Book Review: Falling for Rapunzel

Falling for Rapunzel.By Leah Wilcox. Illus. Lydia Monks. 
2003. 32p. Putnam, $15.99. (9780399237942)
 

Format: Hardcover
Age Group:Preschool to Gr2

Genre:Fiction

Awards:Oregon Book Award: Nominee 

Subjects/Themes: Fairytale, Princess

ELS promoted: 
Print motivation, phonological awareness, narrative skills
 

Annotation:
A prince wants to rescue Rapunzel from her tower, but being too far away, she throws out everything out the tower window including her maid. 

Reactions/Observations:
Rapunzel lives in a tall tower. The prince wants to rescue her, but she can't hear his requests to throw down something to help him upstairs.  She throws down everything but the kitchen sink and finally throws out her maid too. Using rhyme, Wilcox tells a fractured fairy tale with hilarious twists and turns. After everything has come flying out the tower window, Prince runs off with the maid only for readers to find out that there was back door to the tower. There was no need for all the tribulations. The artwork is playful and expressive. The rhyming text is paired well so children are able to see how the words rhyme. Also, because the story is based on an already existing fairytale children are able to predict what happens but will be surprised at how the story ends. This is one of my favorite books for storytime. I've read it for all ages of storytime, but it works best for preschool and up.

Book Review: The Easter Bunny's Assistant

 

The Easter Bunny's Assistant.By Jan Thomas. Illus. by author. 2012. 38 p. Harper Collins, $12.99. (9780061692864)

Format: Hardcover
Age Group:Toddler to Kindergarten
Genre:Fiction
Awards:None listed.
Subjects/Themes: Holiday, Easter, bunny, skunk
ELS promoted:Print awareness, Print motivation, Narrative Skills, Vocabulary

Annotation:
The Easter bunny and his special assistant demonstrate how to make Easter eggs.

Reactions/Observations:
The Easter Bunny has a new assistant! Unfortunately it's a skunk. The skunk stinks up the room every time he's happy about something. And making Easter eggs make him exuberant. Easter Bunny's nose is in trouble. Will Easter Bunny and skunk figure out a way to work together? In this super simple story, Jan Thomas weaves another interactive tale for her readers. In simple steps, the Easter Bunny explains to readers how to make Easter Eggs. The illustrations are heavily outlined and rely on fart humor. The latter guarantees it as a success for all ages.  Toddlers and preschoolers will especially giggle for hours about Easter Bunny's talented but stinky assistant.

Book Review: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar.By Eric Carle. Illus. by author.1984.32p. Philomel, $21.99. (9780399208539)

Format: Hardcover
Age Group:Toddler to Kindergarten
Genre:Fiction 

Awards:American Institute of Graphic Arts Award in 1970
Selection du Grand Prix des Treize in France in 1972
Nakamori Reader's Prize in Japan in 1975.
New York Times "Ten Best Picture Books of the Year" in 1969.
Subjects/Themes: Metamorphosis, change

ELS promoted: Print motivation, print awareness, narrative skills, vocabulary
 

Annotation: 
A hungry caterpillar eats his way through everything until he becomes a butterfly.
 

Reactions/Observations:
A little caterpillar eats through a lot of food until he becomes a cocoon. When he wakes up, the very hungry caterpillar has become a beautiful butterfly. Children will see the step by step process of metamorphosis, allowing them to practice their narrative skills to remember or retell the story. The illustrations are high contrast and easily get the attention of younger readers.  The holes in the pages are playful and show how the caterpillar has eaten through everything. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic. Most parents will remember it and will be able to share it with their own children. 

I recently read this for a family storytime.  Although the majority of the audience was older than the ideal audience for this book, they enjoyed it.  They knew the book by heart which made storytime feel more like they were telling me the story than the other way around.

Book Review: A Soup Opera

A Soup Opera.By Jim Gill. Illus. by David Moose. 2009. 32p. Jim Gill, Inc, $24. (9780981572109)

Format: Multimedia
Age Group:Preschool to Gr2
Genre:Fiction

Awards: 2010 Notable Children’s Book & Recording Award — American Library Association

Subject/Themes: Soup, Opera

ELS promoted:Print motivation, phonological awareness, narrative skills

 

Annotation: This book is about a man and his frustrating quest to eat a bowl of soup.

Reactions/Observations:
This book is about a man and his frustrating quest to eat a bowl of soup. The illustrations are humorous and interesting.  Parent and children must listen to the accompanying CD or sing along to fully enjoy the humor of this unique story.  

Gill gives young audiences their first taste of opera. In its simplest form, it serves as a great sample. The soup opera tells the drama of a man and his bowl of soup set to music. As a drama, the storyteller and audience will become familiar with narrating this story in song. Song is a creative way to hear the simple sounds in the words. This book is unbelievably fun to read and encourage audience participation.  Children and parents will be able to experience the joy of reading together with this book.

