The Children's Hour - Children's Book Reviews - First Grade

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEWS
FIRST GRADE
NOTABLE BOOKS 2006

First Grade

Best of Year 2010
Best of Year 2009
Best of Year 2008
Notables from 2007
Notables from 2005
Notables from 2004 Notables from 2003

Animals
Bedtime
Classics
Countries/Cultures
Folk Literature
Friendships/Families
Holiday/Special Days
Humor/Nonsense
Insects
Nature
Wordless Books

Toddlers
Preschool
Kindergarten
Second Grade
Third-Fifth Grades
Middle Grades
Upper Grades

COLD PAWS, WARM HEART
written/illus. by Madeleine Floyd, (Candlewick Press, $15.99, ISBN 0-7636-2761-5), 32p, Ages 4-8.
Cold Paws is a cold and lonely polar bear who plays his silver flute for company. He tries to play with the other animals, but he is just too big. When a little girl hears his magical music, it draws her to the sad polar bear. Hannah begins to comfort him with her warm scarf, teaches him jumping jacks, and brings hot chocolate. Soon Cold Paws does not feel so cold anymore. A sweet story for any time of the year.

FANCY NANCY
qwritten by Jane O'Connor, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser, (HarperCollins, $15.99, ISBN 0-06-054209-8), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Nancy is a little girl who loves to dress and speak fancy. She uses fuchsia to describe purple. From the top of her tiara to her rhinestone-studded shoes, she loves living like a princess. Her family does not share her enjoyment, however, when they allow her to "accessorize" them for one night, everyone is in for a big surprise.

COULD A TYRANNOSAURUS PLAY TABLE TENNIS?
written/illus. by Andrew Plant (Kane/Miller Books, $8.95, ISBN 978-1-929132-97-3), 32p, Ages 4-8.
This clever alphabet book from Australia features many types of dinosaurs drawn to scale in relation to objects around them, i.e. golf club, fishing rod, kite, basketball court. Extra information is given on their time line in history, the continent where they were discovered, their size, and dietary habits. Young dinosaur enthusiasts will love this book.

MY FATHER'S SHOP
written/illus. by Satomi Ichikawa, (Kane/Miller Books, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-929132-99-7), 40p, Ages 4-7.
Mustafa's father owns a carpet shop in a Moroccan marketplace. One day Mustafa finds a hole in one of the beautiful carpets and asks to keep it. In exchange for the carpet, Mustafa agrees to learn foreign phrases that will help him sell the patterned rugs to tourists someday. Finding the lessons boring, Mustafa runs through the marketplace (with the carpet on his head) meeting tourists and discovering a different way of learning foreign words.

A PAIR OF POLAR BEARS: TWIN CUBS FIND A HOME AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO
written by Joanne Ryder, (Simon & Schuster, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-689-85871-0), 32p, Ages 4-8.
Abandoned in Alaska, three-month-old polar bear cubs are transported to the San Diego Zoo and nursed back to health. Tatqiq and Kalluk soon adapt to their new surroundings in the Polar Bear Plunge where they can romp and play. An uplifting true story of survival and love. The photographs are supplied by the zoo.

OINK?
written by Margie Palatini, illus. by Henry Cole, (Simon & Schuster, $15.95, ISBN 0-689-86258-X), 40p, Ages 4-8.
Happy and content, Thomas and Joseph love mucking about their yard. Their neighbors, however, distain their sloppy lifestyle and decide that their pen needs cleaning up. Since the lazy porkers don't seem to understand instructions, the barnyard animals show them how to whitewash the fence, plant a garden, and dig a water hole. When the work is completed, Thomas and Joseph proceed to enjoy the vegetables and splash in the muddy water hole, which just proves that lazy does not always mean stupid.

CURIOUS GEORGE RIDES A BIKE
written/illus by H. A. Rey, (Houghton Mifflin, $9.95, ISBN 0-618-68946-X), 48p, Ages 4-8.
Now with a CD for listening and reading along, this famous little monkey sets off on his new bicycle. Along the way, George helps the newsboy deliver papers, builds a fleet of newspaper boats, crashes the bike, joins the circus, and rescues bear cubs. After an exhausting day, this naughty but well-meaning little monkey is found by the man in the yellow hat and taken home. Originally published in 1952.

