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The Lexington Public Library Books to Read in Kindergarten is a diverse list of titles including award-winning books, notable children’s authors, and promising new works chosen by experienced Children’s Librarians at the Lexington Public Library. More...
Showing 100 results
A Bad Case of Stripes
Author: David Shannon
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (2004)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E SHANN Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she’s so worried that she's about to break out in a bad case of stripes!
Questions to talk about with your child
Why did Camilla break out in stripes (and other patterns?)
What did you notice about the patterns that break out on Camilla? Do they have anything to do with what’s happening around her?
Look at each of the pictures. Was there anything about Camilla that stayed the same each time she changed?
What made Camilla finally turn back into herself?
Did Camilla learn anything from having a bad case of stripes?
Look at the last page. Was there anything different about the way Camilla looks?
Fun things to do together
David Shannon always hides a picture of his white terrier Fergus somewhere in each of his books. Look for the picture of Fergus in this book.
Camilla loves lima beans. Have lima beans for lunch or dinner one day.
Draw a picture of yourself with stripes, polka dots or some other pattern.
Check out a book about patterns, for example, Pattern Bugs by Trudi Harris or Patterns at the Museum by Tracey Steffora. Recognizing and completing simple patterns is an important kindergarten readiness skill.
A Chair for My Mother
Author: Vera B. Williams
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (1982)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E WILLI A child, her waitress mother, and her grandmother save dimes to buy a comfortable armchair after all their furniture is lost in a fire.
Questions to talk about with your child
How would you feel if you lost all your things in a fire? What do you think you would miss the most?
How do the pages with the fire look different than the rest of the pages in the book? Why do you think the author chose to illustrate the pages this way?
When the family moved into their new apartment, what did neighbors and friends do to help?
What kind of chair do the girl and her mother want to buy?
Fun things to do together
See how long it takes to fill a jar with coins. Guess (predict, estimate) how many coins it will take to fill the jar.
Count and sort coins into separate piles: pennies, nickels, dimes, etc. Go to the bank and get paper rolls for your coins and wrap them together.
Design a room together. Use pictures from magazines or draw pictures of the different furniture and decorations you would like to have in this room.
Help your child make a savings plan for something he or she would like to have. Work together on a simple graph to show how much must be saved each day, week, or month to be able to purchase the item.
A Splendid Friend, Indeed
Author: Suzanne Bloom
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Suzanne Bloom
Item Call Number
E BLOOM When a studious polar bear meets an inquisitive goose, they learn to be friends.
Questions to talk about with your child
The polar bear has to be very patient with goose's questions. When was a time you had to be patient? Was it hard to wait?
How would the story be different if the polar bear wasn't patient and lost his temper? How do you think the goose would feel?
Who is your best friend and why?
Do you know what makes a friend?
Can you be friends with someone who is different than you?
Fun things to do together
Look at the many colors in Bloom's illustrations. Ask what colors the different objects are. See if your child can locate these colors in his/her room or clothing.
Pack a snack and blanket. Enjoy a picnic outside with your child.
Play "Goose, Goose, Bear" instead of "Duck, Duck, Goose"
Draw a picture of you and your best friend doing something together that you both like.
Have a "Blue / White" color walk. Point out all the different blue and white objects that you can find.
Alexander and the Terrible, No good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst
Publisher: Atheneum (1972)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E VIORS Recounts the events of a day when everything goes wrong for Alexander.
Questions to talk about with your child
What are some of things that happen to Alexander? If these things happened to you, would you be happy or sad? Why?
Have you ever had a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”? What happened? How did you feel?
How can you tell from the pictures if Alexander is happy or unhappy?
Why does Alexander say he wants to go to Australia?
Fun things to do together
After reading the book, have your child “retell” the story using the pictures only. Talk about whether the story is different or close to the story the words tell.
Have your child draw a picture of a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”. Discuss what things might happen that would make your child feel badly. Talk about things your child could do to feel better.
Find Australia on a map and compare its location to where you live and how a person might travel to get there. Locate the equator on a world map and talk about how the seasons are different below and above it. Discuss seasons and what happens in each of them.
Go the library and find information on the different animals that live in Australia. Make a kangaroo, koala or sheep craft from the many craft websites on-line.
Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock
Author: Eric A. Kimmel
Publisher: Holiday House (1990)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Janet Stevens
Item Call Number
E KIMME Anansi the Spider uses a strange moss-covered rock in the forest to trick all the other animals until Little Bush Deer decides he needs to learn a lesson.
Questions to talk about with your child
How did Anansi trick his friends and why did he want to?
How do you think his friends felt when they realized they had been tricked?
Who tricked Anansi and how did they do it?
Do you think Anansi learned his lesson?
Fun things to do together
Go the grocery store and pick out some of the foods that are in the book- yams, bananas, melons. Compare and contrast weight, texture and color.
Check out some African music from the library.
Find the continent of Africa on a globe or map. Look for Ghana, Kenya and South Africa since they are home to many of the animals in the story.
Bark, George
Illustrator
Jules Feiffer
Item Call Number
E FEIFF A mother dog tries to teach her pup how to bark, and is surprised at why he wasn't learning.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was your favorite part of the story?
What do animals do when they go to the veterinarian?
What are the animal noises made in this book?
What is the order of the animals pulled from George?
Do you think George swallowed a human at the end of the book?
Fun things to do together
Take an empty box and pretend that it is George. Pull the animals in the book out of the box when telling the story.
Set up a pretend vet's office with band aids, clipboards, Doctor kits, and stuffed animals.
Visit a pet store or a vet's office.
Bear Snores On
Author: Karma Wilson
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (2002)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
On a cold winter night, many animals gather to party in the cave of a sleeping bear who awakens and protests he has missed the food and the fun.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why does Bear sleep all winter? What is hibernation?
What other animals hibernate?
What is a lair? What do you think the inside of a cave would be like?
What foods would you like to eat after sleeping all winter?
Why do all of the animals run out of the cave when Bear wakes up? What sounds does he make? Would you be afraid?
Fun things to do together
Put two chairs together and drape a blanket over them to create your own lair for playing and napping.
Use magazines to cut out pictures of favorite foods. Glue them to paper plates and serve them to stuffed animals.
Sing The Bear Went Over the Mountain and act out Going on a Bear Hunt.
Cook together. Make stew, pop some popcorn, and brew tea.
To emphasize the story’s rhyming text and play with the sounds of the words, make flash cards for all the rhyming words in the story. Mix them up and try to match them. Think of more words that rhyme with those in the story and make more cards for those.
Bedtime for Frances
Author: Russell Hoban
Publisher: HarperFestival (1995)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Illustrator
Russell Hoban
Item Call Number
E HOBAN Frances has trouble going to sleep because of frightening sounds and objects that may be going to get her
Questions to talk about with your child
What time is Frances's bedtime?
Does Frances want to go to bed?
What does Frances think is in her room? Is it real?
What snack does Frances get to eat?
What is the wind's job?
Does Frances finally go to sleep?
Fun things to do together
Talk about bedtime routines in your house and create a routine for a stuffed animal or doll.
Use animals or dolls to recreate the song "10 in the Bed".
Sing the song "Twinkle, Twinkle".
Throw a blanket on a chair and what do you see? A giant? A lion?
Draw simple pajamas for a set of paper dolls.
Bill Grogan’s Goat
Author: Mary Ann Hoberman
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2002)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E HOBER Presents the familiar rhyme about a pesky goat that gets in trouble for eating shirts off the clothesline.
Questions to talk about with your child
What do you think of Bill Grogan? Was tying his goat to a railroad track a good thing or a bad thing to do?
The train in the story is a passenger train. Who are the passengers?
Notice the different patterns on each of the three red shirts. Can you find those patterns anywhere else in the story?
What happens at dinner? What happens when you make a mess?
What does the goat end up doing? Why?
Fun things to do together
This book was adapted from a folk song. Listen to a recording of the original “Bill Grogan’s Goat.”
This is a traditional “echo song.” Have your child repeat each line after you.
Find a book about goats to learn more about what they really eat.
Wash some shirts and hang them up to dry outside instead of putting them in the clothes dryer.
Find the pairs of rhyming words throughout the book.
Biscuit
Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Publisher: HarperCollins (1996)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Item Call Number
EASY READER CAPUC A little yellow dog wants ever one more thing before he'll go to sleep.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do you think that Biscuit keeps asking for things like snacks, drinks, and extra hugs?
Why does Biscuit go upstairs at the end of the book?
What does Biscuit do when he gets upstairs in the little girl’s room?
Do you sometimes ask for drinks and “one more hug” at bedtime? If so, why?
Fun things to do together
Set up bedtime routine cards for your child. Have a card for pajamas, teeth brushing, story, hug, tuck-in time, etc. These can help your child know what to expect at bedtime.
Make coupons for “10 more minutes at bedtime” or “ 1 more hug at bedtime.”
Role play to act out the story with your child. Take turns acting out the parts of Biscuit and the child.
Using your child’s day as a model, work together drawing pictures or making a list of things that Biscuit is likely to do from waking up to going to sleep at night.
Book! Book! Book!
Author: Deborah Bruss
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (2001)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Tiphanie Beeke
Item Call Number
E BRUSS When the children go back to school, the animals on the farm are bored, so they go into the library in town trying to find something to do.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was your favorite part of the story?
Which of the animals is your favorite one?
What animal sounds can you make?
What kind of book would you ask for from the librarian?
Have you ever seen a cow in the library? A horse? A duck?
Fun things to do together
Sing "Old MacDonald had a Farm"
Take your favorite stuffed animal to the library and see if the librarian can talk to them.
Check out some books on cows, chickens, frogs, horse, and pigs.
Make lunch bag puppets of the animals and re-enact the story.
Draw or make a barn and some animals to go in it.
Caps For Sale
Author: Esphyr Slobodkina
Publisher: HarperFestival (2008)
Binding: Board book, 32 pages
Illustrator
Esphyr Slobodkina
Item Call Number
E SLOBO A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was the man selling? What were the colors of all his hats?
Can you count the hats he wore on his head?
How did he feel when he lost the hats?
What did the monkeys do in the story? What did you think of the monkeys?
How did he get his hats back?
Why didn't the man sell any hats?
Fun things to do together
Make a hat from newspaper or other material. http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/columbus/newspaper_sailors_hats.htm
Act out the story with the child acting as both the peddler and the monkey.
Balance several soft things on your head and see how far you can go.
Cut out twenty circles of different colors from construction paper and move the circles around to see how many patterns you can create.
Count the circles and sort them by color.
Click Clack Moo
Author: Doreen Cronin
Publisher: Scholastic (2005)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Doreen Cronin
Item Call Number
E CRONI When Farmer Brown's cows find a typewriter in the barn they start making demands, and go on strike when the farmer refuses to give them what they want.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do the cows and the hens ask Farmer Brown for blankets?
What do the cows do when Farmer Brown refuses to help them?
What deal do the cows make with Farmer Brown to get the blankets?
When the ducks get the typewriter, what do the ducks want from Farmer Brown?
What is a "neutral" party?
Fun things to do together
Show your child a keyboard and help them type a simple note to Farmer Brown asking for something they want; Print it out for them to see.
As you read, ask your child to "read" the Click, clack refrains with you and be very enthusiastic about the sounds the animals make.
Point to the "Click, clack" refrains as you read them to emphasize the text and give the child a cue as to when to say them with you.
