I finished so many books this week, with lots of reading to help find books for the Early Childhood’s Summer Camp needs. I also read through several donated books, reluctant to give up my source of picture books now that I’m no longer the Library Media Specialist at a school library filled with books! There was one other book I read this week, which falls into its own very special category…
Hopefully I’ll have another post for you later soon with some other books, too, but for now, here are the picture book reads I enjoyed.
I Am Going to Save a Panda!, by Lauren Child. Fun book about what humans can do to save animals from extinction.
Dinosaur Bones!, by Bob Barner. I love how the dancing text painted across the page is great to share with little ones, and the subtext, in standard print, shares facts about dionsaurs for more in-depth reading.
In the Small, Small Pond, by Denise Fleming. Fantastic, active book, Caldecott Honor, lively and beautiful.
Ten Little Ladybugs, by Melanie Gerth, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. A perrennial favorite of small children everywhere, because it has bugs you can touch on every page, which cleverly disappear as you read and count down.
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee and Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee, by Chris Van Dusen. Love the rhymes in these! And though books featuring boats are always favorites, I actually think the camping trip is by far the most interesting adventure. Veyr, very fun. I discovered these in a box of donations left by one of our families.
Big Al, by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Yoshi. Nice story about a fish and his efforts to find friends. I love Yoshi’s work in other picture books, too.
Swine Lake, by James Marshall, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Just go find it. If you’ve never experienced a James Marshal book before, you don’t know what wackiness you’re missing. Rolling Rose is my favorite, though.
The Dragon Machine, by Helen Ward, illustrated by Wayne Anderson. Beautiful, beautifully illustrated tale about friendship, with a surprise ending!
And last, but certainly not least,
Valerie Stein, by Soundview School Administration, Staff and Students. A book about ME, in honor of my retirement from the classroom, which (of course) made me cry. Quite a compliment to think that the Dewey Decimal System would crash without me, really.
The Best of It 