Book Review: Always By My Side

Always By My Side by Susan Kerner

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Tear-filled Smiles

Recommends for readers of Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Your Moon, My Moon: A Grandmother's Words to a Faraway Child by Patricia MacLachlan

Summary: Children share ways to remember their fathers in rhyming text.

Review: The story begins with a very young child looking out the window answering the unasked question, "Where's your daddy?" His answer is lyrical, "He's in me and around me, never far away."

The illustrations depict a vibrant range of children, both emotionally and ethnically. Each finds a way to see their fathers everyday in the nature and people who surround them. The book is a gentle approach to death. The final scene of the book shows the same little boy from the beginning sleeping next to a photo of his father. I love the continuity of ending with the same character and the sense of peace it creates.

Sensitive Readers Beware: This book may bring up lots of questions about death, it did with my 4-year-old. If you are not ready to breach this subject, you may want to save reading this book until that time comes.

Review: Dinosaur Countdown

Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Smiling Deinonychus

Recommends for readers of 1-2-3 Dinosaurs Bite! A Prehistoric Counting Book by the American Museum of Natural History, Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons and Inside-Outside Dinosaurs by Roxie Munro.

Summary: Count to ten with lots of happy dinosaurs.

Review: The best parts of Dinosaur Countdown are the numerous smiling dinosaurs. Most of the books you find on the shelf about dinosaurs are realistic to the point of being a little bit scary. The other extreme is having dinosaurs that look nothing like any fossils ever found. I'll never forget when I shared a magnet board tale of ten dinosaurs in storytime and a little enthusiast shouted, "Those aren't REAL!!!"

Children can learn to count to ten with realistic, friendly dinosaurs. My favorite part of the book is the 0/none page where fossils are shown. I would have rated this book higher if the pronunciations were included on the page. They are included in the back (on my Kindle version), but it's difficult to flip back and forth. My storytime anecdote should serve as a warning, you definitely want to pronounce everything correctly!

Sensitive Readers Beware: No objectionable material.

Review: Snorkeling with Sea-Bots!

Snorkeling with Sea-Bots! by Amy Lemke

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Wave-Making Robots

Recommends for readers of Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, Stone Rabbit series by Erik Craddock and Mighty Mighty Monsters series by Sean O'Reilly.

Summary: Kolten meets an underwater robot named Rip at the beach. Rip shows Kolten his home.

Review: Snorkeling is a delightful read with vibrant illustrations.  It will be a great introduction to graphic novels as it is easy to navigate. I'm often intimidated by the layout of graphic novels and move them to the pile of Daddy read-alouds.

The large illustrations and sparse text make this an excellent conversational book to explore "reading" the pictures. Small children can work on their narrative skills, while those a little bit older will enjoy the robots and oceanic humor. Didn't you know the waves, bubbles and mysteries of the sea are controlled by underwater robots?

Fun Extras: There are three activities at the end of the book to extend reading. Fabulous!

Sensitive Readers Beware: None. Good read for all ages. This would be a fun book to read with the whole family.

Storytime: Openings for 2- & 3-year-olds

Last year, I shared my opening songs for all my storytimes. I'd like to start sharing my entire storytime for 2s and 3s each week. It makes more sense to talk about the opening separately as it stays the same.

I fell into my job as a children's librarian, so I didn't have much training in that aspect of librarianship. In all honesty, I was pretty clueless when it came to storytime. I had never attended one and didn't have any children at the time. As I worked at a small branch library, I didn't have the fortune of learning from veterans, either. My professional shelf of manuals was a life-saver, though I didn't know it at the time.

After I read one manual, several years into my career, I devoured them all and even asked for the library to order more. Storytimes for two-year-olds by Judy Nichols changed the way I planned storytime.

Opening

1. Come with me! entering the story space and getting settled

I use a train whistle to alert parents and children it is time to enter the storytime room.

This doesn't look like the one I use, I just love ladybugs!

I hold the door open and welcome everyone, by name to practice for our song, and ask them to have a seat on the big puzzle we use as mat. After everyone is in, I make my way to the front and shake my tambourine while singing "Hello, Everybody".

2. Look at me! refocusing toddler's attention on you

After singing, I introduce myself and say we are going to have fun, tell stories, sing songs and play games. "But the first thing we do, so you can be super good listeners today is pass out the listening dust." I use a homemade wand with ribbons to sprinkle it in their hands. The ribbon tickles.

