The Children's Hour - Children's Book Reviews - Kindergarten

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEWS
KINDERGARTEN
FAVORITES FROM PAST YEARS

Kindergarten

Best of Year 2010
Best of Year 2009
Best of Year 2008
Notables from 2007
Notables from 2006
Notables from 2005
Notables from 2004
Notables from 2003
Classics
Holiday/Special Days

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Third-Fifth Grades
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Audrey and Barbara
written & illus. by Janet Lawson, (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Audrey is adventurous but her cat Barbara is lazy. When Audrey decides to visit the Taj Mahal and ride an elephant, Barbara has serious doubts. Undaunted, Audrey comes up with the perfect solution of sailing across the ocean in the bathtub.

Bear's Eggs
written & illus. by Ingrid/Dieter Schubert, (Front Street Books, 1999), 32p, Ages 3-7.
Bear does things he never imagined when he finds three eggs and discovers that being a parent has its challenges. The fun really begins when Bear has to do some very unbearlike things to raise his new family.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type
written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Simon & Schuster, 2000), 32p, Ages 4-8.
When the cows in Farmer Brown's barn find a typewriter, they compile their grievances in notes and demand better working conditions. The farmer denies their requests and the cows go on strike.

Crackers,
written by Becky Bloom, illus. by Pascal Biet, (Orchard Books, 2001), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Crackers needs a job. He is a hardworking cat who speaks French, has excellent manners, and likes mice which is a deterrent to employment. Fortunately, the manager of the Squeak Co. Cheese Shop is a little different from most employers.

Dilly-Dally and the Nine Secrets
written by Elizabeth McDonald, illus. by Ken Brown, (Dutton Children's Books, <1997), 28p, Ages 3-7.
Dilly-Dally has nine reasons why she sits in the reeds. By the end of this delightful counting book, Dilly-Dally's nine secrets have cracked open and a greedy magpie, lurking nearby, hurries home to feed her own little ten secrets.

Giggle, Giggle, Quack
written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Simon & Schuster, 2002), 32p, Ages 3+.
Farmer Brown leaves his brother Bob in charge while he goes on vacation, but with a warning, "Keep an eye on Duck. He's trouble." What Bob fails to realize is that Duck has rewritten the instructions.

If the Shoe Fits
written by Alison Jackson, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Simon & Schuster, 2002),
32p, Ages 3+
The old woman who lives in a shoe searches for a larger home for her children and becomes mixed up in other nursery rhymes along the way. Where will she find the perfect place? Maybe in her own back yard?

Just Like You
written & illus. by Jan Fearnley, (Candlewick Press, 2001), 32p, Ages 3-6.
An endearing bedtime story about a small mouse who wants reassurance from his mother that he is special and loved, just like the other animals he sees on their way home.

Minerva Louise and the Red Truck
written & illus. by Janet Morgan Steoke, (Dutton Children's Books, 2002), 32p, Ages 3-6.
Off on another adventure, Minerva Louise enjoys a ride in the back of the farm's red truck. As usual, from her goofy perspective, she mistakes golfers for farmers and a construction site for a playground for trucks.

Mouse Mess
written & illus. by Linea Riley, (The Blue Sky Press, 1997), 32p, Ages 4-7.
When mouse wakes up and is hungry, what a huge mess he makes munching his way through the kitchen eating cookies, crackers, olives, cheese, and sticky jam.

A Mouse Told His Mother
written by Bethany Roberts, illus. by Maryjane Begin, (Little, Brown Co., 1997), 32p, Ages 3-6.
At bedtime a little mouse decides he wants adventures like catching crocodiles and riding bucking broncos, while his mother gently urges him to wear warm pajamas when climbing snowcapped mountains and not to forget his toothbrush when he goes to the moon.

My Goose Betsy
written by Trudi Braun, illus. by John Bendall-Brunello, (Candlewick Press, 1999), 28p, Ages 4-7.
Betsy has smooth soft feathers, a long white neck, two blue eyes, a wonderful waddle, and a nest full of eggs, which she tends to until the goslings are hatched. Included is a section with facts about geese.

Mud Puddle
written by Robert Munsch, illus. by Sami Suomalainen, (Annick Press, 1979), 32p, Ags 4-7.
Contrary to popular belief, mud has a mind of its own. That's what Jule Ann discovers when a very determined mud puddle jumps on her, but she comes up with a way to outsmart the stubborn puddle.