STELLA, FAIRY OF THE FOREST
written/illus. by Marie-Louise Gay, (Groundwood Books, $7.95, ISBN 0-88899-710-8), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Now in mini format, the irresistible siblings, redheaded Stella and her slightly apprehensive little brother Sam, are back to explore the magic of the forest. Sam bubbles over with questions. "What do fairies look like?", "Do butterflies eat butter?", and "Are there any bears in the forest?" Sam also wonders why the trees have wrinkled skin like Grandma's. Big, confident sister is always ready with a logical answer. Stella replies that fairies are tiny, beautiful, and fly very fast, that only yellow butterflies eat butter, that bears sleep during the day, and that the trees have bark instead of skin. A delightful addition to any home library.

TURTLE CROSSING
written/illus. by Rick Chrustowski, (Henry Holt & Co., $16.95, ISBN 0-8050-7498-8), 32p, Ages 4-7.
From May through June, all across North America painted turtles are found crossing roads in search of places to lay their eggs. From the time a baby painted turtle hatches and emerges from the ground, her only desire is to search for water, which means crossing the road to the pond. There she lives for five years, mates, and makes her way back across the road to lay her eggs. In this telling, as a turtle crosses the road, a car stops and a boy carries her safely to the other side. Endpapers describe the painted turtle, its habits, and history.

ROASTED PEANUTS
written/illus. by Tim Egan, (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, ISBN 0-618-33718-0), 32p, Ages 4-8.
Sam and Jackson are good friends who love baseball. Sam is a great athlete and makes the team tryouts, but Jackson, even with a terrific throwing arm, does not. Their friendship is strained for a while, but when Jackson finds an advertisement for a peanut vendor who can throw well, he realizes his calling. Friends again, they both excel at throwing, one on the field with a ball and one in the stadium with bags of peanuts.

LITTLE 1
written by Ann Rand, illus. by Paul Rand, (Chronicle Books, $15.95, ISBN 0-8118-5004-8), 40p, Ages 5-9.
On his quest to find a friend, lonely Little 1 finds himself quickly rejected. The yellow pears tell him, "2 is company, but 2 plus 1 is 3, and that would be a crowd." Bears, bees, umbrellas, ants, mice, books, and fish don't want him either, until a circle rolls by and they decide to play together as 10. Originally published in 1962.

THE LITTLE RED HEN
written/illus. by Jerry Pinkney, (Dial Books, $16.99, ISBN 0-8037-2935-9), 32P, Ages 4-7.
In this retelling of a beloved tale, a mother hen, while hunting for worms and berries, finds a few wheat seeds, plants them, tends her garden, cuts the wheat, takes it to the town miller for grinding, and bakes the resulting bread. During each step of the process, this hardworking single mother appeals to neighbors for help, but each replies with a resounding, "Not I." When the glorious smell of baked bread whiffs out hen's window, the animals realize that they will receive no reward, for they refused to help. Lessons of sowing, reaping, responsibility, and consequences make this a great read/read-aloud.

COOKIES: BITE-SIZE LIFE LESSONS
written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illus. by Jane Dyer, (HarperCollins, $12.99, ISBN 0-06-058081-X), 40p, Ages 4-8.
Children are given the definitions of important behavior through the activities of making, baking, and eating cookies. For example, "COOPERATE means, how about you add the chips while I stir?" Other definitions include patience, pride, modest, respectfulness, trustworthiness, fairness, unfairness, compassion, greed, generosity, pessimism, optimism, politeness, honesty, courage, envy, loyalty, open-mindedness, regretfulness, contentment, and, 'WISE means, I used to think I knew everything about cookies, but now I realize I know about one teeny chip's worth."

THE MOST PERFECT SPOT
written/illus. by Diane Goode, (HarperCollins, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-06-072697-3), 32p, Ages 4-8.
What begins as a lovely picnic in the park becomes a series of mishaps for Mama and Jack. They fall into the lake, are splashed with mud from horses trotting by, Mama looses her hat on the carousel ride, and rain washes out the picnic. Readers will notice a cute little dog in each scene that causes all the mishaps. As they reach home, Jack discovers the little dog with Mama's hat in his mouth. All ends well as they accept the dog into their home and name him Spot.

