Picture Book Round-Up

I need to do some clearing off of my shelf of books to review, so today I am going to share seventeen picture books. These books are for toddlers through kindergarten. These books range in subjects!

In Now What? A Math Tale by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Chris Chatterton a cute dog discovers some blocks and discusses their shapes while he tries to build himself a bed. The dog discusses rectangles, squares and triangles and uses them to make a rectangle for his bed.

The math is very simple however I do love that it explains how a square is a type of rectangle. I also love that the shapes are put together to make a rectangle. It is a cute book and is recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Another book recommended for ages 2 to 5 is Hoo Hoo Who? by Mary Maier and Lauren Horton. Here is a fun tale of the animals arriving for a surprise party for mouse. As each animal arrives the reader learns a bit about the sounds the animal makes. It is a cute book with an owl, duck, snake, sheep and mouse and their animal sounds. Each guest brings different supplies for the party.

This book is great for learning the animal sounds as well as about friendship. I find it a bit funny that a snake is coming to a surprise party for mouse since snakes eat mice, but otherwise it is a cute book.

Our next book is a modern spin of a classic tale. The book is The Little Green Hen by Alison Murray. In this book Little Green Hen lives in the hollow of an old apple tree. She prunes the tree, sows the seeds and plants them. The work becomes a lot for her so she asks for help. Some of the animals are willing to help and others are not. Then a big flood comes. Little Green Hen and her helpers are safe in her tree home but the other animals are not, but they find their way there and Little Green Hen takes them in. When it comes time to clean up everyone is willing to help.

This story is a wonderful tale of helping and caring for others as well as the environment. It was a sweet story with fun but simple pictures. It is recommended for ages 2 to 5. 

Our next book is Stardust by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Briony May Smith. This sweet book is about a girl who dreams of being a star, however her sister seems to outshine her in everything. Then one night while stargazing her grandfather tells her the story of everything and everyone being made of stardust. And the important message of all is that we all shine in our own way because we are made of stardust and to remember to always shine.

I love the message and the illustrations of this book. As the younger sister I know I always felt like my sisters shined above me. The message is so important for everyone to hear but especially for siblings. This book is recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Our next book is about twins. It is called Twins by Mike Ciccotello. This book talks about twins and how they can be very similar and still have differences. Of course I find it a bit funny that the twins are a giraffe and a boy. 

This book is relatively simple and talks about the need to compromise and working together. It is a cute book and is recommended for ages 2 to 6.

In Sunny's Tow Truck Saves the Day! by Anne Marie Pace and illustrated by Christopher Lee the family is off for a picnic when they get a flat and the spare is flat as well so a tow truck needs to be called. After a long wait and seeing many different types of trucks Sunny shows up and fixes them up. 

This book is perfect for the truck lover!! It is recommended for ages 3 to 6 and is perfect for that group.

Our next book is My Funny Bunny by Christine Roussey. Have you ever received a gift that you think is the thing you really, really want and then are disappointed in the gift? That is how this book starts. A boy receives a gift box that he is sure will be his dwarf rabbit that he really wants but finds an ugly rabbit inside the box. It is nothing like he thought it would be. He throws a tantrum but it is the bunny who helps him calm down and he slowly realizes the funny looking bunny is actually an amazing gift. 

The illustrations in this book are simple but fun. The story is great and reminds us that looks are not everything as well as to be grateful for gifts. This book is recommended for ages 3 to 6.

In How Do You Dance? by Thyra Heder kids look at ways to dance. Throughout the story one boy keeps getting asked how he dances. He keeps answering that he doesn't. Various kids and people dance different ways throughout the book. There are some popular dances shown and some just fun ones.

I love that this book is diverse with the characters as well as their names and types of dances. It shows kids and adults from various races. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7, but I don't think too many seven-year-olds will really like it.