3. Do with me! a participation activity done with you

"The More We Get Together" is a classic song I didn't use for the longest time because I thought it was a cliche. That's just silly! It's so popular because it's a fantastic song that screams childhood. The children pat their legs with me for the first verse, then we sing all their names and finally do a super fast verse that ends in giggles. I didn't realize it at the time, but the other libraries in town use a version of the song, too. One branch uses a Caribbean version and the other a hip-hop one.

4. Watch me do! directing children's attention elsewhere yet still under your control

I use a simple flannel board activity to introduce the theme for the day. So for community helpers, I'd put up a letter flannel and ask them what it is. Then, I'd put up the mailman piece and ask what a person is called who delivers the mail. Then, I'd put up the word.

And that routine is the one I use each week. Please read Judy Nichols' book for more ideas and explanations of each  one as well as thematic books and ideas. 

Book Review: The Stinky Giant by Ellen Weiss

Teachers are huge fans of these Step into Reading books, but I've never given them much stock. They serve their purpose of giving children the confidence to read on their own. They help with practicing the mechanics. Unfortunately, many of the Step book characters come from television shows or movies like Barbie, Cars and various other Disney films.

I can see the appeal of using books with characters children are familiar with, but as a librarian, it makes me cringe. I often suggest Frog and Toad books or Amelia Bedelia books as alternatives. Dr. Seuss Easy Readers are my favorites by far.

I didn't realize until this book the Step books also come in classic stories or retellings. The Stinky Giant reads like a classic fairy tale. The main characters are shepherds and live a happy life, except for one problem. The giant who lives on a mountain above their pasture is rude, mean and causes catastrophes by sneezing, burping and doing his laundry.

The children, being the heroes of the story, climb the mountain to confront the giant about his bad behavior. Like all good fairy tales, they make a bargain with the bad guy. He will move away to a location of their choosing, IF they can figure out his riddle. "There is something you see every day, and it is one thing but also three things."

New independent readers would enjoy this book for it's challenging vocabulary and plot. They may identify with the main characters, who are the victims of a bully. When they figure out the riddle, they will be eager to explore the answer on their own. I'll be looking more carefully at these Step books when helping parents find beginning readers, now.

Book Review: How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan

I had lots of good books to review today like Kali's Song by Jeanette Winter, What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World by Maya Ajmera and I'll Save You Bobo! by Eileen & Marc Rosenthal. However, I chose to share How to Babysit a Grandpa, because I saw my Bobo in it.

"Babysitting a grandpa is fun-- if you know how. When your grandpa rings the doorbell, what should you do? HIDE!" Through the window of the first illustration accompanying the above lines, you see a little bottom peaking out from behind the chair. Each page has tips, like how to stay quiet while hiding:

1. Pretend you're a shark waiting for lunch
2. Act like a pirate spy
3. Be as still as a lion statue 

The pirate spy is very Bobo. The grandson also dresses up in several costumes (very, very Bobo).

I have several favorites from this book. In the Snacks for a Grandpa section, olives served on fingertips. In the How to Entertain a Grandpa section, show off your muscles. In the How to Say Goodbye to a Grandpa section, give him a hug and a kiss, a hug and a kiss, a hug and a kiss then ask, "When can I babysit you again?"

The text made this book for me. The illustrations are bright and remind me of David Shannon with a bit more polish. The expressions on the grandpa and grandson's faces are just right. I've added this one to my Grandpas book list.

Book Review: Oh No, GEORGE! by Chris Haughton

It's another Marvelous Monday book review where I tell you about a book I just received at the library. Oh No, GEORGE! by Chris Haughton is a story about a dog. Harry asks George to be good while he is out. George promises to be good. When faced with temptation though, George can't keep his promise.

The story has a nice rhythm that would work well with a large group. When faced with something George LOVES, we see the face on the cover and the text, "What will George, do?" The following page is a two-page spread of the mischief with "Oh no, George!" I can definitely hear little voices shouting the line along with me.

When Harry gets back, George is sad he's disappointed the little boy. What will George do? "I'm sorry," George says. Harry forgives him and they take a walk to the park. Uh-oh, there's more of George's favorite things. Do you think he has learned his lesson?

Chris Haughton is an Irish writer and illustrator who now lives in London. I love the European phrases in the story like "well done." This is the first book by Haughton we've purchased and I love the large, colorful illustrations. The characters have very expressive eyes! 