See if you can find a manual typewriter, then you can experiment with the clicking noises.
Sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
Play a game of "Duck, Duck, Goose"
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Author: Judi Barrett
Publisher: Scholastic (1976)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E BARRE Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Questions to talk about with your child
What foods do you like to eat?
What food would you like to “rain down” on you?
Why did the people of Chewandswallow leave?
Looking at the pictures, can you see a difference between the pictures that go with the story Grandpa tells about Chewandswallow and the pictures of Grandpa and the children together?
Can you think of some other things that look like or remind you of food?
Fun things to do together
Make a necklace or bracelet from different colored macaroni. Lay out a pattern for your child to follow and have them finish the pattern accordingly until the necklace is finished.
Use cookie cutters and have fun with food by cutting out shapes from sandwiches or pancakes.
Do some experiments with different foods, including bread, to find out whether they will sink or float? Make a picture chart and decide together beforehand whether they will sink or float. Discuss the reasons why the hypothesis was right or wrong.
Corduroy
Author: Don Freeman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (2008)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Don Freeman
Item Call Number
E FREE A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him he finds what he has always wanted most of all
Questions to talk about with your child
What is your favorite part of the story?
Do you think it would be fun to run around a store at night when no one is there?
Do you have a favorite bear?
Do you like to ride the escalator in big stores?
Fun things to do together
Set up your stuffed bears and other animals and have a Teddy Bear Picnic.
Learn (or pretend) to sew a button on like Lisa does for Corduroy.
Hide your teddy bear under the covers (but keep the ears out!) and see if someone else can find him.
Act out the nursery rhyme "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear".
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Author: Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Press (2003)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Mo Willems
Item Call Number
E WILLE When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place - a pigeon!
Series: Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late (2006), The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog (2004), The Pigeon Wants a Puppy (2008)
Questions to talk about with your child
Where do you think Pigeon would go if he drove the bus?
How do we know how Pigeon feels when he does not get to drive the bus?
How does Pigeon lose some of his feathers?
How do you know pigeon feels? What do you think pigeon is feeling when there are no words - just black squiggles above his head?
Fun things to do together
Sing The Wheels on the Bus. Then sing The Pigeon on the Bus and make up your own words. For example, "The Pigeon on the bus flaps his wings..."
Pretend to be on a bus. Arrange kitchen chairs in rows to resemble bus seats. Take turns being the driver and the pigeon begging to drive the bus.
Visit a local park or downtown area to feed and observe the pigeons. Try to count and categorize them by color, markings, size, etc.
Create your own sequel to this book. Don't Let the Pigeon Bake a Cake, Ride a Horse, etc.
Down the Road
Illustrator
E.B. Lewis
Item Call Number
E SCHER Hetty takes her first trip to the store by herself and is very careful with the eggs she's bought, until she stops to pick apples.
Questions to talk about with your child
Where does the story take place? City or country? How can you tell?
What instructions did Mama and Papa give to Hetty?
What else besides eggs could you buy at Mr. Birdie's Emporium and Dry Goods Store?
How did Hetty feel when she broke the eggs?
Why did Papa and Mama climb the apple tree?
Do you think Mama and Papa will let Hetty go to the store again by herself? Why or why not?
Fun things to do together
Point to and make sound effects for words like "thup", "bump", "squish" and "splat" to reinforce phonological awareness.
Play running a store like Mr. Birdies.
Practice carrying eggs in a basket.
Make an apple pie together.
Climb a tree together.
Fireman Small
Author: Wong Herbert Yee
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1994)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Every time he gets into bed, Fireman Small is called to rescue an animal in trouble.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is Fireman Small’s station number?
Why does Fireman Small have his pants and boots at the end of his bed?
What animal’s picture is on his bedspread? Name some of the other objects in Fireman Small’s bedroom.
What kind of pet does Fireman Small have at his fire station?
What things does Fireman Small do to be a “community helper”?
Fun things to do together
Visit a fire station.
Read a children’s book about fire safety.
Practice crawling under “smoke.” Drape a sheet over a low table or a few chairs to serve as the smoke.
Learn and practice “Stop, Drop, and Roll.”
Help your child draw a map of your house and talk about how to get out of it in case of an emergency.
Talk about what 9-1-1 is for and when to use it.
Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash!
Author: Suse MacDonald
Publisher: Little Simon (2007)
Binding: Hardcover, 30 pages
Follow the leader and count the fish that live beneath the sea. Turn the book upside-down and count again.
Questions to talk about with your child
How does each fish change when you turn the page? Look at the picture on the right; then turn the page and look at the picture on the left. How do they compare?
What shapes do you see?
What colors can you see?
Which fish does not have fins?
Fun things to do together
Visit the library or an aquarium to learn more about fish and their habitats.
Count the number of fish on each page to associate the written number with the actual number of fish. Group goldfish crackers by number (one alone, two together, three together, etc.) and then eat them for a special treat.
Design your own fish with unique patterns. Use buttons, ribbons, and other scrap materials to add texture.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Author: Eileen Christelow
Publisher: Sandpiper (2006)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Eileen Christelow
Item Call Number
E CHRIST As soon as they say good night to Mama, the five little monkeys start to jump on their bed. But trouble lies ahead as, one by one, they fall off and hurt themselves.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is your favorite part of this story?
How many monkeys were jumping on the bed at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story?
Did any of the monkeys stop jumping when another monkey got hurt? Why?
Did you ever get hurt? Did your parents help you? Did you have to go to the doctor?
Fun things to do together
Count from 1 to 5 forwards and backwards
Draw a monkey and make a band-aid to put on his head - give it a kiss to feel better
Put a mattress on the floor and jump on it while singing the story (or find a rhythmic instrument, such as maracas, to play while chanting the book in rhythm)
Get a box and a toy. Help your child place the toy on top of the box, beside it, inside it, under it, and over it; then have your child do it themselves to practice obeying ?position/spatial word' directions.
Frog and Toad are Friends
Illustrator
Arnold Lobel
Item Call Number
E LOBEL Five warm, funny stories of Frog and Toad's friendship that can be read by parents or a beginning reader.
Series: Frog and Toad All Year (1976), Adventures of Frog and Toad (1979), Days with Frog and Toad (1979), Frog and Toad Together (1999)
Questions to talk about with your child
What are some of the nice things that Frog and Toad do for each other?
What do you like to do with your friends?
Have you ever received a letter in the mail? Who was it from?
Which story was your favorite?
How do you think Frog and toad became friends?
Fun things to do together
Print out a calendar and draw a picture for each month.
Make up a story about one of your friends then tell it to them.
Make a collage from lost and odd buttons.
Design silly swimsuits for the members of your family.
Write a letter to one of your friends and send it in the mail.
Froggy Gets Dressed
Author: Jonathan London
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1992)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E LONDO Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.
Questions to talk about with your child
What clothes do you wear when you want to play in the snow? In what order do put them on your body?
In what season do you see snow on the ground? What clothes do you wear in the other seasons?
What is your favorite thing to do when you play outside in the snow?
Why does Froggy go back to bed?
Fun things to do together
Play dress up for the different seasons .
As you read the book, ask your child to predict what will happen next each time Froggy gets dressed and goes outside.
Dress up a stuffed animal or doll to go outside, putting the pieces of clothing on the wrong body parts and ask your child to fix what’s wrong. For example, put mittens on the doll’s feet and ask if this looks right.
Pull a selection of your child’s clothes and work together to sort them into different groups based on season, what part of the body they are worn on, color, type, etc.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Illustrator
James Marshall
Item Call Number
E MARSH Three bears return home from a walk to find a little girl asleep in baby bear's bed.
Questions to talk about with your child
Look carefully at the pictures of the Bears' home. Do you see anything in the pictures that tell you Goldilocks is in the bear's house?
Which bear is big? Which is small? What are the different sizes of furniture for each of the bears?
How would you feel if Goldilocks came into your house without permission? Should you ever go in to someone's house without permission?
Fun things to do together
Act out the story with your child with puppets or other toys.
Take a look at Baby Bear's messy room. Identify as many objects as possible.
Green Eggs and Ham
Author: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (1960)
Binding: Hardcover, 72 pages
Illustrator
Dr. Seuss
Item Call Number
E SEUSS Sam-I-Am mounts a determined campaign to convince another Seuss character to eat a plate of green eggs and ham.
Questions to talk about with your child
Would you try green eggs and ham? If so, where would it be? In a box, with a fox, etc?
Why do you think Sam refused to stop asking his friend to try green eggs and ham?
Why do you think Sam's friend tried green eggs and ham?
What are the different types of transportation in the story? Can you count them all?
Fun things to do together
Make your own green eggs and ham. http://www.seussville.com/printables/geah_recipes.html
Identify the animals and colors in the story.
Gregory the Terrible Eater
Author: Mitchell Sharmat, Ariane Dewey
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (2009)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey
Item Call Number
E SHARM A very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tin cans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice.
Food Pyramid Link: http://mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do Gregory's parents call him a terrible eater?
What did Gregory's parents want him to eat? What did Gregory want to eat?
What are some of your favorite foods? Are they healthy foods?
What are some foods that you don't like?
Do you like to try new foods? What are some new foods you have eaten lately?
What are some things that people eat when they are terrible eaters?
Fun things to do together
Cut pictures of foods from a magazine. Decide which ones are healthy foods and which ones are junk foods.
Look at the food pyramid and healthy lifestyle information for kids on this website with your child.
Take a copy of the food pyramid along on a trip to the grocery store. Have a scavenger hunt to find a food for each food group on the pyramid.
Have a "Gregory" night where everyone in the family tries a new food.
Plan a healthy meal for your family. Include something from every food group.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Author: Crockett Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins (1987)
Binding: Hardcover, 256 pages
Illustrator
Crockett Johnson
Item Call Number
E JOHNS Harold goes for an adventurous walk in the moonlight with his purple crayon.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do you think Harold chose to use a purple crayon and not another color?
Harold sometimes draws scary things, like dragons or falling - what scares you? Do you feel less scared if you draw them on paper?
What does the moon look like? Is it always the same? Does it change night to night?
Fun things to do together
Get a big purple crayon and a large sheet of paper and draw, draw, draw
Make up a story about your drawing.
Make a drawing using a different colored crayon - Does the story change?
Be brave and find an area where you child has permission to draw on the wall - explore different dimensions!
Harry the Dirty Dog
Author: Gene Zion, Margaret Bloy Graham
Publisher: HarperCollins (1956)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Margaret Bloy Graham
Item Call Number
E ZION Harry, an adorable white dog with black spots, loves his family but hates baths. Facing having to have a bath, he runs away and gets so dirty that he looks like a black dog with white spots.
Series: No Roses for Harry (1958), Harry and the Lady Next Door (1960), Harry by the Sea (1965)
Questions to talk about with your child
Look at all of the animals in the pictures. Which ones would you like to have for a pet? Why or why not?
Does this story take place now or a long time ago? What do you think of the clothes people wear in the story? (Dad wears a suit, Mom wears a dress and apron, most of the adults wear hats).
How do vehicles and trains of today look different than those in the pictures?
What letter is on the roof of the doghouse in the backyard? What does it stand for? What other words can you think of that start with this letter?
Fun things to do together
Draw two pictures of Harry. Draw one as a white dog with black spots. On the second picture, put a small amount of glue on various parts of his body and sprinkle those areas with potting soil in order make Harry look dirty.
