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(Apologies for the delay. We experienced treacherous weather yesterday in the greater Washington D.C. metro area, and our computers were turned off for some time for their safety.) 

I’m definitely a summer person. These last two winters have been the first in which I’ve experienced snow, as much as you get in Northern Virginia (which is more than enough for me). Spring and fall are definitely lovely, and I can appreciate them in a way I never could when I lived in Louisiana and Texas.

The opening of seasonal farmers’ markets is one of my eagerly anticipated signs of summer. I’m spoiled in that I’m within walking distance of a Saturday farmers’ market; as much as I love fresh apples in the fall, I adore fresh blueberries, peaches, and strawberries in the summer. In tribute to the delicious treats at farmers’ markets and the people who make them possible, I offer these succulent stories:

Blueberries for Salis longer than most books I use for toddler storytime, but I can’t resist it for this theme. I had several very young toddlers in my Wednesday storytime, and I heard nary a peep during my reading. I’m sure you know the story, so I won’t bore you with it. It’s definitely a timeless classic.

Lois Ehlert is a longtime favorite; her Market Dayfits in perfectly with a fruits and vegetables theme. The storyline is simple; a family packs up their goods for a market day. However, the illustrations, photos of Ehlert’s personal folk art collection, with a few items donated by friends, make this a striking and vibrant addition to your storytime.

Consider these other titles:

Pickin’ Peas by Margaret Read MacDonald

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming

Please tell us about your favorite picture book(s) about summer fruits/vegetables.

Books Mentioned:

Ehlert, Lois.  Market Day. San Diego: Harcourt, 2000.

McCloskey, Robert.  Blueberries for Sal.  New York: Viking Press, 1948.

Animal-themed storytimes are plentiful. Tons of picture books, tons of fingerplays, and tons of ideas for crafts/activities. If you’re looking for something more exotic than dogs and cats, an alligator storytime might be in store.

What would you do if an alligator slipped inside your house, with only your siblings to share in your terror? You’d be plenty scared, wouldn’t you? That’s exactly the situation in which three young siblings find themselves when an alligator invades the homefront. Eventually, the kids get tired of all the scary alligator stuff.  Snip, Snap! What’s That? is one of the first stories I read to my toddlers when they can handle slightly longer storylines; it’s an excellent balance of suspense and humor.

If you give a kid a saxophone, you should expect noise. Lots of noise. Unfortunately, Miles’s parents can’t take the noise any longer and banish him outside, which doesn’t endear them to the neighbors.  Miles and his Swamp Band find an encouraging audience in the swamp, including an alligator who has dinner plans with the band.  Boisterous scenes will make Mama Don’t Allow a highlight of your storytime.  

Imagine you’re a frog. You’re doing what any normal frog would do: relaxing on a log and gorging yourself on a generous array of bugs and insects. Naturally, you get a little fatter. Not so naturally, the log on which you are resting moves.

A Frog in the Bogis one of the longer “counting” books that I read to my toddlers.  Don’t let the length of the book dissuade you from including it in a storytime; the many opportunities to create a spirited reading (editorial comments on the frog’s diet) and the refrain of “And the frog grows a little bit bigger” combined with the wild ending make this a fun choice for toddlers and preschoolers. 

Any awesome alligator tales you’d like to share?

Books Mentioned:

Bergman, Mara.  Snip, Snap! What’s That?New York: Greenwillow Books, 2005.

Hurd, Thacher.  Mama Don’t Allow.  New York: Harper & Row, 1984.

Wilson, Karma.  A Frog in the Bog.  New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003.

Memorial Day is fast approaching, and with that means the end of summer, outdoor barbecues, and for children’s/YA librarians, summer reading program time! If you’re planning a summer-themed storytime, consider adding these books to your repertoire.

