A Dog is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan
A dog is a dog is a dog unless.... he's a cat. A cat is a cat is a cat unless... he's a squid. A squid is a squid is a squid unless... he's a moose.
Do you get it? This hilarious book by Stephen Shaskan is sure to appeal to preschoolers who love putting random things together or for just anyone who has a sense of humor.
Earwig and the Witch 
"Uh-Oh, here comes trouble!" It's right there on the front cover of this picture book by Cahterine Rayner called Solomon Crocodile. And he is trouble... and a pest and a nuisance. Finally, after much rowdiness, Solomon sadly realizes that no one wants to play with him. Bummer. Then he meets his glorious match and the swamp rocks with their troublesome ways.
This is a beautifully illustrated (think splashy color) simple story of friendship that will make your young crocs laugh and possibly do some mud stomping right along with Solomon. This is a rowdy read perfect for children who like to join in the action.
Big Book for Toddlers: Alice Wong & Lena Tabori (ed.)
The Big Book for Toddlers is filled with great ideas for entertaining and engaging a young toddler. Many will recognize condensed versions of classic fairy tales such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" games such as "Follow the Leader" as well as a variety of classic nursery rhymes and crafts easy enough for a toddler to understand, to play, and to create. My two year old is especially fascinated with snow globes these days, and there is a wonderfuly simple craft in the book that involves creating a snow globe using glitter, a foil moon, distilled water and a small glass jar. Vintage style 1930s-40s illustrations of young children are fun for the little ones and provide a nostalgic effect for many adults who were toddlers or young children themselves during this era.
I love this inspirational picture book, which tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. William grew up in Malawi in Africa. When he was fourteen, Malawi suffered a horrible drought, and its villagers slowly began to starve. William spent his days working in his father's dying fields and his nights dreaming, of building things and taking them apart. When his father told him there was no more money for school, William remembered the library down the road that the Americans had built. He found science books there filled with pictures. The most fascinating was of a windmill, and with the help of his English dictionary, William learned that windmills could produce electricity and pump water. Now William had a very concrete dream: he would make electric wind and he would use it to water his father's dying fields. With parts from the junkyard, he built the blades and with the help of his cousin and a friend, they made a tower from gum trees. And despite the skepticism of most villagers who called him 'misala' (crazy!), William made magic happen, and the first step in his dream a reality.
Don't miss the afterword, which provides more fascinating details about William's life. He later used his first windmill to charge a car battery to power four lightbulbs in his parent's house. His dream of actually pumping water was not achieved until several years later, but it was achieved. Today, thanks in part to donations by people he inspired, William is a student at Dartmouth College, where he is studying to be an engineer. William's story could be a wonderful read aloud for kids in grades K-3, who might enjoy seeing how much a young person with vision and determination can achieve despite great odds.
How many books about scientific concepts are funny and fun to read? The informative and entertaining science book is a rare find that should be celebrated.
Aunt Nancy and the Bothersome Visitors, written by Phyllis Root and illustrated by David Parkins, is a collection of four trickster tales involving a very cunning woman, Aunt Nancy. She's a woman who can outwit anyone, even Mister Death!
The language is delightful and ideal for reading aloud with phrases like, "Whoo-ee, don't that feel good" and "If it's fixing to pour, I'd best pick my bimbleberries before they're under water".
If reading aloud, be prepared to share each page with your audience since it's chockfull of illustrations. Each chapter begins with a colorful picture of Aunt Nancy giving either an irritating or a dubious look to her visitor. Throughout the book there are numerous black & white silhouettes, some quite amusing, of Aunt Nancy, her cat Ezekiel, and the bothersome visitors.
Humorous and original, this easy chapter book deserves to be a part of every child's folktale experiences.
Peter Sis was recently announced by the International Board on Books for Young People as the 2012 winner of the Hans Christian Anderson Award for Illustration.
"The Hans Christian Andersen Award, considered the most prestigious in international children's literature, is given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People to a living author and illustrator whose complete works are judged to have made lasting contributions to children's literature."
Peter Sis has long been one of my favorite author/ illustrators. His illustrations include original pictures books, visual biographies, poetry, juvenile chapter books as well as books for adults. He recently did a beautifully illuminated version of the Persian classic: The Conference of the Birds.
Peter Sis grew up in Communist Czechoslovakia. This experience colors his work. Fans of Maurice Sendak and Brian Selznick will appreciate the darker tones of Peter Sis's work. Readers of all ages will marvel at the detail, pouring over the stories contained in the illustrations for hours. They are full of mystery, fantasy, deeply original and unlike anything out there for children.
His autobiographical work, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, is a must read.
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
Tales For Very Picky Eaters
