Betty Goes Bananas by Steve Antony

Betty loves bananas.  When she sees a delicious looking banana she can't wait to eat it up.  But there is a problem.  Betty can not get the banana opened.  She is very frustrated.  A toucan comes along and offers to help with the banana and proceeds to show Betty how to open a banana.  But Betty is still not happy and the worst is yet to come.  Will Betty ever be able to enjoy her lovely banana?  Great read aloud for preschool kiddos that touches on problem solving.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook

Check out the clothesline to see what types of jobs each individual does.  Can you guess which job the individual does before turning the page?  Told in rhyme each description allows young children (preschool age most likely) to guess the job based on the clothes as well as other "props" each has with them.  A great book for drawing conclusions as well as discussion on jobs/occupations.

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Do Cows Meow? by Salina Yoon

A totally adorable lift-the-flap book about animals and the sounds they produce!
"Do horses paint?  Do horses play? All I know is horses go...Neigh!"
Young children will love lifting the flap to peek inside the animal's mouth and "read" the sound the animal makes.  Bright colors and adorable pictures make this animal sound noise a big hit at our house.

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves

I Am Small by Emma Dodd

I am a fan of Emma Dodd. I like her simple, sweet books and adorable illustrations. This book follows that trend. Told from the perspective of a baby penguin, every thing is so big, deep, high, strong but the little penguin in his/her words is "small". However this little penguin to his/her mother is not small but oh so much more! Here it comes....grab a tissue...

"I may be small, but I can see the biggest thing to you is......ME"

This would make a great baby gift for someone OR for your own child....

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - Amazing with foil used throughout.
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - LOVE them!!!

My NOT small (at least not anymore) baby....

I See Winter/I See Summer by Charles Chigna

These are ADORABLE!!! I LOVE the illustrations - so darn cute! AND the endpages! Wow! If you are looking for a basic book about season, here it is! Told in rhyme, each fully illustrated page lists one more "aspect" about that season.

"I see sunshine when I wake. I see families at the lake.
I see sailboats passing by. I see seagulls in the sky."

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

An Annoying ABC by Barbara Bottner

It all starts with Adelaide who decided to annoy Bailey. Bailey in turn blamed Clyde. What did Clyde do? He cried. Do you see where this going? One child after another, in alphabetical order, in Miss Mabel's class causes the next bad behavior or annoying act. After the behavior has run its course through the class, or the alphabet as the case may be, Adelaide, who "started it" must....apologize. Of course! Very creatively written, with lots of good examples of alliteration and vocabulary, as long as it does not give any students ideas of bad behavior :)

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 3 Buckeye leaves
Endpages: 4 Buckeye leaves - the students are headed to class in alphabetical order

Dinosaur Dig by Penny Dale

Dinosaurs + big machines + noises = DINOSAUR DIG!!

Count the dinosaurs as they get to work on the construction site using diggers, dump trucks, cranes, and other big machines of all shapes and sizes. What could they be building? With each page a new dinosaur is introduced as they work to construct something for all the dinos to enjoy. Great counting book, especially for those dino loving preschoolers! Very interesting details in the illustrations of the life like dinosaurs.

Hear from author Penny Dale on what inspired her to write Dinosaur Dig! by clicking HERE!

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves - I really like the sound words used throughout!
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves - very detailed

I'm Not Ready! by Jonathon Allen

It is the first day of preschool and Baby Owl is....."NOT READY!"

Mom Owl is trying to get Baby Owl to his first day of preschool but Baby Owl has to....pick up toys, brush his feathers, look for his backpack, and on and on. Each time Baby Owl says, "I'm not ready!" Finally Mom Owl convinces Baby Owl to go to school where he sees all his friends, Little Rabbit, Baby Badger, as well as others. Now Baby Owl can't wait to go be with his friends.

And of course at the end of the day when Dad Owl shows up to take him home, Baby Owl says......

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves (Baby Owl is super cute!!)
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Simms Taback's Farm Animals

Simms Taback's newest book is simple and interactive. With each fold out, another "clue" is given till the final fold out reveals the farm animal. Bright and colorful, young children will enjoy guessing the animal being described. We have had fun with this book at our house this week.

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves (age appropriate for preschoolers)
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Zig-Zag: Zoems for Zindergarten by Loris Lesynski

A collection of fun, short, somewhat silly poems. From the first poem "Kindergarten Rocks" to the "Kindergarten Raps" at the end, kids will love the active poems.

Big kids, little kids,
girls and boys,
books and paints,
and games and toys
-Kindergarten rocks!

BUT this collection is not all silly, nonsense poems. I love, and plan to use with my kindergarten classes, Sit On Your Bottom and Lap.

