toddlers

Where Is Tippy Toes?

| Tasha

Where Is Tippy Toes? by Betsy Lewin

In the morning, everyone knows where Tippy Toes the cat is.  Even the mouse is aware Tippy Toes is right outside his mouse hole.  But once night falls, Tippy Toes sneaks around, blending in.  In fact, only one person knows where Tippy Toes disappears to late at night, but readers are invited to find out!  A very child-friendly format with cut-outs on the heavy pages that will have children engaged immediately, this book is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Spot.

Lewin keeps the words to a minimum here, using just enough rhyme to be enjoyable and just enough verse to keep the story moving.  It is an ideal amount of text for toddlers who will love the rhythm of the verse, they rhymes, and the game of turning the pages to find Tippy Toes.  Lewin’s illustrations are done in strong lines and bright colors that will work well with a group of children.  The pages are heavy enough and sturdy enough to withstand checkouts at a public library too.

Add this one to your collection of books to pull out when the toddlers get squirmy.  It is sure to get them settled again and ready to listen.  Appropriate for ages 1-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum.

Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy

| Tasha

Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming

One sleepy animal after another is shown with the refrain of “sleep, oh so sleepy.”  The words form a lulling rocking feel, perfect for bedtime.  Every three animals, a line is added: “Where’s my sleepy baby?”  It completes the story, drawing the child into the book.  The animals are far from barnyard livestock, instead they are anteaters, elephants, koalas, orangutans and many exotic beasts.  Fleming’s illustrations are equally soothing with their soft lines and velvety textures.  A beautiful bedtime book for every family.

As you can see from the cover, it is Fleming’s art that is the real star here.  The book is done in double-spreads with large images.  Fleming creates her images with pulp painting, a papermaking technique that lends it a very interesting style and feel.  It creates a depth of color that brings additional dimension to the illustrations. Far from flat, each color contains specks of other colors and a direct relationship to the colors near them.  It is a soft, but never muted, form of illustration that is very successful here.

Highly recommended, this drowsy book will appeal to parents and babies alike.  Appropriate for 0-2.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt.

Red Green Blue

| Tasha

Red Green Blue: A First Book of Colors by Alison Jay

On a rainy day, a little boy escapes into a world of nursery rhymes that is filled with a rainbow of colors.  He moves past icons of nursery rhymes like Little Boy Blue, Miss Muffet and her big black spider, Bo Peep’s white sheep, and five pink piggies.  Keep a sharp eye out for other nursery rhyme characters in the background, because there’s a list at the end of the book to see if you spotted them.  Told in a style that only Alison Jay could achieve with her vintage, crackling illustrations that maintain a modern energy, this book is sure to be a winner with preschoolers.

Jay has such a distinct and unique style that you can spot her books from afar.  Just as she has with counting books and alphabet books, Jay has once again captured the timelessness of childhood here.  Her exceptional illustrations bring energy and fun to the simple text which focuses on colors and characters.  It is in the illustrations that the world comes to life and there is a depth that makes exploring them ever so much fun.

Make room for this one in your section on colors and in your section on nursery rhymes.  Combining the two is a brilliantly colorful idea.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.

Also reviewed by On My Bookshelf.

Preschool Day Hooray!

| Tasha

Preschool Day Hooray! by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

This friendly, bouncy book offers a glimpse at a preschool day that is perfect for children heading to preschool for the first time.  The book follows the course of a day in preschool.  It begins at the breakfast table, moves through arrival and drop off, crafts and playground play, snack and naptime, dancing and toys, to parents picking up the children.  Strauss’ verse is just right for small children with a happy cadence that is easy to read aloud. 

Nakata’s illustrations add to the friendly appeal of the book with their rosy-cheeked children who are often doing their own thing rather than acting as a group.  The illustrations are very child-focused and reveal the mess and exploration of preschool. 

My only issue in the book, which is filled with children of different colors, is that at the end of the book only Mommy is mentioned as picking children up after school even though the illustrations also show a father.  I’d rather have had Mommy changed to parents in the verse to show that Daddy is just as involved.

A very positive view of preschool, get this into the hands of new preschoolers!  It is printed on heavy pages with a sturdy binding, ideal for little eager hands.  Appropriate for ages 1-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic.

At the Supermarket

| Tasha

At the Supermarket by Anne Rockwell

This updated edition of Rockwell’s picture book from 1979 offers a modern and timeless feel.  A little boy heads to the supermarket with his mother.  They buy meat, fruit and vegetables, bread and peanut butter.  In the cold dairy case, they get milk, butter, eggs and cheese.  Then there are the items in boxes and cans like coffee and napkins.  But it turns out that this is a special grocery trip and the boy and his mother select items to help them bake a birthday cake, including sprinkles and ice cream!  Returning home, they bake the cake together.