 Patterned after Gertrude Stein’s famous quote from her poem, Sacred Emily (”A rose is a rose is a rose”), Summer is Summeris a joyous celebration of the ordinary things that make summer great: “A bee is a bee is a bee/a tree is a tree is a tree/Cool in the shade/Pink lemonade/Summer is summer is summer.” Dandelions blowing in the wind, fishing off a log, baseball games (”rain or shine/baseball time/summer is summer is summer”), building sandcastles, and a nighttime boardwalk create an atmosphere of a long, lazy, and carefree summer. The children will enjoy the rhythmic text and bright illustrations, while adults will undoubtedly become nostalgic about their own childhood summers.

Preschoolers and kindergartners would probably appreciate Come On, Rain! more than toddlers, I couldn’t resist not including one of my favorite summertime books. Growing up in the New Orleans area definitely makes you appreciative of a summer shower and a sweating glass of iced tea, especially when it’s been several days since rain. The young girl in this book is just dying for a rainstorm. Tess begs her mother for permission to wear her swimsuit; eventually, her mother relents, just in time for a big rainstorm. Tess and her friends romp in the rain; their spirit inspires the drained adults to rejoice in the rain. Karen Hesse’s text and Jon J. Muth’s illustrations brilliantly evokes the effect a merciless summer day can have and the sheer fun of playing in the rain. I adore this book.

Do you have any favorite summer-time themed books?

Books Mentioned:

Gershator, Phillis and David.  Summer is Summer.  New York: Henry Holt, 2006.

Hesse, Karen.  Come On, Rain!  New York: Scholastic, 1999.

Raise your hand if you haven’t done a dog-themed storytime.

Right.  I didn’t think so.  The chances that you are already very familiar with the books in this post are extremely high. ”Books about dogs” are probably a popular request at your libraries, and there are plenty of great read aloud dog books. However, it’s always fun to discuss well-loved books, so all is not in vain.

Bark George, by Jules Feiffer, is one of my long-time favorite read alouds.  It’s perfect for toddler humor: they are well aware of the fact that a dog is supposed to “arf/ruff” and not “meow,” “quack-quack,” etc.  The growing frustration of George’s mother is aptly captured in the droll illustrations.  The surprise ending will conclude your storytime with a roomful of laughter.

I enjoy Lisa Kopper’s Daisy books, but Daisy is a Mommy is my favorite.  Taking care of babies, both human and canine, is a lot of work (however, human mommy has the additional task of taking care of canine mommy Daisy as well).  Getting the babies’ breakfast, bathing, and keeping them entertained wears out the moms (and babies), so everyone eventually settles onto (human) mommy’s bed for a well-deserved rest.  This is a sweet but very short read aloud, useful for a bridge between two longer stories.

If you’re a fan of Trashy Town, you’ll definitely want to check out Dig!  Instead of picking up trash, our hero, Mr. Rally, is the mastermind behind a very powerful yellow backhoe.  Mr. Rally and his faithful canine helper, Lightning, have a busy day ahead of them: moving dirt and rocks at a construction site, shaping a hill, clearing a landslide, digging a hole for a pool, and leveling a site at the zoo. This is a sure bet for those construction-crazed toddlers in your storytime; don’t be surprised to see this one check out.

I could go on with more dog books, but I’d love to know your favorites!

Books Mentioned:

Feiffer, Jules.  Bark, George.  New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1999.

Kopper, Lisa.  Daisy is a Mommy.  New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1997.

Zimmerman, Andrea and David Clemesha.   Orlando: Harcourt, 2004.

Although trains and train travel might not be as glamorous as it used to be, train books still hold a lot of appeal for toddlers.  Here are some books that will get you on the right track:

If you enjoy incorporating audience participation and  a variety of funny voices, you’ll want to check out And the Train Goes… by William Bee.  “Here is the station all noisy and full, and the station clock goes tick-tock, tickety-tock…” We see the station master calling out, “All aboard who are coming aboard…” the whistle blowing “woo-woo, woo-woo,” and the train going “clickerty-click, clickerty-clack.”  Of course, these are all expected noises associated with trains.  However, on this train you’ll hear businessmen shouting, “Faster faster! Time is money, time is money,” a few ladies who lunch chattering, “Lovely cake, Doris, lovely tea, Mabel…” and at the end, a station parrot who repeats all the clangs, clatter, and chatter in an empty station.  Your younger audience members will get a kick out of this very noisy and silly picture book (and it’s great fun to read aloud).