Book Review: Crazy Concoctions by Jordan Brown

This week's book review is in response to questions I've received about science experiments. Where do I get my ideas? The answer is easy, from books of course! For the past month, Bobo and I have been using the Crazy Concoctions guide.

Like all experiment books, it is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Thus, I judge each science book on organization, content and ease-of-use. The book's strongest quality is organization. There are six, color coated chapters. Bobo could choose what type of experiment he wanted to do by the colors on the side of the page. Each experiment has an ingredients list, steps, explanation and fun facts.

Slime and Goo, Totally Gross, That's Gas-tastic!, Crazy Colors, Incredible and Edible and Create Your Own concoctions are the chapters that make up this book. Each chapter has several experiments varying in difficulty. Bobo can't read on his own, yet, so I read the experiments for him. I'm not sure what age this book is for because the illustrations are youngish, but the language is challenging (for my non-scientific brain). It also has funny comments in the margins, which remind me of Origami Yoda.

I could easily use this book for the experiments we do each week. Bobo could choose an experiment based on the illustrations provided. Some of the experiments call for ingredients you may not have on hand, like Pop Rocks or Mentos and Diet Soda. So if Bobo chose one, we'd have to run to the store before we could complete the project.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found experiments I hadn't seen before and old favorites. My only complaint is that I couldn't find the experiment on the right of the cover (the orange fizzy one). Bobo really wanted to do that one.

I'll share an experiment we did from the book later on today. Most of them are very messy, so I didn't always take pictures. It's hard to hold a camera when your hands are covered in Gooey Glop.

Book Review: Dinosaur VS. The Potty by Bob Shea

I don't necessarily review new books coming out, but I had to review a Dinosaur VS. book since The Potty just came out as a board book. Yay for durability! Yay for books that can go in the bathroom without fear of retribution from the librarian! Yay for Dinosaur!

"Dinosaur is a little red dinosaur who might remind you of a toddler you know," said Bob Shea, author of the Dinosaur books. In Dinosaur VS. The Potty, Dinosaur drinks lots of lemonade without using the potty. Dinosaur wins! Then, Dinosaur plays in the sprinklers without using the potty. Dinosaur wins! As we all know, Dinosaur can't defeat the potty forever. Read the book to find out what finally gets Dinosaur into the bathroom.

Shea's picture books have large illustrations with sparse, hilarious text. They are perfect to read with a large group of toddlers, after encouraging them to roar like a dinosaur of course. The board book version is wonderful for little hands to view "by myself." Best of all, Dinosaur faces some of the same situations as toddlers such as bedtime and the library.

As a delightful surprise while researching Bob Shea for this review, I discovered his fabulous sense of humor.

Here's a photo of a bear I fought this one time. I totally won. Yeah, I know, I'm pretty brave. --Bob Shea

Book Review: Whoa, Baby, Whoa! by Grace Nichols

Cute book, right? WRONG! The book is a litany of NO's. The first page shows an adorable baby getting into mommy's purse. "Woah, baby, woah!" No distractions or alternatives for this baby, instead he's constantly berated with NO's. He can't go in the kitchen, tear up newspapers or climb on stacks of books. He can't splash in the bath tub, play with his food or make a mess with spoons.

Basically, baby cannot do anything that is appropriate for his age. He can't explore his world. He doesn't have a trusted caregiver to explore with him and keep him safe. Instead, he has a horde of naysayers. Poor, baby!

I thought, at least the illustrations are beautiful, until I realized the baby has the same beatific smile on each page. He has the same expression after hearing NO over and over. What baby reacts this way? Show me a baby with a range of emotions, please.

I wish the book was more like the last spread, "Go, baby, go!" Children learn through exploration and crave encouragement. I'm not sure what a child would learn through this book. If it is just for enjoyment, what is enjoyable about hearing no? I say, no thank you.

Book Review: A You're Adorable by Martha Alexander

During story hour, I dish out praise and compliments with a smile and applause. It is so wonderful to see a child's face glow with recognition and acceptance. We clap for listening and following directions. I praise for creativity and enthusiasm. How often do you do the same at home?

With a room full of children, it is great to have a list of positive words to praise with listed in your mind or on paper. Give each child a unique compliment. You can do this at home by reading books like A You're Adorable, which gives a characteristic for most of the letters of the alphabet. The bold letters in the illustrations are coupled with soft depictions of children and animals. "'A' – You're Adorable" is a popular song with music by Sidney Lippman and lyrics by Buddy Kaye and Fred Wise. It was published in 1948. In 1969, Sesame Street covered the song. My favorite character makes a cameo!

