toddlers

Hush, Baby Ghostling

| Tasha

Hush, Baby Ghostling by Andrea Beatty, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre.

It’s morning, so it’s time for Baby Ghostling to head to bed in their castle tower.  Mother ghost tucks him in and urges him to think about monsters, owls, bats, and more.  She leaves the darkness on in the hall, because he is scared of the light.  And finally, she reassures him that the blonde boy he sees in his dreams is not there because “childlings” are make-believe. 

This is a clever twist on the bedtime story.  I especially like the part about leaving the darkness on in the hall.  Beatty’s text is rhyming and has a nice lilting rhythm.  It is a lullaby of a book where the rhymes work well.  Lemaitre’s illustrations nicely combine a softness of background and light with characters drawn in thick lines.  The parts about the different monsters, bats and owls are illustrated with a variety of beasts, but they appear playing in playgrounds, blowing bubbles, and doing other silly, everyday things.

This is perfect for a Halloween story time with smaller children because it isn’t scary at all.  In fact, children will enjoy being seen as the frightening ones.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Anastasia Suen.

Acorns Everywhere!

| Tasha

 

Acorns Everywhere! by Kevin Sherry

The author of I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean returns with a new character that toddlers are sure to adore. 

Squirrels are running around gathering acorns as quickly as they can and this orange squirrel is doing the same.  Surrounded by so many acorns, he realizes that he has to hide them, gather them, dig and bury them.  He does, taking them right out of the paws of mice and the beaks of birds.  He almost gets in the way of a bear reaching for berries.  Then his stomach starts to growl.  But… where did he put all of the acorns? 

Done in Sherry’s signature wide-lined illustrations and large blocks of color, the pictures have a child-like feeling and cartoony style.   Sherry mixes in photographs of acorns and berries to great effect.  His words are simple and even sparse, allowing the bulk of the story to be told through the pictures. 

Toddlers will be drawn to the illustrations and will find a book that they themselves can “read” after only a few readings with adults.  This orange squirrel is sure to become a beloved fall fixture in story times for toddlers.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Little Dump Truck

| Tasha

The Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Bob Kolar

This is a bouncy, cozy book about one small dump truck and the work he does every day.  Told in the voice of the truck, readers will get to see the truck drive along roads, dump its load, and get filled once more to do it all again.  Along the way, readers get to meet other hardworking machines and vehicles.  All of the vehicles and people have happy smiles that match the jolly rhymes.

Cuyler has written a rhyming book that has a great rhythm and wonderful sense of play.  Young readers will find themselves right at home in the bouncy world of big trucks.  Kolar’s art filled with big grins brings the rhyme to life.  The bright colored illustrations were done on computer but have none of the over-textured feel of some computer-generated art.  Instead Kolar has managed to create a rather vintage feel that mimics the style of children’s toys.

A great addition to the large collection of truck-themed picture books, this book will work best with toddlers.  It is printed on thicker paper, so it will stand up to small hands that may not be so gentle.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Becky at Young Readers.

Can You Make a Scary Face?

| Tasha

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Got a room full of wiggly toddlers?  Have I got a book for you!

A ladybug gets children standing then sitting, then pretending to have a bug on their nose.  Then it flies in their mouth!  They have to blow it out.  Then it flies out onto their shirt, and the only way to get it off your shirt is to do the chicken dance!   The children then are told to pretend that there is a giant hungry frog coming to eat but off their shirts.  But what happens where there really is a giant hungry frog coming to eat the ladybug?!

First, kudos to Thomas for creating yet another book perfect for the toddler years.  She has created a ladybug that is silly, bright-colored and in no way glittery or dainty, much to her credit.  She uses her trademark thick black lines and cartoon style to great effect, resulting in a book that could be used with very large crowds because the illustrations project so well. 

The book inspires such movement and action and laughter!  A must-have for libraries, day cares and pre-K classrooms.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by The Booknosher.

Boo to You!

| Tasha

Boo to You! by Lois Ehlert

A new Ehlert picture book is always cause for celebration, a Halloween celebration in this case. 

The mice are in the garden preparing for their harvest party.  But then the cat shows up, making them very nervous.  The mice continue to decorate, creating jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins and other vegetables.  When the cat appears in the middle of the party, the mice have found a way to defend themselves with very funny results.

Ehlert excels at simplicity.  Her books have a minimal number of words, but still have a storyline, action, and humor.  Perfection to share with toddlers and preschoolers with shorter attention spans.  Ehlert’s illustrations are always wonderful.  Here she works with paper combined with garden objects and photographs of squash and vegetables.  She perfectly captures the feel of late autumn with seeds, pods, and twine.  Her collages are great fun to pore over and try to figure out what they are made out of.  She uses pumpkin seeds as teeth to great effect!  Children will want to talk about the illustrations, touch them to see if they can feel them, and just linger for awhile in Ehlert’s world.

Highly recommended, this is a great Halloween book for little children.  It has no witches, monsters, or anything frightening.  Just mice, a cat, and lots of squash.  Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

A Bunch of Board Books!

| Tasha

I find myself with a wonderful tall stack of board books to share!  All of them are just right for babies and toddlers and their format will stand up to the abuse from children that age.