Pretend you are Harry and take turns playing hide and seek with a bath brush or sponge.
Visit the dog park or pet store.
Gather stuffed dogs and play dog groomer, veterinarian office or animal shelter.
Count how many dogs, cats, birds, children, etc. there are in the story.
Hattie and the Fox
Author: Mem Fox
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (1987)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Patricia Mullins
Item Call Number
E FOX Hattie, a big black hen, discovers a fox in the bushes, which creates varying reactions in the other barnyard animals.
Questions to talk about with your child
Does Hattie get scared? Have you ever been scared?
Do you think that the animals are answering kindly to Hattie?
Did the other animals learn a lesson from Hattie?
What is your favorite part of this story?
Fun things to do together
Re-read the story and make your voice sound like each animal would sound
How many different animal sounds can you make?
Tear up colored tissue paper and make your own pictures just like Patricia Mullins.
Hi! Fly Guy
Author: Tedd Arnold
Publisher: Cartwheel Books (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E ARNOL
cWhen Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong. Series includes: Fly High, Fly Guy! (2008), Hooray for Fly Guy! (2008), Shoo, Fly Guy! (2006), Super Fly Guy (2006), There was an Old Lady who Swallowed Fly Guy (2007)
Questions to talk about with your child
What animals do you think of as pets?
What unusual pets do you see in the story?
What's the difference between a pet and a pest?
Why do you think Buzz's parents did not want him to have a pet fly?
Fun things to do together
Sing "Shoo Fly" with your child.
Read this story with "I Know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly" illustrated by Round, Westcott, or Karas.
Draw a picture of your pet - real or imaginary. What would it look like? What would it be? What would it eat?
Gather your stuffed animal friends and judge your own pet show.
How Are You Peeling?
Author: Saxton Freymann, Joost Elffers
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (1999)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Illustrator
Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers
Item Call Number
E FREYM Brief text and photographs of carvings made from vegetables introduce the world of emotions by presenting leading questions such as "Are you feeling angry?"
Questions to talk about with your child
Have you ever felt some of these feelings?
Do you think other people have these feelings?
Do certain colors make you feel a certain way?
What is your favorite vegetable? Is it in the book?
Fun things to do together
Make your own vegetable or fruit sculpture to eat and take pictures
Draw different feelings you have had.
Talk about the different types of fruits and vegetables that are used in this book - be brave and try those you have never tasted before.
Tell a story about your feelings
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
Author: Jane Yolen
Publisher: Blue Sky Press (2000)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Mark Teague
Item Call Number
E YOLEN Parents and children ponder the different ways a dinosaur can say goodnight, from slamming his tail and pouting to giving a big hug and kiss in this comical look at dinosaurs behaving like children and imitating all the ways they try to avoid going to sleep at night.
Series: How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? (2003), How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? (2005) How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? (2007)
Questions to talk about with your child
Which dinosaur in the story is your favorite? Why?
What is your bedtime routine?
Have you ever tried to keep from going to bed like one of the dinosaurs in the story? What did you do to keep from going to bed?
Fun things to do together
Find the name of the pictured dinosaur hidden in the artwork on the pages.
Many of the dinosaurs have teddy bears and some have pet cats or dogs. Find and count the teddy bears, cats, and dogs in the pictures.
Listen to and learn "We Are the Dinosaurs" by Laurie Berkner on her CD Whadd'ya Think of That?
Using colored construction paper, help your child make a capital "D", cut it out, and glue it to a white piece of construction paper with the "back" of the D parallel to the bottom of the paper. Using crayons, add a head, a tail, legs, scales and a background. Draw a scene around your dinosaur. Is he or she sleeping in the grass under a tree? Drinking from a lake? Walking with a baby dinosaur?
Hurry! Hurry!
Author: Eve Bunting
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (2007)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Item Call Number
E BUNTI All the animals of the barnyard community hurry to greet the newest arrival who is just pecking his way out of an egg.
Questions to talk about with your child
Is Hen calling “Hurry! Hurry!” with fear or excitement? How can you tell?
The arrival of each animal is foreshadowed. On the first page of the story, what other animal besides Hen is visible?
How many of each animal respond to Hen’s invitation? Three ducklings, one duck, one goat, etc.
When the animals arrive at the barn, who is sitting beside the egg?
What season of the year is it in the story?
What other animals hatch from eggs?
Fun things to do together
Read the story together as a call and repeat book. Be sure to read with expression and use variation in voice to reflect the expression of the text – higher voice for questions, etc.
Practice making all of the sounds that each of the animals make.
Sing Old McDonald Had a Farm.
Visit a farm to see the animals or a park to feed the ducks or birds.
Look at the baby pictures of other family members together and talk about how new life is welcomed into the world.
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More
Author: Karen Beaumont
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Karen Beaumont
Item Call Number
E BEAU In the rhythm of a familiar folk song, a child cannot resist adding one more dab of paint in surprising places.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is your favorite part of the story?
What is your favorite color and why?
What color would you paint your stomach? Your hand? Your leg?
Do you think tWhat you would get in trouble if you were caught painting on yourself?
Do you like to paint pictures?
Fun things to do together
Name all the colors shown in the book.
Grab a paintbrush and pretend to paint yourself
Try singing along with the book.
Use the book to learn anatomy vocabulary (i.e. - arm, leg, neck)
Draw a picture of your child and let them paint their body parts.
I Stink!
Illustrator
Kate and Jim McMullan
Item Call Number
E MCMUL Similar stories by Kate and Jim McMullan: I'm Dirty (backhoe), I'm Mighty (tugboat), and I'm Bad (dinosaur)
Questions to talk about with your child
In the story, the garbage truck tells us his alphabet soup recipe. What ingredients are the stinkiest? The most gross?
What new words did you read about? What do you think "dual op" means?
Inside the book cover is a map of the garbage truck's city. Where else do you think the truck goes? What buildings do you see?
Fun things to do together
The story even explains how the trash system works in a simple way (truck picks up garbage, compacts it, and transports it via the river to a garbage dump). Take the trash or recycling out together. Discuss why garbage trucks are important.
Visit Kate McMullan's website and try out these fun activities: http://www.katemcmullan.com/ActivityPages/PictureBooks.pdf
Read more about garbage collectors and trucks at the Lexington Public Library.
Design your own garbage truck with items from your recycling bin.
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
Author: Lauren Child
Publisher: Candlewick (2000)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E CHILD A fussy eater decides to sample the carrots after her brother convinces her that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why will Lola “not eat a tomato”?
Are you a fussy eater? What foods do you not like to eat?
What foods do you love to eat?
Why does Charlie tell Lola that carrots are called “orange twiglets”? What other food names does he make up for Lola?
Does changing the names of food (i.e. peas are “green drops”) help them taste better? Why or why not?
Fun things to do together
Find magazine pictures of a variety of foods and cut them out. Put them in a basket and take turns drawing one out a time. Make up new names for each of the items. Keep a list of the names you create.
If your child is a picky eater, make a chart of how many new foods they try. A visual aid to help them chart their progress may create more excitement about trying new foods.
Ask members of the family to vote for their favorite and least favorite foods. Make a graph using the results.
Sort vegetables and fruits in your refrigerator by color, size, shape, taste, seeds or no seeds, or any other criteria that sounds like fun.
In a Small, Small Pond
Author: Denise Fleming
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks (2007)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Denise Fleming
Item Call Number
E FLEMI Illustrations and rhyming text describe the activities of animals living in and near a small pond as spring progresses to autumn.
Denise Fleming Link : www.denisefleming.com
Questions to talk about with your child
Can you find the frog that is on every page in the story?
Do you think the animals make different sounds than what the author wrote down?
What is your favorite part of this story?
Fun things to do together
Make a list of the animals in the book and choose one to learn more about.
Try making your own pond, either in real life or through art.
Write your own rhyme about something that is outside.
Learn how to make your own paper and make your own Denise Fleming-esque art. (Denise Fleming created the illustrations by pouring colored cotton pulp through her hand-cut stencils.)
Visit www.denisefleming.com for further details and activities
It Looked Like Spilt Milk
Author: Charles G. Shaw
Publisher: HarperCollins (1947)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E SHAW Objects that change on every page create an imaginative picture book that allows children to stimulate their minds and use their creativity. The children are kept guessing by the familiar objects such as the angel, the ice-cream cone, and the pig, until the surprise ending.
Questions to talk about with your child
What were three of the things the shapes looked like?
Look up at the sky. What color is the sky right now? What color are the clouds?
What other colors have you seen in the sky?
Why do you think the sky and the clouds sometimes change color?
What was your favorite shape in this story? Why?
Fun things to do together
Lay down on a blanket in your yard and look up at the sky. Talk about the shapes you see in the clouds.
Go to the library and check out books about clouds, weather, and seasons.
Children can illustrate their own version of this story by using torn construction paper to make cloud formations.
Make shapes out of white felt and use the book to sequence the shapes in the story.
Put a blob of white paint in the middle of a piece of blue paper. Then fold the paper in half and wait a minute before unfolding. Help your child write “Sometimes it looked like ________ but it wasn't ________.”
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
Author: Audrey Wood
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (1985)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Audrey Wood
Item Call Number
E WOOD Despite pleas from his court, a fun-loving king refuses to get out of his bathtub to rule his kingdom in this Caldecott Honor book.
Questions to talk about with your child
Which of the King's bathtime fun activities was your favorite?
How long is King Bidgood in the bathtub? What parts of the story tell you how much time passes?
What else could the king do in the bathtub to have fun?
How does the young page finally figure out how to get King Bidgood out of the bathtub?
Do you have a favorite bathtime toy or game? What do you like to play during bathtime?
Fun things to do together
Blow bubbles together during the bathtub scenes.
Read the story during bathtime and follow it with the song "Bathtime"by Raffi from his Everything Grows CD.
Recite the nursery rhymes Old King Cole and Rub-A-Dub-Dub Three Men in a Tub.
Lemons Are Not Red
Author: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (2004)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E SEEGE A creative introduction to the world of colors. Red lemons turn yellow, purple carrots become orange, and white reindeer change to brown.
Questions to talk about with your child
Before you turn each page, can you predict what item IS the correct color? (example: Lemons are not red, but I think that apples and tomatoes are red.)
What are some fruits and vegetables that are red? Yellow? Green?
Explore the concept of “NOT.” What items are NOT red? What items are never red? What things are NOT fun? Or NOT soft?
Fun things to do together
Explore the color wheel. Mix primary colors together and predict the results. Experiment with mixing to see how the artist creates some of the other non-primary colors (such as pink) in this book. Try mixing different colors with white or black.
Play “I Spy” with colors. See how many items you can identify that are one color. See if you can identify objects that have many different colors.
Create your own NOT book. Cut out shapes in the middle of pages. On the first side, you can include the NOT (example: a red page for a lemon, a bathtub for a truck), on the second side, include the correct scene (example: a yellow page for a lemon, a construction site for a truck).
Leo the Late Bloomer
Author: Robert Kraus
Publisher: HarperCollins (1971)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E KRAUS Leo, a young tiger, finally blooms under the anxious eyes of his parents.
Questions to talk about with your child
What are the things Leo cannot do at the beginning of the book?
How do you think Leo felt at the beginning book? How did he feel at the end? Have you ever felt like Leo?
We all learn new things as we grow up. What kinds of things do you think you will learn and do as you grow up?
