Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
My preschooler’s favorite in-the-car game is “I spy” which usually ends up being “something green” (grass and trees). Needless to say, then, when I spied I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs (Templar, 2011) on the new books shelf at the library, I had to check it out. Using bright colors and a
My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books, 2009) became an interactive picture book for us. Graphic designer Michael Hall has designed a zoo full of animals, each one created by hearts. The text provides similes comparing one’s heart to the animals (such as “eager as a beaver”). My preschooler loved counting
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (first published 1924) is the first in a series for children about four orphaned children striking out on their own. I haven’t read the others in the series since I was a child and I don’t remember them very well, but the first book was a fun trip
On a humorous note, Too Big by Holly Keller (William Morrow, 1983) showed the potential jealousy that a new baby might bring for an older child. Young possum Henry finds that he is no longer the center of attention when his little brother Jake is brought home from the hospital. He wants to have a
I found Big Brother Now by Annette Sheldon (Magination Press, 2008) in the Parent-Teacher collection of picture books, and it does a wonderful job of explaining rather matter-of-factly the ways in which life changes for a preschool-aged boy when there is a new baby. The illustrations are realistic, and the text is too. When baby
There’s a House Inside My Mommy by Giles Andreae (illustrated by Vanessa Cabban; Albert Whitman, 2002) is the perfect balance between a technical “how a baby grows” and exciting “a baby is coming.” Told in rhyme, this book doesn’t have sketches of the life changes for an older child when a new baby comes, and it
How You Were Born by Joanna Cole (Harper Collins, 1994) is unlike the other books I’ve read by Joanna Cole. This book is illustrated with photographs of babies in utero, newborn babies, and happy families, as well as with a few illustrations and diagrams. It’s also written for slightly older children. Although the words are quite
Since I was sick for a while this summer, for a time, my son’s only understanding of Mommy’s having a baby has been “Mommy is sick a lot.” But now that I’m feeling better and we’ve seen the little Monkey on an ultrasound and all that, my son is getting quite excited. I’m currently 17
Red Wagon by Renata Lewski (2011, Philomel) has soft illustrations of a child-like fox (Lucy) with a new red wagon. Before playtime begins, however, Lucy must run an errand for her mother. As Lucy and her friends head to the market with the red wagon, they have a number of imaginative adventures, all shown through the
Greg Foley’s simple animal world in the Thank You Bear series has been a favorite as well. With plenty of white space and limited text, Thank You, Bear (2007, Viking Juvenile) shows a bear who has a gift he thinks is wonderful for his friend Mouse, but his other friends discourage him. In Good Luck, Bear and Don’t Worry, Bear,
Another Greg Foley written and illustrated winner is Purple Little Bird (2011, Balzer + Bray). In this story, Purple Little Bird loves everything purple. One day, he feels he’s missing something and he goes on an adventure looking for what it could be. No other place he finds feels like home, but he finds what he was
My 4-year-old son and I discovered Jan Thomas’s illustrated picture books this summer. Two that we read were Can You Make a Scary Face? (2009, Beach Lane Books) and What Will Fat Cat Sit On? (2007, Harcourt Children’s Books). My son was able to read many of the words in these books, and he loved the silliness of both
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