I Need My Own Country

 
I Need My Own Country
By: Rick Walton
Illustrated by: Wes Hargis

I wanted a picture book that went along with a flag craft I created for my After School Art program. I was hoping for something where a child created a flag of their own. In the story the little girl has turned her room into her own country. This book is super cute and has great illustrations. The story is the perfect length for preschoolers and elementary school students that may require a short story. The Social Studies concepts abound and the text is sweet and playful.

I highly recommend this book for story time or for class rooms discussing countries / nation states for early elementary where you are lightly touching on the topic.

The Monster Who Loved Books

Monster Who Loved Books

By: Keith Faulkner

Illustrated by: Jonathan Lambert

This is one of my go to books for story times especially when the theme is monsters or books. Bradley lives above his father's book store and is awakened one night when he hears something down stairs in the book store. It turns out that there is a monster eating books. Bradley shows the monster what books are really for and in telling the monster about books gets whisked away to a place where books come to life.

This book shows how books can whisk you away to a different world and expand your imagination. The pop-ups fit well with the story and do not seem gratuitous. The illustration has been executed with a child's eye in mind and the story flows for great out loud reading. The details in the background provide for easy conversation with kids about books and nursery rhymes they may know. I highly recommend this book.

Earth to Clunk

Earth to Clunk
By: Pam Smallcomb
Pictures by: Joe Berger

I thought this was a great book about about a boy and his pen pal Clunk from the planet Quazar. They send each other letters and things that they think the other would (or would not) like. I think that this book has cute illustration, you could easily tie it to a writing lesson, it has a hilarious plot, and I could definitely see kids wanting multiple reads.

I recommend this book to teachers, parents, and other librarians because you can make up crafts and learning activities to pair with it really easily.

Doug-Dennis and the Flyway Fib

Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib

words and pictures by: Darren Farrell

Doug-Dennis is a sheep who is going with his friend, Ben-Bobby who is an elephant,  to see a circus. On the way into the circus Doug-Dennis gets a candy bar and Ben-Bobby gets popcorn. Doug-Dennis eats Ben-Bobby's popcorn  and when asked about it he fibs. He then continues to fib and fib and fib each one taking him higher and higher up into the night sky where it became a BIG FAT LIE.

He is surrounded by ridiculous adult lies that I found the funniest part of the book.

The book does a good job of starting a conversation between parents and kids about lying. The art is very good, the book is pretty funny, and everyone learns a valuable lesson.

Otto Grows Down

Otto Grows Down

By: Michael Sussman

Illustrated by: Scott Magoon

I just came across this book by accident. I was looking for picture books that dealt with making wishes. In this book Otto is having his 6th birthday and he notices that his baby sister has the rattle that was his when he was a baby. His parents ask him to make a wish when blowing out his candles, so he wishes that his baby sister didn't exists anymore. Wishes have unintended consequences and when time starts to move backward Otto gets younger and younger, soon his baby sister is gone like he wanted, but other things start happening too! Each day happens in reverse like when he takes a bath he gets dirty instead of clean. The funniest part of the book I had to take a picture of...

Going to the potty in reverse, ewww!


Anyways, this book deals with both the theme of coming to terms with a new sibling, getting older, unintended consequences, and it is funny. A great book that is as entertaining for adults as it is for kids.

Sergio Makes a Splash!

Sergio is a penguin. Sergio loves water.  His class is taking a swimming trip, but Sergio is afraid of deep water. He has his floaties on and all of his friends are waiting... Will he jump in?

You'll have to read the book to find out. The book is so cute, the art makes imaginative use of only three colors (blue, orange, & black), and kids that are afraid of going into the pool (or used to be afraid) can relate. It makes for both a great one-on-one book and a fun read aloud.

Sergio Makes a Splash!
By: Edel Rodriguez

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!
By: Karen Beaumont
Illustrated by: David Catrow

This is one of my favorite picture books. It has art, body parts, colors, rhyming words, great art, and it is funny. The rhyming word help develop the early literacy skill of phonological awareness: being able to make the small vowel sounds in words. I have heard several different read out-loud interpretations that entertain and inspire kids to hear the book over and over.

Buy it! Check it out from the library! Believe me it will give you a chuckle and afterword you can sing Head-Shoulders-Knees and Toes.