How are you different now from when you were younger?
What do you think blooming means in this story? What about late bloomer?
Fun things to do together
Talk with your child about what you were like as a child. Talk about times you felt different from others, or could not do something others could do and how you changed over time.
After you read this book, practice writing or drawing. The letters in your child’s name are a great first writing experience. Children are often very motivated to learn to write their names.
Flowers and blooming imagery are prevalent in the story. Make flowers out of construction paper. Talk about the skills your child has already mastered (shoe tying, bike riding, etc.) and chose one skill to write on each petal of the flower. Leave some blank to add new skills that will be gained.
Read The Little Engine That Could by Waddy Pipper from the original 50 Books to Read in Kindergarten list and compare and contrast the two stories and Leo and the Little Engine.
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
Author: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (1996)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Kevin Henkes
Item Call Number
E HENKE Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is sorry later.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why was Lilly so upset with her teacher?
What do you do when you get upset?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What color is Lilly's purse? What is your favorite color?
Fun things to do together
Mix different colors and see what makes the color purple.
Have a special story time with books about mice and have some type of "cheesy" snack.
Look through magazines and find purple objects.
Little Bear
Author: Else Holmelund Minarik
Publisher: HarperCollins (1957)
Binding: Library Binding, 64 pages
Illustrator
Else Holmelund Minarik
Item Call Number
E MINAR Little Bear's four adventures include taking a trip to the moon and having a birthday party
Series: Father Bear Comes Home (1959), Little Bear's Friend (1960), Little Bear's Visit (1961), A Kiss for Little Bear (1968), Adventures of Little Bear (1990)
Questions to talk about with your child
What is your favorite part of this story?
What wishes do you have?
What do you remember about your last birthday? What are you looking forward to at your next birthday?
If you had friends that were animals, what animals would they be?
Fun things to do together
Find a box and pretend that you are going to fly to the moon
Create your own birthday soup
Make up your own Little Bear story and use some of your stuffed animals as characters
Llama Llama Red Pajama
Author: Anna Dewdney
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Item Call Number
E DEWDN At bedtime, a little llama worries after his mother puts him to bed and goes downstairs.
Questions to talk about with your child
How does Baby Llama feel about going to bed? How do you feel when you have to go to bed?
When Baby Llama gets tried of waiting for mama, what does he do?
What does the word patient mean?
How does Mama Llama show Baby Llama that she loves him? How do you know your family loves you?
Fun things to do together
Practice color knowledge by looking for red items when you go to the store. You might find red pajamas at a department store, red apples at the grocery store, etc.
Sort laundry together; sort clothes by color, by person, by type, i.e. all socks, all t-shirts, etc. Talk about pairs by working together to match up pairs of socks.
Make a list of the rhyming words in the story. Come up with other words that rhyme with those on your list.
Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!
Author: Nancy Carlson
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1999)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Even though Henry is looking forward to going to kindergarten, he is not sure about staying once he first gets there.
Questions to talk about with your child
What activities does Henry need to do to be ready for his first day of school?
What are some of the things that his mother tells him he will do in kindergarten?
What does the word “homesick” mean? What does Henry pack in his backpack in case he feels lonely on his first day?
How does seeing all the new students make him feel?
Where are you going to school? How do you think it will be like Henry’s experience?
Fun things to do together
Visit your child’s school and meet teachers and staff and show your child the restrooms, lunchroom, and library. Remind your child that the school staff will help if he or she becomes lost or confused about what to do.
Make a flash card game out of rehearsing your emergency contact information (phone number, address, full name, and parents’/guardians’ names). Draw a phone keypad on the sidewalk with chalk, and then ask your child to jump from number to number including your area code.
Practice sorting by color, shape, number, etc. using things like toys, fruit, or clothes. Sort laundry by person, color, and size, which also incorporates the importance of cleaning up and helpfulness.
At the grocery store, work together to find items on your shopping list. Create a list with pictures and words using online ads or print ads. Search by the item’s beginning letter sound, packaging color, or shelf location.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Author: Bernard Waber
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1973)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Item Call Number
E WABER Lyle is perfectly happy living with the Primms on East 88th St. until irritable Mr. Grumps next door changes all that.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do you think Loretta dislikes Lyle? What would you do to make a new friend?
In what ways would a crocodile make a good pet? In what was would it make a bad one?
Why is Mrs. Primm upset in the department store? What is Lyle doing? What would you do if you were lost in a big store?
How does Lyle escape from the zoo?
What happens when Lyle and Signor Valenti decided to drive past Lyle’s old house one last time?
Fun things to do together
Learn how to jump rope double-dutch and high jump like Lyle.
Check out books from the library about crocodiles to learn about where they really live and what they eat.
Walter Waber has written several books about Lyle the Crocodile and the Primms. Tell or write your own story about what Lyle does next.
Talk about how worried Mrs. Primm was when she could not find Lyle in the store. Write a story or draw picture about what do when you go shopping together.
Make Way for Ducklings
Author: Robert McCloskey
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1941)
Binding: Hardcover, 68 pages
Illustrator
Robert McCloskey
Item Call Number
E MCCLO Mr. and Mrs. Mallard find the perfect home to raise their ducklings in Boston's beautiful Public Garden
Questions to talk about with your child
Once the ducklings became good swimmers, Mr. & Mrs. Mallard moved them to their new home in the Public Garden? Have you ever had to move to a new home?
Why did Mrs. Mallard think that the public garden would be a good place to live? What are some good things about where you live?
How did Michael the policeman help the Mallard family? How do the police help people in your neighborhood?
Fun things to do together
Re-read the story and let the child make all of the duck and traffic sounds. Be sure to point to sound words (honk!, quack! etc.) on the page to reinforce print awareness.
Make a large-scale, simplified map of the streets, St. Charles River, Public Garden, buildings, etc. Retell the story and retrace the ducks route to their new home.
The ducklings are named in alphabetical order - Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack. Talk about what alphabetical order means. Say and talk about the words with emphasis on how the different beginning letters look and sound and how they make each word different.
Visit a local park or Lexington Cemetery and feed the ducks.
Mañana, Iguana
Author: Ann Whitford Paul
Publisher: Holiday House (2004)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E PAUL Iguana, Conejo, Tortuga, and Culebra are excited about having a spring party, but only Iguana is willing to do any of the work. Includes a glossary of Spanish words used.
Questions to talk about with your child
• What do you think Conejo, Tortuga, and Culebra will say when Iguana asks them for help?
• Look at the picture of the animals. What do you think the Spanish words “conejo,” “tortuga,” and “culebra” mean in English?
• “Fiesta” is the Spanish word for party. Have you ever been to a party? What kinds of things did you do there?
• Conejo, Tortuga and Culebra learn that it is important to help your friends. Can you tell me about a time when you were helpful to your friends?
Fun things to do together
Practice the days of the week in English and in Spanish.
Attend Bilingual Family Storytime at the Village Branch to learn more Spanish words.
Use a library book, an encyclopedia, or a website to look at pictures of the kinds of animals that live in the American southwest.
Make your own piñata.
Have a fiesta at home. Be sure that everyone pitches in!
Me I Am!
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2007)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
An illustrated poem which celebrates individuality and self confidence accompanied by illustrations of different children participating in the various activities and hobbies they enjoy.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is a hobby? What kinds of things do you like to do for fun?
What kinds of fun things are the children in this book doing?
What does individuality mean?
How are the three children in this book different?
How are you and your best friend different? What do you have in common?
Fun things to do together
Make a list of the different hobbies of the children depicted in the illustrations. Next to those hobbies, write down the names of your family members who enjoy doing those things, too.
Use that list to make a simple graph to see how many family members enjoy biking, dancing, etc.
Draw pictures or find photographs depicting favorite hobbies or things your child enjoys to help create his or her own Me, I Am! story.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Author: Virginia Lee Burton
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1939)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Illustrator
Virginia Burton
Item Call Number
E BURTO Mike Mulligan proves that, although dated, his steam shovel is still useful.
Questions to talk about with your child
Who were the different community helpers who watched Mike and Mary Anne work?
Why were Mike and Mary Anne sad?
Why did people watching make the workers work faster?
What did Mary Anne become when she finished the hole?
How are the machines in the book different from today's machines?
Fun things to do together
Visit the library and find books on different types of earth movers, bulldozers, & other big machines.
Make a simple steam shovel with brads and poster board.
Visit a construction site. Who and what do you see there?
What would your favorite big machine look like? Half dumpster/ half bulldozer? Or maybe a crane with a dump truck?
While boiling water for tea or dinner, discuss the steam coming from the pot. If the steam is blocked, it converts to water, but if not evaporates into the air.
Millions of Cats
Illustrator
Wanda Gag
Item Call Number
E GAG How can an old man and his wife select one cat from a choice of millions?
Questions to talk about with your child
Do you think there would be such a place filled with so many cats?
What color cat would you have picked?
Do you think the little kitten was happy living with the old man and his wife?
What happened when all the cats ate and drank?
What do you notice about the colors in the book?
How do you think the cat felt about being the only one left?
Fun things to do together
Sing some songs and nursery rhymes involving cats such as "Three Little Kittes" or "Pussycat, Pussycat".
Act out the story using stuffed animal toys.
Draw a picture of a cat that would be the prefect one for the family.
Cut cat pictures out of magazines and sort by color, size, stripes and spots
Visit an animal shelter and bring a donation of food or litter when you visit.
Miss Nelson is Missing
Author: Harry Allard, James Marshall
Publisher: Sandpiper (1985)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E ALLAR The kids in Room 207 take advantage of their teacher's good nature until she disappears and they are faced with a vile substitute.
Questions to talk about with your child
What did the students do instead of listening to Miss Nelson? How should they have behaved?
Who is the substitute teacher for Miss Nelson? How are Miss Nelson and the substitute different?
What do the kids think happened to Miss Nelson?
Writers often use a plot device called foreshadowing to provide clues as to the outcome of a story. What clues does the author leave to indicate that Miss Nelson and Viola Swamp could be the same person?
Fun things to do together
Play dress up and see how many disguises you can make.
Use your imagination to come up with other reasons Miss Nelson could be missing to create your own version of the story.
Visit the library for books on manners and treating others with respect.
Mother, Mother I Want Another
Author: Maria Polushkin Robbins
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Jon Goddell
Item Call Number
E ROBBI In this newly illustrated edition, Mrs. Mouse is anxious to get her son to sleep and goes off to find what she thinks he wants.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was your favorite part of the story?
What special things do you need before you go to bed?
What animal mommy would you want to be your mommy? Why?
What do you think about the little songs made up by the animal mommies?
What do you do every night before bedtime?
Fun things to do together
Make up your own "Good Night" song.
Lay out your stuffed animal friends and re-enact the story.
Make a kiss coupon book out of construction paper.
Get chocolate kiss candies and have a kiss candy hunt with a real giant "kiss" at the end.
Get different varieties of chocolate kisses and count and sort them by package color and package pattern.
Make up different types of kiss sounds: duck kisses, cow kisses, little kisses, big kisses, fish kisses, etc.
Mr. Gumpy’s Outing
Author: John Burningham
Publisher: Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1970)
Binding: Hardcover, 30 pages
Mr. Gumpy accepts more and more riders aboard his boat until the inevitable occurs.
Questions to talk about with your child
Look at the title page and talk about the setting of the story. Is it in the city or the country?
