Wonderful Books

Adams, Diane. I Can Do It Myself! Peachtree, 2009. Emily Pearl is a big girl who insists on doing everything for herself until evening, when having someone help her get ready for bed is nice.

Baker, Keith. Just How Long Can a Long String Be?! Arthur A. Levine, 2009. Be it tied to a balloon or kite, or hanging a picture, or stringing a banjo or a mop, a bird explains to an ant how long a string needs to be.

Beaty, Andrea. Firefighter Ted. McElderry, 2009. When Ted awakens to the smell of smoke and cannot find a firefighter, he decides to become one for the day, much to the dismay of his mother, neighbors, principal, and classmates.

Bechtold, Lisze. Sally and the Purple Socks. Philomel, 2008. When her tiny purple socks start to expand, Sally turns them into a scarf and then curtains, but things soon get out of hand.

Bedford, David. Little Bear's Big Sweater. Good Books, 2009. Big Bear, having outgrown his very favorite sweater, reluctantly passes it down to Little Bear, but when Little Bear gets the sweater wet and muddy, Big Bear gets angry and later regrets his behavior.

Bell, Cece. Itty Bitty. Candlewick, 2009. A tiny dog named Itty Bitty finds an enormous bone and hollows it out to make it his home, but it feels incomplete until he discovers a section of a department store with miniature furniture.

Berry, Lynne. Duck Tents. Holt, 2009. While on a camping trip, five little ducks pitch tents, go fishing, toast marshmallows around a campfire, and face frightening night noises.

Boutignon, Béatrice. Not All Animals Are Blue: A Big Book of Little Differences. Kane/Miller, 2009. This interactive text teaches young children about differences through a simple story about colors, movement, and behaviors of certain animals.

Broad, Michael. Forget-Me-Not. Barron's, 2009. Monty, a young elephant whose mother is concerned about his safety, is warned to stay with the herd, and when he gets distracted while digging up some forget-me-nots, he sees that the herd has moved on and proceeds to run across other animals in groups such as meerkats, termites, and flamingos.

Brooks, Jeremy. My First Prayers. Frances Lincoln, 2009. This collection of fifteen prayers is gathered from around the world and written for very young children.

Bynum, Janie. Kiki's Blankie. Sterling, 2009. Kiki can do and be anything she wants as long as she has her polka-dot blankie.

Clements, Andrew. Dogku. Simon & Schuster, 2007. Haiku is used to tell a story about a dog named Mooch and the many things he does, such as riding in a car, barking at the neighbors, and chewing on dirty socks.

Cook, Michelle. Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change. Bloomsbury, 2009. Illustrations and brief text introduce early readers to the achievements of prominent African-Americans throughout history, and features George Washington Carver, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Barack Obama, and others.

Crews, Nina. The Neighborhood Mother Goose. Greenwillow, 2004. This collection of nursery rhymes, both familiar and lesser known, is illustrated with photographs in a city setting.

Darbyshire, Kristen. Put It on the List. Dutton, 2009. After family members see the consequences of forgetting to write things on the grocery list, they not only do better at keeping the list up-to-date, they also help with the shopping to ensure they never again eat pickled grubs.

deGroat, Diane. Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth! Orchard, 2009. Photographs, illustrations, and foldout pages introduce the reader to fifteen different dogs who show what they can and cannot do.

Dewdney, Anna. Llama Llama Misses Mama. Viking, 2009. Llama Llama experiences separation anxiety on his first day of nursery school.

Ellery, Amanda. If I Were a Jungle Animal. Simon & Schuster, 2009. While playing baseball, a boy wonders what it would be like to be different jungle animals.

Elliott, David. On the Farm. Candlewick, 2008. Animals of the farmyard, including a goat, a cow, a rooster, bees, and bunnies, are presented in verse accompanied by woodcut and watercolor illustrations.

English, Karen. Hot Day on Abbott Avenue. Clarion, 2004. After having a fight, two friends spend the day ignoring each other until the lure of a game of jump rope helps them to forget about being mad.

Fearnley, Jan. Martha in the Middle. Candlewick, 2008. Martha, a young mouse with a sensible big sister and a cute little brother, begins to feel invisible and decides to run away, but at the end of the garden she meets a wise frog who points out just how special the middle can be.

Finn, Carrie. Manners in Public. Picture Window Books, 2007. With illustrations and simple text, this book teaches children the importance of proper etiquette in public places.