The power of imagination is the theme of Robert Burleigh’s It’s Funny Where Ben’s Train Takes Him. A fabulous train ride awaits Ben after he steps into his own train picture.  Ben’s train takes him past horses browsing on hills, a mountain peak covered with snow, over a river, through a town, among other places.  Watercolor illustrations add depth and vibrancy to the gentle text.  This is a terrific read aloud, especially if you have an evening storytime.

The fun and anticipation of train watching is evoked in Charlotte Voake’s Here Comes the Train.  A father and his two young children await the arrival of a train, which seems to be the highlight of their Saturday morning bike ride.  We watch them waiting for the train, meet other folks walking across the bridge (or waiting for the train’s arrival), and finally, see the signal light change to green.  “William shouts, ‘Here it comes…HERE COMES THE TRAIN! Louder and louder, nearer and nearer, it comes! Sparks shoot out from its wheels! All the children wave like crazy.” The text is economical, but Voake cleverly captures the simple pleasures of a Saturday morning adventure with Dad.  Consider this if you do a “daddies” storytime for Father’s Day.

Books Mentioned:

Bee, William.  And the Train Goes…Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2007. 

Burleigh, Robert.  It’s Funny Where Ben’s Train Takes Him.  New York: Orchard Books,

1999. 

Voake, Charlotte.  Here Comes the Train.  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1998.

Tell us about your favorite train books!

It doesn’t matter if your storytime attendees are urban, suburban, or rural-a farm storytime offers many possibilities for great read alouds.

Farmers have to get up early.  It’s just the nature of the job.  However, I’m sure that some mornings are easier than other mornings.  This is the fate that has fallen upon the farmer in When the Rooster Crowed; for whatever reason, he just needs a little more time before starting the day.  However, the animals are hungry, and the farmer’s wife has breakfast ready.  He promises them five more minutes, then a few more minutes….one more minute…half a minute! However, the animals (and his wife) are not waiting (and making it abundantly clear).  Finally, the farmer hops out of bed, dresses, milks the cow, feeds the other animals, and then sits down for breakfast. Whew! What a morning! 

This is a quick read; each page has 1-2 sentences per page.  However, ample opportunities for making animal sounds will invite children to moo and cluck along with you; and shouting “Albert!” when the farmer’s wife calls him for breakfast will probably elicit giggles.

While there are quite a few picture books about animals who make the “wrong” animal sound, Denise Fleming’s The Cow Who Clucked is one of my favorites. Poor Cow has lost her “moo”; apparently, someone else is missing her “cluck”, because this cow is clucking away.  Off she goes in search of her “moo.”  She meets an assortment of animals-Dog,  Bee, Cat, etc-but none of them has her moo.  At sunset, she returns to the barn and passes a very dejected looking hen.  “Moo, moo” says the hen. Aha!  Cow’s moo has been found!

Like many of Denise Fleming’s books, this is a simple story with bright, bold, and expressive illustrations.  With an abundance of animal noises and the mystery behind Cow’s lack of “moo,” this will be one that will probably find its way into the hands of a toddler or parent after storytime.

A visit to a cousin’s farm is eagerly anticipated in Michael Garland’s My Cousin Katie.  Our nameless narrator describes the many exciting things and activities that Katie experiences on the farm; the rooster crowing in the morning, gathering eggs for breakfast, feeding the animals, weeding the patch, helping her father fix the tractor, to name just a few of the activities. 

This is a gentle and heartfelt look at the many activities on a farm, the novelty of a visit, and a friendship between two cousins.  I used it as a bridge between the previous two stories in order to not have two “animal sounds” stories in a row. 

(I also read Margaret Wise Brown’s Big Red Barn, but you already know about that book!)