What is Mr. Gumpy doing on the first page of the book? Why is he wearing boots and what does he have in his hand?
Mr. Gumpy’s boat is called a “punt.” What other kinds of boats do you know? (Ex. row boat, sailboat, motorboat, etc.) Have you ever ridden on a boat? What kind?
Talk about the words trampled, bleated, mucked about, and squabbled. What do they mean?
Fun things to do together
Explore the directional concepts of left and right. Using a cardboard box or laundry basket as a punt boat and a mop or broom as a pole, practice poling your punt. Push the pole into the “mud” on the bottom of the river to move your boat, alternating sides.
Imitate the sounds and motions that the animals make. Flap like a chicken, etc.
Fill a small bowl with water and make a boat out of a jar lid or a piece of tin foil. Count and add pennies to the “boat” and see how many it will hold until it tips and sinks.
Have a tea party like Mr. Gumpy and his friends.
Play sink or float! Gather various small objects like buttons, milk jug caps, bottle corks, and toys and fill a sink or bathtub with water. One by one, take each object and guess if it will float or sink and write your guesses down on paper. Test each object one by one and compare the results to your guesses.
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!
Author: Candace Fleming
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum (2002)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E FLEMI After planting a garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all of his vegetables.
Questions to talk about with your child
How many of the tools in the store window can you name? How are the tools used?
What other names does Mr. McGreely call the bunnies?
What vegetable does Mr. McGreely dream about that night after he puts a tall wooden fence around his garden?
How do the bunnies get into the garden after Mr. McGreely builds the “huge, enormous thing” around his garden?
Do Mr. McGreely and the bunnies ever become friends? How do you know?
Fun things to do together
Grow a plant from a seed or place a carrot top in water and watch it grow.
See how many vegetables you can name at the grocery store.
Glue a bean to the bottom of a piece of paper. Use markers, crayons, or other art supplies to draw what you think will grow from the bean.
Instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose,” play “Seed, Seed, Sprout.”
Gather a variety of vegetables and sort them by color, shape, whether they grow above or below the ground, and whether you like to eat them raw or cooked or both.
My Kindergarten
Author: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (2004)
Binding: Hardcover, 96 pages
Illustrator
Rosemary Wells
Item Call Number
E WELLS Just like a true Kindergarten year, Rosemary Wells' My Kindergarten is full of fun and learning. It follows the year of a Kindergarten class and all of the amazing things they do and learn.
Questions to talk about with your child
How did you feel on your first day of Kindergarten? What did you do?
What is your favorite part of Kindergarten?
Would you like to have Miss Cribbage as a teacher? What are some fun things that she does with her class?
What is something new that you have learned in Kindergarten?
Fun things to do together
Look at the different patterns on your clothing. Make a book of patterns.
Look at stamps from other countries at this website: http://www.bnaps.org/stamps4kids/world.htm. Design your own stamps for different countries of the world.
Get a book of poetry and read a short poem.
Make "What's-It-Made-Of? Boxes for animals, vegetables, and minerals and collect things from around your house to put in them.
Measure the feet of everyone in your family. Whose are the longest? Whose are the shortest?
Oh No, Gotta Go
Author: Susan Middleton Elya
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (2003)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E ELYA As soon as she goes out for a drive with her parents, a young girl needs to find a bathroom quickly. The text includes some Spanish words and phrases.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why are some of the words in a larger print?
What buildings and landmarks do you know in your neighborhood?
What do you do before you go on a long car trip? What do you like to take with you?
This story is so funny! Can you tell a story about something funny that has happened to you?
Fun things to do together
Use this book as a starting point to talk about bathroom etiquette and hygiene.
Talk about the things that are important to do before a long car ride and what you should bring with you on such a trip.
Point out the words that rhyme as you read the story. Think of other words that rhyme with them.
Make a list of the places you know in your community where you would find a restroom.
Check out other bilingual or Spanish books from the library to learn more Spanish vocabulary words.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Author: Jane Cabrera
Publisher: Holiday House (2008)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E CABRE The inhabitants of Old MacDonald's farm are described, verse by verse.
Questions to talk about with your child
What are Old Macdonald and his wife holding on the last page of the story? Were you surprised?
What part of the story hinted that there was going to be a baby?
What is your favorite farm animal noise to make and why?
How is this book different from the song “Old MacDonald”?
Fun things to do together
Talk about what animals belong on a farm versus what animals belong in a zoo.
Use stuffed or plastic animals to act out the song – throw a silly animal (monkey) in to the mix!
Make a guessing game out of the animals featured in the book. For example “I have 4 legs, a long tail and I like to gallop. What am I?”
Make stick puppets of the animals and act out the story or sing the song using the props.
Olivia
Author: Ian Falconer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum (2000)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Ian Falconer
Item Call Number
E FALCO Whether at home getting ready for the day, enjoying the beach, or at bedtime, Olivia is a feisty pig who has too much energy for her own good.
Questions to talk about with your child
What does Olivia do at the beach?
What is Olivia’s favorite painting at the museum? Why do you think she likes it?
What is Olivia’s favorite color? Why do you think so?
Why doesn’t Olivia want to go to bed? How do you feel when you have to go to bed?
Fun things to do together
Visit an art museum. Prepare for the trip by checking out some art books for children from the library.
If you have no museum near you, explore art books and look at the paintings and the sculptures. What shapes do you see? What colors do you see? What’s happening in the paintings?
Play dress-up just like Olivia does in the story. Describe each new outfit to each other.
Find pictures of the real Empire State Building, either online or in library books and compare it to the one Olivia makes in the book.
Build your own sand castle at the beach, in a sandbox, or build one at home out of toy blocks, empty boxes, yogurt tubs, or other household items that safely stack.
Once I Ate a Pie
Author: Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest
Publisher: HarperCollins (2006)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Katy Schneider
Item Call Number
E 811.54 M22o 2006 A funny and touching collection of poems about dogs, what they do, and why they are so special.
Questions to talk about with your child
How can you tell that this is a book of poems? Do poems always rhyme?
Do you have a favorite dog in this book? What makes that dog your favorite?
What makes each of these dogs different? How are they the same?
These dogs in these poems have a lot of personality. What do you think personality means?
Fun things to do together
Create your own poem stories about your favorite animal.
See if you can identify each of the different types of dogs pictured in this book. Check out a book on different dog breeds.
Poetry books about high interest subjects like dogs are a great way to expose children to the rhyme and rhythm of poetry. Check out I Didn’t Do It, also by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, for another great poetic look at life from the dog’s point of view.
Look at the way many of the words are printed in the poems. For example, talk about why the word BARK is so bold and large and why the word tiny is printed so small. Write a short poem and make the words bigger or smaller to reflect the meaning.
Orange Pear Apple Bear
Author: Emily Gravett
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (2007)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E GRAVE Explores concepts of color, shape, and food using only five simple words as a bear juggles and plays with fruit.
Questions to talk about with your child
How many different ways can you arrange the words in Orange Pear Apple Bear to make a new sentence?
Which arrangement of the four words is your favorite?
How does the story end?
Which of these fruits do you like the best? Why?
Fun things to do together
Eat some apples, oranges and pears. Compare the color, look, feel, smell, taste, and sound (when you bite them) of each fruit. Make a list of the words to describe the differences and similarities of the fruits.
Act out the book with real fruits and a stuffed animal. See how quickly you can go through each combination.
Try and come up with other words that rhyme with apple, orange, pear, and bear. Nonsense words count, too!
Talk about the comma and how it makes a difference in the meaning of each phrase. What is an orange bear? Does “orange, bear” mean something different?
Owl Babies
Item Call Number
E WADDE Three owl babies whose mother has gone out into the night try to stay calm while she is gone.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why does the story take place at night?
What does nocturnal mean? What other animals are nocturnal? What other animals live in trees?
Which baby owl seems to be the most scared of the three? Why?
Was there a time when you couldn’t find your mom? What did you do?
Why do all of the baby owls sit on the same branch?
Fun things to do together
Make a bird feeder. Take a piece of stale bread, a pinecone, or a corn on the cob and spread peanut butter over it. Then finish it off by pressing bird seed into the peanut butter and hanging it from a tree or a fence.
Look for bird nests in the trees in your yard or park. Use binoculars to bird watch.
Gather twigs, leaves, and feathers to build a nest.
Visit a park to find bird or duck feathers. Lightly spray the feathers with water to see how they naturally repel water.
Pete's a Pizza
Author: William Steig
Publisher: HarperCollins (1998)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Illustrator
William Steig
Item Call Number
E STEIG What do you do when Pete's in a bad mood? When it is raining and he cannot go out and play? Turn him into a pizza, of course!
Questions to talk about with your child
What do you like to do on rainy days when you can't go outside?
Do you like to pretend to be something else? What do you like to pretend to be?
What are your favorite pizza toppings? What could you use for those toppings if you were making a pretend pizza like Pete's father?
What do people do to cheer you up when you are in a bad mood?
What steps do you go through to make a pizza?
Fun things to do together
Make your child into a pizza like Pete. Try other foods, too, like hot dogs and tacos. Let them do it to you or a stuffed animal.
Brainstorm for ideas for rainy day activities. Put them all in a Rainy Day Box and draw out an activity on the next rainy day.
Make a pretend pizza from construction paper. Have your child tear out the shapes for the toppings and glue them on. Fine motor exercises like these are excellent ways to prepare your child for handwriting and scissor skills.
Let your child help you make a real pizza. Have them measure the ingredients.
Introduce fractions by having your child help you divide a pizza into equal pieces.
Please, Puppy, Please
Author: Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E LEE A close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up.
Questions to talk about with your child
The illustrator’s use of perspective gives us a view of the action that’s different from most picture books. Talk about this perspective. Why do you think Mr. Nelson painted his pictures this way?
Why do you think the boy and girl are having such a hard time with their dog?
What happens to the cat in the story?
What would you name this puppy? Why?
Fun things to do together
Talk about the punctuation. Point out exclamation points and question marks.
Talk about why some of the words are printed in a larger size.
Visit the Humane Society to look at dogs or check out a book about taking care of dogs from the library.
Look at dog books to see if you can figure out what type of dog is in the story.
Go beyond the story and imagine what the dog’s name might be. How did the children get the dog? What are the children’s names?
This book, as well as Lee and Nelson’s companion story, Please, Baby, Please, features African American children in a simple story unrelated to race or culture. For more examples of such natural diversity look for books illustrated by Karen Katz, LeUyen Pham, Cathryn Falwell.
Rapunzel
Author: Brothers Grimm
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (1997)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Item Call Number
J 398.20943 G317zelr 1997 The classic tale of the girl with the long golden hair beautifully illustrated and retold by Paul Zelinsky. Discover why the sorceress locked Rapunzel in the tower and what happens when a mysterious prince appears.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is a fairy tale? What other fairy tales have you heard or read?
What do you think would happen if the husband didn't get Rapunzel for his wife?
Why does the prince fall in love with Rapunzel?
How does the prince get into the tower?
Why does the sorceress send Rapunzel away?
How does the story end?
Fun things to do together
Act out the story using a husband, wife, Rapunzel, sorceress, prince, and twins. Set the chant "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair" to music.
List all the good qualities of the sorceress.
Make a diorama (a miniature scene) of the garden or the tower using a shoe box. Imagine various rooms that might be inside the tower.
