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What Makes a Good Preschool Book?

All Through the Day

Castillo, Lauren Nana in the City
   40 pp. Clarion 2014. ISBN 978-0-544-10443-3

dePaola, Tomie Look and Be Grateful
   32 pp. Holiday 2015. ISBN 978-0-8234-3443-5

Fleming, Candace Bulldozer’s Big Day
   32 pp. Atheneum 2015. ISBN 978-1-4814-0097-8
Ebook ISBN 978-1-4814-0098-5

Golan, Avirama Little Naomi, Little Chick
   Illustrated by Raaya Karas.
40 pp. Eerdmans 2013. ISBN 978-0-8028-5427-8

Henkes, Kevin Waiting
   32 pp. Greenwillow 2015. ISBN 978-0-06-236843-0
Library binding ISBN 978-0-06-236844-7

Kanevsky, Polly Here Is the Baby
   Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo.
40 pp. Random/Schwartz & Wade 2014. ISBN 978-0-375-86731-6
Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-96731-3
Ebook ISBN 978-0-375-98785-4

Portis, Antoinette Wait
   32 pp. Roaring Brook/Porter 2015. ISBN 978-1-59643-921-4

ABCs and 123s

Browne, Anthony One Gorilla: A Counting Book
   32 pp. Candlewick 2013. ISBN 978-0-7636-6352-0

Carter, David A. B Is for Box: The Happy Little Yellow Box
   16 pp. Little Simon 2014. ISBN 978-1-4814-0295-8

Cousins, Lucy Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!
   32 pp. Candlewick 2015. ISBN 978-0-7636-7643-8

Fisher, Valorie I Can Do It Myself
   40 pp. Random/Schwartz & Wade 2014. ISBN 978-0-449-81593-9

Gehl, Laura One Big Pair of Underwear
   Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.
40 pp. Simon/Beach Lane 2014. ISBN 978-1-4424-5336-4
Ebook ISBN 978-1-4424-5338-8

Lobel, Anita Playful Pigs from A to Z
   40 pp. Knopf 2015. ISBN 978-0-553-50832-1
Library binding ISBN 978-0-553-50833-8
Ebook ISBN 978-0-553-50834-5

Martin, Bill, Jr Ten Little Caterpillars
   Illustrated by Lois Ehlert.
40 pp. Simon/Beach Lane 2011. ISBN 978-1-4424-3385-4

Ohmura, Tomoko The Long, Long Line
   40 pp. Owlkids 2013. ISBN 978-1-926973-92-0

Families

Atinuke Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus!
   Illustrated by Lauren Tobia.
32 pp. Kane/Miller 2015. ISBN 978-1-61067-367-9

Blackall, Sophie The Baby Tree
   40 pp. Penguin/Paulsen (Penguin Young Readers Group) 2014. ISBN 978-0-399-25718-6

Child, Lauren The New Small Person
   32 pp. Candlewick 2015. ISBN 978-0-7636-7810-4

Dominguez, Angela Santiago Stays
   32 pp. Abrams/Abrams Appleseed 2013. ISBN 978-1-4197-0821-3

Dyckman, Ame Wolfie the Bunny
   Illustrated by Zachariah OHora.
32 pp. Little 2015. ISBN 978-0-316-22614-1

Shannon, George One Family
   Illustrated by Blanca Gómez.
32 pp. Farrar/Foster 2015. ISBN 978-0-374-30003-6

Shea, Bob Dinosaur vs. Mommy
   32 pp. Disney/Hyperion 2015. ISBN 978-1-4231-6086-1

Wells, Rosemary Use Your Words, Sophie!
   24 pp. Viking 2015. ISBN 978-0-670-01663-1

Yum, Hyewon The Twins’ Little Sister
   40 pp. Farrar/Foster 2014. ISBN 978-0-374-37973-5

Bedtime

Choldenko, Gennifer Putting the Monkeys to Bed
   Illustrated by Jack E. Davis.
32 pp. Putnam 2015. ISBN 978-0-399-24623-4

Ebbeler, Jeffrey Click!
   32 pp. Holiday 2015. ISBN 978-0-8234-3295-0

Farrell, Darren Thank You, Octopus
   40 pp. Dial 2014. ISBN 978-0-8037-3438-8

Fox, Mem Baby Bedtime
   Illustrated by Emma Quay.
32 pp. Simon/Beach Lane 2014. ISBN 978-1-4814-2097-6
Ebook ISBN 978-1-4814-2098-3

Ray, Mary Lyn Go to Sleep, Little Farm
   Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal.
40 pp. Houghton 2014. ISBN 978-0-544-15014-0

Sakai, Komako Hannah’s Night
   Translated by Cathy Hirano.
32 pp. Gecko 2014. ISBN 978-1-877579-54-7

Saltzberg, Barney Chengdu Could Not, Would Not Fall Asleep
   48 pp. Disney/Hyperion 2014. ISBN 978-1-4231-6721-1

Shaw, Nancy Sheep Go to Sleep
   Illustrated by Margot Apple.
32 pp. Houghton 2015. ISBN 978-0-544-30989-0

Zoboli, Giovanna The Big Book of Slumber
Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani.
32 pp. Eerdmans 2014. ISBN 978-0-8028-5439-1

These titles were featured in the December 2015 issue of What Makes a Good…?