What are your favorite books about farm life/farm animals?

Books Mentioned:

Brown, Margaret Wise Brown.  Big Red Barn.  New York: Harper, 1956. 

Fleming, Denise.  The Cow Who Clucked.  New York: Henry Holt, 2006.

Garland, Michael.  My Cousin Katie.  New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1989.

Lillie, Patricia.  When the Rooster Crowed.  New York: Greenwillow Books, 1991.

A green thumb is not required for enjoying these reads!

Who owns the beautiful garden in Mary Ann Hoberman’s Whose Garden is It?  That’s the very question asked by Mrs. McGee, who happens upon a lovely garden during her daily stroll.  The proud gardener introduces himself as the gardener, and boasts that no one is allowed in his garden without his permission, which allows him to keep it in tip-top shape.  He’s in good spirits today, so he allows Mrs. McGee to wander through his garden. 

The gardener returns to his weeding, but not without noticing that he is missing some lettuce.  Perhaps that’s due to the rabbit that lives in the garden (and who seems rather indignant that the gardener claims the garden to himself). 

However, the woodchuck believes that the garden, in fact, belongs to him.  So do the bird, the worm, the wasp, the butterfly….and so do the many other small animals that make their home in the garden.  Even the seed, whispering beneath the ground, makes his voice heard to Mrs. McGee. 

Whose Garden is It? is a gentle and beautiful exploration of a colorful and very busy garden.  It fosters an appreciation for the small but significant animals (and seeds, soil, rain, sun, etc) that help maintain the growth of the garden. 

Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole is a variation of the “This is the House That Jack Built.”  “This is the garden that Jack planted.”  We see a very confident and proud Jack standing in the soil.  A variety of gardening tools are labeled: watering can, hoe, hose, trowel, garden claw, and so forth.  “This is the soil that made up the garden that Jack planted.”  We get an in-depth view of the many animals that live in or on the soil: cicada, beetle larva, slug, and even a star-nosed mole.  We see the seeds, the rain (including the labeled cirrus cloud and rain gauge), the seedlings, the plants, the buds, the flowers, the insects “that sipped nectar from the flowers that blossomed from the buds….”, the birds that chase the insects, and finally, the beautiful young garden planted by Jack, with a little help from his friends. 

The text is simple and works well as a short read aloud.  However, the real delight is in the illustrations and the labeling of the tools, insects, flower parts, birds, and so on.  This is not a uncommon combination in picture books focusing on a particular concept; however, doing so can result in  very crowded and overwhelming illustrations.  Jack’s Garden is not one of those books; Henry Cole has created an admirable balance between the labels, illustrations, and text.  

Many picture books about gardens seem to take place in suburbs with plentiful acreage, and usually cultivated by Caucasians.  Eve Bunting’s Flower Garden pays tribute to the small but very loved window gardens found in city apartments.  We meet a young African-American girl and her father shopping for flowers at the supermarket; after checking out, they ride the city bus (”garden sitting on our laps/people smile at us!”), peopled by the many ethnic groups that make up a city and transfer the flowers to the garden box (”garden in a window box high above the street/where butterflies can stop and rest and ladybugs can meet”).  This is a very special garden box, for its meant as a birthday present for the girl’s mother.  The little girl watches as the candles are lit (we see her mother opening the door in the background), and see her mother’s surprised and delighted face when she sees the windowsill garden.  The last illustration is of the entire family gazing at their lovely new garden, highlighted against the backdrop of the city’s skyscrapers.

This is definitely one you want to include in a garden storytime; the illustrations by Kathryn Hewitt are spectacular, and the excitement felt by the little girl in creating her own little corner of nature in the big city is delightful.  Flower Gardenis an adorable and important balance in a garden-themed storytime.

Other stories to include:

Planting a Rainbowby Lois Ehlert

Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors by Petr Horacek (takes place in a garden, reinforces the concept of colors, and has a fantastic butterfly pop up at the end: your toddlers will love it!)

Tell me about your favorite garden picture book!

