Kids’ Easter Books & More Spring Picks

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 26, 2010

The following books have been carefully selected to honor modern day Easter celebrations—Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, bunnies, and chocolate—and the fruitful season of spring. I’ve included a short description of each book and highlighted the “Easter-ish” themes you’ll discover. I am positive you’ll find a book to adore and place in your snuggle-bunny’s Easter basket!

Here Comes Easter!

by Caroline Jayne Church

Reading level: Ages 0-3

Board book: 14 pages

Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Brdbk edition (February 1, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Easter egg hunt, Bunny

A little bit of counting is mixed in with a fun hunt for some Easter eggs. The rhyming is sweet and makes for easy listening. The touch-and-feel illustrations and the surprise lift-the-flap at the end will certainly entertain baby!

Add this book to your collection: Here Comes Easter!

You may also like: That’s Not My Bunny by Fiona Watt

Happy Easter, Mouse!

by Laura Numeroff (Author), Felicia Bond (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 1-4

Board book: 24 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray; Brdbk edition (January 26, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Bunny, Easter eggs

This is a board book for the youngest of the young. Mouse is on the hunt to find out who has left all of the Easter eggs in his house. Each page plays host to a set of different color eggs. A simple and sweet  introduction to Easter egg hunts.

Add this book to your collection: Happy Easter, Mouse!

You may also like: Mouse Cookies & More: A Treasury by Laura Numeroff

My Garden

by Kevin Henkes

Reading level: Ages 2-7

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1 edition (February 23, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter theme: Chocolate bunnies

Oh, how I love Kevin Henkes. He can take the most simplest plot and turn it into a dignified piece of art. As a girl becomes lost in her own imagination while gardening with her mother, she creates the most wondrous garden—chocolate bunnies and all. The illustrations create a marvelous spring atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Add this book to your collection: My Garden

You may also like Kevin Henkes’: Kitten’s First Full Moon, Old Bear, and A Good Day

Easter Babies: A Springtime Counting Book

by Joy N. Hulme (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 3-7

Hardcover: 24 pages

Publisher: Sterling (February 2, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Easter egg hunt, Spring animal babies, Church bells

The rhyming text is a sweet-sounding expression of spring, and celebrates the new life that comes with this harmonious season. Dan Andreasen’s tender illustrations, created using digital art and traditional oil paint, are sensational—in fact, they’re the cat’s meow. Love this book!

Add this book to your collection: Easter Babies: A Springtime Counting Book

Here Comes T. Rex Cottontail

by Lois G. Grambling (Author), Jack E. Davis (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 3-6

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1 edition (January 26, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Easter egg hunt

Have you ever seen a T.Rex dressed as a bunny? It’s really quite funny—especially to a bunch of 4-year-olds. The Easter Bunny is sick and T.Rex steps-in to deliver the Easter Eggs. The text is engaging and wittingly complimented by playful illustrations.

Add this book to your collection: Here Comes T. Rex Cottontail

Bunny’s Easter Egg

by Anne Mortimer

Reading level: Ages 4-7

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 26, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter theme: Bunny, Egg hunt

For those of you who love a good Easter egg hunt, you will most likely enjoy this endearing play by play of how one adorably illustrated bunny finds a nice place to rest after hiding all of the eggs for a hunt. Bunny’s Easter Egg is full of wonderful sounds and repetitive verse, making it a lovely read-aloud that’s easy on the eyes.

Add this book to your collection: Bunny’s Easter Egg

The Best Easter Prize

by Kristina Evans Collier (Author), John Wallace (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Cartwheel Books (February 1, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Church (Easter service), Easter egg hunt

Okay, so this book is a little cheesy, but I happen to really like cheese. It’s a lovely story about patience and sharing and the ups-and-downs of an Easter egg hunt—a great message delivered clearly. Whether you are a church goer or not, this is a must for all kids that will be participating in an Easter egg hunt.

Add this book to your collection: The Best Easter Prize

A Very Big Bunny

by Marisabina Russo

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade; 1 edition (January 26, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter theme: Bunny

Nobody likes to feel different, but we all are. A big bunny and a small bunny find an unlikely friendship based on their differences—and it turns out that it may actually be quite fun to be individual. The illustrations are rendered in gouache and add a little extra zest to this well-written, sensitive topic.