There is something special about books that focus on a specific activity.  This book is both universal and specific.  Children will enjoy seeing the similarities of what their family buys and also the differences.  Rockwell wisely lingers on the specific purchases, offering images of many of them.  Her illustrations that update this new version of the book are done in acrylic gouache.  They are simple and specific, underlining the universal appeal of the book and its subject.

Toddlers will relate quickly to this book and enjoy seeing another child heading out to the grocery store with a parent.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Henry Holt.

Dancing Feet

| Tasha

Dancing Feet by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown

This bright, fun book is sure to have toddler toes tapping in no time.  In alternating double-page spreads, children see the feet of an animal and then get to guess what it is.  When the page is turned, the answer is revealed.  The rhyme and rhythm here are great, adding to the dancing theme.  Each set of animal feet make a noise from Tippity! Tippity! to Thumpity! Thumpity!  This engaging picture book is ideal for toddler story time where children need to get their wiggles out.

Craig’s verses are filled with infectious rhythms.  The sound words she has selected make for book that will get kids moving and enjoying the guessing game.  Brown’s collage is filled with vibrant color made even more interesting with textures.  The illustrations are large and will project well to a group of children.

Toddlers who are wiggly will enjoy doing movements to this book, making animal noises and even using instruments to follow the rhythm of each type of foot step.  With so many animals inside, it is sure to find a place on your go-to shelf for toddler storytimes.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Knopf.

Also reviewed by:

Please Take Me for a Walk

| Tasha

Please Take Me for a Walk by Susan Gal

One look into the begging eyes of this white and black puppy, and you will eagerly agree to take him for a walk.  The puppy explains throughout the book why he needs to go for a walk.  There are cats to chase, birds to bark at, squirrels to keep in the trees.  There are people to greet, games to watch, and games to play.  Best of all, there are other dogs to meet too!

This is a simple book with a simple premise, which is a large part of its appeal.  Gal uses only a handful of words per page, stretching sentences over the course of several pages to show just what the dog has in mind for his walk.  This means lots of pictures for the number of words, making it very toddler friendly. 

It is Gal’s art that really elevates the title.  As you can see from the cover art, the dog is a winning character with shining eyes, plenty of energy, and lots of friends.  Done in charcoal on paper and digital collage, Gal’s art ranges from simple close-ups of the dog on a plain background to busy city streets with dogs and people coming and going. 

Get ready to go on a merry walk with this dog tale, which will fit easily into a toddler storytime about pets or dogs.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Random House.

Also reviewed by Young Readers.

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Where Is Catkin?

| Tasha

Where Is Catkin? by Janet Lord, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Catkin heads out to hunt in the garden.  He sees and hears different animals in the garden but he can’t catch them.  There is a cricket, a frog, a mouse, a snake, and a bird.  After Catkin pounces them they disappear from view.  But sharp-eyed readers will be able to spy them hiding.  Finally, Catkin climbs a tree to catch a bird, but goes too high.  Now it is Amy’s job to find Catkin in the garden and rescue him!

The first thing you will notice about this book is its amazing illustrations.  Done in an almost Slavic motif, they are rich, deep colored and stylized.  As Catkin pounces an animal it appears in the yellow and red border, adding another layer to this book.  Lord’s text is brief and invites young readers to participate in the seeking and finding of the animals.  Readers will enjoy spotting not only the animals in the text, but also insects and other animals. 

A richly illustrated seek-and-find book that is perfect for the youngest listeners.  I would suggest using this with only a very small group, because the pleasure of the book is to look closely at the illustrations and talk about them. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Peachtree Publishers.

Also reviewed by Beth Fish Reads, 7 Imp, and We Love Children’s Books.

Boom Boom Go Away!

| Tasha

Boom Boom Go Away! by Laura Geringer, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Vintage toys combine with noise and mayhem to create a fabulous bedtime read!

When a small boy is asked to go to bed, he responds by starting up his toys one by one in response.  The little gnome is at the heart of it all as he bangs the drum with a “Go away, boom boom.  Go away!”  An elf dings on a gong, a prince screeches on his bassoon, a knight plays his bells, more and more toys join in, creating a great rhythm and song as they do.  But in the end, the noise is not enough to keep the little boy awake and they all wind down with a “Go away! Hush, hush… boom boom. Go away.”

Reading this book is great fun.  Geringer has created just the right mix of noises and sounds to make reading this book aloud a treat.  The rhythm makes it easier, the sounds are different enough to be interesting, and her framing of the story is done with a gentle touch.  Ibatoulline’s illustrations are beautifully done in a soft yet bright palette that really reinforces the vintage feel of the toys.  The writing, the fonts and the illustrations all work together to create a charmer of a book.

Highly recommended for pajama story times or a bedtime read, this book may become one of those books that is asked for again and again.  If you are going to use this with a group, consider handing out instruments or assigning noises to kids.  They are sure to love adding to the rhythm.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from book received from Atheneum Publishers (Simon & Schuster)

Also reviewed by The Excelsior File and Young Books.