Foreman, Jack and Michael. Say Hello. Candlewick, 2008. Written when the author was ten years old, this story tells of a dog and a boy who are both lonely until they are included by others.

Fox, Mem. Hello Baby! Beach Lane Books, 2009. A baby encounters a variety of young animals, including a clever monkey, a hairy warthog, and a dusty lion cub, before discovering the most precious creature of all.

Freymann, Saxton. Fast Food. Arthur A. Levine, 2006. Playful rhyming text about different modes of transportation accompanies colorful sculptures of vegetables and fruits on the move.

Friedman, Darlene. Star of the Week: A Story of Love, Adoption, and Brownies with Sprinkles. Bowen Press, 2009. As her turn to be "Star of the Week" in her kindergarten class approaches, Cassidy-Li puts together a poster with pictures of her family, friends, and pets, and wonders about her birth parents in China.

Gall, Chris. Dinotrux. Little, Brown, 2009. Illustrations and simple text introduce creatures that are part truck and part dinosaur in a safari through a world ruled by the Craneosaurus, the Garbageadon, and Tyrannosaurus Trux.

Gay, Marie-Louise. When Stella Was Very, Very Small. Groundwood Books, 2009. Stella uses her imagination to play as she grows from a baby into a big sister.

Gershator, Phillis. Zoo Day, ¡Olé!: A Counting Book. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Simple text and illustrations of a zoo introduce the numbers one through ten.

Godwin, Laura. This Is the Firefighter. Disney/Hyperion, 2009. Short, rhyming sentences tell the story of firefighters responding to a fire in a building from the time the alarm rings and the firefighters leave the station until they declare "all clear" and return.

Golson, Terry Blonder. Tillie Lays an Egg. Scholastic, 2009. In search of the perfect place to lay her egg, Tillie the chicken leaves the barnyard and explores the farmhouse.

Gorbachev, Valeri. The Missing Chick. Candlewick, 2009. When one of the little chicks goes missing, Mother Hen and the neighbors search frantically through the house, the yard, and the neighborhood before it is finally found taking a nap in a quiet place.

Gravett, Emily. The Odd Egg. Simon & Schuster, 2009. Duck is trying to hatch the oddest egg of all.

Hague, Kathleen. Alphabears: An ABC Book. Holt, 1984. A bear for each letter of the alphabet is introduced and its special qualities are described in rhyme.

Hamanaka, Sheila. All the Colors of the Earth. Morrow, 1994. This story in verse reveals that, despite outward differences, children everywhere are essentially the same and all are lovable.

Hamilton, K.R. (Kersten R.) Police Officers on Patrol. Viking, 2009. Illustrations and brief rhyming text depict police officers as they respond to a variety of situations, from a broken traffic light to a robbery.

Harris, Robie H. Maybe a Bear Ate It! Orchard, 2008. At bedtime, a young boy who cannot find his favorite book imagines the various creatures that might have taken it from him.

Henkes, Kevin. Birds. Greenwillow, 2009. Fascinated by the colors, shapes, sounds, and movements of the many different birds she sees through her window, a little girl is happy to discover that she and they have something in common.

Hest, Amy. Little Chick. Candlewick, 2009. In this collection of three stories, Little Chick learns how to deal with life's disappointments with the help of his beloved Old-Auntie.

Isadora, Rachel. Uh-oh! Harcourt, 2008. As an African-American toddler keeps getting into mischief throughout the day, the reader is invited to discover what the trouble is with each page-turn and to say "uh-oh!"

Javernick, Ellen. The Birthday Pet. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Danny can have a pet for his birthday and he knows exactly what he wants, but the other members of his family think differently.

Katz, Karen. Ten Tiny Tickles. McElderry, 2005. Family members awaken a baby with tickles, from one little tickle on a lovely sleepy head to ten tiny tickles on chubby, tubby toes.

Keller, Holly. Miranda's Beach Day. Greenwillow, 2009. Miranda and Mama spend a fun day at the beach building castles and catching sand crabs, and Miranda learns that, just like the sand and the sea, she and her mother will always be together.

Kerley, Barbara. One World, One Day. National Geographic, 2009. Photographs and poetic text describe the shared daily activities of people around the world, such as preparing breakfast.