Take a step into the magical and fantasy world with our next book. It is I'm a Gnome! by Jessica Peill-Meininghaus and illustrated by Poly Bernatene. In this tale a gnome meets you and is rushing to a gnome party. He keeps stopping to explain the various other magical creatures encountered on the way--elves, trolls, fairies, dwarves. He explains the differences between each creature and a gnome. However when he reaches the gnome party he realizes some gnomes have those same characteristics.

This book is cute but definitely for the younger kids. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7. 

Our next book is Once Upon a Goat by Dan Richards and illustrated by Eric Barclay. It is a new kind of fairy tale that takes a look at a different type of family. When the king and queen's fairy godmother messes up delivering the babies to the families the king and queen get a goat. They think this is what was meant to be and at first have a hard time with the goat but come to love it. When the fairy godmother comes for a visit she is surprised to see the goat and realizes what happened. She goes to find the baby for them, but the king and queen are not willing to give up their goat, after all he is family.

This book is recommended for ages 3 to 7. It is a sweet story and shows how love can happen in any family and among different types of people (or animals). 

The Rabbit, the Dark, and the Cookie Tin by Nicola O'Byrne tells the story of a rabbit who doesn't want to go to bed. He decides to make sure he doesn't have to by capturing dark in a cookie tin. Dark tries to tell rabbit that other animals need the dark, but Rabbit only is thinking about not going to bed. Will he let Dark escape?

This book has a fun theme and story. I love how it introduces the young reader to nocturnal animals and why sleep and dark matter. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7. It is a cute book with a lesson. 

Speaking of bedtime, our next book is Bedtime for Little Bulldozer by Elise Broach and illustrated by Barry E. Jackson. Little Bulldozer is ready for bed. His human parents helped him get ready and he goes upstairs and gets tucked in but something doesn't seem quite right. He can't seem to stay in bed. What is he missing?

This book is cute and perfect for the child who is into trucks. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7. 

Our next book is Bearnard's Book by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Misa Saburi. Bearnard just found out he is going to be in a book but he worries about what he will need to do in this book. His friend Gertie helps him get ready and encourages him. He is happy to hear that he gets to just be himself in the book.

I love how this book has the message of being brave and trying new things but also to be yourself. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Clackety Track: Poems about Trains by Skila Brown and illustrated by Jamey Christoph is recommended for ages 5 to 8. This is the first of two poetry books we are sharing today. The poems in this book are all about trains. They start with morning in the train yard and end with the sleeper train. At the end of the book are train facts as well. The poems really teach about the different aspects of trains.

There are poems about the tracks as well as different types of trains. The poems are relatively simple and often rhyme. It is a fun book and great for those train loving kids! 

Our next book takes us to Rio at Carnival time. It is Steve Goes to Carnival by Joshua Button and Robyn Wells. One Saturday night Steve, the gorilla, finds his cage door open and he goes off to find his zookeeper friend, Antonio. He finds a hat to use as a disguise and it works until it flies off his head while he dances. The story tells a bit of the culture of Carnival in Rio. There is also an author's note at the end describing it in more detail.

The illustrations in this book are rather primitive and simple however they tell the tale. It is a fun book and I love how it teaches a bit about another culture. It is recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Our next book is Mr. Posey's New Glasses by Ted Kooser and illustrated by Daniel Duncan. Mr. Posey decides that he needs new glasses since he sees the world as pretty boring and miserable. He sees his neighbors enjoying themselves but not him. He heads to his favorite store, a thrift store, with his neighbor and another neighbor's dog. There he tries on fun glasses that are magical and make him see some amazing things. However that is not what he wants. Will he find the right pair and improve his outlook on life?

This book is a fun story with a theme of being happy with what you have. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Our next book is a poetry book. It is The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Richard Jones. This is a fun book. It has practical how-tos from writing poetry to mixing a pancake to telling the types of camels to more fun ones like being a snowflake or scaring a monster. The poems are written by modern poets. 

The poems are fun and different and the illustrations help make them come alive. This is a beautiful book and the perfect addition to a poetry unit for lower to upper elementary. It is recommended for ages 6 to 9.