Add this book to your collection: A Very Big Bunny

You may also like: The Bunnies Are Not In Their Beds by Marisabina Russo

Calendar Mysteries #4: April Adventure

by Ron Roy

Reading level: Ages 6-9

Paperback: 80 pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 9, 2010)

Source of book: Publisher

Easter themes: Easter egg hunt

A mystery unravels as the children try to track down some golden eggs that missing have gone from their Easter egg hunt. This is such a fantastic series that can be enjoyed by the whole family or newly-independent readers.

Add this book to your collection: Calendar Mysteries #4: April Adventure

Older Readers may also like: A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy

How to Tell if Your Child is Ready to Read

By Lynn Maslen Kertell, Bob Books Publications, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 8, 2010

Are you and your child ready to take your first steps into the exciting and magical world of reading? Learning to read is very much a process; as your child’s coach and teacher, he or she will need your encouragement and patience. Here are some thoughts as you and your child embark on your amazing adventure.

Signs of reading readiness

There is no specific age when your child will be ready to start reading. Because young children learn so much at a rapid rate, you may not be aware of how much they already know. Some children grasp reading concepts and are able to sound out simple words as early as age 3; others may not start until age 5 or 6.

Answers to the questions below can help determine where your child is in terms of reading readiness:

1. Does your child know the alphabet?
2. Can she or he recognize most of the letters (including both uppercase and lowercase letters?)
3. Can your child recognize letters on everyday objects such as S T O P on a stop sign?
4. Does your child know that letters are associated with sounds and can he or she demonstrate a fair number of those sounds?
5. Can your child spell his or her own name?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to most of these questions, we recommend that you begin with Bob Books Set 1 • Beginning Readers. If your child is interested, pays attention, interacts with the book, and seems to have an idea of what you mean, then you are on your way to reading. If your child is wiggly, disruptive or sad, they may not be ready. Put the books away for a few months and try again later. Children learn at different rates. For a happy reading experience, it is important to find your child’s comfort level.

How do Bob Books work?

Bob Books introduce letters and words gradually so that children have success from the start. When children feel good from the first book, they are confident and eager to try more. Bob Books start with consistent short vowels and very short words to they are easy to sound out. New letters and words are introduced gradually, so that a child can soon say, “I read the whole book!”®

Each Bob Books set builds upon the previous set, with enough repetition that reading becomes comfortable and easy, with new material added to keep a the child interested. The stories contain silly and mischievous characters and simple plotlines that make children giggle. The illustrations are intentionally simple and childlike. The books themselves are sized perfectly for little hands. Numbering the books and boxes creates a sense of progress and accomplishment for your child.

More information about Sets 1-5:

Bob Books Set 1 • Beginning Readers contains twelve little books. With just four letters in the first book, your child can easily sound out all the words (Mat, Sam, sat etc.). New sounds and letters are added gradually until all the letters of the alphabet have been introduced (except Q).

Next, Bob Books Set 2 • Advancing Readers continues with three-letter words and consistent vowel sounds in slightly longer stories. Again, repetition is used throughout as a way to build skill and confidence.

Bob Books Set 3 • Word Families introduces consonant blends, endings, and a few sight words, to mix things up and advance reading skills. The use of word families help make longer stories more manageable.

Once you’ve found that your child has mastered Sets 1-3, longer books and more complex words will continue to engage and challenge your young reader in Bob Books Set 4 • Complex Words. New word blends, more sight words and longer words advance their skills, while sound repetition keeps reading easy.

The final set in the series, Bob Books Set 5 • Long Vowels introduces the important new skills of long vowels and the magical silent E. Reading vocabularies will grow quickly as your child begins to master the longer stories. Upon completion of Bob Books Set 5, your emerging reader is now ready to move onto chapter books!

What if my child isn’t ready?

Before reading, children need foundation skills: knowing shapes, recognizing patterns, sorting and learning how to anticipate sequences of events. Strengthening these key building-block skills will make your child’s steps into reading easier and more fun. My First Bob Books™ were written to enhance your child’s first reading discoveries. Whereas Sets 1-5 are intended for your child to read to you, My First Bob Books are for you to read to your child. My First Bob Books are for children, especially toddlers and young preschool-age children, who are just beginning to understand shapes, letters and sounds. Parent guides offer additional activities, games and tips designed to support new concepts and empower your emerging readers.

