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  Ladybug Girl and Her Mama by Jacky Davis & illustrated by David Soman Ladybug Girl loves her mama, and can’t wait to spend the day with her. They plant flowers in the garden, share a special lunch, and enjoy a favorite movie. Together-time has never been so sweet. Just right for Mother’s Day! My …

The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn & illustrated by Jack Tickle Most ladybugs fly from place to place – but not the Very Lazy Ladybug! She would rather sleep all day and all night. But when she decides it’s time to move to a more comfortable place, she has to find some way to …

So, this week I am early.  Last week KBWT did not even happen. So, stop complaining ;)!

I can't remember how I stumbled across this superb story time website.  The Wielded Pen is amazing and I know I will use it again and again.  Here you will find story time plans for public and school librarians all complete and ready to use!!!!  The blogster, Dorothy, does such a wonderful job, too.  Preschool teachers, Sunday school teachers and homeschooling moms will also find The Wielded Pen enjoyable and useful.



And excellent children's book reviews are a major part of this blog.  So check out The Wielded Pen today.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a friend's almost-kindergarten classroom to do storytime. I read my book, Does an Elephant Fit in Your Hand?



And pulled out different props so they could see how tiny a dwarf gecko is, how huge an albatross' wingspan is, etc.

Then I read a few poems to them, too.

The next I time I saw my friend, she delivered a little stack of letters from the kids, and they were just too cute.

While one of the notes does mention that the drawing is of the ocean and all its animals (cute!), most of the decipherable notes were about love and friendship--a good reminder that even though you visit classrooms to share books, information, excitement about reading, etc., the way to do that is to connect with the kids themselves.









:>)

Hello, Baby! by Mem Fox, illustrated by Steve Jenkins.

Take two amazing children’s book creators and put them together and you get a treat like this book.  The book starts with a simple question, “Hello, baby!  Who are you?”  It moves from one animal guess to the next with each animal doing an action that children will love to imitate.  Fox has created a joyous bouncing verse that romps from one animal to the next with great merriment.  Paired with the amazing paperwork art of Jenkins, the book is taken to another level. 

As I read this book, my mind immediately heard the chorus of preschoolers pretending to be yawning hippos.  I also saw groups of children rolling their eyes like geckos.  Jenkin’s art is realistic and vivid.  The colors shout from the page and children will enjoy looking closely at the art even though it will project perfectly to a group.  Fox’s words are brief and lovely, perfect for sharing with toddlers.  At the same time there is a sophistication about the art and the verse that will make it of interest to older preschoolers as well.  This is most definitely not solely a toddler title.

Highly recommended as a great pick for toddlers and preschoolers.  But expect lots of animal actions and silliness along the way.  Appropriate for 2-5 year olds.