Sheep in a Jeep
Author: Nancy E. Shaw
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1986)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Margot Apple
Item Call Number
E SHAW Records the misadventures of a group of sheep that go riding in a jeep.
Series: Sheep on a Ship (1989), Sheep in a Shop (1991), Sheep Out to Eat (1992), Sheep Take a Hike (1994), Sheep Trick or Treat (1997), Sheep Blast Off (2008).
Questions to talk about with your child
Where do you think the sheep are going in their jeep?
What are words in the book that rhyme?
What do the sheep do with their jeep when it crashes? Do you think anyone will buy it? Why or why not?
Do you think the sheep will be better drivers next time? Why?
What do you think would have happened if the pigs hadn't helped the sheep?
Fun things to do together
Have your child pretend to be a sheep in a jeep by sitting in a laundry basket and pretending to steer. Add a kinesthetic element to the story by tugging them out of a pretend mud puddle and crashing them into a pile of pillows.
Use letter magnets to make rhyming words.
Have your child make an advertisement trying to sell the sheep's wrecked jeep. Help them think of words to describe the jeep?
Make sheep by gluing cottonballs onto construction paper.
Snowballs
Author: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (1995)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Illustrator
Lois Ehlert
Item Call Number
E EHLER Some children create a family out of snow. Includes labeled pictures of all the items they use, as well as information about how snow is formed.
Questions to talk about with your child
Which snowperson was your favorite and why?
Have you ever made a snowman? If so, what kind of things did you use to dress it up?
What is your favorite season?
Why did the snow people melt?
Fun things to do together
Make snowmen using white construction paper and various things from around the house.
Use the back page of the book as a quiz to test your child's memory of which snowman had what on him.
Make birdfeeders for your backyard using peanut butter and pinecones with birdseed.
Sing "Frosty the Snowman."
Turn the book into an "I Spy" game for each page.
Snowmen at Night
Item Call Number
E BUEHN Snowmen play games at night when no one is watching.
Questions to talk about with your child
What games did the snowmen play?
Which games did they play that you would like to play, too?
How do you think the snowmen moved since they don’t have real feet?
What would you do if a snowman wanted to play with you?
Fun things to do together
Build a snowman together using sports equipment, like a baseball bat and hat, to pretend your snowman will need them when he goes to play at night.
Have a winter picnic and make a plate, bowl, and cup out of snow. Invite your snowman to join you. Talk about the differences and similarities of winter and summer picnics.
Make tube sock snowmen using dry beans, fiber fill, buttons and chenille sticks. (denisefleming.com). Use the snowmen to act out the story.
Cut out paper snowflakes and tape them to the windows or hang them from the ceiling with string to float in the air. Discuss the unique shapes of real snowflakes and how no two are exactly alike but they do all have six points. Go to the library and check out non-fiction books on snow and weather.
Make a weather calendar and note with pictures and words what the weather is like each day. At the end of the month make a chart showing the different types of weather and which type of weather appears the most and least often.
Spicy Hot Colors / Colores Picantes
Author: Sherry Shahan
Publisher: August House (2004)
Binding: Hardcover, 24 pages
Illustrator
Paula Barragán
Item Call Number
E SHAHA Jazzy poetry, dancing skeletons, walking iguanas, musical sounds, and popping firecrackers all gather to introduce nine colors through onomatopoeia and alliteration in English and in Spanish.
Questions to talk about with your child
Which colors do you like the best?
Can corn be green, or does it have to be yellow? Can skeletons be purple or do they have to be white?
What colors are spicy? What colors are cool? What colors are hot?
Fun things to do together
Find some items around the house and make up with different sounds that they might make - (shimmy-shammy-slunk might be the sound of water as it goes down the drain).
Ms. Barragán, the illustrator, is from Ecuador. Where is Ecuador? Can you find it on a map?
Use bold-colored crayons, paint, and/or bold-colored construction paper with black paper to make your own Barragán-esque art.
Make up a song using the funny words in this book.
Dance and march to the rhythm of this book.
Stellaluna
Author: Janell Cannon
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (1993)
Binding: Hardcover, 46 pages
Item Call Number
E CANNO After she falls headfirst into a bird's nest, a baby bat is raised like a bird until she is reunited with her mother.
Questions to talk about with your child
How does Stellaluna get separated from her mother?
How would you describe the friendship between Stellaluna and the birds?
What obstacles might there be to continuing the friendship?
What might have happened to Stellaluna and the birds if Stellaluna had not been reunited with her mother?
Fun things to do together
Read “Bat notes” at the end of the book and discuss with children.
Build a Bat House. Check out bat books or use the library databases for children to find out more about the importance of bat houses.
Visit the zoo and talk about the difference and similarities of bats and birds as you observe them. Read a book about each and talk about or write down their similarities and differences
Janell Cannon has an affinity for unusual animals and her books introduce children to beautiful animals not normally thought of as cute, fluffy, and perfect for children’s books. Read more books by Cannon, such as Crickwing, Verdi and Pinduli.
Stone Soup
Author: Marcia Brown
Publisher: Aladdin (1997)
Binding: Paperback, 48 pages
Item Call Number
E BROWN When three hungry soldiers come to a town where all the food has been hidden they outwit the greedy villagers by making a soup from water and stones.
Questions to talk about with your child
What did you think of the soldiers’ plan? Do you think they found the best way to solve their problem? Why or why not?
How did the three men gain the villagers’ trust?
What would have happened if the villagers thought they were being tricked?
How did the villagers feel about the men after the feast?
Why did they give the men the best beds in the village?
Fun things to do together
Make a chart of all the different vegetables that were used in the soup. Find out what your family members’ favorite vegetables are and make a graph.
Make your own stone soup. Cook a favorite vegetable soup recipe and discuss healthy foods and snacks.
Read another version of the Stone Soup tale. How are the tales similar? How are they different?
Strega Nona
Author: Tomie dePaola
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (1975)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Tomie de Paola
Item Call Number
E DEPAO When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony's deceitful decision to show the townspeople how it works gets him into trouble in this Caldecott Honor book.
Questions to talk about with your child
What does the name Strega Nona mean?
What does Strega Nona tell Big Anthony he must never do?
What does the magic pot do when you recite the magic words?
How does Big Anthony get into trouble?
Have you ever done something that you were told not to do?
Fun things to do together
Put on a pot of pasta together, and over the pot, recite Strega Nona's magic words, "Bubble, bubble, pasta pot?"
Make your own magic pasta pot; take an empty butter tub or some other empty plastic container and cut lots and lots of yellow yarn for pasta. Put it on paper plates when it's "done" and serve it to the family.
In this story, blowing three kisses is a magic command to stop the pot. For an entire day, blow three kisses to each other to say "Please" and "Thank You."
Swimmy
Author: Leo Lionni
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (1963)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Illustrator
Leo Lionni
Item Call Number
E LIONN This is the story of a clever little fish named Swimmy. When his brothers and sisters are eaten by a big fish, he teaches his friends to work together to stay safe and free to explore the ocean in all its beauty.
Questions to talk about with your child
How did Swimmy feel when he escaped from the tuna and swam all alone in the sea?
What helped Swimmy feel happy again? What things make you feel happy?
What did Swimmy do to help the fish not be afraid?
What part of the big fish did Swimmy pretend to be?
How many red fish work together to make one big fish?
If you could live in the ocean, what would you want to be? Why?
Fun things to do together
Cut several red fish shapes and a black one out of construction paper. Use various lengths of fishing line or string to suspend the fish from a coat hanger to create a mobile.
Cut a variety of sea creatures/plants/treasure chest out of different colored construction paper. Attach a paper clip. Use string and a stick to create a fishing pole and tie a magnet to the end of the string. Go fishing.
Visit a pet store and find out about all the different kinds of fish they have.
Cut a large fish pattern out of two pieces of cellophane or construction paper and punch holes all around the edge. Stuff with small pieces of shiny paper and sew together with yarn.
Tacky the Penguin
Author: Helen Lester
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1988)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Lynn Munsinger
Item Call Number
E LESTE Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.
Series: Three Cheers for Tacky (1994), Tacky in Trouble (1998), Tacky and the Emperor (2000), Tacky and the Winter Games (2005)
Questions to talk about with your child
What would you do if you lived in a "nice icy land" like Tacky? How would you build a snowman? What would happen if you had a snowball fight? etc.
If you could be any of the characters in the story, who would you want to be? Why?
Why did all of the penguins except Tacky run away and hide when the hunters came?
What do you do when you are scared?
What is the bravest thing you have done?
How do you help your friends?
Fun things to do together
Practice marching in straight lines like Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly and Perfect. Then march in a totally made up way like Tacky.
Make up a silly song like Tacky did and sing it to the melody of a well known song.
Use markers to draw a winter or Antarctic scene. When the drawing is finished and dry, use a damp sponge and go over the paper lightly. Use a shaker to gently shake salt over the picture. When the salt touches the paper, it will crystallize and look like snowflakes.
Find Antarctica on a globe or map. Use the library to find which animals live in the Arctic and Antarctic.
The Biggest Bear
Item Call Number
E WARD In this 1953 Caldecott Award winning book, Johnny Orchard befriends a bear cub that quickly grows up and becomes a big problem. Johnny tries to return the bear to the woods, but each time the bear comes back.
Questions to talk about with your child
What are the differences and similarities between how we live today and how Johnny lived?
Why did Mr. McCarroll dislike bears?
What problems did the bear cause?
Why did Johnny have to take the bear into the woods? Why did the bear continue to come back?
How was the problem of getting rid of the bear resolved?
Fun things to do together
How big is a bear? Find out more about bears and their habitats. Compare your height and weight with a bear.
Go on a nature walk in the woods. Draw pictures and identify the different animals and plants you see on your walk.
When did this story take place? Create a chart comparing the similarities and differences between the time when Johnny lived and the present day.
Discuss gun safety with your child. Even if you do not own a gun, your child may encounter one.
The Carrot Seed
Author: Ruth Krauss
Publisher: HarperCollins (1989)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Crockett Johnson
Item Call Number
E KRAUS Despite everyone's dire predictions, a little boy has faith in the carrot seed he plants.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why doesn’t the boy’s family believe that his carrot will come up?
What did he do to help his carrot grow?
Why did he keep on caring for his carrot, even though his family doesn’t think it will come up?
At the end of the story, the little boy’s carrot is as big as he is. What is the biggest vegetable you ever saw? Where did you see it?
What vegetables do you like to eat?
Fun things to do together
Plant carrot seeds and watch them grow. Each week you can measure how much the carrot has grown. Make a simple graph or keep a journal to record the measurements and the changes over time.
Do a simple experiment. Plant seeds in cups with the following conditions: 1. Soil, water, sunshine 2. Soil and sunshine, but no water 3. Water and sunshine, but no soil 4. Water and soil, but no sunshine. Check the progress of each seed each day, and talk about why some seeds sprout while the others don’t. Keep a log of your observations.
Visit a farmer’s market as a family. Ask the vendors what they do to raise their fruits and vegetables. Ask them why they like raising produce.
Talk about and sort vegetables by their attributes (qualities or characteristics). Which ones grow underground? Which ones grow in trees? Which ones have seeds? Which ones don’t have seeds? What colors do you see?
The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash
Author: Trinka Hakes Noble
Publisher: Dial Press (1980)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Steven Kellogg
Item Call Number
E NOBLE A schoolgirl tells her mother a wild story about the resulting chaos that ensues from her classmate Jimmy’s decision to bring his pet boa constrictor along on a class trip to the farm.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is the girl who is telling her mother about the trip to the farm doing while she is telling the story?