Book Review: Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney

It's a llama llama book! These are some of my favorite books to share with my son. They seem to capture preschoolers in their prime. They at least address the phases preschoolers all go through. It started with llama llama red pajama. Llama llama had a hard time falling asleep and was afraid of the dark. Then, llama llama was mad at mama. This one is my favorite, because my son's first tantrum happened at the grocery store. The face on the front could be Bobo's face! Llama llama went to school in llama llama misses mama. I can relate with leaving Bobo with his grandparents while I go to work. He stills asks if I'll be back to pick him up later. My second favorite is llama llama holiday drama. Holiday shopping is no fun for llama llama.

In llama llama home with mama, llama llama is sick. He can't go to school and has to take yucky medicine. After his nap, he starts to feel better but mama llama starts to feel bad. Sharing germs happens with every family. It is so sweet for your little one to take care of you.

As always, the illustrations are fabulous. They tell the story even more than the words. A preschooler will be able to "read" the story all on his own. The text is large print and rhyming. The rhythm is perfect. Can I have them all?

Book Review: Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

If you heard a squeal of delight in the library today, it wasn't coming from the children's area. It was coming from the back, where I finally got my hot little hands on Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Lois Ehlert.

I'm a Ehlert fanatic, so there is no surprise that I love this book. The big surprise was that I love it even more than its predecessors: Eating the Alphabet, Planting a Rainbow and Color Zoo. Bill Martin Jr. adds zest with his rhyming, lyrical text. From the beautiful cover to the last pages of large numbers accompanied by illustrations. It is the perfect storytime book.

Book Review: Thank You, God, For Mommy by Amy Parker

Panda mama and baby are potrayed throughout this board book as a loving family. They have adventures, swing, clean up messes, share a meal with their family and snuggle together to sleep. These are all things mothers do everyday with their little ones. The message throughout is thanking mothers for being mothers.

I wasn't going to post a review for this book, because I didn't care for it. I liked Thank You, God, for Daddy so much better. The rhyme in the verses of the Mommy book were strained. One of the illustrations didn't make sense with the story and seemed out of place. The library only purchased this book, though, so I gave it another look.

The baby in the book is probably one year old. He is walking, but still needs a lot of help from mama. He needs help falling asleep, which leads to my favorite verse in the book:

Thank You, God, for Mommy
And lullabies so sweet-
The rhythm of her beating heart
Can sing me right to sleep.

I probably would have loved this book a year ago, because I would have instantly related to the mama panda. I would have still been rocking my little one to sleep while singing to him. What a difference a year makes?


The main characters of Amy Parker's second board book are lions. The lion cub is a little older than the baby panda. He is a toddler, around 2 years, and he wants to be just like daddy. Bobo and Daddy could be the characters in this book.


I wish I could add the artwork from the first spread. It shows the father and son with capes made from blankets. The next page shows the father measuring the son's height. These are actions that I see happening right now in my son's life. I believe that is the main reason I prefer the Daddy book. However, the verse flows more smoothly than the Mommy book. The rhymes seem more natural. Plus, I find the lions more flattering than the fluffy pandas.

Book Review: What's Special About Me, Mama? by Kristina Evans

The first element that drew me to this book was the artwork on the cover. As you may recall from my post for Eric Carle, collage is my favorite form of illustration. It adds texture and dimension to the book without being easily damaged (like pop-up and lift-the-flap books). I did a little research about the illustrator, Javaka Steptoe and discovered he uses "found art" or everyday objects in his work.

The second element, and first line of text, that made me pick up this book was the title. The first spread poses the question, "What's special about me, Mama?" with the little boy peeking over the arm of the chair at his mama. All you can see are his eyes. There is something so endearing about this moment, and every parent can relate to this type of question. The mama's answer is also one parents all over the world have said: "So many things, Love."

Everything about your child is special to you, so it is difficult to choose just one or two things. The little boy in the story makes it more of a challenge by asking the mama to choose things unique to him, characteristics he doesn't share with any other family members (mother, father, aunt). The final answer may surprise you, but it will definitely touch your heart.

Share this book with your only child, a child expecting to be a big brother or sister or one who already is a sibling. For a project after reading, find objects in your house that can be used in a collage. Try the recycle bin and under the couch, first. Paint the items with bright colors and glue them to a piece of paper, planter or coffee cup for a keepsake as unique as your child.

