Book Review: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Book #57

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
By Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault. Illus. by Lois Ehlert.
1989. 30p. Simon & Schuster, $17.99. (9780671679491)

Age Group:
Toddler - Gr1
 

Genre:
Fiction
 

Awards:

• Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
• Children's Choices, 1990; International Reading Association; United States
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner 1991 Grades K-3 Kentucky
• Parents' Choice Award (Gold 2003, Best 25 Books in 25 Years United States

Topics/Issues:
Alphabet
 

ELS promoted: 
Print motivation, print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness
 

Format: 
Hardcover
 

Author/Illustrator sites:
 http://billmartinjr.com/bill_martin

Categorization Tags:
E Martin
 

Annotation: 

An alphabet rhyme that tells the story of what happens when the whole alphabet tries to climb a coconut tree.

Reactions/Observations:
A tells B. B tells C to meet "at the top of the coconut tree".  The letters are neon and high contrast to the book's background. The images are eye catching and easy to engage a young audience.  Children will enjoy this playful story about the alphabet's antics with the coconut tree.
 
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is definitely a classic!  Its illustration and dialogue do not date the story. I had not read it before I started working in children's services, so I was pleasantly surprised when I had the opportunity to read it to a 5 and under storytime. Parents and children enjoyed identifying the letters. I heard many of the parents take the opportunity to mention the difference between upper case and lower case letters. The rhyming text is also great for promoting phonological awareness. The book is so enjoyable that it's easy to forget that it's educational too.

Book Review: Color-By-Penguins

Book #49

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation: 
Color-By-Penguins.
By Ed Heck. Illus. by author.
2011.14pp. Scholastic, $6.99. (9780843198881)
 

Age Group:
Baby to Toddler
 

Genre:
Fiction
 

Awards:
None listed.
 

Topics/Issues:
Colors, Opposites

ELS promoted: 
Print motivation, print awareness, vocabulary

Format: 
Board Book
 

Author/Illustrator sites:
http://www.edheck.com
 

Categorization Tags:
E Heck
 

Annotation: 
Two very different penguins paint a wall in a rainbow of colors.
 

Reactions/Observations:
Two penguins paint a wall, but the story isn't that simple. As each color of paint is introduced, the penguins act in opposite ways.  While one paints neatly, the other penguin is not.  While one paints in straight lines, the other penguin does not.  They continue to paint in this way until they finish a rainbow!


The penguin characters are quirky and enjoyable. Babies will enjoy the bright color palette and movements from page to page. Toddlers will enjoy identifying the colors and the opposites between the two penguins.  Although I discovered this book among our board books, I think this book would also be good in picture book format. This book is simple enough to share with younger audiences, but interesting enough to have new readers book talk this back to their loved ones.

Book Review: Round is a Mooncake

Book #45

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation: 

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes.

By Roseanne Thong. Illus. by Grace Lin.

2000. 40p. Chronicle, $15.99. (0811826767)
 

Age Group:
Toddler to Gr1
 

Genre:
Fiction
 

Awards:
None listed.
 

Topics/Issues: 
Shapes, 

ELS promoted: 
Print awareness, print motivation, vocabulary, phonological awareness

Format:

Hardcover.


Author/Illustrator sites:
http://www.greenfield-thong.com/ /  http://www.gracelin.com/index.php

Categorization Tags:
E Thong
 

Annotation:

A Chinese girl points out different shapes around her multicultural neighborhood.

Reactions/Observations:
 Round is a Mooncake is set with an Asian theme which provides a multicultural background for this book about shapes.  A little girl points out different shapes around her neighborhood, home, and places she goes to with her family. She stealthily introduces  Chinese objects such as "dim sum" and "a calligraphy inking stone " among the shapes. I pulled this book for our Asian American Heritage Month display and was surprised that I enjoyed this book.  Every year adult students come in looking for "multicultural books". It's difficult coming up with a few that are appropriate for younger audiences AND are enjoyable to read.  Because it is a concept book with multicultural characteristics, I think it is a successful addition to the list of books they should be picking up.


My family and I lived in Hong Kong for the first 6 years of my life, so I appreciate the Chinese culture references. I also appreciated the interactive nature of the text.  The images are paired with some rhyming text promoting phonological awareness. Thong also begins a dialogue with her readers by asking if they can identify the shapes too.

Book Review: Animal 1 2 3

Book #43

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation: 
Animal 1 2 3.
By Britta Teckentrup. Illus. by author.
2012.  18p. Handprint Books, $12.99. (9781452109930)

Age Group:
Toddler to Preschool

Genre:
Fiction
 

Awards:
None listed.
 

Topics/Issues: 
Animals, Counting, Shapes
 

ELS promoted: 
Print awareness, print motivation, vocabulary, letter knowledge

Format: 
Lift Flap book
 

Author/Illustrator sites:

Categorization Tags:
E Teckentrup
 

Annotation: 
Using lift flaps, each page depicts different animals, shapes, colors, and sizes teaching the concept of counting.