Ketteman, Helen. Armadilly Chili. Whitman, 2004. In this Texas-style adaptation of a traditional folktale, a tarantula, mockingbird, and horned toad refuse to help an armadillo prepare a batch of chili but nevertheless expect to eat it when it's ready.

Kimmel, Eric A. The Three Little Tamales. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. In this variation of "The Three Little Pigs" set in the Southwest, three little tamales escape from a restaurant before they can be eaten, and set up homes in the prairie, cornfield, and desert.

Kleven, Elisa. A Carousel Tale. Tricycle Press, 2009. Given the responsibility of taking care of his favorite carousel dog's tail during the winter, a young blue crocodile finds, as time goes by, that he cannot resist his own artistic urges.

Krasnesky, Thad. I Always, Always Get My Way. Flashlight Press, 2009. Emmy always uses her cute little pout and the fact that she is only three to get out of trouble, but when she floods the bathroom, uses her sister's shoes as boats, and dresses her brother's pet iguana in a bikini, she learns that she cannot get away with everything.

Lakin, Patricia. Camping Day. Dial, 2009. Four crocodile friends have many adventures during a campout.
Lechner, John. A Froggy Fable. Candlewick, 2005. A little frog is upset when his simple life is changed by such things as other animals moving in nearby, but during an unexpected adventure away from the pond, he learns that change can be good after all.

Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. Putnam, 2001. Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.
Low, William. Machines Go to Work. Holt, 2009. In this lift-the-flap book, cement mixers, helicopters, backhoes, and other machines go to work around town.
Luciani, Brigitte. How Will We Get to the Beach? North-South Books, 2003. The reader is asked to guess what Roxanne must leave behind as she tries to find her way to the beach.
Marlow, Layn. Hurry Up and Slow Down. Holiday House, 2008. Hare likes to hurry through the day, unlike Tortoise, but manages to slow down for his favorite bedtime story.
Martin, Bill, Jr. and John Archambault. Listen to the Rain. Holt, 1988. The changing sounds of the rain, the slow soft sprinkle, the drip-drop tinkle, the sounding pounding roaring rain, and the fresh wet silent after-time of rain are described.
McAllister, Angela. Monster Pet! McElderry, 2005. After asking for a big, wild, and exciting pet, Jackson receives a boring hamster and quickly forgets to care for it with frightening results.
McGhee, Alison. Always. Simon & Schuster, 2009. A loyal dog promises to protect his young mistress and her home from any danger.
Meserve, Jessica. Can Anybody Hear Me? Clarion, 2008. Jack's family is so noisy that no one ever hears what he says, but when he goes up the mountain with his friend Chester, he learns how to make himself heard.
HAISLN RECOMMENDED READING LIST 2010
PreSchool, PreKindergarten, Kindergarten
6
Minor, Wendell and Florence. If You Were a Penguin. Katherine Tegen Books, 2009. Illustrations and simple rhyming text tells a story of the fun and excitement of being a penguin.
Mitton, Tony. A Very Curious Bear. Random House, 2009. A very curious bear asks his parents questions about all the things they see and do all day long.
Moore, Inga. Six-dinner Sid. Simon & Schuster, 1991. Sid the cat plays the pet of six different owners on Aristotle Street so that he can get six dinners every night.
Most, Bernard. The Cow That Went Oink. Harcourt, 1990. A cow that “oinks” and a pig that “moos” are ridiculed by the other barnyard animals until each teaches the other a new sound.
Murphy, Stuart J. Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom! HarperCollins, 2000. Molly loves to play with her big brother's cars, and as the red cars vroom and the yellow cars beep, readers can learn to recognize patterns, an early and essential math skill.
Nakagawa, Chihiro. Who Made This Cake? Front Street, 2008. While a boy and his parents go for an outing, little people invade the house and use their big construction equipment to bake a cake.
Norman, Kimberly. Crocodaddy. Sterling, 2009. A young boy with a vivid imagination goes on a hunt for his crocodile dad.
Ormondroyd, Edward. Theodore. Dial, 1966. Theodore the teddy bear gets lost in a pile of family laundry and has a remarkable adventure.
Otoshi, Kathryn. One. KO Kids Books, 2008. Red picks on Blue while Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple wonder what they can do until One unites the colors and helps everybody learn about acceptance, tolerance, and boundaries amidst bullying while the reader learns numbers and primary and secondary colors.
Palatini, Margie. Bad Boys Get Henpecked! Katherine Tegen Books, 2009. Bad boy wolves Willy and Wally try to get a chicken dinner by disguising themselves as the Handy-Dandy Lupino Brothers and going to work for a hen in need of household help.
Parenteau, Shirley. Bears on Chairs. Candlewick, 2009. Four bears are happily seated on four chairs until Big Brown Bear shows up and demands a seat.
Rash, Andy. Are You a Horse? Arthur A. Levine, 2009. Roy receives a saddle for his birthday and sets out in search of a horse on which to use it.
Rayner, Catherine. Harris Finds His Feet. Good Books, 2008. Harris, a very small hare with very big feet, has an elderly granddad who teaches him the many uses of big, strong feet and other important life lessons.
HAISLN RECOMMENDED READING LIST 2010
PreSchool, PreKindergarten, Kindergarten
7
Reynolds, Aaron. Chicks and Salsa. Bloomsbury, 2005. Soon after the chickens tire of their feed and decide to make tortilla chips and salsa, all the other animals on Nuthatcher Farm start to crave southwestern cuisine.
Rodman, Mary Ann. Surprise Soup. Viking, 2009. Excited by the prospect of being a big brother, Kevie helps make a special soup to welcome his mother and new sibling home from the hospital.
Rodriguez, Edel. Sergio Saves the Game! Little, Brown, 2009. Although Sergio the penguin loves to play soccer, he is very clumsy and uncoordinated so he practices night and day, hoping he can help his team win the big game against the Seagulls.
Rose, Deborah Lee. The Twelve Days of Springtime: A School Counting Book. Abrams Books, 2009. In this cumulative counting verse, a child enumerates items given to her by her teacher during the first twelve days of spring.
Rosenthal, Amy Krouse. Yes Day! HarperCollins, 2009. A little boy gets everything he asks for on Yes Day, a special day that only comes once a year.
Ross, Tony. Centipede's 100 Shoes. Holt, 2002. A little centipede buys shoes to protect his feet but finds that they are a lot of trouble to put on and take off.
Rotner, Shelley. Senses in the City. Millbrook Press, 2008. Photographs and simple text introduce young readers to the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.
Rusch, Elizabeth. A Day with No Crayons. Rising Moon, 2007. A little girl discovers all sorts of artistic possibilities when she has to go a day without crayons.
Russell, Natalie. Moon Rabbit. Viking, 2009. A city rabbit befriends a country rabbit, but soon she misses her home and all of its cafes, parks, and bright lights.
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Hello Ocean. Talewinds, 2001. Using rhyming text, a child describes the wonder of the ocean experienced through each of her five senses.
Rylant, Cynthia. Puppies and Piggies. Harcourt, 2008. Rhyming text describes what various animals do and what they love, as well as a baby who loves his bed and his mother.
SAMi. The Big, Bigger, Biggest Book. Blue Apple Books, 2008. Simple text and fold-out illustrations introduce adjectives such as bigger, farther, and highest.