FOLLOW THE LINE
written/illus. by Laura Ljungkvist, (Viking Children's Books, $16.99,
ISBN 0-670-06049-6), 32p, Ages 4-8.
From the first page to the last, one continuous line journeys many places as it flows across cityscapes, curves around people, and winds through traffic. Each scene contains questions, from traffic lights and helicopters to windmills and sailboats. This clever and innovative counting book will definitely challenge children to count, observe, and think. It's also fun to trace the line with one's finger from cover to cover.

ON TOP OF SPAGHETTI
written/illus. by Paul Brett Johnson, lyrics by Tom Glazer, (Scholastic Press, $15.99, ISBN 0-439-74944-1), 32p, Ages 4-8.
To the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey," hound dog Yodeler Jones, who only serves meatballs and spaghetti in his restaurant, tells a tale of a crazy meatball that was sneezed out his restaurant's window. It ricocheted all over town and into the ballpark where it was hit by a batter for a home run. This sturdy meatball finally landed in a bush beside his restaurant where it sprouted into a meatball tree. Kids will love singing along to this zany and slapstick story. Endpapers contain music and lyrics.

SIXTEEN COWS
written/illus. by Lisa Wheeler, (Voyager Books, $6.00, ISBN 0-15-205592-4), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Cowboy Gene and Cowgirl Sue own eight cows apiece on adjoining ranches. Each sings a special song to bring their cows home at night. When an Arkansas tornado blows the fence away between their ranches, the cows soon mingle. A singing battle results and the cows become confused and exhausted, until the ranchers call a truce. Now the ranchers plus Mudskipper, Baby Face, Sassafras, Charlotte Grace, Sunflower, Sissy Nell, Button Eyes, Mazie Bell, Twinkle Toes, Peekaboo, Butterecup, Suzy Q, Jelly Rose, Honeydew, Cinderbox, and Bobbie Lou are one happy family.

DUCK & GOOSE
written/illus. by Tad Mills, (Schwartz & Wade Books, $14.95, ISBN 0-375-83611-X), 40p, Ages 4-7.
In a cute finders-keepers tale, Duck and Goose find what they believe to be an egg. They constantly quibble about ownership, but they finally decide to share the duty of keeping the egg warm and raising the baby when it hatches. Upon learning from a little bird that their baby is a toy ball, Duck and Goose decide to make the best of the situation and have a great time quacking, honking, and playing with the ball.

MRS. CRUMP'S CAT
written by Linda Smith, illus. by David Roberts, (HarperCollins, $15.99, ISBN 0-06-028302-5), 32p, Ages 4-8yrs.
Mrs. Crump has no use for cats until one rainy day, a shivering, stray feline enters her home and slowly transforms her life. Each day she finds more excuses not to turn the cat away. It must dry out, it needs food, it looks like more rain. The sign at Mr. Henry's store even reads, "Found one sneaky finicky troublesome WET yellow cat with FLEAS." Mr. Henry points out that after buying a collar, soap, tuna, cream, and a dish, she might as well keep the cat. And she does, because wonderful things happen when you open the door of friendship.

MAMMOTHS ON THE MOVE
written by Lisa Wheeler, illus. by Kurt Cyrus, (Harcourt, Inc., $16.00, ISBN 0-15-204700-X), 32p, Ages 4-8.
One of the most fascinating animals to roam the earth is the woolly mammoth. On a migration trek, the herd plods through storms, over glaciers, swims across bodies of water, ever cautious of predators and always pulled on by hunger and instinct. The author's note indicates that the information is based on, "the latest scientific research," however, as the mammoths have been extinct for thousands of years, there is much imagination and conjecture involved in this beautifully illustrated, but fictional account. Still, it's a wonderful read.

ROOSTER CAN'T COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO
written by Karen Rostoker-Gruber, illus. by Paul Rátz de Tagyos, (Puffin Books, $5.99, ISBN 0-14-240646-5), 32p, Ages 4+.
Rooster has a sore throat and can't cock-a-doodle-doo to wake up Farmer Ted. Thus, there are no eggs gathered, no cows milked, no sheep sheared, and no pigs fed. However, together the animals devise a crazy scheme to wake up the farmer and help him with the chores before sundown. Hilarity abounds as the pigs try to milk the cows, the chickens scissor-cut the sheep, and the sheep, wearing gas masks, feed slop to the pigs, all while Rooster enjoys tea with honey for his throat.

