, asteroids, and meteoroids by Dana Meachen Rau, illustrated by Denise Shea.

My five-year-old is loving space nonfiction right now.  The books vary amazingly in quality for such a young reader.  But this book by Rau hits the mark perfectly as a readaloud all about space rocks. 

The pictures are very child friendly and the text is exactly the right amount for kindergarteners and first graders to absorb.  Add in the fun facts on each page, and you have all of the interesting details that fuel the love of astronomy in children.  Share this with a class studying outer space or hand it to a space-loving child. 

Tudley Didn’t Know by John Himmelman.

This picture book’s illustrations immediately drew me in.  The turtles basking in the sun on logs and trailing their limbs in the water captured completely the mood of a summer’s day.  But that mood doesn’t last long with Tudley around.  When a bird drops a piece of lichen into the pond, Tudley helps out by picking up the lichen and flying it back up to the nest.  Yes, flying.  Tudley doesn’t realize what he can and can’t do, so he is able to do all sorts of amazing things that turtles don’t normally try.  Finally, he is faced with having to do a turtle sort of thing in order to survive, but he has to be shown how to do it. 

I loved the message of this book.  Try to do something before you tell yourself you can’t.  I know that it will speak to children who are often told that they can’t do something even though deep inside they know that they can.  This book is a great read aloud and will be a wonderful addition to turtle storytimes as well as units on self-esteem. 

The Show-and-Tell Lion by Barbara Abercrombie and Lynne Avril Cravath.

Under the pressure of having to come up with something for show-and-tell, Matthew blurts out that he has a pet lion at home.  Of course this is entirely made up, but before Matthew can admit he is telling a story, his classmates are quizzing him about the lion.  Matthew finally admits to his mother what is happening and she insists that he tell the truth about the lion.  In the end, Matthew finds a way to tell the truth and save face with his class. 

What a great picture book!  So many children tell stories without meaning to tell a lie and find themselves in this position.  This book demonstrates that it happens to other people and that when you tell the truth it solves the problem.  Even more importantly, the book features a child with a vivid imagination who allows it to get out of hand and then finds a solution himself.  It is a very empowering story for children.  I really enjoyed the illustrations with their soft blends of color.  I also liked the fact that as Matthew’s lie grew and grew so did the imaginary lion until finally he was so big he had to leave the house. 

This would be a great addition for preschoolers and kindergarteners learning about honesty.  It can also be added to any storytime about lions or imagination. 

Galaxies, Galaxies! by Gail Gibbons.

Gibbons has once again created a winning nonfiction picture book with just the right amount of information on each page and charming illustrations.  This book focuses on galaxies from the Milky Way to other types of galaxies in the universe.  It looks at how galaxies are studied, types of telescopes, and ends with the fact that more galaxies are constantly being formed. 

Many children love astronomy and this book is ideal for units on planets and space.  The focus on galaxies themselves makes this different than solar system books and is a welcome addition to library collections.  As with most of Gibbons’ nonfiction, it can successfully be read aloud to classes from kindergarten through second grade. 

Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

I consider this one of the best picture books of the year.  I love its rather twisted concept which is matched by the illustrations by Zelinsky.  It reads aloud like a folktale with repetition, but has a unique setting and modern feel.

Papa Shivers, Mama Shivers, Grandpa and Grandma Shivers and Sonny Shivers all live in the cold and dark.  Occasionally a monster with long claws appears along with a huge light and snatches something out of their world.  As children listen to the story, they will soon realize that the Shivers live in a refrigerator and that the monsters are really humans.  But what are the Shivers and why are they in the fridge?  And what happens when the humans discover them?

This story builds and builds towards a final moment that is hinted at more and more clearly throughout the book.  Adults may pick up on it quickly, but children who are not trying to solve a mystery will just go along with the story and be happily surprised at the end. 

This is such a successful book with great language, nice pacing and wonderful illustrations.  It is a read aloud to share with kindergarteners and first graders who may wonder what is shivering in their fridges at home.

The First Music by Dylan Pritchett, illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

This is the perfect book for a crowd of rowdy preschoolers.  It is the story of how the first music started, and the book is filled with all sorts of animals sounds.  Elephant drums on a hollow log with a padada boom.  Crocodile’s scales are played by Crane, and Monkey dances and makes the leaves rustle.  All of the noises come together to form music.  Except for the silent frogs who don’t join in the earth-moving beat.  It is not until the seventh day that the frogs break into song themselves. 

The beat of the language is what creates the music here.  It is fast-paced, jaunty and lots of fun to read aloud.  Paired with the gorgeous deep paintings, this book will be a real crowd pleaser. 

The book can also be easily used for group participation in a more formalized way with different members of the audience making different noises.  Or that could be done afterwards with rhythm instruments.  Oh, the options are endless!