Book Review: Monsters Eat Whiny Children by Bruce Eric Kaplan

If the title of the book intrigues you, you probably have a small child at home. Or perhaps, your little one loves monsters like my son. Henry and Eve are the main characters who are going through a whiny stage. Their father warns them, if they continue, a monster will come and eat them up. Henry and Eve, of course, do not believe him and continue with their complaints and bad attitudes. Eventually, a monster does capture them and takes them to "the bad side of town." After much arguments between the monster and his wife plus the neighbors, Henry and Eve stop whining and escape. The book ends with the children behaving well, but "to tell you the truth" they still sometimes whine.

I chose this book from the library's new shelf because I hoped to combat my son's new fondness for highly nasal and sometimes deafening conversations while playing to his love of all monsters. When I read it to him word for word, he was intersted in the monsters but ignored the whiny children. When his dad made his own rendition of the story, as he usually does, Bobo was terrified. Instead of the children escaping, they were devoured by the monsters. Needless to say, we had a sleepless night after that ending.

As a whole, this book is better suited for older children who understand the difference between real and make believe. It is understandable to try to associate a consequence with an action, but being eaten by monsters may not be the best one. Most of the reviews of the book agree it has humor better suited for parents rather than children. The illustrations are simple line drawings with little color. The large pages have lots of white space and the text is littered with dialogue.

Book Review: Big Wheels by Anne Rockwell

Construction books are fascinating for 2 and 3-year-olds. They show how everything works. My son (2) is in love with Big Wheels by Anne Rockwell. He is a frequent visiter of construction sites and a relative expert on "BIG TRUCKS." Rockwell uses illustrations to demonstrate the job of each construction vehicle in bright colors. She adds an element of whimsy by using pigs as the people who drive these trucks. The text is simple and is printed on white space left at the bottom of the illustrations.

If you are looking for even more construction books (and if you have a toddler, I know you are) try: Easy street by Rita Gray; Dig, Dig, Digging by Margeret Mayo; or Curious George and the Dump Truck by Margret and H.A. Rey.

Book Review: Pumpkin Moon by Tim Preston

Halloween can be a scary time for a child. Pumpkins seem to be a safe topic to introduce your child to the fall season and the holiday. My son, who just turned 2, is fascinated with the moon. Tim Preston's book is the perfect story to relate something safe, like the moon, with something new, like Halloween.

The story takes place on October 31st. It shows children dressed up, making Jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating. The real story takes place after all the children have gone to bed. Then, the jack-o'-lanterns get to have their fun. They go to a party on the moon. Everything is safely in place in the morning.

The illustrations are large and detailed, so you can add your own commentary to the sparse narrative. This would be a good book to share with a group of children.

Book Review: Julius: The Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes

I've noticed quite a few lovely pregnant bellies lately, so I thought I should do a review of a book for introducing a new baby into the home. Most of these types of books are so sweet and wonderous, but Henkes reveals a darker and funnier side to bringing home baby.

The book begins with Lilly acting the part of a wonderful sister. She reads and sings to her mama's belly. Unfortunately, the story changes when Julius actually comes home. Lilly discovers a new baby takes up too much attention, and he stinks!

Everyone thinks Julius is the baby of the world. Everyone, except Lilly's cousin, Garland. Garland thinks the very same things that Lilly has said throughout the book. So, you would think that Lilly would be overjoyed to have a partner in her baby brother drama club. Oh, no!

Now, Lilly is the one to hail: "Julius is the baby of the world!"

This book captures the essence of sibling rivalry perfectly. Brothers and sisters are going to have disagreements. It is inevitable. If someone on the outside of this tenuous relationship tries to start trouble, though, they will be faced with a united front: family. Henkes uses humor to bring this concept to those who are experiencing the love/not-so-much love relationship for the very first time. Jealousy and sharing are hard concepts for pre-schoolers. Read this book and let yourself laugh about it!

Book Review: A Black Cat: An ABC Book by Britta Teckentrup

Bright illustrations and whimsical text are perfect for toddlers who have begun to ask, "What's that?" This is not one of those ABC books that also tells a story. It is a fun adventure through the alphabet, though. Our favorite page is the Octopus playing the Piano.

The high contrast pictures and small board book form are sure to please babies and toddlers. Learn a few new vocabulary words and get a big laugh with Y is for Yak. Just try saying Yak without laughing...