Raindrop, Plop!

Raindrop, Plop!, by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, is a cheerful book about a little girl having fun in the rain.  Pam Paparone’s bright, colorful illustrations add to the enjoyment of the rhymes that use counting forward and backward to tell the story.  We also enjoy poring over each picture to point out the details.  Each time we read it there’s something new to discover in the illustrations.  What a fun book to read on a rainy day!

Question Collection:

*What do you like to do on rainy days?

*Is there anything in this book that reminds you of your house or yard?

*Do you remember what kinds of animals are in the book?

Otis

Otis, by Loren Long, is a heart-warming story about a friendship between a tractor and a calf.  There are also other lessons to be learned from Otis the tractor.  Through the story a child can learn about change and never giving up.  This is a book that can grow with a child as he/she learns more about the world.  As you read this you’ll be cheering for Otis as he demonstrates true friendship.

Question Collection:

*How does Otis show his friendship?

*How does the calf feel about Otis?

*What do you think the farmer learned in this story?

First The Egg

First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, is a fun book that takes a simple concept and stretches the imagination.  Cleverly placed cut-outs give hints about what comes next, such as first the egg, then the chicken. Each item follows this pattern with a surprise ending!  The simplicity of the book lends itself to the child memorizing the words but still marveling at how one thing leads to another.    We enjoy this book and re-read it periodically.  It’s a book that has become part of our conversations when we’re talking about other subjects.  We hope you enjoy it too!

Question Collection:

*Which illustration is your favorite?

*Are there other things you could think of to add to this story?

*Did the story turn out like you thought it would?

Goodnight, Baby

Goodnight, Baby, illustrated by Ana Larranaga, is an interactive book for toddlers and preschoolers.  Rhymes tell the story of each mama animal who needs to tuck in her baby for the night.  Each section has an opening to tuck in the baby animal (attached by a ribbon in the spine of the book).  Children have so much fun tucking in the babies!  This is a great book for bedtime reading---you can end up tucking in your baby too. 

Question Collection:

*What kind of bed does each baby have?

*Which animal do you like best?

*Can you make the sound of the animal as we tuck it in?

The Baby's Book of Baby Animals

The Baby’s Book of Baby Animals, by Kay Chorao, is a beautifully illustrated collection of thirty-six poems and nursery rhymes about baby animals. Each page contains amazing, fun pictures for a child to enjoy while listening to rhyme. This is a book that can be enjoyed time and time again.  After repetition children will start “reading” the pages on their own.  This book was a gift to our family.  It has provided hours of great reading fun!

Question Collection:

*Which poem is your favorite?

*Which animal is your favorite?

*Which page do you think is the prettiest?

*Which page do you think is the funniest?

*Is there a rhyme you can say on your own?

Hooray for St. Patrick's Day

Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day, by Joan Holub, is a fun look at various traditions we celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day.  Children enjoy the colorful illustrations and the lift the flap book format to find fun expressions of each tradition.  This book is easy enough for young readers to read aloud, especially using the short glossary found on the back cover.  We hope you enjoy reading this book this month!

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite St. Patrick’s Day tradition?

*What new traditions did you learn from this book?

*Are there any new traditions you would like to try? 

My Tooth is About to Fall Out

Do you have any children with loose or missing teeth in your home?  My Tooth is About to Fall Out, by Grace Maccarone, is a fun book for young children to hear and read as they’re experiencing the loss of their baby teeth.   The scenarios reflect the questions children have as they think about losing their teeth.  We learned from the reassurances provided by the simple narrative.  This would be a great book for the Tooth Fairy to leave!

Question Collection:

*Where do you think the girl’s next tooth is going to fall out?

*How many teeth do you have right now?

*Can you draw a picture of your teeth?

Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham is one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books!  We love the repetition, the rhyming, and especially the persistence of Sam.  The lesson is also a great parent “tool” as trying new foods or activities might prove difficult for a child.  We point out the phrase “I do not like them” was repeated until he tried them.  But most of all, we think reading the book is just fun! As we approach the birthday of Dr. Seuss, this is a great time to re-read this book for the sheer enjoyment of it. 

Question Collection:

*Can you repeat some of the rhyming words from the book?

*How would you describe Sam?

*Is there anything you thought you didn’t like until you tried it?