New: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

If Pinkney’s Lion and the Mouse was a study in the warm tones of the savannah, this beautiful title is a study in the cool greens and blues of a pond at twilight. While reading the traditional lullaby the reader is also treated to a wordless story of adventure as a chipmunk is lured from his nest by a passing dandelion seed. The chipmunk finds himself sailing through the sky in a fanciful boat as day turns to night in a swirl of blues of every tone and hue. Children will linger over the illustrations as they tell the story of the chipmunk’s journey from his nest, to the sky, across the pond and home again. The illustrations are perfectly paced, alternating between dramatic, full-bleed spreads and intimate, smaller paintings set in a field of white. A classic to return to again and again and again.

Target Age: 2-6

Toddler Read Aloud: Spots Feathers and Curly Tails by Nancy Tafuri

Spots Feathers and Curly Tails, written and illustrated by Nancy Tafuri

Nancy Tafuri's books are wonderful read alouds for toddlers. The illustrations are easy to interpret and somehow manage to be bold and soft all at once. In this selection, children are encouraged to guess farm animals based on a close-up view of an identifying feature: a pig's curly tail; a duck's bill. Children love making predictions and having their guesses confirmed on the following page. Soon enough your child will be ready to "read" this one to you.

Target age: 1 - 4

Toddler Read Aloud: Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox

Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox; illustrated by Jan Thomas

Pure silliness. The rhyme and rhythm are perfect. Silly goats, in silly situations, doing silly things, begging to be counted. The words come tripping from your tongue and the bold illustrations are even sillier than the words: one spread features little goat bi-plane pilots, eating their airplanes as they fly them. This makes a charming read aloud that children will want to hear (and look at) again and again and again.
Target age: 2-4.

Connections:
Sandra Boynton's Moo Baa La La La

Non-fiction: A Salamander's Life, by John Himmelman

A Salamander's Life, by John Himmelman
Himmelman is a naturalist, and A Salamander's Life shows his love for all the small things that live in the forest. Like Under the Snow this book is a wonderful selection for preschool and kindergarten. The text is clear and simple, and the illustrations are gorgeous. The illustrations pull you in to the tiny world under the leaves in a way that a photograph could not. Though the text is quite simple, this book can be enjoyed by older students for the pictures alone. I was delighted to find this book is part of a series by Himmelman.
Target Age: prek-2

Connections:
Also by Himmelman
A Dandelion's Life
An Earthworm's Life
A House Spider's Life
A Lady Bug's Life
A Luna Moth's Life
A Pill Bug's Life
A Wood Frog's Life

Nursery Rhymes

Hey Diddle Diddle illustrated by Annie Kubler
I don't know why I continue to be amazed that preschoolers love nursery rhymes. They LOVE them. And I know I should be reading more. This series from Child's Play is my current favorite format. Even though the books are board books, the preschool students still love to borrow them. Each book has a single rhyme or song spread over eight pages. I have watched countless preschoolers (and toddlers) page through and sing along. Of course they love it - they feel like they are reading to themselves! Hey Diddle Diddle is my favorite. The babies are dressed as the characters from the rhyme. Row Row Row Your Boat has a nice twist in the lyrics. I have the rest of the series on my "to-buy" list.
Target Age: 0-6 years.