Robot Dreams

Graphic Novel

After a trip to the beach, Robot becomes too rusty to move so Dog leaves him there. As the months pass, Dog tries to replace his friend with things like a snowman and an anteater. Meanwhile, Robot is day dreaming on the beach of better times. Robot dreams was surprisingly sad and tells the bittersweet story of friendship and loss. Being my first graphic, I thought the pictures gave me a clear understanding of what the author was trying to portray.


Title: Robot dreams
Author/Illustrator: Sara Varon
Publisher/Date: First Second 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59643-108-9
Rating: 4 out of 5

The New Kid on the Block

Poetry

Witty collection of poems designed to keep the reader laughing. Children experience all sorts of things from jellyfish stew, to mice on a tricycle, and everything in between! The illustrations are simple black sketches, but do a great job of depicting Prelutsky's playful personality and setting. Even for a child that isn't too fond of poetry, this collection will be sure to get a giggle out of them!


Title: The New Kid on the Block
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06431-5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

Poetry

This book contains poems about what animals do in the winter. On the one page, it has a poem in the animals voice and on the other is a scientific description of that animal. Fine artistic illustrations of the animal are spread out across the two pages, but seemed too digital for my liking. A brief glossary can be found in the back of the book for children to better comprehend the words in the poem. Overall, could be a good read to learn about the survival of animals in the harsh winter, but not my favorite on the shelf!

Title: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Rick Allen
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 978-0-547-90650-8
Rating: 4 out of 5

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

Poetry

Collection of more than sixty poems by a wide range of talented poets such as Margaret Wise Brown and Gertrude Stein. Topics include the daily activities of little children, like sitting in a high chair and playing with grandpa! Poems are kept short and include cute and colorful pictures. Great read when wanting to take a break from the usual nursery rhymes!



Title: Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
Author: Jane Yolen & Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrator: Polly Dunbar
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3141-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Wind Flyers

Historical Fiction

Wind Flyers emphasis the heros of WWII - the Tuskegee Airmen. It tells the story of a great-great African American uncle that loved to fly- he would jump off of barns to fly, pay to be a co-pilot, and when he was older enlisted in the Air Force. This story emphasis the role of African American men in war. Illustrations are colorful and provide lots of details. I appreciated the book for its content, but it was a little hard to follow and I felt as though its minimal text didn't fully get the point across.

Title: Wind Flyers
Author: Angela Johnson
Illustrator: Loren Long
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster 2007
ISBN: 978-0-0689-84879-7
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Bus Ride

Historical Fiction

Sara is an African American girl that is curious about what is so special about the front of the bus. After sitting in the front, she gets taken away by police and put in the paper. This sparks enough attention that soon people are fighting for equal rights. Based on the legacy of Rosa Parks, this book offers insight to the discrimination between whites and blacks. Beautiful illustrations in acrylic paint go along perfectly with the text to create a book with a great ending!

Title: The Bus Ride
Author: William Miller
Illustrator: John Ward
Publisher/Date: Lee & Low Books 1998
ISBN: 1-880000-60-1
Rating: 5 out of 5

Freedom on the Menu

Historical Fiction

This book tells the story of the Greensboro Sit-Ins that occurred in North Carolina. It is told through the eyes of a young girl named Connie, who is confronted with the harsh reality of segregation when she sees a white girl sitting at the counter eating a banana split, knowing she can't do the same. After hearing the message of Martin Luther King Jr., Connie and her family stand up for what is right. Freedom on the Menu provides a child's perspective on an important historical event, allowing young readers to relate. Great addition to any classroom library!

Title: Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Jerome Lagarrigue
Publisher/Date: Dial Books for Young Readers 2005
ISBN: 0-8037-2860-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Snakes

Informational Texts

I am no snake lover by any means, but Nic Bishop does an amazing job of capturing photos of various snakes. They are enlarged enough for readers to see every coil of their body, so much so that you feel it's going to slither right off the page! Descriptive paragraphs with simple yet insightful text with special coloring and font emphasis on main ideas and supporting details. At the end, not only is there is an index and glossary, but a personal account of Bishop's challenges in photographing his subjects. Highly recommend for any science classroom!

Title: Snakes
Author/Illustrator: Nic Bishop
Publisher/Date: Scholastic Inc 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-20638-9
Rating: 5 out of 5

Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms

Informational Texts

Patricia Lauber explains what scientists know about how hurricanes form, how they can be detected and predicted, and how much damage they can do. There is a mix of diagrams, charts, maps, and photos to help reinforce the text. Very comprehensive and would be best for an older classroom learning out different weather elements.

