It’s no secret that I love a good parody. But Mo Willems’ Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (©2012) isn’t a good parody, it’s a great one. Three dinosaurs – Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway – decide one day to make up […]
Samantha Kingston thinks she has a pretty perfect life. She and her best friends Lindsay, Ally, and Elody are four of the most popular girls in school and she’s dating the hottest guy around. But when a Friday night spent partying ends in a fatal car wreck, Sam wakes up […]
“A little old lady’s attempts to have pancakes for breakfast are hindered by a scarcity of supplies and participation of her pets.” Tomie dePaola’s Pancakes for Breakfast (©1978) was one of my favorite books when I was in preschool. I “read” this wordless picture book over and over again, and […]
Left to her own devices by her preoccupied parents, Coraline Jones is exploring her family’s new home when she discovers a small door that opens onto a brick wall. Later, when she returns to the mysterious door, the bricks have vanished. Coraline crawls through the narrow passage and ends up […]
Today is the official first day of autumn! There are so many books that celebrate this beautiful time of year, but my favorite is A Friend for All Seasons(©2006) by Julia Huberry and Mei Matsuoka. The star of this charming story is young Robbie Raccoon, who lives with his mother […]
The Popcorn Book (©1978) by Tomie dePaola was one of my childhood favorites. The story begins when twins Tony and Tiny get a hankering for some popcorn and head to the kitchen. While Tony gets cooking, his brother does some reading on the subject. Tiny and Tony read and learn […]
Princess Elizabeth had it all: a castle, fancy clothes, and a handsome fiancé named Prince Ronald. When a fire-breathing dragon smashes her castle and kidnaps the prince, Elizabeth decides to go and rescue him. With all of her clothes burned to ash, the princess is forced to wear a paper […]
Back in June, my friend Melissa gave birth to beautiful baby boy named Connor. Baby Connor has a three-year-old sister, but because I think that Connor deserves a little library all his own, I decided to find some great titles (written for kids 5 and under) perfect for any little […]
One chilly Chicago night, Will Grayson meets the last person he expected to meet: Will Grayson. These two teens may have the same name, but their similarities seemingly end there. Will Grayson Number One lives with a steadfast desire to stay under the radar. This is a constantly difficult task […]
Press Here (©2010) by Hervé Tullet is no ordinary picture book. The first page contains one yellow dot and instructions to press it. The rest of the book continues in a similar manner. Follow the directions. Turn the page. Be delighted. The magic of Press Here is its utter simplicity. […]
