Australia, the Arctic and South Africa ...

Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields

What a fun story to read aloud! This is a counting backwards story, as six woolly wombats go on walkabout. A dingo spies them and as one by one they fall back, they end up in the dingo’s sack. Of course, all ends happily. The rhythm and rhyme are a delight. I will be using this at story time until it wears out.

Ages 4-8 Australian animals, Australian words




Ocean’s Child by Christine Ford and Trish Holland

Enjoy this peaceful bedtime story, set in the far north. David Diaz illustrated this book; reason enough to borrow it from your library. A mother and child paddle through the cold ocean waters, seeing otter, walrus, dolphin, beluga and more. As they pass each animal, they bid them good night.

Ages 4-8 Animals, art



Adventures of Riley: Safari in South Africa by Amanda Lumry and Laura Hurwitz

The Adventures of Riley series combines on-site photos with watercolor illustrations for a fun field trip. One of the truly remarkable parts of each book is how the author integrates information from particular scientists; a text box on the page has both the information AND a watercolor of the scientist. This will be fabulous for kids. That bit of information came from a real person, here is his/her picture. And just think, you could be a scientist someday, too.

Ages 5-10 Science, geography

One, two, three more books

Higher! Higher! By Leslie Patricelli

This exuberantly happy book is all about a little girl on a swing who wants her daddy to push her higher. Each time she goes higher, she progresses from being the same height as a giraffe, skyscrapers, a mountain top, an airplane, over the earth, as high as a rocket in outer space – where she meets a little alien girl, also swinging higher. The two high five each other, say, ‘Bye!’ and the little girl and her father are shown on the last page where we see her saying, ‘Again!’

I have read this several times. The cover makes me happy every time I come across the book. Read this to your playground happy, swing happy, happy-happy little one.

Ages 4-8 Fun



Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson

Have you read Bear Snores On or any of the other Bear books by Karma Wilson? There are over one million in print, and for a very good reason. The books are all great fun to read. In this book, Bear is out late and Bear gets scared. His friends come and find him and help him to calm down. Then all is right with the world and they all go to sleep.

Ages 3-8 Fun



Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue and Corinne Naden

This fictionalized version of a true story seems amazing to read in 2010, but not that long ago (1959) our black neighbors were not allowed in the public library. This is the story of astronaut Ron McNair who walked into the public library all those years ago and insisted on checking out some books. I like the illustrations – they feel contemporary, as if it took place not that many years ago, and that really is an important part of the story.

The author includes information about Ron McNair in the back of the book.

Ages 5-10 American history, Civics

One winner

This week the winners for a myriad of awards in Children's Literature were announced. I was delighted to see that one of my favorites was given a Caldecott Honor Medal. Now there are twice as many reasons to read All the World.

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon
I love, love, love this book. The text is soothing to read. I keep reading it. The illustrations by Marla Frazee so beautifully match the text that they seem to be one and the same – I read the words and see the pictures; I see the pictures and hear the words:

Rock, stone, pebble, sand
Body, shoulder, arm, hand
A moat to dig, a shell to keep
All the world is wide and deep

Treat yourself to a delicious delight of a book – read All the World to someone you love, or enjoy it alone.

All ages

Winner of a 2010 Caldecott Honor Medal

History, science, math and fun

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks

The catchy rhyme makes this a fun read aloud. The monsters in this story are happy eating rocks and tractors and such, but not broccoli. That is, until they eat broccoli, thinking they are eating trees.

Ages 3-7 Picture book, health






Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens by Cindy Newschwander
There are six books in the ‘Sir Cumference’ series, and all are math based.
In this story, Sir Cumference is trying to figure out how many
people have come to a surprise party for the king. Counting by
tens and grouping those tens into hundreds and thousands
was the key.

Ages 6-10 Math




Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop

This latest book is as good as the previous titles, Frogs and Spiders. These are all photo essays, with fabulously magnified views of caterpillars, butterfly wings and more. The photos are labeled so you know what species AND how much the photo was magnified.

Ages 4-12

Science

Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle

In 1907, Cromwell Dixon was 14 years old. He built an amazing flying machine; this is his true story.

The cartoonish pictures might let you think this is a made up story, but the author has a picture of the original Sky-cycle in the back of the book!

Ages 6-10 History

Mostly animals, some counting, and all picture books

There Was an Old Monster by Rebecca, Adrian & Ed Emberley

This sing-along book invites you to download the music for free, though the story is fine to read and giggle together. This old monster swallowed all kinds of things and jiggled and scratched and felt sick. Wouldn't you feel sick if you had swallowed a tick, and some ants, a bat and a lizard?

The authors are three generations of the same family!

Share this with your monster loving 4-8 year old.

New Old Shoes by Charlotte Blessing

Social activism is alive in children's books. Some books are heavy handed, but not this one. The reader follows the 'life' of a pair of red sneakers, from new, to worn, to being shipped to Africa for another child to wear. There is a brief note about the organization Soles 4 Souls in the back of the book, should you want to donate your gently used shoes.

5-10 year olds

The Missing Chick by Valeri Gorbachev

Valeri Gorbachev is one of my favorite picture book author/illustrator. Her pictures and stories always make me smile.

In this book, Mother Hen was hanging out the laundry with her seven chicks. Of course, your child will need to count the chicks, and when they are counted ... oh, no! There are only six there. Mother Hen and all of the neighbors begin looking for the missing chick. They look and look and look, and finally, someone notices there is something moving in the clothes basket. The missing chick! Before the book is done, the chick goes missing again.

For preschoolers and anyone working on counting skills.

Hello Baby! by Mem Fox Illustrated by Steve Jenkins

And I love Mem Fox, too. Her stories are soothing to read aloud. Steve Jenkins is a fabulous illustrator, and makes all of the animals in the book from cut paper.

This is a great preschool book, a book to read to one that you love and treasure. We see a baby's hand at the beginning of the book, and then the writer asks, "Who are you?" and we see lots of different animals -"Are you a monkey with clever toes? Perhaps you're a porcupine, twitching its nose."

Share this with your favorite toddler/preschooler, and enjoy hearing them say, "No!" on each page, as they affirm their unique human status.

The Big Storm: A very soggy counting book by Nancy Tafuri

Here is another fun animal book to read to your learning-to-count preschooler. A big storm is beginning and all the animals race to a little cave for shelter. Once all ten are in they sleep the night away. But when morning comes, they discover they are sleeping in the bears' den! Out they all run, into a warm sunny day. Can you find them now?

Another fun books for those learning to count.