ALL IN JUST ONE COOKIE
written by Susan E. Goodman, illus. by Timothy Bush, (Greenwillow Books, $16.99, ISBN 0-06-009092-8), 32p, Ages 5+.
An informative book about where the ingredients of chocolate chip cookies come from. When Grandma begins making these treats, each ingredient's origin and story behind it is presented, along with the proper measurements. The recipe: "1 hungry Vermont Cow" (butter), "2 stalks Hawaiian grass" (sugar),"1 tsp flower seeds from Madagascar" (vanilla), "2 days of hard work from a New Hampshire hen" (eggs),"1 tsp Pacific Ocean" (salt), "2 1/2 c Kansas field" (flour), and "2 c West African beans" (chocolate chips). Instructions for baking, cleaning up, and the real recipe are also included.

BATS AT THE BEACH
written/illus. by Brian Lies, (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, ISBN 0-618-55744-X), 32p, Ages 4-8.
In cheery verse and enchanting illustrations, a bunch of fury and friendly bats decide to visit the beach. When the moon is at its fattest, the little critters pack their moon-tan lotion, baskets of munchies (marshmallows with bug legs and pickled slugs), and fly to the seashore for a night of fun. They use left over food containers for boat races, dig sand caves, play volleyball, and relax by the fire singing bat songs. They top off the evening by entering an ice cream shack to snack on bugs around the light bulb. Soon it's time to fly home. From beginning to end, this is a delight to read aloud.

LITTLE GRUNT AND THE BIG EGG: A PREHISTORIC FAIRY TALE
written/illus. by Tomie dePaola, (G. P. Putnam's Sons, $16.99, ISBN 0-399-24529-4), 32p, Ages 4+.
While gathering eggs for a Sunday brunch, Little Grunt stumbles on the biggest egg that he's ever seen, and drags it home. When a cute, little green dinosaur hatches, the family decides, "Every boy needs a pet." This one grows much too large to keep and Little Grunt returns George to the swamp. When a volcano erupts, the tribe is trapped, but it's George to the rescue, carrying everyone to safety. A must for lovers of original fairy tales, and dinosaurs too.

MANNY'S COWS: THE NIAGARA FALLS TALE
written/illus. by Suzy Becker, (HarperCollins, $15.99, ISBN 0-06-054152-0), 40p, Ages 4-8.
Out of necessity Manny decides to take his 500 cows along on his vacation to Niagara Falls, but there are a few challenges. It takes ingenuity to herd 500 very talkative bovines into busses, although they enjoy the ride by singing their version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." There are forgotten sunglasses, Flossie gets bus sick, and pit stops are very lengthy. At the Falls, the tours are enjoyable, but the cows much prefer the gift shop, which turns into a very expensive disaster. Putting their heads together, the cows devise an over-the-top plan to repay the damages. There's even enough money to rent limousines for the trip home. A few interesting facts about dairy cows and milking are interspersed through this hilarious tale. "A Cow must be milked 2 times a day, which makes 10 gallons of milk each day. There are 350 squirts in each gallon."

THE DADDY GOOSE TREASURY
written by Vivian French, illus. by Ross Collins/AnnaLaura Cantone/Joelle Dreidemy/Andrea Huseinovic, (The Chicken House, $18.99, ISBN 0-439-79608-3), 96p, Ages 4-8.
The true stories behind many rhymes are told by Daddy Goose, a distant relative of Mother Goose. Twelve stories are preceded by the famous rhymes with which each is associated. Children will love to hear what possessed a cow to jump over a moon, and why the dish and the spoon decided to run away together. Then there's Little Miss Muffet, who hated curds and whey, and a lovely little spider, Speeder, who devises a plan to get rid of the food and make a friend in the process. Ten additional stories round out a great read-aloud.

LITTLE TEDDY LEFT BEHIND
written by Anne Mangan, illus. by Joanne Moss, (Good Books, $16.00, ISBN 1-56148-508-X), 28p, Ages 4-7.
Imagine waking up to discover that you were left behind when your family moved. As Little Teddy ponders his circumstances, a cleaning lady finds him and dumps him into the washing machine, thus beginning a series of adventures that eventually reunite him with his family. Marvelous illustrations accompany this heart-warming story of a small red-sweatered teddy bear in search of his family. Young children will enjoy stroking the flocked sweater.

