Peter Rabbit Lift-the-Flap Words, Colors and Numbers

Peter Rabbit Lift the Flap Words, Colors and Numbers, based on the original edition by Beatrix Potter, is an oversized board book that introduces young children to the story of Peter Rabbit.   A short part of Peter Rabbit’s story is told on the pages with an accompanying task (find the colors, etc.).   Its interactive features make the discovery of words, colors, and numbers fun as the flaps are opened to reveal the items listed in picture format.  We especially like that when the flap is opened, the word is also revealed, exposing children to written symbols for the colors and illustrations.  This is a fun book to add to your library!

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite picture?

*Can you find Peter in each picture?

One to Ten...and back again

One to Ten…..and back again is a fun, interactive book that helps children visualize numbers in a creative way.  The board book has cut out handles on each page to help children turn the page as the story is read.  Black and white looped moving ribbons are imprinted with various insects to represent each number.  As the brightly illustrated pages are turned, the ribbons reveal the insects.  After one to ten is counted through the pages, directions are given to turn the book around and upside down, revealing a reverse countdown back to one.  This book’s colors and fun in turning the pages just invites children to count and have fun.  The descriptive adjectives and verbs also add to the reading quality and visualization.  As your child learns to write, this book is a great one to pull out and use as a mentor text.  One to Ten…and back again would make a great gift for children learning to count (and write)!  Have fun!

Question Collection:

*Which insect do you like best?

*Do you like this book counting up or counting down better?  Why?

*What’s your favorite word in this book?

One Little Penguin and His Friends

One Little Penguin and His Friends, illustrated by Claudine Gervy, lets your child push and turn durable board book slides to answer questions about various Arctic animals.  The answers pop or slide up in a counting pattern to reveal the answers.  The simply drawn animals are fun to view as children have fun interacting with the book to find the animals.  This book is a great tool to introduce facts about Arctic animals.  We’ve found this book to be very durable through the years with lots of pushing and turning the slides.  We think your children will enjoy this book too!

Question Collection:

*Which animal is your favorite?

*Which animals have you seen?

*What’s the funniest part of the book to you?

A-B-C Look at Me

ABC Look at Me, by Roberta Grobel Intrater, is an ABC book that can be used by a wide age range of children.  An emotion is given for each letter of the alphabet, described in a rhyme, and depicted by a baby’s photograph illustrating that emotion.  The variety of baby’s faces in the book makes it interesting for babies and toddlers.  ABC Look at Me is also a great tool to use as children get older and try to identify their emotions.  Looking at the photographs and having an emotion to label that expression can lead to better communication between parents and children.  It’s also just a fun book looking at the babies’ photographs and reading the verses!  We hope you enjoy this book.

Question Collection:

*Which photograph do you like best?

*Which letter/emotion describes how you feel right now?

*Which emotions have you felt?

Read more children's ABC books here!

Come Rhyme With Me!

We love to read Come Rhyme with Me!, by Hans Wilhelm.  The author uses the alphabet to introduce animals via a rhyming pattern that’s completed by the reader.   Each two-line rhyme ends with a paper flap (with lines to indicate how many letters the rhyming missing word has) covering the rhyming word.  After the reader/listener has guessed the word, the flap can be lifted to reveal the correct word.  The rhymes are high interest and are illustrated by bright, humorous pictures.  This book invites interaction with the reader and listener.  It’s a great book to use to introduce children to rhyming in a fun way. 

Question Collection:

*Were some rhymes harder than others?

*Which picture did you like the best?

*Can you think of some other rhymes to add to the book?

Read more children's ABC books!

Alpha Bugs (A Pop-Up Alphabet)

Alpha Bugs, a pop-up alphabet by David A. Carter, is a fun, interactive book that young children will enjoy.  Each letter of the alphabet names an imagined bug described in alliterative terms.  The pop-ups used on each page will delight young readers as they operate the pop-up.  This book is a great gift for young children and their families.  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite bug?

*Which pop-up is your favorite?

*For older children:  Can you design a pop-up?

Read more children's ABC books here!

Knock, Knock! Who's There?

Does your family enjoy jokes and riddles?  We love laughing!  A good book to introduce knock-knock jokes is Knock, Knock! Who’s There?, by Tad Hills. Each knock knock joke’s question is printed on the left side of the book while the response is give on the right side.  The “who” portion is a flap that is lifted to reveal “who’s there” in the joke. The bright illustrations and large print are very appealing to children as they read through the book to discover the jokes.  This book really serves as a jumping off point for children as they learn more knock-knock jokes.  Enjoy some good laughs with your young child!

Question Collection:

*What’s the funniest joke to you?

*Were there any surprising jokes to you?

*Can you make up a knock-knock joke?

Hand Rhymes

Hand Rhymes, collected and illustrated by Marc Brown, is an interactive way to introduce simple rhymes to your young child. We love the way the simple illustrations accompanying each line help us act out the rhyme.  Some rhymes were familiar (Five Little Babies, The Church) to us, while others were new to our reading. This book is a fun way to make reading and memorizing more kinesthetic for children.  It’s also a great book for children who are learning to read to share their new skills with younger children.  Then they both can act out the rhymes.  However you enjoy this book, you’ll be able to have a set of rhymes which can also be used during those transitional times for children (waiting in grocery line, doctor’s office, etc.) so that you have a “literacy plan” when you need it!  Enjoy!

Question Collection:

*What is your favorite rhyme?

*Can you do one of the rhymes by yourself?

*Can you think of a rhyme that’s not in this book and figure out a way to make a hand rhyme to go with it?

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?

Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman:  A Musical Book (by Steve Nelson, Jack Rollins and Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh) is a fun way to start the Christmas season.  As you open the cover the Frosty the Snowman music plays.  Children enjoy opening and closing the cover as they learn about cause and effect.  The sturdy book has seen lots of reading and playing time in our home.  As the words become familiar it’s fun to “read” the story together.  We love reading and singing this book!

Question Collection:

*What do you decorate your snowmen with?

*What words rhyme in this story?

*What games would you like to play with Frosty?