As always, we at Bob Books love to receive comments as well as your reading success stories.

We wish your young learner much success and happiness as he or she enters the great adventure of reading.

Lynn Maslen Kertell
Managing Partner and Author, Bob Books Publications, LLC
lynn@bobbooks.com

Spring 2010: Kids’ Book Picks

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: March 8, 2010

Spring is in the air. Familiar floral scents are beginning to drift with the breeze, stimulating thoughts of rebirth—from flowering blossoms to new-born chickens. Spring just may be my favorite season. The following books are a great representation of this sweet and thriving time of year.

Silly Little Goose!

by Nancy Tafuri

Reading level: Ages 0-5

Board book: 26 pages

Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Brdbk edition (February 1, 2010)

Little Goose is looking for a quiet and comfortable place to lay her eggs—a classic spring activity. Simple text combined with animal sounds and winning illustrations make Silly Little Goose a great read-aloud book. This book was first released in 2001, but it has just been released as a sturdy board book—a great choice for the younger set.

Add this book to your collection: Silly Little Goose!

The Grasshopper Hopped!

by Elizabeth Alexander (Author), Joung Un Kim (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 3-6

Hardcover: 14 pages

Publisher: Golden Books (January 12, 2010)

I’m not sure if Grasshoppers would be considered synonymous with spring, but, when I saw the cover for this book, my mind immediately thought of gardening and blossoms. As Grasshopper searches for his “perfect” spot, readers are taken on a journey similar to the one that Goldilocks takes in The Three Little Bears: The soup pot is too hot, the fridge too cold. Kim’s cut-paper illustrations and interactive pull-tabs add extra pizazz to the already engaging rhyme and sounds of Alexander’s charming little story.

Add this book to your collection: The Grasshopper Hopped!

Forever Friends

by Carin Berger

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 2, 2010)

From her collage artwork to her simple and reflective stories, Carin Berger is one of my favorites! Forever Friends, a companion book to The Little Yellow Leaf, is the story between two unlikely friends who must part because of the seasons. It is the season of spring that brings them back together. The cherry blossoms, mushrooms, and flower-chains, add extra panache to this heartfelt story of friendship.

Add this book to your collection: Forever Friends

You may also enjoy: The Little Yellow Leaf

Interview: Carin Berger

Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

by Randall de Seve (Author), Jen Corace (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (February 16, 2010)

Spring time begs for youngsters to return to the great outdoors. It also welcomes vivid imaginations that are rekindled by a change of scenery. Mathilda is an adorable little lamby—illustrated by Jen Corace: Little Pea, Little Oink, and Little Hoot—who clearly has a profound imagination that is stimulated easily by her surroundings. Mathilda also has a level of curiosity that, when combined with her imagination, allows her to become anything (an important message for anyone). Very sweet!

Add this book to your collection: Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

You may also enjoy: Little Pea, Little Oink, and Little Hoot

Paris in the Spring with Picasso

by Joan Yolleck (Author), Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (March 23, 2010)

This is a visual and intellectual, cultural treat. Marjorie Priceman, the illustrator of two Caldecott Honor books, has superbly conjured images of 20th century Paris; an era of great artists, such as: Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein. The artwork is reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline books, only the colors are more vibrant. Francophiles will delight in author Joan Yolleck’s imaginative telling of how these great artists may have spent one of their wonderful spring days in Paris. Conceptual meets factual, ending in a brilliant soiree.

Add this book to your collection: Paris in the Spring with Picasso

Francophiles may also enjoy: Everybody Bonjours! by Leslie Kimmelman

My Little Pony: The Greenest Day (I Can Read Book 1)

by Jennifer Christie

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 24 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (March 9, 2010)

The Greenest Day is a level 1 I Can Read book, which means that it has short sentences and familiar words. At the beginning of the book there are a few words that are matched with a picture. Throughout the story, these pictures replace the words in the sentences they appear—a fun concept to spice-up learning to read. With spring, friendship, and good listening as the key concepts for this story, it’s a great choice for a reluctant reader or My Little Pony fan.

