Young Reader in the Making

Young Reader in the Making

Monday, February 28, 2011

Book 67: The Cow That Went Oink

The Cow That Went Oink, written and illustrated by Bernard Most, Voyager Books 1990.  Preschool to Early Elementary

For Valentine's Day this year, I painted a big shipping box to look like a barn and put in it a plush cow and a pig and this book, and gave it to my two-year-old son. Weird -- yeah, maybe. Smart -- yeah, definitely. He likes the toys and the book, and all of his farm animals are now housed in the barn box.

I first encountered this book in its oversized version when my friend and former colleague, Louise N., were looking for books for Reader's Theatre. We found this book, and since we already had the pig and cow puppets, it was a cinch to use. The only challenging part was turning those oversized pages and working the puppets at the same time, but that's another story. Anyway, whether this story is being read to thirty five-year-olds or one two-year-old, it's a riot. Which makes it hold up really well for repeated reading and is one of my standards in buying a child's book.

The title of the book tells about half the story, so I won't give away any more. It does have a happy ending, which is another one of my standards in buying a child's book, especially for a toddler.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Book 66: Bear Snores On

Book 66: Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman, 2002.   Toddler to Preschool


I LOVE Jane Chapman's illustrations. I'd probably buy anything she illustrates. Her animals are adorable without being twee, and personable without being human. Her work is what I would aspire to.

Bear Snores On is my favorite of Karma Wilson's "Bear" book. It is the most poetic of all the "Bear", not just because of the rhyming couplets, but because of rhythm within the lines. And the big scene where the setting changes is the most dramatic of all "Bear" books. There is actually a bit of suspense in a toddler's book, which, of course, resolves happily.

My husband and toddler like to help out with the telling of this story: My husband snores for the bear, and my little boy works the bear puppet. By the time the story is finished, we are all laughing.


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Book 65: The Color Book

The Color Book, Laura Kelly Designs, Ollie Bollie Book 2009.   Baby to Toddler

Back in July, I was getting ready to move from Florida to South Carolina. My husband was already in South Carolina. Our household furnishings were boxed up on a Thursday and not loaded onto a truck until the following Tuesday. Did I mention this was July? In Florida? With my husband not around?

On Friday, I did what any reasonable person would do -- I left the house and went shopping. Although not for any household belongings. More like for lemonade and ice cream. However, I did stop by the Beall's Outlet next door to the Publix, because it was cool, and although a bit chaotic, positively serene compared to my boxed-up house. While I was there, I let my 20-month-old son pick out a book. He picked out The Color Book.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as anything more than a pleasant diversion at a pretty stressful time (for my toddler and for me). My little boy, though, did take to it right away. It is a board book. The text is limited to just the name of the color in a font of that color, and the illustrations are bold and simple.

Anyway, the little boy liked this book in the summer during our move, and now that we've been settled into our new house and he has ALL of his books around him, he still pulls this book off his quite frequently. He didn't even want me to take it downstairs so I could write about it. So, to me, this book is a winner.