Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. 40 p., HarperCollins, 2007. In this story, it's OK to be just OK at things. The main character is a stick figure consisting of the letters OK, drawn sideways. The character says, "I like to try a lot of different things. I'm not great at all of them, but I enjoy them just the same." The character is "OK" at many things, from roasting marshmallows to playing baseball, climbing to flying a kite. The character is definitely no better than "OK" at sharing.or flipping pancakes. But that's OK. At the end of the story, the character says, "One day, I'll grow up to be really excellent at something. I don't know what it is yet ... but I sure am having fun figuring it out." Children receive an important message about attending to their internal reactions to activities rather than focusing all their attention on being great at them. This is especially helpful for children who tend to be perfectionistic. Ages 4-7
Showing posts with label non-human. Show all posts
Showing posts with label non-human. Show all posts
Won't You Be My Hugaroo? by Joanne Ryder
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. 36 p., Harcourt, 2006. There are lots of kind of hugs, from twirly hugs and tickle hugs, to cheer-up hugs and calming hugs, to friendly hugs and good-job hugs, to goodbye hugs and goodnight hugs. This book is an affectionate, cheerful, rhyming catalogue of these and others, with ink and watercolor illustrations of zebra, pig, and bunny friends and families. It also shows children a way to have a range of their needs happily met. Ages 2-5
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated by Jen Corace. 32 p., Chronicle, 2005. Being fussy about what you eat can be a matter of perspective. Little Pea is a happy little pea who likes to play with his friends, roughhouse with his father, and listen to his mother's stories. But he hates to eat his dinner. Peas have to eat candy for dinner every night, and Little Pea thinks it tastes awful. Mama Pea and Papa Pea tell him that he has to eat at least five pieces of candy to be allowed to have dessert. So, reluctantly, he eats them, expressing disgust after each one. His promised dessert? Spinach - his favorite! With its simple, cheerful, ink and watercolor illustrations, this story helps children to have a sense of humor about picky eating - and who knows, maybe a new perspective, too. Ages 4-8
Mommy in My Pocket by Carol Hunt Senderak
Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata.32 p., Hyperion, 2006. When children go to school, they might miss their parents. In this sweet story, a little bunny imagines that she'll miss her Mommy when school starts. Although she could bring Mommy's picture with her, what she really wishes for - and the story elaborates on - is that Mommy would be tiny enough to fit in her pocket, so she could keep her there all day at school, next to her heart. She imagines the whole day like this. But she knows that even though that won't happen, she'll be all right at school, "because the love in Mommy's hug and kiss ... will stay with me all day!" This rhyming story is illustrated with tenderly colored, yet energetic watercolors. It offers empathy with children's wishes, along with reassurance that they can tolerate ordinary separations from parents. Ages 2-6
Not A Box by Andrea Portis
32 p., HarperCollins, 2007. With imagination, a box can be almost anything. In this story, an unseen character who doesn't understand this questions a little rabbit, who is making believe the box is a car, a mountain, a burning building, and many other things. The unseen character keeps asking about the box, and the rabbit answers that it's not a box. At the end, when asked, "Well, what is it then?" the rabbit answers, "It's my Not-a-Box!" Illustrated with line drawings that show the "real" things in black and the "imagined" ones in red, this story encourages transformation through imagination. Ages 2-6
Mona: The Monster Girl by Moritz Petz
Translated by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Maja Dusíková. 