Title: Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms
Author/Illustrator: Patricia Lauber
Publisher/Date: Scholastic Press 1996
ISBN: 0-590-47406-5
Rating: 3 out of 5

Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System

Informational Texts

Take a trip through space- learning about planets, moons, asteroids, and everything in between. This book really puts the solar system into perspective for children. It tells them to imagine the sun shrunk to the size of a basketball, Jupiter would be the size of a marble and Pluto the size of a head of a pin. Some of the information was a little hard to comprehend, such as "the gas at the center of the sun is so dense that a drinking glass filled with it would weigh 75 pounds." Good illustrations with mixed media.

Title: Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System
Author: Alvin Jenkins
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Company 2004
ISBN: 0-618-41603-X
Rating: 3 out of 5

Lilly's Big Day

Fantasy

Lilly has her heart set on being the flower girl at her teacher's wedding and takes it pretty hard when Ginger is chosen instead. Ginger freezes on the big day and Lilly carries her down the aisle rather than take the spotlight herself. Sweet story that shows the variety of emotions that come about when things don't exactly go your way!



Title: Lilly's Big Day
Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books 2006
ISBN: 0-06-074236-4
Rating: 4 out of 5

Three Bears in a Boat

Fantasy

Worried that mama bear was going to be mad for breaking her blue seashell, three bears go out to find her a new one. While fighting about who is responsible for breaking the shell, they don't notice a big storm approaching. Once they stop fighting, they arrive home and find a perfect blue shell on the beach. Oversized book that has beautiful watercolors spread across two pages, really inviting the reader in. I definitely think this should of been up for the Caldecott Award!

Title: Three Bears in a Boat
Author/Illustrator: David Soman
Publisher/Date: Penguin Group 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3993-2
Rating: 5 out of 5

Little Moon Dog

Fantasy

One day a bus full of fairy tourists come to the moon- the home of The Man in the Moon and his Moon Dog. Moon Dog ventures out to play with the fairies, but wakes up to find they had left him and he's no where near his home! Luckily, the Moon Dog has a faithful friend in The Man in the Moon who comes looking for him. The illustrations are luminously whimsical, even somewhat eerie. Great story about companionship!


Title: Little Moon Dog
Author: Helen Ward
Illustrator: Wayne Anderson
Publisher/Date: Dutton Children Books 2007
ISBN: 0-525-47727-6
Rating: 5 out of 5

Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Realistic Fiction

This book truly lives up to its name. Heartbreaking and truthful descriptions of grief are perfectly matched with monochrome illustrations. Rosen teaches us that its okay and normal to be sad. Because of the heavy subject material, it gives children and adults the chance to discuss something in which most people would steer away from. Excellent book that really leaves you deep in thought, rating it a 5 out of 5


Title: Micheal Rosen's Sad Book
Author: Micheal Rosen
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press 2005
ISBN: 0-7636-2597-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Subway

Realistic Fiction

Readers get to ride along with a mother and daughter as they experience all the sights and sounds of the subway. Spinning turnstiles, musicians on the platform, and people hoping on and off are all illustrated with bright colors and cultural diversities. Strong rhythm and repetition drive the text to help beginning readers.

Title: Subway
Author: Anastasia Suen
Illustrator: Karen Katz
Publisher/Date: Penguin Group 2004
ISBN: 0-670-03622-6
Rating: 4 out of 5

Every Friday

Realistic Fiction

This sweet and simple story is about how a father and son share a special morning together every Friday. The pair walk leisurely to the diner to enjoy pancakes, enjoying all the sights and sounds on the street. Every Friday sets a good example for how fathers should take time out of their busy schedules to spend quality time with their children.



Title: Every Friday
Author/Illustrator: Dan Yaccarino
Publisher/Date: Henry Holt and Company, 2007
ISBN: 0-8050-7724-3
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Three Little Pigs

Traditional Literature

This book is a twist on the classic tale, Three Little Pigs. The first two pigs make their house out of straw and sticks, which get knocked down by the wolf. The third pig outsmarts the wolf and ends up eating him for dinner! This suspenseful book has talking animals as the main characters to keep children interested and offers a different perspective of a classic tale!


Title: The Three Little Pigs
Author/Illustrator: Paul Galdone
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Company 1984
ISBN: 0-395-28813-4
Rating: 5 out of 5

Mary and Her Little Lamb

Traditional Literature

Who would of guessed the poem "Mary had a Little Lamb" is a true story! This book is about a girl named Mary who nurses a baby lamb back to health. The lamb follows her everywhere, even to school! Mary's teacher Mr.Roulstone is so amused by the lamb that he writes down the famous poem for her on a piece of paper, and thus the song is created. This book offers beautiful illustrations and would be great to open up a lesson on poetry!