DOWN THE BACK OF THE CHAIR
written by Margaret Mahy, illus. by Polly Dunbar, (Clarion Books, $16.00, ISBN 0-618-69395-5), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Growing poorer by the day, a family thinks that they are facing ruin when Dad loses the car keys. Daughter Mary suggests looking down the chair, and a crazy assortment of items turn up, even "A crumb, a comb, a clown, a cap/a pirate with a treasure map/a dragon trying to take a nap . . ." Suddenly Dad finds his money box, and the family is poor no more. Told in lively rhyme with a delightfully optimistic tone, this one is for the whole family.

DOOBY DOOBY MOO
written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Atheneum Books, $16.95, ISBN 0-689-84507-3), 40p, Ages 4-7.
Duck is on a mission to win first prize (a used trampoline) at the county fair's talent show. While Farmer Brown sleeps, Duck organizes late-night practices with the animals for singing and interpretive dancing. Farmer Brown suspects that the animals are up to something, so he takes them along to the fair. The animals sneak off to perform, but the pigs fall asleep before their performance. Duck steps in to sing, "Born to be Wild, which earns him a standing ovation and approval of the judges. Now, late at night a mysterious boinging is heard around the farmyard. Other books in the series include, "Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type" and "Giggle, Giggle, Quack."

OLD CRICKET
written by Lisa Wheeler, illus. by Ponder Goembel, (Aladdin, $6.99 PB, ISBN 1-4169-1855-8), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Old Cricket wakes up cranky and refuses to fix the roof for Mrs. Cricket, faking a creak in his knee. Mrs. Cricket promptly packs him a lunch and sends him to the doctor. Along the way, he meets various neighbors who also listen to his excuses of creaks, cracks, and cricks. When he meets Old Crow, he runs for his life, ending up on Doc's doorstep, this time with real ailments. Upon returning home, ". . . his missus was waiting with a crook in her finger as she pointed her clever husband toward their sagging rooftop."

CASTAWAY CATS
written by Lisa Wheeler, illus. by Ponder Goembel, (Atheneum Books, $16.95, ISBN 0-689-86232-6), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Fifteen soaking and soggy cats find themselves washed up and marooned on a deserted island after their boat sinks. They begin to search for food (fish) or milk (coconut), build a fire, and watch for ships, but hope begins to dim. Despite personality differences, adverse conditions, and disagreements, they realize that in order to survive, they must work together. In the process, they become a family and decide to stay together on the island. This is a cute story about cooperation and compromise.

BATTER UP WOMBAT
written by Helen Lester, illus. by Lynn Munsinger, (Houghton Mifflin & Co., $16.00, ISBN 0-618-73784-7), 32p, Ages 4-8.
The Champs feel that this season in the North American Wildlife League will be different from the last one, in which they finished, last. An Australian wombat joins the baseball team, and his ignorance of the rules save the day when an unexpected tornado strikes. Lester's hilarious wordplay and Munsinger's zany illustrations will delight the whole family.

MR. PUTTER & TABBY SPIN THE YARN
written by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Arthur Howard, (Harcourt Children's Books, $14.00, ISBN 0-15-205067-1), 44p, Ages 6-9.
Deciding to be neighborly, Mr. Putter offers to help serve tea for Mrs. Teaberry's knitting club. Everything moves along nicely until Mr. Putter's cat, Tabby, spies the balls of yarn and unravels Mrs. Fitzwater's sweater. Mrs. Teaberry's dog, Zeke, loves potatoes and snatches the fake ones from Gertrude's hat. Of course, chaos erupts, but Mr. Putter charms everyone with extra bridge mix and lots of tea.

ADELE & SIMON
written/illus. by Barbara McClintock, (Farrar, Straus Giroux, $16.00, ISBN 0-374-38044-9), 40p, Ages 4-8.
On their way home from school in early twentieth century Paris, Adéle cautions her little brother, Simon, "Please try not to lose anything today." They take a leisurely route home, visiting a bustling street market, the Jardin park, the Louvre, the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, and friends. At every stop, Simon manages to leave a personal item behind. When they reach home, Simon is minus his hat, gloves, scarf, sweater, coat, knapsack, books, and crayons. The illustrations are a visual delight, depicting several Paris landmarks. Endpapers with detailed descriptions trace the children's route through Parisian neighborhoods and famous landmarks.