32 p., North-South, 2004. When you're a monster, you might be afraid of the children that could be hiding under the bed. Such is the case for green, sharp-toothed, claw-footed Mona, who worries about going to sleep even though her mother reassures her that there's no such thing as children. But in fact, two children do show up in her attic after she's gone to bed. At first, Mona is terrifed of the children, and of course, they're terrifed of her. One child, Lenny, shoots Mona with a water pistol, and he and Maria chase Mona. But Maria realizes that Mona is crying, and the children apologize to her. And they make friends. They find that they envy each other's lives - Mona's mother doesn't like her to be clean or to pick up her room. They teach each other their favorite games. And they discover that the Mona's mother can't see the children, and the children's mother can't see Mona. When Mona finally goes back to bed, she dreams of friendly children who want to play. This isn't the first story of a monster who is afraid of children at bedtime (for example, see The Something by Natalie Babbitt, 1970, Clyde Monster by Robert L. Crowe, 1976, and the hilarious No Such Thing by Jackie Koller French, 1997) but this one is lovely and made me laugh. Illustrated with whimsical watercolor paintings, this story offers children humor and a new perspective to help dispel their fears. Ages 3-6
And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrated by Henry Cole.32 p., Simon & Shuster, 2005. Children in two-father families may feel that their family is "different." In the context of describing the animal families at the Central Park Zoo in New York City, this sweet story, which recounts actual events, introduces the penguins, Roy and Silo. Roy and Silo are "a little bit different" from the other penguin couples because they were both boys. A devoted couple, they build a nest together, and Roy finds what he thinks is an egg. It's only a stone, but the two penguins take turns sitting on it as if to hatch it. Of course, no baby hatches. But a kind zookeeper realizes that they're in love and want a baby, so he puts an egg in the nest. They take care of the egg very carefully until their baby, Tango, hatches. The two daddy penguins care lovingly for her in the same ways that the other penguin parents care for their babies. Zoo visitors cheer for Tango. With its gentle, expressive watercolor illustrations, this story acknowledges that two-father families may be atypical in some ways, but not in the essential ones: their care and love for their children. Ages 3-8
Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis
32 p., HarperCollins, 2008. Imagination can take the form of seeing something new in an ordinary object. In this story, a little pig's stick becomes a fishing pole, a paintbrush, a horse, even a sword to fight a dragon. An unseen observer keeps mentioning "that stick," and each time, the little pig responds that it isn't a stick. Finally, the observer asks, "Then what is it?" The little pig replies, "It's my Not-a-Stick!" It can be anything the pig's imagination makes it. Illustrated with simple drawings, this story supports children's use of imagination to transform their experience. Ages 2-6
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke. 32 p., Greenwillow, 2006. It can be difficult to accept change, especially when you don't understand it, and don't know what's going to happen. In this story, Fletcher, a little fox, worries that his favorite tree is losing all of its leaves. Although his mother assures him that "it's only autumn," he's increasingly alarmed as the tree loses more and more leaves, until they're all gone. He tries very hard to save the leaves, but the wind and other animals are more powerful than he is. When the last leaf falls from the tree, Fletcher takes it home and carefully tucks it into a little bed. But he's still worried about the tree. In the morning, though, he finds a surprise - the bare tree is covered with beautiful, sparkling icicles. It even seems to be content like this. Fletcher can finally feel relieved, and accept the change that has occurred. With its tender, yet strongly colored, pastel illustrations, this story gently reassures children that change can be a change for the better. Ages 3-8
What a Treasure! by Jane Hillenbrand
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand.24 p., Holiday, 2006. Finding treasures can depend on your perspective. In this story, Mole gets a new shovel. When he digs for treasure, at first he finds things that are treasures to birds, snails, and squirrels. He generously gives these things to the creatures who identify them as treasures. Finally, he finds a new friend, another mole – a treasure for himself. With charming repetition in its text and unique, colorful, cheerful illustrations, this story gives children meaningful messages about believing in yourself, sharing, and the value of friendship. Ages 2-5
Wind-Wild Dog by Barbara M. Joosse