Reactions/Observations:
Much like a board book, the "story" begins without an introduction but throws the reader into counting the animals.  The illustrations are bold and simple which easily attract younger readers. The front of the flap reveals the next number. Beneath it is a preview for the following number as well as animals to suggest the connection between the number and the number of animals.  Toddlers will enjoy the colors and the interactive lift flaps, but may not understand the significance of the numbers at first.  Preschoolers will understand and be able to use the additional images as memory cues to better learn the concept of counting.

Book Review: The Big Bigger Biggest Book

Book #30

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation:

The Big Bigger Biggest Book.

By SAMi. Illus. by author.

2008. 18p. Blue Apple Books, $14.95. (9781934706398) 

Age Group:

Toddler to Preschool

Genre:

Fiction

Awards:

Topics/Issues:

Size, Concept

ELS promoted:

Vocabulary, print motivation, narrative skills

Format:

Lift Flap Book

Author/Illustrator sites:

None listed.

Categorization Tags:

E Sami

Annotation:

Readers can lift flaps on every page and see what is the shortest, the fastest, the deepest, the tallest, the highest and the biggest.

Reactions/Observations:

Using minimal text, this book successfully discusses the concept of size and comparison as well as introducing adjectives, adverbs, and superlatives. Each spread of pages reveals a single word then builds upon it with imagery to illustrate the change from big, bigger, to biggest. Typical of SAMi, the illustrations are bold and easily attract the eyes of toddlers and preschoolers. The lift flaps are used well, depicting the change in an innovative way as well as holding the audience's attention with its surprising twists and turns.  

I found this book because one of the storytime attendees wanted to make a suggestion for my book selection for next week.  She took the time to "read" it to me. From first glance, I would have only tagged this book with vocabulary and print motivation but it was obvious from her storytelling that narrative skills should be included to. The illustrations are simple enough to tell her own story, but clear enough to show that a comparison is taking place.  My storyteller made sure to include what was the least and the most of every set of words. 

Book Review: LMNO Peas

Book #29

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation:

LMNO Peas.

By Keith Baker. Illus. by  author.

2010. 32p. Beach Lane Books, $16.99. (9781416991410 )

Age Group:

PreSchool to Grade 2

Ages 3 - 7 

Genre:

Fiction

Awards:

• ALA Notable Book,
• CCBC Choices (Cooperative Children's Book Council)
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List

Topics/Issues:

Concept, Alphabet, Occupations

ELS promoted:

Print motivation, print awareness, phonological awareness, vocabulary, letter knowledge

Format:

Hardcover

Author/Illustrator sites:

http://www.keithbakerbooks.com

Categorization Tags:

E Baker

Annotation:

Busy little peas introduce their favorite occupations, from astronaut to zoologist, in this unique alphabet book. 

Reactions/Observations:

The illustrations make this book a joy to read! Every page reveals new occupations and new letters. Although I have not read this book in storytime yet, I expect children to enjoy the unpredictable antics of the peas across each spread of pages. The rhyming text is great practice for phonological awareness.  Pre readers will enjoy being able to guess the different occupations by the different images. The occupation vocabulary is also a valuable feature of this text. Most children will not be exposed to this vocabulary in everyday interactions. Baker introduces complicated vocabulary effortlessly. I look forward to sharing this book in my preschool and family storytime. The book would be most appreciated by ages 3 to 7 years old. 

Book Review: Alphabet City

Book # 23

Book Image:

Bibliographic Citation:

Alphabet City.

By Stephen T. Johnson. Illus. by author.

1995. 32 p. Viking, $14.99. (9780670856312)

Age Group:

Toddler – Preschool

Genre:
Fiction

 Awards:

1995 Caldecott Honor Book

 Topics/Issues:

City, Alphabet, Concept

 ELS promoted:

Letter Knowledge, Print motivation, Print awareness

 Format:

Hardcover.

 Author/Illustrator sites:

http://www.stephentjohnson.com/

 Categorization Tags:

E Johnson

 Annotation:

Paintings of objects in an urban setting present the letters of the alphabet.

Reactions/Observations:

Alphabet City is a great concept book for depicting how the letters can appear everywhere in daily life around the city. The illustrations are realistic and surprising. They are very similar to photographs which are great for sharing the images found around an urban area. I think a more cartoon like appearance would not be able to stress the theme of this unique alphabet book. The only downside would be that because some of the letters are not as obvious, younger children may have difficulty identifying the letters. Children will have to look at the images from different perspectives to find the alphabet in all of these city images. Preschoolers will definitely enjoy it. Toddlers will too, but will have more trouble with the abstract imagery of the alphabet but will still enjoy the letter knowledge practice.