What did the pigs do on the school bus? What foods were they eating?
What do you think the numbers on the clothes that the farmer’s wife was hanging out to dry might mean?
What is the farmer’s wife doing on the very last page of the story? What would you make for your favorite pet?
What place would you like to visit on a class trip?
Fun things to do together
Picture walk and find all the different animals that appear in the pages of the story. Make a simple graph and record how many of each animal appears to determine which kind of animal appears most frequently.
Help your child retell the events of the story in sequence using animal puppets or drawings.
Check out children’s non-fiction books on boa constrictors to find out if they make good pets.
The Doorbell Rang
Author: Pat Hutchins
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (1986)
Binding: Hardcover, 24 pages
Item Call Number
E HUTCH Each time the doorbell rings, there are more people who have come to share Ma's wonderful cookies.
Questions to talk about with your child
How many cookies did Ma bake the first time? How do you know?
What happens to the kitchen floor during the story?
Can you count or make your best guess how many cookies Grandma has on her tray? On the last page, how many children will share them?
Why is it important to share?
Fun things to do together
Bake cookies and divide them into two piles, four piles, six piles, etc.
Mop the kitchen floor together.
Cut a circle out of brown construction paper for each cookie Grandma has on her tray. Count how many children can share them if every child gets one cookie, two cookies, etc.
Go to a bakery and buy cookies to share. How many friends will get a cookie if you buy a dozen cookies and give two to each friend?
Invite your grandma over and let her help you bake some cookies.
The Empty Pot
Author: Demi
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (1996)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E DEMI When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty.
Questions to talk about with your child
How does the Emperor decide to choose a successor?
What is the challenge the Emperor gives the children to do?
How long do the children have to grow a flower?
What does Ping’s father tell him when his flower does not grow?
What does Ping tell the Emperor and what was the consequence? Were you surprised?
Fun things to do together
Go to a flower garden and learn more about flowers.
Plant some flower seeds in pots and watch them grow.
Cook some seeds and eat them.
Largely influenced by Chinese culture, Demi’s thoughtful fables are ripe with lessons about what it means to be human in any culture. Read more of Demi’s books such as The Donkey and the Rock, Liang and the Magic Paintbrush, and The Dragon’s Tale.
The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
Author: Shirley Neitzel
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (1989)
Binding: Library Binding, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E NEITZ A young girl names all the clothes that she must wear to play in the snow.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why does the little girl put on these clothes?
Would she wear these clothes to the beach?
When would you wear these clothes?
Why did the little girl cry?
What happened when the little girl went inside?
Fun things to do together
Play dress up using clothes that you would wear for different seasons. Have a beach party with Hawaiian music, summer clothes, and a beach ball or wear winter clothes and sit around a pretend campfire and drink hot cocoa. Discuss the weather and which months of the year are warm or cold and what clothes are worn and why.
Create a rebus book with pictures from magazines or stickers. Staple plastic zip top bags together to make the book and change out the pages to make a new story.
Make clothing flash cards with a picture and the word on the back. Write some sentences where your child can fill in the blank with the pictures and finish the sentence.
Take a “clothes walk” and decide in what weather your child would wear them and why.
The Little Engine That Could
Author: Watty Piper
Publisher: Philomel (2005)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Illustrator
Loren Long
Item Call Number
E PIPER Although she is not very big, the Little Blue Engine agrees to try to pull a stranded train full of toys over the mountain.
Questions to talk about with your child
Can you think of something you have done that you thought would be difficult?
Why won't the other engines help the train full of toys?
Why did the Little Blue Engine help the train full of toys? What would you have done if they had asked you for help?
How are you similar to the Little Blue Engine? How are you different?
Fun things to do together
Make a train using the chairs from your kitchen table. What will your train carry? Where is it going?
Make shakers from dried beans and paper cups. See if you can imitate the rhythm of a train.
Make rectangular train cars. Write a letter of your child's name on each car. Help your child put the cars in the right order to spell his or her name.
Make a Marshmallow Train Snack. Use large marshmallows for the cars and pretzel sticks to connect them. Use peanut butter to stick on Cheerios for wheels.
The Mitten
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (1996)
Binding: Board book, 36 pages
Item Call Number
E BRETT Retelling of the traditional folktale about how a boy's little lost mitten becomes a refuge from the cold for an increasing number of larger and larger animals.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why was the boy’s grandmother hesitant to make snow white mittens?
Why do you think the animals want to be inside his mitten?
Where would the animals usually be during the winter?
Why do you think the animals inside the mitten keep allowing other animals to enter?
How does the boy find his mitten?
Why do you think it is important to try not to lose things?
Fun things to do together
Discuss the different animals in the book. Use the library to discover what each animal truly does during the winter season.
Explore measurement concepts. Have fun with nonstandard measurements by using building blocks, legos, cotton balls, pennies, etc. to “measure” the length of a mitten, an arm, a sidewalk, etc.
Make 26 pairs of identical size mittens from construction or typing paper. Print uppercase letters on 26 mittens and lowercase letters on the remaining mittens. Place mittens in alphabetical order or match uppercase letters to corresponding lowercase letters.
Cut 21 small mitten shapes and write the numbers 0-20 on the mittens for your child. Have the child glue them on to a snowy scene in the correct order or for more advanced fun, practice simple addition and subtraction.
The Mysterious Tadpole
Author: Steven Kellogg
Publisher: Dial (2002)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Item Call Number
E KELLO It soon becomes clear that Louis's pet tadpole is not turning into an ordinary frog.
Questions to talk about with your child
What’s Alphonse’s favorite food?
How many different places does Alphonse live?
What might happen to Alphonse if Louis and Ms. Seevers do not find the treasure chest?
What kind of animal did Uncle McAllister give Louis at the end?
What would you choose for a pet besides a cat or a dog?
Fun things to do together
Get a tadpole and watch it change or check out a library book the about the lifecycle of a frog.
Check out a library book about the Loch Ness Monster.
Find Scotland (the place Uncle McAllister found the tadpole) on a map. Talk about how someone could travel there from where you live.
Check out a library book about the Loch Ness Monster.
Go to the pool and try to swim like a frog and the Loch Ness Monster.
The Neighborhood Mother Goose
Author: Nina Crews
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (2004)
Binding: Library Binding, 64 pages
Illustrator
Nina Crews
Item Call Number
E CREWS This is a wonderful treasury of nursery rhymes illustrated with collage photographs of contemporary urban cities and multicultural children
Questions to talk about with your child
What is your favorite rhyme? Can you say it by heart? (A child that knows 8 nursery rhymes by the age of 4 will be a good reader by the age of 8).
What letter does your name start with? Can you find that letter on the pages with the A Was an Apple Pie rhyme? If you could have a garden like Mary, what would you grow?
Would you like to live in a shoe? Why or why not?
Fun things to do together
Say three words. Ask your child to put a thumb up if the words rhyme and thumbs down if they don't. For example, cat, hat, bat and run, fun, play.
Read some of your child's favorite rhymes again. Ask your child to clap when hearing a rhyming word.
Say a silly sentence with a missing word. Ask your child to use rhyming clues to figure out the missing word. For example, "I saw a bear combing his _____(hair)".
Plant an indoor flower or vegetable garden in paper cups.
After discussing living in a shoe, ask your child what his or her dream house would look like. Ask them to draw a picture of the house.
The Seals on the Bus
Author: Lenny Hort
Publisher: Owlet Paperbacks (2003)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E HORT Different animals--including seals, tigers, geese, rabbits, monkeys, and more--make their own sounds as they ride all around the town on a bus.
Questions to talk about with your child
Do you think that this story reminds you of another song that you might have heard? If so, what is that song and what is different about the song and the story?
Which animal on the bus is your favorite? Which is your least favorite?
Would you get on a bus that had all those animals on it? Why or why not?
Why are the people on the bus shouting, “Help! Help! Help!”?
Fun things to do together
Set up kitchen chairs in a row, and pretend that you are a bus driver. Line up some stuffed animals, and see which ones you would pick up.
Draw a map of your street/neighborhood/city and look at what route your bus would take. You can also draw animals at certain landmarks/intersections to pick up.
Talk about bus fares and how much it would cost to go to the grocery store or post office. Use play money and practice counting out change.
The Snowy Day
Author: Ezra Jack Keats
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1962)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Jack Ezra Keats
Item Call Number
E KEATS The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day
Questions to talk about with your child
What activities does Peter do in the snow?
Why was the snowball in Peter's pocket gone when looked for it later in the story?
Describe how snow feels and what it looks like.
What activities do you enjoy doing in the snow?
Fun things to do together
Put on a hat and mittens and make hot chocolate before reading the story.
Sing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" and "Frosty the Snowman" together.
Pretend to walk in the snow (or actually walk in the snow) as Peter does with your toes pointing both in and out.
Make snowballs from crumpled plastic grocery bags and have a snowball fight.
The Story of Ferdinand
Author: Munro Leaf
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1936)
Binding: Hardcover, 72 pages
Item Call Number
E LEAF Ferdinand likes to sit quietly and smell the flowers, but one day he gets stung by a bee and his snorting and stomping convince everyone that he is the fiercest of bulls.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was your favorite part of the story?
Do you sometimes feel different from your friends? How does that make you feel?
What do you think about Ferdinand’s mother? Was she right to let Ferdinand be himself rather than try to be like the other bulls?
How does Ferdinand deal with the matador?
Fun things to do together
Sit under a tree to read the story. Think about Ferdinand sitting under his tree smelling the flowers. What do you smell as you sit under the tree? What do you hear?
Go to a flower shop and smell the flowers. Try to describe the different smells of the different types of flowers. Which one do you think Ferdinand would have liked best? Which do you like the most?
Buy some flower seeds and make a garden for Ferdinand.
The illustrations show Ferdinand’s mother (a cow) marks Ferdinand’s changing height as he grows on a tree. Find a place in your house to mark how tall your child is as he or she grows, a great early opportunity to talk about measurement. Be to put the date next to each mark.
The Stray Dog
Author: Marc Simont
Publisher: HarperCollins (2001)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E SIMON A family befriends a stray dog while on a picnic, names him Willy, and decides to keep him.
Questions to talk about with your child
What is a picnic? What things would you bring on a picnic?
What did you think of the family’s decision to leave Willy behind? What does “stray” mean?
How could you tell the family thought about Willie all week after that day at the park?
How did the children convince the dog warden to leave Willie with them?
How does the story end?
Fun things to do together
Look at a city map together and find parks close to your home where you could go on a picnic.
Make a list of the things you would need on a picnic. Go shopping with your list and go on a real picnic.
Go to a dog park and watch dogs play together.
Visit the Humane Society website together to learn about how to help animals without homes.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Author: Beatrix Potter
Publisher: Warne (2002)
Binding: Hardcover, 70 pages
Illustrator
Beatrix Potter
Item Call Number
E POTTE Naughty Peter Rabbit disobeys his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden and almost gets caught.
Questions to talk about with your child
How many rabbits were in the story? How many little rabbits?
What were their names?
Who did the garden belong to?
What color was Peter's coat?
What did Peter lose in the garden? What happened to them?
What did Peter eat to make his tummy feel better?
Fun things to do together
Visit a pet store and look at the rabbits. Discuss which one looks the most like Peter and his family.