The post Books mentioned in the December 2015 issue of What Makes a Good…? appeared first on The Horn Book.

Castillo, Lauren Nana in the City
   40 pp. Clarion 2014. ISBN 978-0-544-10443-3

Visiting Nana in the city, the unnamed child narrator is initially unreceptive to the appeal. “The city is busy…loud…[and] filled with scary things.” Nana promises to show her young visitor that “the city is wonderful — bustling, booming, and extraordinary,” and their tour the following day does just that. The simple, meaningful text is well served by richly detailed watercolors conveying a bustling city.

Subjects: Preschool; City and town life; Family—Grandmothers; Emotions—Courage

dePaola, Tomie Look and Be Grateful
   32 pp. Holiday 2015. ISBN 978-0-8234-3443-5

DePaola’s rouse from sleep is a gentle one, asking readers to “open your eyes, and look.” The text remains quiet, moving from its opening imploration to a suggested response: “Be grateful, for everything you see.” The brief handwritten text on peachy-beige paper is accompanied by the simplest of images: a child, a flower or two, one of the artist’s signature doves.

Subjects: Preschool; Emotions—Gratitude

Fleming, Candace Bulldozer’s Big Day
   32 pp. Atheneum 2015. ISBN 978-1-4814-0097-8 Ebook ISBN 978-1-4814-0098-5

Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. On his “big day,” Bulldozer can’t wait to invite his friends to his party: “Guess what today is!” The other construction vehicles appear too preoccupied with work to guess. “No friends. No party,” sniffs Bulldozer. Of course, there is a party; everyone’s secretly been constructing a giant birthday cake. Engaging text will keep story-hour audiences invested; block-print illustrations feature trucks with loads of personality.

Subjects: Preschool; Birthdays; Parties; Vehicles—Trucks; Construction

Golan, Avirama Little Naomi, Little Chick
   40 pp. Eerdmans 2013. ISBN 978-0-8028-5427-8

Illustrated by Raaya Karas. This clever book tells two stories, one about a preschooler named Naomi, the other about a little chick. Left-hand pages describe Naomi’s day, with tidy spot art at the bottom of the pages illustrating the activities. Meanwhile, on right-hand pages, Little Chick’s day on the farm unfolds in expansive, comical illustrations. Several visual elements gracefully unite these two worlds of play.

Subjects: Preschool; Animal babies; Schools—Preschools; Animals—Chickens; Animals—Domestic animals; Books in translation

Henkes, Kevin Waiting
   32 pp. Greenwillow 2015. ISBN 978-0-06-236843-0 Library binding ISBN 978-0-06-236844-7

Waiting is a huge part of every child’s life, and Henkes uses a light touch to address the topic. Five toys, outlined in brown and filled in with muted colors, wait on a windowsill. Time passes slowly through seasons; small changes in body positions and eyes show a range of emotions. A straightforward text sets up predictable patterns with small surprises, while the design is varied to create momentum.

Subjects: Preschool; Toys; Behavior—Patience

Kanevsky, Polly Here Is the Baby
   40 pp. Random/Schwartz & Wade 2014. ISBN 978-0-375-86731-6 Library binding ISBN 978-0-375-96731-3 Ebook ISBN 978-0-375-98785-4

Illustrated by Taeeun Yoo. Readers follow a baby’s full day in a city neighborhood from wake-up (“Here is the baby. And a bright morning sun”) to bedtime, complete with a library outing (“Here is the lady. She reads to the children”), stroller nap, and playground time, all supervised by a low-key dad. The text’s “here is” pattern is reassuring and concrete. The mixed-media illustrations are steeped in cozy imagery.

Subjects: Preschool; Babies; Family

Portis, Antoinette Wait
   32 pp. Roaring Brook/Porter 2015. ISBN 978-1-59643-921-4

A mother rushes her toddler through busy city streets. He stalls to look at everything they encounter. This tension plays out over several spreads illustrating the same refrain: “Hurry!” / “Wait.” As their train’s doors begin closing, he insists on one last pause — for a brilliant rainbow. “Yes. / Wait.” Predictive details in the accessible illustrations add richness to this story about appreciating simple pleasures.

Subjects: Preschool; City and town life; Family—Mother and child

From the December 2015 issue of What Makes a Good…?

The post Recommended Preschool Books: All Through the Day appeared first on The Horn Book.

As a result of the baby boomlet of the late 1980s, we saw subsequent picture book publishing grow, not just in sheer numbers of new titles but in the expansion of the traditionally preschool genre’s reach into books intended for older children and even adults. In this edition of What Makes a Good…? we go back to basics and back to preschoolers, starting things off with five questions for a grandmaster of the picture book, the 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner Tomie dePaola.

Roger Sutton
Editor in Chief

From the December 2015 issue of What Makes a Good…?

The post From the Editor – December 2015 appeared first on The Horn Book.