Text: 3-5 Buckeye leaves (some I love....others are just ok to me but kids may love....)
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (I love the cover though! Super cute, colorful, fun!)
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves (lower case ABCs in front, upper case ABCs in back)

Everything I Need To Know Before I'm Five by Valorie Fisher

This book has it all! Colors - check. Shapes - check. Numbers - check. An overview of all the basic we work so hard on with our preschool age kids. A great book to keep in the car for the kids when stuck in traffic or waiting for a table or slow service at a restaurant. Reminds me of Denise Fleming's The Everything Book. Would make a great birthday gift for a 3 or 4 year old.


Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (Bright and colorful though I would not have chosen some of the dolls used throughout the book.)

Big Brothers Don't Take Naps by Louise Borden

Little brother Nicholas realizes all the things his big brother James can do as well as something James does not have to do. James gets to ride the school bus, he can write his name, call Pop Pop and mimi, etc. and of course James does NOT take naps! James wants to be his big brother and there is a secret that may just give him the chance. Cute, simple book to introduce the idea of a new sibling to young children.

Text: 3 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

The Lion and the Mice by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley

Based on Aesop's fable, a lion is convinced that a tiny mouse is of no use to him but decides to spare his life anyways. Later that night the mouse returns with friends and frees the lion from his cage. Simple text will make this fable easy for younger readers to understand. The bright colors will attract children as well. Would be a good book to compare/contrast with Jerry Pinkney's Lion and Mouse.


Text: 4 Buckeye leaves (simple enough for young readers)
Illustration: 4 Buckeye leaves

Opposnakes: A Lift-the-Flap Book About Opposites by Salina Yoon

Another fun interactive book for the kids.
"Straight snake. Tangled snake. Dirty snake. Clean snake."
And so it continues with the opposite snake pairs that are revealed with opening each flap. Great, fun introduction to opposites.

10 Little Hermit Crabs by Lee Fox & Shane McG

I love a good counting book....especially when it is super cute! As you can probably conclude based on the title, 10 little hermit crabs are exploring the beach as one by one they disappear.
"4 little hermit crabs sprint along the sand. One's plucked up by a child's small hand"
This is one of my favorite illustrations as well. The shadow of the child, with spiky, short hair can be seen in the corner! A great summer read for kids of all ages.....while the last few weeks of summer slip away! :)

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

How do you know if a book is good? When you have a 3 year old that finds it in the basket of new books from the library, takes it in the other room, starts looking through it - commenting on what is happening on each page, despite never having the book read to him and being pretty darn close too, and CRACKING up hysterically!! It was a hoot!! So anyways, if it is Jan Thomas, you know it is going to be funny....and this one does not disappoint. Duck comes upon a pumpkin and decides to make a jack-o-lantern. Of course he ends up, head first, in the pumpkin. He decides to go look for his friends Pig and Mouse but they think he is the PUMPKIN MONSTER!! Ahhh!!! Of course when Duck hears the Pumpkin Monster is around he also becomes quite scared! Hilarious!! Soon to be a kid favorite!

Text: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves
*Yes, we will be buying this ASAP!!

I Spy With My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs

Is it a nonfiction animal book? Is it a color book? It is BOTH!
"I spy with my little eye...something is red."
"I'm a fox."

With the rhyming "clue" that children will enjoy guessing which animal is "looking at them"....orangutan, fox, lion, etc. Great interactive book that preschoolers and early elementary students will delight in reading.


Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Bunny's Lessons by Harriet Ziefert

Charlie and Bunny are best friends. Bunny credits Charlie with everything he knows. From LOUD to OUCH to Messy, Charlie has taught Bunny so much. Very Simple book but the three year old at our house loves it. This book provides a great opportunity for discussing words as well as friendship.

Text:4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves
Endpages: 4 Buckeye Leaves

Chew, Chew, Gulp! by Lauren Thompson

Do you eat your dinner or..."Scoop it. Loop it. Prod it. Pop it."?? In the book Chew, Chew, Gulp, author Lauren Thompson's character does anything BUT eat. Along with a variety of identified foods, Thompson turns the regular, meals and eating into fun events. Students and teachers will enjoy the rhythmic pattern of the language used in the book as well as the fun "synonyms" for EAT!

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves
Endpages:2 Buckeye leaves

Bear in Pink Underwear by Todd H. Doodler

Bear's favorite sport was soccer and he was a proud member of the mighty Red Devils. Whenever Bear play he had to wear his lucky underwear. One game Bear ended up covered in mud after a really hard rainstorm hit at the end of the game, creating quite a mess on the field. Knowing he had to have his muddy clothes cleaned for the game the next day, Bear threw his clothes in to wash....remember Bear is a member of the RED Devils. HIs lucky underwear was no longer WHITE! Knowing he HAD to wear his lucky underwear, Bear showed up in his newly colored underwear. Everyone thought it was so funny and made mean comments to Bear. Bear must ignore the comments and focus on the game...somehow.

Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves - Good Lesson about being different, standing up for yourself, etc
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves