Annie and Helen

Annie and Helen
by Deborah Hopkinson
illustrated by Raul Colon

Annie and Helen follows the early relationship of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan.  The story incorporates excerpts of letters Annie sent to a former teacher to detail the challenges and triumphs that she encountered while first working with young Helen.  

This is a beautiful book about two very remarkable women!  I especially liked how the author included parts from letters that Annie wrote.   With simple text and large illustrations, this is a great introduction for younger readers to Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.   


Author's website: http://www.deborahhopkinson.com/

Lucky and Squash

Lucky and Squash
by Jeanne Birdsall
illustrated by Jane Dyer

Lucky and Squash are best friends, but a fence with a locked gate stands between the two dogs.   Determined to find a way to play together, the two dogs come up with a plan to make their owners fall in love.   Unfortunately, their scheme to bring their owners together does not go exactly as planned, and the two dogs find themselves in a dangerous situation!  Will their owners come together to rescue them in time?

Written by the author of the Penderwicks series, this is a cute, heartwarming story with a sweet, although predictable, ending!  I especially enjoyed the wonderful, detailed illustrations in this story.  

Although the story is fiction, the dogs themselves are based on real dogs!  Author Jeanne Birdsall's Boston Terrier was the model for Squash and illustrator Jane Dyer's Tibetan Terrier was the model for Lucky.   Check out author Jeanne Birdsall's website for a picture of the two real dogs!

Author's website: http://www.jeannebirdsall.com/

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!

Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! : A Sonic Adventure
by Wynton Marsalis
illustrated by Paul Rogers

Sounds are all around us!  Written by a renowned jazz musician, this story uses onomatopoeic words to  describe the numerous sounds a child encounters throughout his day, including the loud squeak of a door, the scratching of toast being buttered, and many musical instruments.

Full of large, engaging illustrations, this story will be a fun book to use when discussing how we describe the many sounds around us. 

Author's Website: http://wyntonmarsalis.org/

Chopsticks

Chopsticks
by Amy Krause Rosenthal
illustrated by Scott Magoon


Chopsticks were the best of friends.   Always together, the other kitchen utensils could not remember ever seeing them apart.   Then one day, while practicing a fancy culinary trick, one of the chopsticks broke!   While one chopstick was on the mend, the other reluctantly ventured out on its own to experience life as a single chopstick.   To its happy surprise, the chopstick found many new, exciting experiences.   When finally reunited, the two chopsticks were better than ever having both learned to be on their own!  

This humorous book teaches a valuable lesson about self-reliance and trying new things.   It is full of funny illustrations as well as many entertaining puns.   This will be a great read aloud to pair with one of Rosenthal's other stories, Spoon. 

Author's Website: http://www.whoisamy.com/
Illustrator's Website: http://scottmagoon.com/

Lemonade in Winter

Lemonade in Winter:  A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
by Emily Jenkins
illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Despite the snow and icicles outside, Pauline and her brother John-John ignore their parents' doubts and decide to go into the lemonade stand business!   They enthusiastically pool together their quarters, calculating the dollar amount they have to spend on their business.   After a trip to the store for the supplies, they begin to prepare lemonade, limeade, and lemon-limeade.    Standing outside in the cold waiting for customers, they soon learn different sales techniques, including advertising, decorations, and cutting their prices. At the end of the day they are initially disappointed to learn they did not make much money, but quickly find a fun way to spend the money they have left!

Lemonade in Winter is a fun book to use when talking about counting money.  Throughout the book, Pauline and John-John continue to calculate the money they have, the money they have spent, and the money they are bringing in from their sales.  The entertaining illustrations add to the humor of this fun, yet educational, story.  

Author's website: http://www.emilyjenkins.com/kidsbooks.html

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
by William Joyce
illustrated by William Joyce and Joe Bluhm

Morris Lessmore loved books.  Everyday he would write about his life.  But then one day the wind scattered everything, including all the words he had written.   He found himself wandering, encountering stories, and following the stories to a great building full of books for him to care for and share with others.   As he grew older the books cared for him until the final day when he flew off into the sky carried off by books, leaving behind his own story for others to read.  

This story  is a heartwarming tale demonstrating how the love of stories are shared across time.   The text is accompanied well by detailed illustrations ranging from black and white, representing the sadder parts of the story, to brightly colored pictures indicating the happier parts.  This is a beautiful  story that sends a wonderful message about the lifelong love of books.  

This story was actually originally created as an Academy Award winning short film before being adapted into a book!  Additionally, there is an iPad app available for this book that has gotten a lot of good reviews.   I have not yet used the app, however I recently watched of video demonstration of it and it certainly brings the book to life!

Book/film website: http://morrislessmore.com/

Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover

Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover
by Cece Bell

Rabbit is so excited about his friend Robot coming over for a sleepover!  Wanting his sleepover to be perfect, he creates a list of specific sleepover plans.  When his plans begin to fall apart shortly after Robot's arrival,  an upset Rabbit is convinced his sleepover is ruined.  Fortunately, for every thing that goes wrong,  a calm Robot has a great solution!