Books Mentioned:

Bunting, Eve.  Flower Garden.  San Diego: Harcourt Brave Jovanovich, 1994.

Cole, Henry.  Jack’s Garden.  New York: Greenwillow Books, 1995.

Ehlert, Lois.  Planting a Rainbow.  San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.

Hoberman, Mary Ann.  Whose Garden is It? San Diego: Gulliver Books, 2004. 

Horacek, Petr.  Butterfly, Butterfly: A Book of Colors.  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press,

2007.

Hop on over for some toddler-pleasing books featuring a variety of rascally rabbits.

Yes, So Happy!has a cute little rabbit in it.  As I was reading it, I imagined the variety of storytimes in which this terrific book could be used; a multicultural storytime, a weather storytime, a “books about moms” storytime, a flowers and garden themed storytime….many possibilities! Boredom and curiosity force a young boy and a young rabbit to find something to do.  The young rabbit lets his curiosity get out of hand, and he ends up lost.  Suddenly, the skies open and the rain pours down.  The young boy, energized by the rainstorms, rushes out into the rain.  He sees the rabbit, which is unable to cross the swollen creek.  The young boy builds a bridge for the surprised rabbit, which hops home to its family. 

Meanwhile, a water-starved seed is sprouting.  While all this action is going on, the seed grows buds and leaves, then blossoms into a beautiful flower. 

This very simple story is beautifully illustrated by Anita Lobel, who invokes the brilliant colors of Central American (I’m guessing) art and landscape.  This is a quiet story, but it held the attention of everyone in my toddler group.

I am a fan of Kane/Miller books, and While We Were Out is no exception.  A family neglects to look the apartment door, which provides ample opportunity for a rabbit to sneak in and cause some major mischief while they are away.  This little rabbit enjoys a meal at the family table, catches a movie, discovers new uses for chopsticks, looks at books, among a multitude of tasks.  After such a busy day, it’s time for a good night’s rest.  The following morning, rabbit scurries off before the family returns, satisfied that they won’t suspect a thing (actually, as the next illustrations show, they might wonder….and be a little grossed out).  This amusing story from South Korea is definitely one to consider if you are faced with an abundance of too-cute bunnies.

Have I posted about The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds? It’s very possible, since it was one of my favorite picture books of 2007.  While it is a story that centers around bedtime, it is a tad more exciting than your everyday bedtime story.  These three small bunnies are absolutely not ready for bedtime.  Oh, no! They’d rather play with their trains, play cowboys, march along with their musical instruments, and generally do anything but go to sleep.  Just when Mama and Daddy think all is calm and peaceful, earth-shattering noises break the peace.  Mama and Daddy admonish the bunnies very calmly at first, but eventually their patience wears a little thin!  This is a fun book to share with storytime groups, but the small jokes in the illustration are unfortunately lost (Dad’s sports page reads “5k Upset! Tortoise Beats Hare!” and another illustration show the parents enjoying carrot cake).  Last year, one of our young patrons enjoyed the book so much that his mother eventually bought him his own copy after multiple checkouts.  What more praise do you need?

When I announced the title of this final book in storytime, I think a few parents thought this would along the lines of Beatrix Potter’s Farmer McGregor.  No rabbits were harmed in the writing of Rabbit Pie.  Instead, it’s a very short story of a patient mama rabbit bathing and feeding her active brood.  The illustrations are large and in soft colors; each page contains one sentence (approximately).  This and So Happy! balance the longer stories of The Bunnies Are Not in Their Bed and While We Were Out.

Books Mentioned:

Henkes, Kevin.  So Happy!  New York: Greenwillow Books, 2005.

Ives, Penny.  Rabbit Pie.  New York: Viking, 2006.

Lee, Ho Baek.  While We Were Out.  La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller, 2003.

Russo, Marisabina.  The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds.  New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2007.

Did I miss your favorite rabbit reads?

“Rain, rain, go away” was what quite a few of us in northern and central Virginia were thinking last night! In the spirit of yesterday’s rainy and windy weather, I offer a selection of rain-themed books sure to sweep away those rainy day blues.