SINGING SHIJIMI CLAMS
written/illus. by Naomi Kojima, (Kane/Miller Books, $15.95, ISBN 1-933605-12-X), 32p, Ages 4-8.
From Japan comes a story of an old, but not so wicked witch, her grumpy cat, Toraji, and their friendship with a bunch of shijimi clams. Preparing her newly purchased clams for miso soup, she suddenly feels that it might be cruel to cook the peacefully sleeping clams. Toraji disagrees, and they have plain miso soup. They continue to argue day after day, until the clams wake up asking questions. With determination, ingenuity, and kindness, the old witch and her cat decide to return the clams home. Because money is a problem, the clams agree to sing for donations. Train tickets to the beach are purchased, and before long, all are waiting for high tide. Not wishing to part from their friends, the old woman and her cat decide to live at the beach permanently, ". . . surrounded by the pretty voices of the clams, the gentle sound of the waves, and the warmth of the sun."

PUMPKIN TOWN!: OR NOTHING IS BETTER AND WORSE THAN PUMPKINS
written by Katie McKy, illus. by Pablo Bernasconi, (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, ISBN 0-618-60569-X), 32p, Ages 4-8.
José and his family grow pumpkins of every size imaginable. There are Jack-B-Littles, small enough for pockets, sturdier Happy Jacks, just right for carrying, and Big Moons, which can only be rolled. After the harvest, José and his brothers toss the leftover seeds into a field. However, they are blown into town, settling on houses, streets, and every nook and cranny. When spring comes, the town has a decidedly orange color from the explosion of pumpkins. Feeling guilty, the brothers work through the night to remove the pumpkins and vines and are rewarded with watermelons (unfortunately, the ones with seeds.)

LIBRARY LION
written by Michelle Knudsen, illus. by Kevin Hawkes, (Candlewick Press, $15.99, ISBN 0-7636-2262-1), 48p, Ages 4-7.
Rules are very important to the head librarian, Miss Merriweather. When a lion visits her library, there are no rules that apply to large animals. However, his feet are quiet on the floor, he makes a cozy backrest for the children during story time, he never roars, and he loves licking the envelopes for overdue notices. When Miss Merriweather accidentally falls, he roars for help. Thinking that the "quiet" rule has been broken, the lion leaves. All ends well when a new rule is implemented–"No roaring allowed, unless you have a very good reason."

BEATRIX POTTER: THE COMPLETE TALES
written/illus. by Beatrix Potter, (Frederick Warne & Co., $40.00, ISBN 0-7232-5804X), 400p, Ages 5+.
This reissued, unabridged collection contains all 23 of Beatrix Potter's tales, including a special section with four additional stories unpublished during her lifetime and an introduction about her life. Presented in the order in which they were published, each tale includes a brief history behind each story. From "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" to "The Tale of Little Pig Robinson", her tales were often connected with real places, people, and animals. Of the four additional stories, two are narrative illustrations, "Three Little Mice" and "The Rabbit's Christmas Party", and two are charming stories, "The Sly Old Cat" and "The Fox and the Stork". Children have loved Beatrix Potter's irresistible characters with human personalities down through the years, and hopefully for many years to come.

BEATRIX POTTER FAVORITE TALES: THE TALES OF PETER RABBIT AND JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK READ ALONG BOOK & CD
written/illus. by Beatrix Potter, (Frederick Warne & Co., $9.99 AUDIO, ISBN 978-0-723-25879-7), 64p, Ages 5+.
Two of the original Beatrix Potter's tales, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" about a mischievous bunny who thinks that he can eat Mr. McGregor's vegetables without getting caught, and "Jemima Puddle-Duck", who is determined to hatch her own eggs with the help of a clever and hungry gentlemen fox. The accompanying CD contains readings by Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. Royalties from this book/CD will benefit the Junior Blind of America.

VIOLET COMES TO STAY
written by Jan Karon (aka Melanie Cecka), illus. by Emily Arnold McCully, (Viking Children's Books, $15.99, ISBN 0-670-06073-9), 36p, Ages 4+.
Born in a kitchen pantry, Violet is the last kitten in the litter. Along with her brother and sister, Violet is instructed by mom to remember the mouse-catching rules: "Prowl silently. Plan your leap carefully. And pounce boldly". When it's time for the kittens to find their places in the world, Violet doesn't seem to fit in wherever she is sent, due to her failure at mouse catching. One day a bookstore owner overlooks her inability to kill mice and loves her unconditionally. "Mice are nuisances. But they're God's creatures, too. We'll find other ways of keeping them out."

