Review Round-Up: Books for Beginning Readers, February 2016

Cybils Winners Announced! 

The 2015 Cybils Awards were announced on Valentine's Day. In the easy reader category, the winner was Ling and Ting: Twice as Silly by Grace Lin. The chapter book winner was Dory and the Real True Friend by Abby Hanlon. Winning titles in all categories can be seen here.

Easy Readers

Kicking off the list of easy reader reviews this month is Round 2 Cybils Judge Amy Johnson, who weighed in on her experience as a first-time judge and provided quick reviews of each of the finalists at Sunlit Pages.

Katie Salo at Step Up Readers focused on award winners this month as well, with a post reviewing the 2016 Geisel winner, Don't Throw It To Mo!, and all of the 2016 Geisel honor books. Step Up Readers also featured reviews of Ling and Ting: Together in All Weather, Berkley, the Terrible Sleeper, Digger and Daisy Star in a Play, and I Really Like Slop.

Jennifer Wharton from Jean Little Library reviewed two non-fiction titles for beginning readers: Countries We Come From: El Salvador and See It Grow: Sunflowers. Jennifer also reviewed a few other titles this month at Flying Off My Bookshelf: Hot Rod Hamster and the Haunted Halloween Party, Ping Wants to Play, and Ed and Kip.

The Books for Kids Blog reviewed two easy readers from popular series: Splat the Cat: Blow, Snow, Blow! and Pete the Cat's Train Trip. 

Other easy readers reviewed this month are:

• Lily's New Home and Want to Play? at Story Time Secrets and at Ms. Yingling Reads
• Living in... Brazil at Pages and Margins
• Dance, Dance, Underpants at Provo Library Children's Book Reviews 
• What This Story Needs is a Hush and a Shush at Literary Hoots 

Chapter Books

There is a lot of buzz surrounding this month's release of the third Princess in Black book, The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde. There were reviews on five blogs: Good Reads with Ronna, Books 4 Your Kids, Becky's Book Reviews, Children's Book and Media Review and Everead.

Becky's Book Reviews had quite a few chapter book reviews, including three titles in the Zigzag Kids series: Number One Kid,  Flying Feet, and Big Whopper. Becky also reviewed Posy the Puppy and McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm.

Other chapter book reviews from February are below:

• Appleblossom the Possum, reviewed by What to Read To Your Kids
• Change is in the Air, Mallory, reviewed by Story Time Secrets
• Cody and the Fountain of Happiness, reviewed by Jean Little Library
• Lola Levine is NOT Mean and Princess Posey and the Crazy, Lazy Vacation, reviewed by Ms. Yingling Reads
• Lost in NYC, reviewed by Sal's Fiction Addiction
• Magic Tree House: Balto of the Blue Dawn, reviewed by Books for Kids Blog and Ms. Yingling Reads 
• Olga da Polga, reviewed by Kid Lit Reviews
• Shelter Pet Squad: Merlin, reviewed by Jean Little Library
• Stanley and Me: Misty, reviewed by Jean Little Library
• Starring Jules: Third Grade Debut, reviewed by Story Time Secrets
• The Story of Diva and Flea, reviewed by Provo Library Children's Book Reviews
• Weekends with Max and his Dad, reviewed by Chapter Book Explorer

Moms Club Story Time, 2/25/16

This morning I did story time for my moms group at a fellow member's house. I approached this story time as less of a performance and more of a gathering with friends where I happened to be reading and singing. There were 7 moms in all, including me, and the kids ranged in age from 5 mos. (Little Bo Peep was the youngest) to age 3. It was a cozy and informal session, and we all had fun. Here is my set list:

Opening Song: Hello, How Are You?

Song: If You'd Like to Read a Book

Book: To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda, illustrated by Janet Stevens
I had the kids make some of the animal sounds as we read this book. They didn't seem that amused by the plot, but it's hard to tell sometimes.

Fingerplay: This Little Piggy

Book: Potato Joe by Keith Baker
I have yet to meet an adult who likes this book, but I do, and kids sort of do, so I continue to use it. It was not the hit of the session, but it was okay.

Action Rhyme: One Potato, Two Potato
I found this on YouTube, but apparently it's originally from Sesame Street. I modified the motions a little bit because I was sitting down, and the kids didn't really do the motions, but the moms all seemed into it.

Action Song: Go In and Out the Window
I think this is the one everyone participated in the most.

Book: The Missing Tarts by B.G. Hennessey, illustrated by Tracey Pearson Campbell
Apparently this book was mine as a kid, but I don't remember it. I like it because it is similar to Each Peach Pear Plum, but it does not require one-on-one interaction with the book for kids to get the full reading experience.