Rain makes many different sounds.  It can go “drip drop” or “plip plop,” but it can also “ping ping pingading” on a tin roof, “whoosh and hiss” on a highway, and “bup bup bup bup” on an umbrella.  In Mary Serfozo’s Rain Talk, the many different sounds of raindrops are described to us by a young African-American girl in a yellow flowered sundress.  She delights in the rain as it pours down around her; eventually, her mother calls her in.  After supper, bath, and bedtime stories, she drifts off to sleep as the rain “drum-a-tum-a-Drum[s]” on the roof. The following morning brings bright sunshine, with the hope of spying a rainbow.  Although there is not much story to the book, children will be drawn to the rain sounds and the playfulness of our young friend.  Be sure to practice this one before storytime; you may stumble over the rain sounds.

Remember the fun of jumping into puddles? Jonathan London delightfully captures the simple kid-pleasure of puddle jumping in his aptly titled Puddles.  Nighttime brings fierce thunder and rain, but daytime brings sunshine and puddles.  Mama warns them to stay away from puddles in order to not get wet. It’s not long before our two young siblings discover “[P]uddles! Big one, little ones, long ones, skinny ones–pieces of sky on the ground.  It’s time to puddle-jump! Splash splash splash!” All right!

Not only are there puddles, but there’s mud that slups, worms that squirm, frogs playing in the pond, and on the way home from the great outdoor adventure are more puddles. “It’s time to puddle-jump again! We can hit every puddle from the pond to the meadow-splash splash splash!” Of course, this excursion has made these two rascals very wet, so it’s off to hot baths and hot chocolate….before they run outside for more puddles.

I adore this book! These two little guys are so innocently mischievous that it’s difficult to not cheer them on.  Not only is it a great rain-themed book, but it’s a wonderful celebration of children exploring nature.

Once, there was a water hole.  The animals came to the water hole to quench their thirst, to bathe, and to meet fellow members of the species.  Eventually, the water hole was no more, and the animals went away.  However, a raindrop fell.  It was joined by many other raindrops, providing much needed water for the animals, who were back at the old watering hole.

The Water Hole contains a multitude of goodies; gorgeous illustrations of exotic and/or well-known animals, a counting theme, and a very brief explanation of the rain cycle.  While there are amusing comments sprinkled throughout the story, omitting them from your read aloud will not detract from the story (older children will appreciate the asides).

Some songs-to-story books succeed, while others fail to make a satisfying read aloud.  Maurie J. Manning’s The Aunts Go Marching clearly falls into the former category.  The book opens quite calmly with a two-page illustration of a preschool girl in a jaunty yellow raincoat and hat marching and playing the drums down the street, accompanied by her small white dog and her patient-looking aunt.   We also see other similarly-aged women emerging from their townhouses while opening their sturdy black umbrellas. 

The aunts go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!

The aunts go marching one by one, hurrah! Hurrah!

The aunts go marching one by one

The little one stops to bang on her drum

And they all go marching down to the town

In the rain, in the rain.

Rat a tat-tat! Rat a tat-tat! Ba-rump, ba-rump, ba-rump!

And so it goes.  The (multiethnic) parade of aunts marches down the street, while the little one stops to do a variety of things. 

The illustrations *make* this book.  While it’s a fun read aloud to a crowd, this is undeniably one that benefits from one-on-one close inspection and interaction.  Whether it’s an aerial illustration of the aunts marching nine by nine, the antics of the dog, or the interaction between an aunt and the child, the illustrations practically demand that you spend some time gazing at them. This is one of my “new” favorites.

 Do you have any favorite rainy-day themed books?

Books Mentioned:

Base, Graeme.  The Water Hole.  New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2001. 

London, Jonathan.  Puddles.  New York: Viking, 1997. 

Manning, Maurie J.  The Aunts Go Marching.  Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press, 2003.

Serfozo, Mary.  Rain Talk.  New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1990.