Title: Mary and Her Little Lamb
Author/Illustrator: Will Moses
Publisher/Date: Philomel Books 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25154-2
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Traditional Literature

A young shepherd boy, bored of his shepherding duties, decided to teach the sheep some new tricks. When this fails to provoke any kind of fun, he makes up a lie that a wolf is after his sheep. The village people come to his aid, but find no wolf in sight. When the wolfs finally come, will the townspeople believe him? This timeless fable tells the moral about how if you are labeled a liar, no one will actually believe you when you tell the truth. Cleverly told in picture book format, Hennessy use of repetitive words helps emergent readers. I would give this a 5 out of 5.

Title: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Author: B.G. Hennessy
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87433-2
Rating: 5 out of 5

Who Will Be My Friends?

Beginning Readers

Freddy is a new kid in town and is looking to make some friends. He likes his new house and finds the mailman and police officer to be friendly, but too busy to play. It's not until Freddy goes to the park to play ball when he meets some kids his age playing too! It tells a cute story and uses fundamentals like repetitive phrases to help beginning readers, especially preschool-grade 1. This would be a great find for a child that may be experiencing a move and the awkwardness that comes with making friends at first!

Title: Who Will Be My Friends?
Author/Illustrator: Syd Hoff
Publisher/Date: HarperCollins 1985
ISBN: 0-06-444072-9
Rating: 4 out of 5

The 100th Day of School

Beginning Readers

This book is all about the fun that children get to have on their 100th day of school. They count to 100, learn 100 words for a spelling bee, draw a snake 100 inches long, and so on! I really enjoyed this book because it rhymed and incorporated the aspect of math and counting, which will help children at this age learn. Particularly great choice for, what else, but the 100th day of school for children especially kindergarten-grade 2.


Title: The 100th Day of School
Author: Angela Shelf Medearis
Illustrator: Joan Holub
Publisher/Date: Cartwheel Books 1996
ISBN: 0-590-25944-X
Rating: 5 out of 5

Oliver

Beginning Readers

Oliver's dream of becoming a dancing elephant comes to a halt when the circus owner says that he doesn't need any more elephants. So he wanders the streets asking to be in the zoo, a house pet, and a slide for the children at the local park. Just when he thought he had no purpose, someone in the distant notices his dancing and his dream comes true! The story is very simple and the illustrations add to the text. This charming elephant would be a perfect fit for any beginning reader, especially preschool-grade 1.

Title: Oliver
Author/Illustrator: Syd Hoff
Publisher/Date: HarperCollins 2000
ISBN: 0-06-444272-1
Rating: 3 out of 5

Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons

Picture Books

Mothers from all around the world with different cultures share one thing in common- love for their sons. On every page is a mother and son from a different ethnic background, teaching a lesson, and has the corresponding language of the character in the illustration. The illustrations themselves are breathtaking- full of color and really represent the style of that particular culture. There are two pictures depicted on every page, one with the mother and son doing various things together and one with the mother looking on as the boy does the lesson that the mother is trying to teach. This would be a great book to teach children about different cultures, therefore I would give it a 5 out of 5.

Title: Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons
Author: Rob D. Walker
Illustrator: Leo & Diane Dillon
Publisher/Date: Blue Sky Press 2009
ISBN: 0-439-93208-4
Rating: 5 out of 5

Grandfather's Journey

Picture Books

This Caldecott gold medal winner is a bittersweet story about Say's grandfather longing for both his village of Japan and his new home in California. It is symbolic of a child's love for their grandparents and how they too share similar experiences as they grow up. The illustrations are done in watercolor and truly capture the audience. I feel as though this story would be better appreciated by older children or adults. I would rate it a 3 out of 5.

Title: Grandfather's Journey
Author/Illustrator: Allen Say
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 1993
ISBN: 0-395-57035-2
Rating: 3 out of 5

Bear Snores On

Picture Books

A hibernating bear is asleep in his cozy den when some unexpected animals stop by for warmth. They make a fire, pop white popcorn, and eat some crunchy nuts, all while the bear is sound asleep. It's not until some black pepper seasoning, makes the bear sneeze and wake up! He is startled by his unexpected guests, but in the end joins in on the party. This book offers rhyme and lots of different animal voices to invent while reading to children. Repetition is used with the phrase, "but the bear snores on." The warm colored illustrations take up the whole page and really make you feel like your at the party, because of this I would rate this book a 5 out of 5!

Title: Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Publisher/Date: Margaret K. McElderry Books 2002
ISNB: 0-689-83187-0
Rating: 5 out of 5

Snoop the Crime Dog

Decodable Texts

This decodable text teaches kids the variant vowel /oo/ combination such as in snoop, hoop, and new. Snoop the Crime Dog is a mystery about a dog detective that goes on the hunt for a missing snow goose. He finds a moose to help him follow the tracks that leads to two hunters that shot the goose. This book was very lengthy and had a lot of texts for this kind of genre, making it hard to follow along. I would give this book a 2 out of 5.