Add this book to your collection: My Little Pony: The Greenest Day

Source of all books: Publishing Houses

Er.u.di.tion: The Game to Jump-Start the Road to Reading

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 24, 2010

Erudition: Sight Word Edition

by Acumen Associates, LLC

Source of game: Acumen Associates, LLC

I’m always on the lookout for tools that help promote reading skills. The more ways that you can present a learning concept to a child, the better. This is why I think that Er.u.di.tion, a board game for ages 3 & up, should be a family and school staple—and is most likely why it has been the winner of numerous awards.

The game has been designed to effectively meet the needs of different reading levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Beginners will learn the alphabet and basic phonics, while intermediete to advanced readers will work towards spelling and comprehension.

Here is a list of some of the skills that can be learned from this game:

• Teaches children to automatically recognize high frequency words
• Promotes instant recognition of common phonetically irregular words
• Provides definitions to foster both vocabulary learning and reading comprehension
• Provides syllabication to promote word decoding
• Instills confidence to enable reading development

My only additional reccomendation is that you may want to play the game in two sittings with the youngest players. Besides that, it’s fun and educational—a great combination!

Last minute Valentine’s Day Ideas

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 11, 2010

Just had to share these with you—after all, sharing is apart of loving. Right?

Have a beautiful Valentine’s Day weekend!

Younger Readers will enjoy … Read more

A Jane Yolen Celebration

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 11, 2010

It was 49 years ago, today, that Jane Yolen had her first book, Pirates in Petticoats, published. That day was her 22nd birthday—what a great birthday present. In honor of Jane Yolen’s 71st birthday and the 300+ books that she has written—winning awards for many—we are celebrating by sharing with you some of her more recent picture books and board books. Happy Birthday, Jane Yolen. We hope you have a wonderful day! Read more

Black History Month, 2010: Kids’ Books

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 11, 2010

It’s February. It’s Black History Month. It’s the perfect time to look back at some amazing contributions to American history and to look forward to the many stunning offerings of children’s literature by African-Americans.

Last year was the first year that we created a list of books in recognition of Black History Month—it boasts 20 fabulous pieces of work. Here are our newest additions to the growing list: Read more

Kids Winter Books: Snow, mittens, polar bears and other artic animals

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: January 4, 2010

What better season is there to cuddle-up under a blanket next to a crackling fire, with a good book? The following books are perfect for this peaceful-but-sometimes-blustery time of year. There is something for every child: snow, mittens, polar bears, penguins—and even a coming of age story for the teens.

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The Mom’s Choice Award, Gold Medal Winner: The Belly Button Fairy

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 15, 2009

Congratulations to Bobbie Hinman and Mark Wayne Adams for your Gold Medal win in the Mom’s Choice Awards! We love your book The Belly Button Fairy, along with The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy (both illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman). We look forward to your next offering.

The Belly Button Fairy

by Bobbie Hinman (Author), Mark Wayne Adams (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 0-6

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Best Fairy Books; Har/Com edition (September 1, 2009)

Source: Author

What to expect: Children, Fairies, Belly buttons

Using enchanting rhyme, Bobbie Hinman has created an imaginative and whimsical take on how belly buttons end up in the middle of our tummies. The illustrations are bright and delightful! A sweet book that is perfect for a calming story time. The lovely story reading and music on the CD—included with the book—just add to the appeal.

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Star Wars Books for Kids

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: December 14, 2009

Star Wars is everywhere: t-shirts, Legos, figurines, table sets, bedding, posters … the list goes on … babies are dressed-up as Yoda for Halloween, and 4-year-old kids (sometimes younger, often older) are waving their pretend light sabers in a pretend battle in the yard at preschool. The commercialization of Star Wars can not be escaped; sooner or later your kids are going to ask that all important question, “Can I watch Star Wars?”

Now comes the hard part: how old should your kids be before you let them watch the movie? There are so many things to consider, including: violence and adult concepts. Some parents say 10-years-old, others are more lenient with 8- or even 6-years-old. No matter what you decide is right for your family—I do recommend reading this article by Daniel Donahoo, Geek Dad—reading some Star Wars books may be a good way to delay a viewing of the movies; it will also allow for some thoughtful discussions on good vs. bad, before the onslaught of the visual impact.

Here is a list of books and their synopsis’, starting at the youngest reader and ending in books for older readers:

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