Busy Bear Cubs by John Schindel and Lisa and Mike Husar.

Filled with clear and well-composed photographs of bear cubs of all sorts, this book is a bundle of furry fun.  Each page has a photo of bears in their natural habitat, playing and acting like bears.  There is no personification, just short explanatory lines about what the cubs are doing in the picture.  Great for toddlers, this book would make a great present along with a teddy bear.

Daddy, Papa, and Me by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Leslea Newman, illustrated by Carol Thompson

I was thrilled to find two books that show gay and lesbian parents for such a young age.  I was even happier to find that they are well-written and nicely illustrated.  Both books are about a normal day where parents play, children nap, and the world is a gentle and loving place.  The focus is on family time, being together and happy days.  Appropriate for all families, these books are sure to be happy finds for families using public libraries.

Both books have Google Previews which show the entire book.  Take a look!

Daddy, Papa, and Me Preview

Mommy, Mama and Me Preview

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills

The charming pairing of Duck and Goose continues in this latest board book.  In this fall-themed book, Duck and Goose spot Thistle walking past with a pumpkin and decide that they want one too.  The trouble is they don’t know where to find a pumpkin. Could it be in a tree?  Under the water?  Hills characters are just as sweet, silly and adorable as in the previous books.  A real winner of a picture book for fall.

Sun by Natalie Jane Prior and Anna Pignataro

Star by Natalie Jane Prior and Anna Pignataro

A pair of poetic board books, these titles focus on morning and nighttime respectively.  Sun features a repeating format with the phrase “This is where the sun shines…” completed by different animals waking to the new morning.  Star uses the phrase “This is what the star sees…” in a similar manner.  Both books have repetition perfect for young listeners.  They are both wonderful first poem books for babies.  The illustrations by Pignataro are watercolor landscapes.  One awash with the brightness of the morning and the other deepened by evening.

1 2 3: A Child’s First Counting Book by Alison Jay.

When I first saw Jay’s 1 2 3 book in picture book form, I immediately thought that it would be an ideal picture book.  Well,I was right.  The book counts forward to ten and then backward to 1.  It is set in a magical land of fairy tales where you will see beloved characters from many tales.  The illustrations are done in a folk-art style that works very well with the subject matter.  The crackle effect of the pictures adds a great vintage feel as well.  This one is just as much for the parents as the baby.  One you will be willing to read again and again.

All from publishers except the pair of Leslea Newman books which were from the library.

All of Baby Nose to Toes

| Tasha

All of Baby, Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

This delightful little picture book combines charming art work with an engaging rhyme.  From eyes to toes, this book moves from one body part to the next, stopping for giggles at the tummy.  Each body part is given its own little rhyme that moves to a chorus of “Who loves baby’s ears?  Me! I do.” 

Adler has a knack for simple rhymes, a bouncy rhythm and sweetness that is not saccharine.  Nakata’s watercolor and gouache artwork is also sweet.  It features a rosy-cheeked baby with just the right amount of plumpness who goes through life with great glee. 

Perfect for babies and toddlers, this book’s rhyme and art will have everyone enjoying it.  Expect to read it time and again once the bouncy rhythm is in your ears and toes.

A Very Curious Bear

| Tasha

A Very Curious Bear by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Paul Howard.

From the moment he wakes up to when he dozes off at night, a little bear is asking questions of a big bear.  The questions and answers create a dance of a poem that is charming and graceful.  Howard’s illustrations show a similar grace and charm, filled with plush, fuzzy bears, the wonder of a woods, and the thrill of the wind.  The little bear asks about all sorts of natural interests, wind blowing, stream gurgling, daisies growing, rain falling. And to each the big bear answers with poetic responses that show no exasperation but a respect for each question.

The spirit of the verse and the illustrations is so nicely matched here.  As the poem shows a caring adult, the illustrations show a caring large bear who guides and looks after the smaller.  Filled with a sweetness and gentleness, this book is great for bedtime reads or for any toddler who spends their day asking questions about the world.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Hello Baby!

| Tasha

Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox, illustrated by Steve Jenkins.

Take two amazing children’s book creators and put them together and you get a treat like this book.  The book starts with a simple question, “Hello, baby!  Who are you?”  It moves from one animal guess to the next with each animal doing an action that children will love to imitate.  Fox has created a joyous bouncing verse that romps from one animal to the next with great merriment.  Paired with the amazing paperwork art of Jenkins, the book is taken to another level. 

As I read this book, my mind immediately heard the chorus of preschoolers pretending to be yawning hippos.  I also saw groups of children rolling their eyes like geckos.  Jenkin’s art is realistic and vivid.  The colors shout from the page and children will enjoy looking closely at the art even though it will project perfectly to a group.  Fox’s words are brief and lovely, perfect for sharing with toddlers.  At the same time there is a sophistication about the art and the verse that will make it of interest to older preschoolers as well.  This is most definitely not solely a toddler title.

Highly recommended as a great pick for toddlers and preschoolers.  But expect lots of animal actions and silliness along the way.  Appropriate for 2-5 year olds.