NICCOLINI'S SONG
written by Chuck Wilcoxen, illus. by Mark Buehner, (Puffin Books, $6.99, ISBN 0-14-240710-0), 40p, Ages 4+.
An extraordinary night watchman at the railroad yard lulls the engines to sleep by singing to them about "gentle hills, steady tailwinds, and feathers for freight". Some engines wake themselves up just to hear Niccolini's lullabies. Even mothers with restless babies enjoy the comforting songs. When a strong wind blows through town waking up all the children, Niccolini enlists the help of the engines by using their whistles to quiet everyone. "One by one, Niccolini thanked each of the locomotives. One by one, they said, 'You're welcome'".

TWOO TWIT
written by Kes Gray, illus. by Mary McQuillan, (Barron's Educational Services, $14.99, ISBN 0-7641-6008-7), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Owls are known to be clever and wise. However, little Twoo Twit doesn't possess an ounce of common sense. The forest animals feel that he is "the silliest collection of feathers ever to take to the sky". The reason is that he never attends school. Every night when mom sends Twoo Twit to night school, he wanders off and enjoys being lazy. One night while perching on a church bell, the bells begin ringing. Too bad that this illiterate little owl couldn't read the sign that said BELL RINGING CONTEST TONIGHT. This is a cute story with a gentle moral about the importance of learning.

THE LITTLE DRUMMER MOUSE
written/illus. by Mercer Mayer, (Dial Books, $16.99, ISBN 0-8037-3147-7), 40p, Ages 4+.
Based on the popular Christmas song, "The Little Drummer Boy", a small, timid mouse loves playing his acorn drum. When the forest animals prepare for the arrival of a royal family and the birth of a new King, they are disappointed that "only a poor man leading a donkey and a woman wrapped in a blanket who rode on the donkey's back" came by. That night the little drummer mouse is singled out to follow the star that leads him to a stable, and he plays his drum for the new baby. Mercer Mayer's illustrations are magnificent for this delightful Christmas story.

THE FOURTH KING: THE STORY OF THE OTHER WISE MAN
written/illus. by Ted Sieger, (Candlewick Press, $15.99, ISBN 0-7636-3121-3), 48p, Ages 4-8.
The Fourth King is an enchanting holiday fable that reminds us of the importance of helping those in need. Few people are aware that behind the Wise Men, another king, Mazzel, and his trusty camel, Chamberlain, decide to visit the newborn King. However, along the way, Mazzel stops to rescue a small nomad girl from a sandstorm, guides a lost merchant caravan, gives a small thirsty plant his last drop of water, frees children from slavery, and deters soldiers from pursuing a family fleeing from Bethlehem. Although King Mazzel fails to meet the child, his Christ-like generosity reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas.

ANGELINA'S CHRISTMAS
written by Katharine Holabird, illus. by Helen Craig, (Viking Children's Books, $12.99, ISBN 0-670-06103-4), 32p, Ages 4+.
A lonely, retired postal worker is shown love and caring at Christmas when Angelina and her family bring him a tree, decorations, and food for Christmas. To reciprocate, Mr. Bell relates stories of past Christmases when he dressed up as Santa Claus and entertained children at the village Christmas parties. Angelina invites Mr. Bell, dressed as Santa Claus to her school's Nutcracker play, and each year thereafter, he was never lonely at Christmas again. This is a lovely reminder that the retired still have much to contribute to communities.

MERRY UN-CHRISTMAS
written by Mike Reiss, illus. by David Catrow, (HarperCollins, $15.99, ISBN 0-06-059126-9), 32p, Ages 3-7.
For a town that celebrates Christmas 364 days a year, Un-Christmas Day is the one day that everyone in Christmas City loves. On that day, the residents pack away decorations, throw out their Christmas trees, don't exchange presents, only eat TV dinners, look forward to getting mail, and children, like Noelle, go to school. Tucked into bed that night with her math book, Noelle wishes that every day could be an Un-Christmas Day. This humorous, but cautionary tale might be a welcome change for children and adults who are swept up in the holiday busyness.

Return to Top