May Pick for the Older Sibling: The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?

It is incredible. The duckling gets a cookie just by asking for it. Politely, of course. The older siblings of your totz are going to smile, giggle, and laugh at the pigeon, who is once again incredulous over the way the world works.

As I always say, Mo is the master. While his body of works grows, I'm continually amazed and thankful he is a voice in children's literature.

Enjoy The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? Then, with your family, bake a batch. With and without nuts.


The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?
by Mo Willems
Hyperion Book, 2012

The Little Gardener: Jan Gerardi

Now that Memorial Day has passed, it's safe to get the garden in, here in the Pacific Northwest. As everyone plants their seeds across the country, look for The Little Gardener by Jan Gerardi for your totz.

This simple lift-the-flap will get you ready to garden.

"Shovel.
Pail.
Rake.
Hoe.
Tiny seeds in a row."

Included are the ideas to compost and deter insects without chemicals. The board book is part of the Teenie Greenies series, printed on 80% recycled paper with soy ink and water-based varnish. The flat illustrations with lovely textures are precise and clean in The Little Gardener. Pick this little work up and then get that wheelbarrow rolling!

The Little Gardener
by Jan Gerardi
Random House, 2012

Poetry Friday: Snug, by Carol Thompson

Child's Play isn't as widely known here, but I love their contributions that make their way to the US from England. Snug is perfect for Poetry Friday. The format is large with stiff paper and ADORABLE illustrations from Carol Thompson. I love the free, sketched line-work, paper textures, and fluid color. Here's a snippet to enjoy today:

"As snug as a bug
in a very old rug,
Snug as a mole
in his underground hole.
Snug is a bulb deep under snow,
Snug is the earthworm curled up below."

Snug
by Carol Thompson
Child's Play, 2011

Playtime: Maureen Roffey

What a clever novelty board book! (It's not a true board book, but the pages are sturdy enough for totz.) Each page explores a playtime activity and has a pull-down tab that transforms the picture.  A ballerina points her toes, a child reads a book, another skips rope.

The text is simple:

I'm a ballerina.
I can point my toes.

Each spread explores a playtime activity. One of my favorites shows a girl painting a "big hairy spider" which began as a green dot.

A unique book that totz will enjoy, playtime or not!

Playtime
Author/Illustrator: Maureen Roffey
Bloomsbury, 2010

Photo Friday: Reading Totz

As an author, it's such a gift to receive a photo of a reader enjoying your work. Here's today's Photo Friday of the dearest tot reading Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. The crab shirt couldn't be better!

Enjoy those snapshots or your totz reading today, whether you capture them with a camera or your mind. They are precious.

A Nest in Springtime: Belle Yang

How about introducing your totz to spring, summer, counting, colors, flowers, English, and Mandarin? Author/illustrator Belle Yang delivers all of this in A Nest in Springtime and Summertime Rainbow. Two geese have babies and a family of rabbits go for a walk in summer.

With English on the right hand side and Mandarin characters on the left of the spread, seasonal stories are told. Pinyin pronunciations are provided at the conclusion of the works as well.

Belle's gouache illustrations are vibrant with movement. They read as fresh and direct in our digital age.

Have some fun with these titles with your totz. Mandarin is so beautiful!

A Nest in Springtime, A Bilingual Book of Numbers
Summertime Rainbow, A Bilingual Book of Colors 
by Belle Yang
Candlewick Press

Poetry Friday: Dragon, Robot, Gator Bunny

I have a perfect suggestion for Poetry Friday this week: Dragon, Robot, Gator Bunny, presented by Calef Brown. Picture a drawing pad full of suggestions for doodles, AND rhymes and stickers are included. It's just an all around fun, interactive, inspiring book. Look for it from Chronicle.

"Bugs that walk and bugs that fly.
I drew these. Now you try."

Dragon, Robot, Gator Bunny
presented by Calef Brown
Chronicle Books, May 2012

Hello, Dinosaur!

Scholastic has combined a board book and finger puppets into one with Hello, Dinosaurs! The small board book is permanently affixed to the palm of a plush glove, which sports one dino puppet on each finger. The glove fits a left hand, so you can turn the pages of the book with your right.

Red dinosaur loves to fly.

Orange dinosaur stretches to the sky.

I think this is a unique and engaging way to teach colors, plus it's fun for parentz and totz!

 

Hello, Dinosaur!

Scholastic, 2009

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Sesame Street

Happy Poetry Friday! Sing with Elmo, totz!