One Lonely Sea Horse
written by Saxton Freyman & Joost Elffers, (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2000), 28p, Ages 3-6.
A clever counting book with underwater creatures in shapes of fruit and vegetables, i.e., banana octopi and angelfish peppers.

Pete and Polo's Farmyard Adventure
written and illus. by Adrian Reynolds, (Orchard Books, 2002), 28p, Ages 3-6.
Ten of Grandpa's ducklings are missing, but Pete and his polar bear, Polo, track them down. Whether splashing in buddy's water bowl or wading in the pig's trough, wherever there is water the runaways are sure to be found.

Snail Trail
written & illus. by Ruth Brown, (Crown Books, 2000), 24p, Ages 3-6.
This beautifully crafted picture book introduces children to simple directional concepts, as Slimy the snail sets out on a journey around the backyard and faces all types of obstacles.

Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep
written by Joyce Dunbar, illus. by Debi Glori, (Harcourt Brace & Co., 1998), 32p, Ages 3-7.
Willa can't sleep until big brother assures her of the happy things that await her in the morning: her chicken slippers, yummy cereal, and her basket of toys that are dreaming of the games that they will play.

Ten Seeds
written & illus. by Ruth Brown, (Knoph Books for Young Readers, 2001), 24p, Ages 2-6.
Touching on the number concept as well as the stages of a plant, children will love learning how many creatures can be found in the garden plus how ten seeds can multiply.

There's a Duck in My Closet!
written by John Trent, Ph.d., illus. by Judy Love, (Word Publishing, 1993), 32p, Ages 4-7.
This story will help children who are frightened by perceived monsters at night. A little boy discovers that the monsters in his closet turn out to be animals that come out and play at night.

There's a Hole in My Bucket
written & illus. by Ingrid & Dieter Schubert, (Front Street Books, 1998), 28p, Ages 4-7.
Bear's flowers are thirsty, but his bucket leaks. In a comic series of events, Bear and his friend Hedgehog attempt to repair the hole.

Tiny
written by Paul Rogers, illus. by Korky Paul, (Kane/Miller Books, 2002), 32p, Ages 3-7.
It's all a matter of perspective when a flea named Tiny falls off a dog, glazes up at the millions of stars in the sky, and realizes that he is not so small after all.

To Market to Market
written by Anne Miranda, illus. by Janet Stevens, (Harcourt Brace & Co., 1997), 36p, Ages 3-7.
This tale begins with the famous nursery rhyme about buying a fat pig, but things run amok when several unruly animals evade capture and prevent the poor shopper from cooking lunch.

The Very Busy Day
written by Diane Hendry, illus. by Jane Chapman, (Dutton Children's Books, 2002), 28p, Ages 3-7.
It's hard work digging, planting seeds, and picking weeds. Big Mouse needs help but little Mouse is preoccupied with daydreams. What seems like laziness turns out to be thoughtfulness and love.

The Water Hole
written & illus. by Graham Base, (Harry N. Abrams, 2001), 32p, Ages 4-7.
In this beautifully illustrated counting story and art book, animals from Africa to the Amazon to North America visit a dwindling water hole.

We're in Big Trouble, Blackboard Bear
Written & illus. by Martha Alexander, (Candlewick Press, 1980), 32p, Ages 3-7.
Things have disappeared during the night - goldfish from a pond, honey from a windowsill and berries from a bush. Anthony's friends notice that the paw prints left behind are just like Blackboard Bear's paw prints.

Webster J. Duck
written by Martin Waddell, illus. by David Parkins, (Candlewick Press, 2001), 32p, Ages 2-5.
Little Webster finds himself alone after cracking open his egg. Determined to find his mother, he meets some very kind friends who lend him a helping hand.

Widget
written by Lyn Rossiter McFarland, illus. by Jim McFarland, (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001), 32p, Ages 3-6.
A little stray dog stumbles through a flap door into the warm and loving home of Mrs. Digs, a cat lover. To become accepted, Widget meows, purrs, and uses the litter box. One day Mrs. Digs need help, but it's canine Widget who comes to the rescue.

Willow by the Sea
written & illus. by Camilla Ashforth, (Candlewick Press, 2002), 32p, Ages 4-7.
A sweet and gentle story of one little bear's desire to see and hear the ocean. Wanting to share the experience, he invites the farm animals to come along.

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