Illustrated by Kate Kiesler. 40 p., Holt, 2006. Some children who are adopted, particularly at relatively older ages, may experience mixed feelings about their connection and belonging with their new family. In the life of a sled dog, this story provides a metaphor for this experience. Ziva is the last puppy to be adopted from her litter, at least partly because they’re spooked by her having one brown eye and one blue one. But she is finally adopted by the Man, who is kind and gentle to her. He has some of the wildness that Ziva experiences in herself, and he understands her wildness. When Ziva is ready to train, she finds that she loves pulling weight. But still, she sometimes wants to run wild. One day, Ziva helps to pull a sled for the first time. At a rest stop, runs off into the snow, delighting in her strength. She meets a wolf, and as she smells its fur, she smells her own fur too, and realizes that she smells wild, but also smells like the Man. She misses him, and runs back to him, to a loving reunion with him. Expressively illustrated with oil paintings in brown and blue tones, this story offers empathy with the mixed feelings that some adopted children may experience, and a model for resolution. Ages 4-8
A Cat and a Dog/Un Gato y un Perro by Claire Masurel
Translated by Andrés Antreasyan. Illustrated by Bob Kolar. 32 p., Ediciones Norte-Sur, 2001. When you live in the same house, you might have lots of disagreements and fights. Such is the case for the cat and the dog in this bilingual (Spanish/English) story. Of all the things the cat and the dog fight about, they fight most about their toys. Each is very protective of her or his own toys. But one day, the cat loses his/her toy in the water, and the dog loses his/her toy in a tree. Neither can get their own toy - but each can get the other's toy. They both see this solution to their problems, and each gets the other one's toy and returns it. After that, they become friends. With its simple, colorful illustrations, this story shows children an a way to cooperate, rather than fighting, with those they live with. Ages 3-7
The Real Winner by Charise Neugebauer
Illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni. 28 p., North-South, 2000. When everything is a competition, it's easy to forget kindness - and it isn't even fun. Such is the case for Rocky, a raccoon who has no friends. Humphrey, an endlessly kind, patient hippopotamus, believes that this is because "Rocky turned everything into a contest, and if he didn't win, he whined and cried." Indeed, when Humphrey agrees to let Rocky come fishing with him, Rocky immediately makes the first part of their journey into a race. This happens over and over again, and the refrains quickly become familiar to readers. When Humphrey is ahead, Rocky says, "It's not fair!" But soon, Humphrey sees an animal that needs help - a bird that has fallen from its nest, a duck who has lost its family, a frog trapped inside a bucket. Each time, Humphrey stops to help these creatures gently, and forgets about the race, and Rocky shouts, "I won! I won! wait till I tell my mom!" Eventually, Rocky becomes panicky about winning the fish-catching contest that he's proposed, before it gets dark and they have to go home. Humphrey explains that it isn't possible to fish fast, and tells Rocky to relax and enjoy the process. When Rocky can do this, he catches the first fish, and wins the contest. But surprisingly, he isn't happy or excited. He just feels compassion for the struggling little fish. And just as he has seen Humphrey do with the other creatures, he sets the fish free. He has learned that kindness and being a friend are more important than winning. And happily, his mother is very proud of him! With its vividly colored illustrations, outlined in black, this story helps children see a happy alternative to competitiveness. Ages 4-9
Brave, Brave Mouse by Michaela Morgan
Illustrated by Michelle Cartlidge.32 p., Whitman, 2004. Sometimes, when kids are scared, they feel like they have to do everything that they're scared of. Little Mouse is scared of many things - shadows, bright light, loud noises, and silence. But sometimes, when he's scared, he can remind himself that he's brave, and that things will work out all right - for example, when he stays with a babysitter, or swims in a pool for the first time, or tries a new food, or tolerates a dental examination. he reminds himself that shadows aren't dangerous, and he can always turn on the light. But sometimes it's important for Little Mouse to make use of the information he's getting from his fears. When other mouse children tell him to do the playground stunts that they're doing, and that if he doesn't he'll be a "scaredy-mouse," and he doesn't want to do those things, he bravely refuses. Ages 3-6
I Kissed the Baby! by Mary Murphy
16 p., Candlewick, 2003. How do you appreciate a new baby? You see the baby and appreciate how tiny the baby is. You feed the hungry baby, sing to the baby, tickle the baby, and of course, you kiss the baby! With its bold, black and white illustrations whose splashes of color spread onto the page at the end, this simple story is joyful and loving. Ages 0-2
