Guess Who: Jannie Ho

Too cute! Find Guess Who? for your totz who love to dress up. With handles and two holes punched through the book, each spread can be held before the face like a mask. Whether your reader wants to pretend to be a robot, superhero, or a pirate, the options are hers.

Included are pop-up features which enhance each mask. Jannie Ho's illustrations are bright and fun, not scary at all for the smallest readers. Don't miss the cover illustration in case your tot wants to be a mummy. Take a peek at Guess Who?

Guess Who? A Pop-Up Mask Book
by Jannie Ho
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2013

Hush, Little Horsie: Jane Yolen

To continue our horse theme this month, we have Hush, Little Horsie, a board book by prolific megastar author, Jane Yolen. The traditional style illustrations are jewel-like and will especially interest totz who are enamored with horses. Interesting that our two books chose to spell the titles differently: horsey/horsie.

In this clever take-off on the lullaby: Hush, Little Baby, mama horses promise to watch over their little horsies as they frolic and play and, eventually, fall asleep.

Hush, little horsie,

Asleep on the plain.

Your mama will shade you

From sunshine and rain.

This could be sung at bedtime to your totz. A sweet book!

Hush, Little Horsie

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Ruth Sanderson

Random House, 2010/2013

More, More, More: The Silver Button

A new classic from Bob Graham, one of my favorite author/illustrators: The Silver Button. What might be happening in the exact moment before Jodie finishes her drawing? It's 9:59, on a Thursday morning, when her brother takes his first step, while her mother plays a pennywhistle, a man buys bread, a soldier says good-bye, and a baby is born.

The sweeping scope Bob provides is incredible. He challenges everyone to look and see and know that the world continues in the space of our drawing one small button. Without sentimentality:

"Sunlight from all over the city streamed through the window, and the kitchen clock struck ten."

Beautiful. We send our applause to you in Australia, Bob, this very moment.

The Silver Button
by Bob Graham
Candlewick Press, 2013

Horsey Up and Down: Kei Bernstein

If your totz love all things horsey, look for Scholastic's release of Horsey Up and Down. The small board book has a clever cut-away enabling the child on the carousel to ride up and down the striped pole.

Inside the horses are big and small, white and black, jumping and sleeping, real and toys. There's a charm to Caroline Jayne Church's illustrations of pudgy children and chunky horses. Kei Bernstein's text is catchy and memorable. This subtle book of opposites will appeal to your little horse lovers.

Horsey Up and Down
by Kei Bernstein
illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2013

More, More, More: Dot.

Perfectly timed, Dot arrives. Here's a young girl proficient at all handheld communications. But it's her mother's prod which send her outdoors where she grows reacquainted with tapping, touching, tweeting, and tagging with friends and nature.

Joe Berger's loose illustration captures the spirit of Dot and each of her discoveries.

A gentle reminder to get out and play and engage in life.

Dot.
by Randi Zuckerberg
illustrated by Joe Berger
HarperCollins, 2013

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Dave Matthews and Grover

Happy Poetry Friday! May you and your totz be cheered by Dave and Grover's song about feelings. Enjoy!

Big Kid Pick: Maps

As I get ready to set off for Greece, I came across this work by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. It is GORGEOUS! I'm so happy to recommend Maps to you for this month's Big Kid Pick.

The oversize book is a visual representation of the world. Intricate, detailed, pen-line drawings and subdued colors show countries, places of interest, heroes, animals, people, traditional dress, foods and plants, languages, populations, and more, more more!

With the work translated into many languages, here's just a sample of the interior imagery:



In this time of "search and find" books, I found this work from Big Picture Press equally complex yet refreshing in what it might teach. Your Big Kids and you will fall into this book, and before you know it, you'll be making travel plans. I read it for an hour the first time I opened it. I was lost in Maps and happy for it.

Maps
by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
Big Picture Press, 2013