Songs with Ukulele: ABCs / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star / Baa Baa Black Sheep

Book: Mother Goose's Pajama Party by Danna Smith, illustrated by Virginia Allyn
This was the best book of the session. I did it last because it ends by saying goodnight, but it probably would have been a wiser choice to place it earlier in the line-up. Read my review of the book here.

Song: Moon Moon Moon
I did this song mainly for Little Miss Muffet who stood up and applauded and shouted, "Yay!" Totally worth it.

Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This

Reading with Little Miss Muffet and Little Bo Peep, February 2016

This short month flew right by! Here are some notes on what Little Miss Muffet and Little Bo Peep have been reading lately.

Making Sense of Bad Behavior 

As Miss Muffet struggles her way through the highs and lows of the terrible twos, she is really enjoying books about children who misbehave, but are loved and forgiven by their parents all the same. She requests multiple daily readings of Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox, a used copy of which we bought at a local book sale several months ago. Realizing how much she enjoyed that book, I grabbed a copy of No, David the next time we visited the library, and she quickly memorized the text of that as well. We have had the book almost three weeks now, and frequently she can be heard "reading" it aloud to her beloved baby doll. I think this is the first time I have really seen her connect with the emotional experience of a character in a book. Harriet and David clearly comfort her during the times when she is driving her parents wild - and we can also talk about her behavior in terms of what happens in those books. 

Sing! 

Miss Muffet is still really interested in singable books. We checked a few out of the library on our last trip, but by far, her favorite is Sing, Tom Lichtenheld's adaptation of the famous Sesame Street song by Joe Raposo. The early part of the story is wordless, which she likes because she can read it by herself, and then it goes through the song, a few words at a time as a guitar-playing boy helps a little bird gain the courage to sing its own tune. I was not crazy about this adaptation when it first came out because it didn't fit with my nostalgic feelings about the song, but after reading it dozens of times, I have to admit it is growing on me. 

Unrealistic Early Literacy Tips

Poor Little Bo Peep doesn't get nearly as much reading time as her big sister did at her age. I don't worry about it much, because even when we're not talking directly to her, she is still surrounded by all of us talking, reading, and singing all day long. Still, having a second child does make me realize how truly unrealistic many early literacy tips are for parents. I see these tips in many places around the web - blogs, library websites, emails from my library system, etc. - and I recognize the good intentions behind them, but many of them show a gross misunderstanding of what caring for small children is really like. For example, singing to a baby during every diaper change sounds like a lovely idea, but in practice, diaper changes are rarely these calm bonding moments. Rather, the baby's diapers are changed quickly before her big sister finds something to climb, break, or throw away. I wish libraries would stop trying to prove how important they are by always trying to come up with the next new clever literacy tip, and instead just focus on showing people how to have fun with books. Every family can find a way to do that, no matter how many children they have. 

Read Around Town: Hair Salon

Read Around Town is a series where I highlight picture books that celebrate the people and places in a young child's immediate community. These would work well for preschool classes or homeschool groups taking tours of local businesses, or for any child interested in learning about his or her neighborhood. Today's post includes ten picture books about hair and hair salons.

Baghead by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
No one knows why Josh wants to wear a bag over his head until they see what happened to his hair! 

Mop Top by Don Freeman
A red-haired little boy does everything he can to put off his haircut in this vintage picture book by the creator of Corduroy.

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott
Every full moon, a young boy whose father is a barber cuts the hair of the neighborhood monsters, including Frankenstein's monster and Medusa.

Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom by John Rocco
Rocco is convinced that his super powers reside in his long red hair, which he is reluctant to cut.

Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
Stanley is embarrassed when he gets all ready for crazy hair day only to find that he got it mixed up with school picture day!

Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean

A man explains to a little girl all the things that can be found inside his crazy hair.

I Love My Hair! by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, illustrated by E.B. Lewis

A young girl named Keyana doesn't like it when her mother tugs on her hair, but she finds a sense of pride in the many ways it can be styled.

Birdie’s Big-Girl Hair by Sujean Rim
When Birdie gets a fancy grown-up hairstyle, it becomes difficult for her to play and run around like she normally does.

Ruby’s Beauty Shop by Rosemary Wells
When Ruby and her friend Louise start a beauty shop, Max joins in, first as a customer, and then as a stylist with an interesting approach to beauty.

The Longest Hair in the World by Lois Duncan, illustrated by Jon McIntosh

When Emily makes a birthday wish for the longest hair in the world, she isn't quite prepared for the consequences.