Visit the grocery and try to find all the vegetables that Peter ate.
Hop like a bunny and twitch your nose. Act out the story.
Make a simple rabbit puppet using a paper bag and construction paper.
The Ugly Duckling
Author: Hans Christian Andersen, Jerry Pinkney
Publisher: HarperCollins (1999)
Binding: Library Binding, 40 pages
Illustrator
Jerry Pinkney
Item Call Number
E ANDER An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.
Questions to talk about with your child
Did the other animals in this book do anything that made them ugly?
How did the duckling feel when the other animals teased him? Have you ever felt that way? What happened that made you feel that way?
Was there anyone in the story who was kind to the duckling?
How do you think the Ugly Duckling's egg got in the mother duck's nest?
What seasons were shown in the story? How could you recognize them?
Fun things to do together
Curl up in a ball on the floor and pretend to be a duckling hatching from an egg.
Make up your own fairy tale like Hans Christian Anderson. Make one of your stuffed animals the main character.
Make animals sounds for all of the different animals the Ugly Duckling meets.
Draw a picture of your favorite scene in the book.
Look at pictures of different kinds of eggs. Talk about what kinds of birds you think might come out of the eggs.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel (1981)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Eric Carle
Item Call Number
E CARLE This story follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself, goes to sleep, and emerges from his sleepy cocoon a beautiful butterfly.
Questions to talk about with your child
What are the days of the week?
What does the caterpillar eat on each day?
How many items does the caterpillar eat on each day?
What happens to the caterpillar after he goes to sleep in his cocoon?
What are your favorite fruits and foods?
Fun things to do together
Use a calendar and record the foods eaten on each day in the story or make your own calendar and do the same
Using a magazine, cut out pictures of the same foods in the story use them to glue a healthy meal to a paper plate
Watch a child's educational film, like a Magic School Bus video or DVD, about the life cycle of a caterpillar
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Author: Simms Taback
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (1997)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Simms Taback
Item Call Number
E TABAC Everyone knows the song about the old lady who swallowed a fly, a spider, a bird, and even worse, but who's ever seen what's going on inside the old lady's stomach? With this inventive die-cut artwork, Simms Tabak gives us a rollicking, eye-popping version of the well-loved poem.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do you think the old lady swallowed a fly? Could it have been an accident?
What was the reaction of the cow? What about the bird, dog, and cat?
Have you ever swallowed something strange that you would not normally eat?
Who is the man at the end of the story? What is his reaction to the old lady's death?
Fun things to do together
Make a food chain. What might the cat really eat? The fly? The spider and the bird?
Write the names and/or draw a picture of the various animals eaten by the old lady on a small piece of paper. Put them in sequential order.
On a paper plate, draw your face and cut a small slit for your mouth. Using clip art or pictures from magazines, cut out pictures of "yummy" foods you'd like to eat. Slip them into your "mouth" to eat them.
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet
Author: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Puffin (1992)
Binding: Paperback, 32 pages
Illustrator
Mercer Mayer
Item Call Number
E MAYER At bedtime a boy confronts the nightmare in his closet and finds him not so terrifying after all.
Questions to talk about with your child
The little boy in the book goes to bed with his cannon and his gun. Why does he do that?
What do you sleep with so you will feel safe?
Why did the little boy decide not to shoot his nightmare?
What do you think the little boy will do about the other nightmare in his closet?
What do you do when you have a nightmare?
Fun things to do together
Help your child explore his or her closet with a flashlight. What do you find in there? How many toys are there? How many pairs of shoes?
Ask your child to draw a picture of his or her last nightmare or dream. Talk with him or her about what they draw. Ask them to identify the objects, and what happened in the nightmare. Ask your child to explain why he/she found that dream frightening.
Make bedtime a special event. Dress in pajamas. Have a bedtime snack of hot chocolate or hot milk, and peanut butter or cheese crackers.
Play calming music while your child brushes his or her teeth. Tuck your child into bed and read soothing stories. Leave soothing music playing when you turn out the light—the library has a rich variety of lullaby CDs for you to check out!
Use household items to make monster masks (paper plates, paper towel tubes, paper shopping bags, yarn, etc.) Act out the story. Then act out what might happen when the little boy wakes up and sees the other nightmare in his closet.
Three Billy Goats Gruff
Author: Paul Galdone
Publisher: Clarion Books (1979)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Paul Galdone
Item Call Number
E GALDO Three clever billy goats outwit a big ugly troll that lives under the bridge they must cross on their way up the mountain.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why do you think the troll will not allow the goats to cross over the bridge?
What word rhymes with the word goat? (coat, wrote, note, vote)
What else is living in the river?
What is different about each of the goats? (size, colors, horns)
Why is it that the Big Bill Goat Gruff wasn't afraid?
Fun things to do together
Count the goats together. Which goat arrived first? Second? Third?
Borrow a book about goats from the library and learn more about their habits.
Talk about small, medium, and large sizes. Gather items from around the house and identify their sizes.
Go on a letter walk and list things begin with the letter "g".
Use wooden spoons, blocks, or sticks to make the "trip trap" sound in the book.
Make a bridge from household items - paper cups, blocks, playing cards - how can you make it stronger?
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Author: Arlene Mosel
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (1968)
Binding: Hardcover, 44 pages
Illustrator
Blair Lent
Item Call Number
E MOSEL This classic Chinese legend tells the story of a boy who nearly drowns in a well because his brother cannot pronounce his very, very long name fast enough for an old man to save him.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why did Tikki Tikki Tembo’s parents give him such a long name?
How do you feel about the way Chang was treated?
Why does Chang have such a hard time making the grown-ups understand him? What would you have done if you were in Chang’s situation?
The story says that “from that day to this the Chinese have always thought it wise to give all their children little, short names instead of great long names.” Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
Fun things to do together
Discuss how you chose your child’s name. If you know, tell your child how your parents decided on your name.
Tikki Tikki Tembo’s name meant “the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world.” Go the library for a book about the meaning of names to find out what your names might mean.
Learn some real Chinese names by searching the internet, looking in books, or asking friends.
Act out the story, taking turns as the different characters and play with the plot. Create a different ending or make up different names for the characters.
Practice saying Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo. It’s fun to say and full of rhyming words!
Too Much Noise
Author: Ann McGovern
Publisher: Sandpiper (1992)
Binding: Paperback, 48 pages
Item Call Number
E MCGOV Peter complains his house is too noisy so the wise man advises him to obtain some rather unusual house guests.
Questions to talk about with your child
What was your favorite part of the story?
Can you name all the animals Peter got to keep his house quiet?
What were all the sounds the animals made?
In the end, was Peter’s house really quieter? Did the wise man’s plan work? Do you think the man was wise?
When do you like for it to be quiet in your house?
Fun things to do together
Sit quietly in your house and listen for noises? Describe the noises you hear. Are they quiet or loud noises?
Lie down on a blanket outside and close your eyes. What sounds do you hear outside?
Visit the zoo or a farm. What animal sounds do you hear?
Use stuffed animals to retell the story or make your own version of the story. Take turns playing the parts of Peter and the wise man.
Turtle’s Race with Beaver
Author: Joseph Bruchac, James Bruchac
Publisher: Dial (2003)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Item Call Number
E BRUCH When Turtle swims up from the mud in the spring, he discovers his pond has been dammed by Beaver. Turtle is willing to share but selfish Beaver challenges Turtle to a swimming race for ownership of the pond in this traditional Seneca story.
Questions to talk about with your child
Why does Beaver challenge turtle?
Who do you think will win the race?
How does Turtle win the race?
What does Beaver learn after the race?
Why is it important to share?
Fun things to do together
Learn more about more about the Seneca and other Native American tales by checking out some books at the library.
Check out non-fiction books about beavers and turtles and learn about their habitats.
Plan a race with a friend and use a timer to measure the length of time it takes to complete the race.
Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper Collins (1988)
Binding: Hardcover, 48 pages
Illustrator
Maurice Sendak
Item Call Number
E SENDAK A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.
Questions to talk about with your child
What happened to Max when he disobeyed his mother?
How are the wild things the same? How are they different?
Why do you think some of the pictures are very small? Why do you think some pictures are so big? What is special about the pages with big pictures?
Why does Max sail back home?
Why is his supper still hot?
Fun things to do together
Design your own mask for the wild rumpus.
Max's imagination created a whole new world. Use your imagination and draw an imaginary world all of your own. How would you travel in this world? What would you wear?
Design your own monster paper plate mask.
Look at the wild things carefully. They are all so different. Some of them have horns or claws. Others have hair or feathers, toe nails or bird beaks. Draw yourself as a "Wild Thing."
Max tames the Wild Things by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking. Get a clock or a watch and time how long you can go without blinking.
Whose Chick Are You?
Author: Nancy Tafuri
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (2007)
Binding: Hardcover, 40 pages
Item Call Number
E TAFUR A chick hatches out of its egg, but who does it belong to? No one seems to know—not Goose (Honk!), not Duck (Quack!), not Hen (Cluck!), not Bird (Chirp!). Not even Little Chick (croo? croo?). But Little Chick's parents know, and—as sharp observers will delight in noting—they've been swimming nearby all along.
Questions to talk about with your child
What time of day does the story begin? How does the story end?
Which bird found the egg first?
What do you think makes the sky and clouds change colors?
What do you think the words same, different, and unique mean? In what ways are you the same as other members of your family? In what ways are you different or unique?
Fun things to do together
Pretend you are both newly hatched chicks and act out your responses to your new environment.
Practice naming shapes and making story connections by making an easy and fun chick or bird craft assembled with basic shapes cut out of construction paper: ovals, circles, rectangles, triangles, etc.
Draw pictures about what makes you special. Help your child write a short paragraph to go along with the drawings about his or her special qualities.
Check out a book about baby birds from your library and talk about the differences and the similarities between them as you study the pictures.
Wolf's Chicken Stew
Illustrator
Keiko Kasza
Item Call Number
E KASZA A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have unexpected results.What foods did the wolf take to the chicken's house and why did he take them to her?
Questions to talk about with your child
What foods did the wolf take to the chicken's house and why did he take them to her?
What meal did the wolf want to make with the chicken? What is a stew?
The wolf gets a big surprise. What is it?
At the end of the story, what does the wolf want to do for the Baby Chicks?
Fun things to do together
Chose one of the foods mentioned in the story, chose a simple recipe, and cook it together.
Examine the page that shows the wolf cooking in his kitchen and show your child those tools and ingredients in your own kitchen and talk about how you use them.
Use a silly, expressive voice for the wolf when reading the story.
Wolf's Chicken Stew
Author: Keiko Kasza
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (1987)
Binding: Hardcover, 32 pages
Illustrator
Keiko Kasza
Item Call Number
E KASZA A hungry wolf's attempts to fatten a chicken for his stewpot have unexpected results.
Questions to talk about with your child
What foods did the wolf take to the chicken's house and why did he take them to her?
What meal did the wolf want to make with the chicken? What is a stew?
The wolf gets a big surprise. What is it?
At the end of the story, what does the wolf want to do for the Baby Chicks?
Fun things to do together
Chose one of the foods mentioned in the story, chose a simple recipe, and cook it together.
Examine the page that shows the wolf cooking in his kitchen and show your child those tools and ingredients in your own kitchen and talk about how you use them.
Use a silly, expressive voice for the wolf when reading the story.