Sanders-Wells, Linda. Maggie's Monkeys. Candlewick, 2009. Maggie's parents decide to play along when she insists a family of monkeys has moved into the refrigerator, leaving her practical, reality-obsessed brother wondering what to do about his family.
HAISLN RECOMMENDED READING LIST 2010
PreSchool, PreKindergarten, Kindergarten
8
Schoenherr, Ian. Read It, Don't Eat It! Greenwillow, 2009. Rhyming text and illustrations of animals reading offer advice on how to take care of a library book.
Scieszka, Jon. Melvin Might? Simon & Schuster, 2008. Melvin, a cautious cement mixer, worries that he cannot keep up with the other trucks, but when Rita needs help he overcomes his fear in order to help her.
Seder, Rufus Butler. Gallop! Workman Publishing, 2007. Simple text and "scanimation" illustrations, which make figures appear to be moving, describe the motions of various animals, such as a horse, a cat, a bird, and a butterfly.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Dog and Bear: Three to Get Ready. Roaring Brook, 2009. Friends Dog and Bear get themselves into silly situations involving a bucket stuck on a head, a messy room, and a bouncy bed.
Shaw, Nancy. Sheep Out to Eat. Houghton Mifflin, 1992. Five hungry sheep discover that a tea shop may not be the best place for them to eat.
Shipton, Jonathan. Baby Baby Blah Blah Blah!. Holiday House, 2009. When her parents tell her that they are expecting a baby, Emily sets to work on a list of pros and cons.
Siminovich, Lorena. Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind. Templar Books, 2009. A dog named Alex and a cat named Lulu are best friends, but Alex wonders whether their differences mean that they should not be friends.
Spinelli, Eileen. Silly Tilly. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Tilly drives the other barnyard animals crazy with her silliness, but after gruffly telling her to stop, they discover that they miss her old ways.
Stoeke, Janet Morgan. Minerva Louise and the Red Truck. Dutton, 2002. Mischievous hen Minerva Louise jumps on the back of a truck and finds herself on a joyride during which she interprets the sights she sees in her own unique way.
Suen, Anastasia. An Elephant Grows Up. Picture Window Books, 2006. This story for early readers describes how baby elephants grow up, how their mothers care for them, and how they learn to care for themselves.
Sutton, Sally. Roadwork. Candlewick, 2008. Rhyming text and illustrations show how a road is made, from planning to moving dirt, laying asphalt, putting up signs, to landscaping.
Swanson, Susan Marie. To Be Like the Sun. Harcourt, 2008. A child reflects on how a small, striped gray seed eventually becomes a strong, beautiful sunflower.
HAISLN RECOMMENDED READING LIST 2010
PreSchool, PreKindergarten, Kindergarten
9
Tafuri, Nancy. The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book. Simon & Schuster, 2009. Ten animals find shelter in a hill hollow one by one, but when the storm is over, a rumbling tells them there is still danger afoot.
Tankard, Jeremy. Boo Hoo Bird. Scholastic, 2009. When Bird gets hit on the head while playing ball, his friends have many suggestions to try to make him feel better.
Thomas, Jan. Rhyming Dust Bunnies. Atheneum, 2009. As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, are demonstrating how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, is trying to warn them of approaching danger.
Thompson, Lauren. How Many Cats? Disney/Hyperion, 2009. From zero to twenty, a house becomes filled with frolicking cats who then leave alone or in groups.
Urban, Linda. Mouse Was Mad. Harcourt, 2009. Mouse struggles to find the right way to express his anger, modeling the behavior of Hare, Bear, Hedgehog, and Bobcat, only to discover that his own way may be the best way of all.
Van Leeuwen, Jean. Chicken Soup. Abrams Books, 2009. When they hear that Mrs. Farmer is making soup, all the frightened chickens run for their lives, but Mr. Farmer finds Little Chickie, who has a bad cold, and he takes her to the kitchen for some nice hot vegetable soup.
Vetter, Jennifer Riggs. Down by the Station. Tricycle, 2009. This expanded version of the traditional song describes more vehicles, different locations, and their unique sounds, from puffer-bellies to racecars and rockets.
Voake, Charlotte. Tweedle Dee Dee. Candlewick, 2008. Illustrations of a forest in spring and simple text provide a variation on the traditional folk song, "The green leaves grew around."
Vries, Anke de. Raf. Lemniscaat, 2009. Ben and his favorite stuffed animal, Raf, go everywhere together, but one day Raf disappears and Ben is too sad to go outside and play until the mail brings him a surprise.
Waddell, Martin. Owl Babies. Candlewick, 1992. Three owl babies whose mother has gone out in the night try to stay calm while she is gone.
Walsh, Melanie. 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-tips. Candlewick, 2008. Simple text and die-cut illustrations describe ten ways children can help the environment, such as turning the water off when they brush their teeth and using both sides of a piece of paper.
Wells, Rosemary. Yoko. Hyperion, 1998. When Yoko brings sushi to school for lunch, her classmates make fun of what she eats -- until one of them tries it for himself.
HAISLN RECOMMENDED READING LIST 2010
PreSchool, PreKindergarten, Kindergarten
10
Willems, Mo. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. Hyperion, 2009. Wilbur is the only naked mole rat in his colony who enjoys wearing clothes, and when Grand-pah, the oldest and wisest naked mole rat, discovers his secret, Wilbur fears he will be ostracized by the colony.
Williams, Vera B. "More More More" Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories. Mulberry Books, 1990. Three babies are caught up in the air and given loving attention by a father, grandmother, and mother.
Wilson, Karma. Mortimer's First Garden. McElderry, 2009. Little Mortimer Mouse, longing to see something green at winter's end, follows the lead of the big people and plants, waters, and weeds his last sunflower seed until, finally, with God's help and a lot of patience, he harvests his crop.