This funny book about two very unusual friends will be a great choice for readers who enjoyed the Bink & Gollie series.     It has shorter chapters, large font, and bright, funny illustrations on almost every page.   Rabbit & Robot is also a 2013 Geisel Honor Book, making it an excellent first chapter book for beginning readers. 

Author's Website:  http://cecebell.wordpress.com/

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's

On the Road to Mr. Mineo's
by Barbara O'Connor

It's summer vacation in Meadville, South Carolina and Stella has fallen into the same, boring, daily routine of spending her days playing cards with her friend Gerald.   Longing for something new to happen, she is excited to see a one-legged pigeon flying nearby and drags a reluctant Gerald along in her many attempts to catch it.  However, Stella and Gerald aren't the only ones looking for the pigeon.  Others have spotted it and soon this unusual pigeon is touching the lives of many people all over Meadville.

This is a warm, touching story with many funny moments.  I enjoyed the variety of unique characters in this story and how all of their different stories were tied together by this one pigeon. 

Author's Website: http://www.barboconnor.com/

Book Trailer:

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
illustrated by Joe Berger

After Mr. Tooting loses his job, he begins to drive his family crazy with a series of unusual home improvement projects!    Just when his family thinks things couldn't get any wilder, Mrs. Tooting brings home a dilapidated 1966 camper van home for her husband to work on.  Despite its poor condition, Mr. Tooting and son Jem successfully restore the van.   On a trip to purchase parts for their van, they discover an old-fashioned engine that they decide to use in their van.   However, once the engine is installed, the Tooting's camper van suddenly has a mind of its own!     The family soon learns that their unusual van has wings and is determined to fly them to places all over the world, including Paris and Egypt!    What does their unusual van want and where will it take them next?

I have not yet read the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming, but after reading this story I know what's next on my reading list!  I think of lot of readers will enjoy this story.   It is a wonderful combination of humor, fantasy and adventure!  I also recently learned that Frank Cottrell Boyce has followed this sequel with another book,  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time, so I am looking forward to reading that book soon as well. 

Book Website:  http://uk.chittyfliesagain.com/the-book.html

Because Amelia Smiled

Because Amelia Smiled
by David Ezra Stein

Because Amelia smiled, so did many others all around the world.   When young Amelia smiles,  a woman watching also smiles and decides to make cookies to send to her grandson Lionel in Mexico, who then shares the cookies with his class.   Soon Amelia's smile was indirectly affecting others as one act lead to another, all beginning with that first smile from Amelia and subsequently leading all the way back to a second smile from her in the end.   A delightful,  heartwarming tale of how one simple smile can touch lives of many all around the world. 

What a beautiful book!   The story is told using wonderful, engaging illustrations and short, simple sentences.   A nice story for discussing how one act of kindness can lead to another.

Author's website:  http://www.davidezra.com/

Goldilocks and Just One Bear

Goldilocks and Just One Bear
by Leigh Hodgkinson

When a bear strolling through the woods loses his way, he finds himself in a big city!  Needing a place to rest, the bear wanders into the ritzy, Snooty Towers apartment building and enters an apartment.   As he explores the apartment for "just-right porridge" he samples a variety of objects, including the pet goldfish, but none are just right!   A similar pattern follows as he searches for a good chair, humorously trying out a large cactus in his attempt to find a good place to sit!    After falling asleep in a comfortable bed, the bear awakens to the owners returning home.  As the bear comes face to face with one of the owners, both realize they have seen each other before, but many years earlier!

This was a cute, humorous sequel to the original Goldilocks story!   The pictures of Bear trying out various items in the apartment as he tried to find ones that were "just-right" were great and very funny.   I look forward to reading this as part of a Goldilocks unit with some of my classes!

Author's Website:  http://www.wonkybutton.com/

This is Not My Hat

This is Not My Hat
by Jon Klassen

When a very confident little fish steals a hat from a large, sleeping fish, he is convinced that he has gotten away with the theft!   What he doesn't know that the unhappy fish he stole the hat from has woken up and is quickly pursuing him to get his hat back!

This was a funny book that teaches a good lesson about stealing!    This is Not My Hat also recently won the 2013 Caldecott Medal, so it is full of amazing illustrations.   This book pairs well as a read aloud with Klassen's I Want My Hat Back.   I recently shared both books with my kindergartners and they loved them!  

Book trailer: 

The Friendship Doll

The Friendship Doll
by Kirby Larson

In 1927, 58  dolls were sent from Japan to America as a gesture of friendship and were exhibited all over the country.   One of these beautiful dolls was named Miss Kanagawa.   Author Kirby Larson gives Miss Kanagawa a voice in this historical fiction book.   As the doll travels the country, taking her job as Ambassador of Friendship very seriously, she meets and touches the lives of several children.  

What an amazing story!   As I read this book, I felt the need to do research of my own into the original friendship dolls.   Although the characters she meets in her travels are fictional ones created by the author,  the doll Miss Kanagawa did exist as one of the fifty-eight dolls that came to America in 1927.    I love when a book makes me want to learn more about something!

This is a great choice for readers who enjoy historical fiction as well as readers who enjoy stories where dolls or similar toys are important characters.   Readers who liked the story The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane will likely enjoy this book as well!

Author's website:  http://www.kirbylarson.com/