Title: Snoop the Crime Dog 
https://www.readinga-z.com/book/decodable.php?id=59
Rating: 2 out of 5

JoJo's Yo-Yo

Decodable Texts

JoJo's Yo-Yo helps children learn open vowels Y,O. Open vowels are the last sound in a word, with no closing constant. This story is about a shy girl that isn't very good at things like her friends. She can't run fast or fly a kite, but in the end she can do Yo-Yo tricks like no one else! Along with teaching kids about open vowels it relays a message to never give up, which deems it a 5 out of 5.

Title: Jo-Jo's Yo-Yo
https://www.readinga-z.com/book/decodable.php?id=52
Rating: 5 out of 5

Get the Pets

Decodable Texts

This book focuses on learning the short vowel /e/ sound like in pets. A boy named Tom has ten chickens that get out of their cage and he has to use a net to catch them. The illustrations are colorful and relay the message that the book is trying to get across, for this reason I would rate it a 4 out of 5.

Title: Get the Pets
https://www.readinga-z.com/book.php?id=1117
Rating: 4 out of 5

Flora and the Flamingo

Wordless Picture Books

Flora and the Flamingo is a wordless picture book with interactive flaps that begins with a girl named Flora and a flamingo mimicking each other in their movements. The flamingo doesn't like that its space is being taken over, so it knocks Flora to the ground. The story is sort of a dance but its hard to understand what exactly is the message. Does Flora want to play and be friends? Is she mocking the flamingo? In the end it shows the two in friendship holding hands. The illustration was brilliant with the white spacing, showing off the aspect of the flamingo feeling invaded. Overall, it was hard to follow and didn't give me much sense of meaning.

Title: Flora and the Flamingo
Author/Illustrator: Molly Idle
Publisher/Date: Chronicle Books 2014
ISNB: 978-1452110066
Rating: 1 out of 5

The Girl and the Bicycle

Wordless Picture Books

A little girl spies a lovely green bicycle in a store window. She races home to find her piggy bank doesn't have enough money. In order to make more, she works very hard by setting up a lemonade stand and even selling her possessions. When that doesn't cut it, she goes door to door asking her neighbors to do yard work. Finally having enough money, the little girl goes back to the store only to discover that the bike has been purchased. Although devastated, her hard work doesn't go unrewarded! One of my favorite things about this book was the color palette of the grey paper. It really allowed the reader to focus on the illustrations and not get caught up in color!

Title: The Girl and the Bicycle
Author/Illustrator: Mark Pett
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster 2014
ISBN: 9781442483194
Rating: 4 out of 5

Sidewalk Flowers

                                                       Wordless Picture Books

Sidewalk Flowers is about a young girl who goes on a walk with her father and finds weedy wildflowers in the cracks of sidewalks and walls. Instead of keeping them for herself, she passes them out to a man sleeping on a park bench, a dead bird, and saves just enough for her mother and siblings at home. The illustrations were one of my favorite things about this book, how the pop of color stemmed from the little girl and the flowers. I would give this wordless picture book a 4 out of 5 because it captures the gentle message to stop and smell the flowers- and share them with others!

Title: Sidewalk Flowers

Author: Jon Arno Lawson

Illustrator: Sydney Smith

Publisher/Date: Groundwood Books 2015

ISBN: 978-1-55498-431-2

Rating: 4 out of 5

Mommy! Mommy!

Board Book

In this popular international children's book, two chicks go looking for their mother hen. It's a fun search-and-find interactive book with simple texts such as "Mommy! Mommy!" I would give this a 4 out of 5 for its playful yet easy to understand storyline and illustrations.




Title: Mommy! Mommy!
Author/Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Publisher/Date: Chronicle Books 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4521-0834-6
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Runaway Bunny

Board Books

The Runaway Bunny is about a bunny that wants to runaway. He tells his mother of the different roles in which he would take on in order to do so, such as a fish in the stream, a rock on the mountain, and a sail boat sailing away. The mother assures him that wherever he goes, she will find a way to be with him. Clement Hurd's illustrations change from black and white to color, which kept me on my toes and intrigued. 4 out of 5 for this charming book!


Title: The Runaway Bunny
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrator: Clement Hurd
Publisher/Date: HarperCollins 1991
ISBN: 0-06-107429-2
Rating: 4 out of 5

I hear

Board Books

Helen Oxenbury writes many children's books that introduce the different senses a baby begins to experience. I hear presents the sounds of such things as a dog barking, a watch ticking, and a bird singing. I rate it a 5 out of 5 because the images are simple and realistic and allow the child to focus on one thing at a time. Great way to begin the sense of sound!


Title: I hear
Author/Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury
Publisher/Date: Candlewick 1985
ISBN: 1-56402-548-9
Rating: 5 out of 5