Book Review: Knufflebunny

Knuffle Bunny.By Mo Willems. Illus. by author.2004. 40p. Hyperion, $16.99.(9780786818709)
 

Format: Hardcover
Age Group:Toddler to Kindergarten  

Genre:Fiction 

Awards:2005 Caldecott Honor

Publishers Weekly Editors Pick

Publishers Weekly Bestseller

Irma Black Medal Winner

Charlotte Zolotow Honor,ALA Notable Book

 Borders Original Voices Best Children’s Book

Book Sense Book of the Year Honor

IRA Children’s Choice

Child Magazine Best Book

New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing Quills Nominee

2005 Texas Library Association’s Texas 2 X 2 Reading List

Nick Jr. Magazine Best Book

CCBC Choice Book 2005

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon 

School Library Journal Best Book

2004 Horn Book Fanfare

 Kirkus Reviews 2004 Editor’s Choice

Capitol Choices 2005, Borders’ Original Voices Selection (Sept. 04)

Book Sense 76 Selection

Joseph-Beth Booksellers Book of the Year

Miami Herald Best Book

 Kansas City Star Best Book

Entertainment Weekly’s Must List

Real Simple Magazine Best Book

Borders “Read To Me” Best Book

Chicago Public Library 2004 Best of the Best Book

Junior Library Guild Selection

School Library Journal Book of the Week

 Family Fun.com Best Book 2004

Subjects/Themes:  Lost and found possessions

ELS promoted: Print motivation, phonological awareness, 

Annotation: 
A trip to the laundromat becomes a disaster when Trixie struggles to tell her father that they've left a very important something behind.
 

Reactions/Observations:
 Trixie heads to the laundromat with her father, but leaves a very important stuffed animal behind: Knuffle Bunny.  She struggles to tell him, but being a toddler does have its limitations.  Somehow dad finally gets it and they race back to the laundromat to save her beloved Knuffle Bunny.

When Trixie babbles, readers are practicing phonological awareness by listening and manipulating the smaller sounds in the words. The illustrations use mixed media, giving it a vintage feel as if these events are part of a scrapbook. Parents will sympathize with dad and recognize the toddler body language. Children will identify with Trixie, will have the upper hand over Dad's inability to understand, and be ecstatic when Knuffle Bunny and Trixie finally find each other again.  Both parents and children will enjoy reading and rereading this book.

Book Review: Ten Little Fingers Ten Little Toes

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.

By Mem Fox. Illus. by Helen Oxenbury.
2008. 34p. Harcourt, $16.99 (9780547366203)

Age Group: Baby to Toddler
Genre: Fiction

Awards:New York Times bestseller lists for 18 weeks in 2008/2009

 September 2009 it was on the top of Oprah’s list of best books for children aged 0-2. 
Subjects/Themes: Babies, Toes, Fingers

ELS promoted: Print motivation, phonological awareness
Format: Picture book

Annotation: 
Rhyming text compares babies born in different places and in different circumstances, but they all share the commonality of ten little fingers and ten little toes.
 

Reactions/Observations:
This book uses rhyming text to share a poem about babies from around the world and the families that love them. Fox repeats the phrase that each baby has ten little fingers and ten little toes.  The repeated stanza creates a rhythm for the book. Oxenbury's illustrations are warm and friendly. Each of the stanzas introduces new babies but incorporates the babies from the previous stanzas. Readers are able to deduce their international backgrounds from the clothes they are wearing. 

This book is great for babies and toddlers alike.  Parents are able to interact with their child and the book by pointing out their fingers and toes to the child. The pictures and the actions in the poem keep the focus of the book on the child. I highly recommend this book as a must have for any nursery.  

Book Review: Dinosaur vs. the Potty

Dinosaur vs. The Potty.
By Bob Shea. Illus. by author.
2010. 40p. Disney Hyperion, $15.99. (9781423133391)

Age Group:Toddler to Preschool
Genre:Fiction

Awards:

Topics/Issues: Potty training

ELS promoted: Print motivation

Format: Hardcover

 

Annotation: 
Dinosaur doesn't need to use the potty. He makes lemonades, runs through the sprinklers, and splashes through puddles. He even does a victory dance, but is it really for victory?
 

Reactions/Observations:
 Dinosaur stubbornly refuses that he does not need to use the potty. He claims he wins every time he doesn't have to go, until his victory dance turns into the potty dance. Children will sympathize with Dinosaur and cheer him on so he can ultimately make it to the toilet. The text is large and loud. The illustrations are simple yet enthusiastic. This book will be a good addition to a potty training book list.  It's different yet will definitely become a favorite. 

I've read this one in toddler and preschool storytime.  They enjoy the dinosaur's tantrums and  cheer him on when he finally does need to use the bathroom. Children will like the humor but understand what Dinosaur's going through. Parents will enjoy throwing a tantrum to tell this story to their little ones.