Yes We Can! by Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Charles Fuge. 32 p., HarperCollins, 2007. When children make fun of each other, they feel bad. In this story, three animal friends (Little Roo, Quacker Duck, and Country Mouse) goad each other to do things that they can’t do, and then laugh at them when they can’t. Not surprisingly, they all end up feeling grumpy. When Little Roo’s mother sees this, she tells them that no one likes being laughed at, and suggests that they demonstrate what they can do, instead of what they can’t. Each one shows off a skill that one of the others had failed at earlier, and each time, receives compliments from the other two. Then Roo’s mother asks them whether they can be friends again. That’s something that all of them can do. With its friendly, colorful illustrations, this story encourages children to be empathic when someone can’t do something, and offers a way for them to feel good about themselves and their friends. Ages 3-7
Houndsley and Catina by James Howe
Illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. 36 p., Candlewick, 2006. Friendship can help us to discover what's really important to us. In this story, Houndsley is a dog who enjoys cooking. Catina, his best friend, is a cat who wants to be a famous writer. Unfortunately, she's also a terrible writer, and while Houndsley tries to be supportive, he knows this, and worries about her. Houndsley is an excellent and creative cook. Catina encourages him to enter a cooking contest, telling him that he has to share his talent with the world. But when he does, he gets so flummoxed that he cooks terribly, and is profoundly embarrassed. When they talk about this later, Houndsley wisely remarks, "Trying to be the best made me nervous, and I did not have fun. If you do not have fun doing something you like to do, what is the point?" There's an important lesson here for Catina, who realizes that she doesn't like to write. But she wants to be good at something. Houndsley tells her that she's already a good friend, and she realizes that this is what's really important to her. With its charming illustrations in watercolor, pencil, and collage, this story offers children accessible insights into both self and relationships. Ages 5-7
Pepo and Lolo Are Friends by Ana Martín Larrañaga
24 p., Candlewick, 2004. Regardless of their differences and conflicts, friends can still be friends. Pepo, a pig, and Lolo, and chick, are friends. They like to do many of the same things, although sometimes one has better skills. Although they can become angry at each other, this never lasts long, because their friendship is more important. With its simple, expressive, colorful mixed-media illustrations, this story introduces important ideas about friendship to the youngest children. Ages 1-3
Finklehopper Frog Cheers by Irene Livingston
Illustrated by Brian Lies. 24 p., Tricycle, 2005. Friends not only have fun together, but also support each other in difficult moments. In this rhyming story, Finklehopper Frog worries about going to a picnic because others might laugh at him or try to grab his hat. But he goes anyway, even though he's scared, because his friend, Ruby Rabbit, will be there. And when bullies tease him about his hat, Ruby answers them with cheerfulness, and they slink off. Then it's time for a race, and it's Ruby's turn to worry - she faces tough competition from Sue Kangaroo. But with Finklehopper's encouragement, she tries her best. When she finishes second to Sue, she bursts into tears, yelling "no fair!" Finklehopper tells her he's proud of her because she did her best, and raced even though she was worried. Ruby congratulates Sue on her win, and has learned that when everyone does their best, then everyone wins. The story ends with happy high-fives. The energy of the color illustrations matches the liveliness of the rhyming text. Finklehopper and Sue are lovely examples of supportive friendship, and children will learn important things about coping with bullies and competition too. Ages 4-6
Pepo and Lolo and the Red Apple by Ana Martín Larrañaga
24 p., Candlewick, 2004. When friends work together, they can get what they need. In this very simple story, Pepo (a pig) and Lolo (a chick) see an apple hanging on a branch. Neither one can reach it. But when they work together to get it - Lolo climbs on Pepo's back - they get the apple, and share it. They're both happy, and ants carry away the core. With its bright, cheerful mixed-media illustrations, this story shows the youngest children how to collaborate and share. Ages 1-3